Editing Arapahoe County, Colorado

{{short description|County in Colorado, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county      = Arapahoe County
 | state              = Colorado
 | image_flag           = File:Flag of Arapahoe County, Colorado.svg
 | seal                 = 
 | logo                 = Logo of Arapahoe County, Colorado.png
 | founded date     = November 1
 | founded year         = 1861
 | seat wl           = Littleton
 | largest city wl      = Aurora
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 805
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 798
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 7.3
 | area percentage      = 0.9%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 655070 ([[List of Colorado counties by population|3rd]])<ref name=2020Census>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/arapahoecountycolorado/PST045219|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts|access-date=September 4, 2021|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 656061 {{gain}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | density_km2          = 317
 | time zone          = Mountain
 | web                  = www.arapahoegov.com/
 | named for            = The [[Arapaho Nation]]<ref name=placenames/>
 | ex image             = Little Dry Creek.JPG
 | ex image cap         = Little Dry Creek in Englewood
 | district             = 1st
 | district2            = 4th
 | district3            = 6th }}

'''Arapahoe County''' ({{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|r|æ|p|ə|h|oʊ}} {{respell|ə|RAP|ə|hoh}}) is a [[county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Colorado]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], its population was 655,070,<ref name="2020Census" /> making it the third-most populous county in Colorado. The [[county seat]] is [[Littleton, Colorado|Littleton]],<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|archive-date=May 31, 2011}}</ref> and the most populous city is [[Aurora, Colorado|Aurora]]. The county was named for the [[Arapaho]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribe, who once lived in the region.<ref name=placenames/> Arapahoe County is part of the [[Denver]]-Aurora-[[Lakewood, Colorado|Lakewood]] [[Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area|metropolitan statistical area]]. Arapahoe County calls itself "Colorado's First County", since its origins antedate the [[Pike's Peak Gold Rush]].

==History==
On August 25, 1855, the [[Kansas Legislature|Kansas Territorial Legislature]] created a huge [[Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory|Arapahoe County]] to govern the entire western portion of the [[Territory of Kansas]]. The county was named for the [[Arapaho Nation]], who lived in the region.<ref name=placenames>{{cite book|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|year=1905|pages=[https://archive.org/details/origincertainpl00ganngoog/page/n33 27]|author=Gannett, Henry|url=https://archive.org/details/origincertainpl00ganngoog}}</ref>

In July 1858, gold was discovered along the [[South Platte River]] in Arapahoe County (in present-day [[Englewood, Colorado|Englewood]]). This discovery precipitated the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. Many residents of the mining region felt disconnected from the remote territorial governments of [[Territory of Kansas|Kansas]] and [[Territory of Nebraska|Nebraska]], so they voted to form their own [[Territory of Jefferson]] on October 24, 1859. The following month, the Jefferson Territorial Legislature organized 12 counties for the new territory, including a smaller [[Arapahoe County, Jefferson Territory|Arapahoe County]]. [[Denver, Colorado#History|Denver City]] served as the [[county seat]] of Arapahoe County.

The Jefferson Territory never received federal sanction, and when the State of Kansas was admitted to the Union on January 29, 1861, the mining regions temporarily reverted to unorganized territory. On February 28, 1861, Congress passed an act organizing the [[Territory of Colorado]], using present-day borders.<ref name=ColoradoTerritory>{{cite web|url=http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/territory.pdf|title=An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado|publisher=[[Thirty-sixth United States Congress]]|date=February 28, 1861|access-date=November 26, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126202957/http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/territory.pdf|archive-date=November 26, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> On November 1, 1861, the Colorado Territorial Assembly organized the 17 original counties of Colorado, including a new Arapahoe County. Arapahoe County originally stretched from the line of present-day Sheridan Boulevard {{convert|160|mi|km}} east to the Kansas border, and from the line of present-day County Line Road {{convert|30|mi|km}} north to the [[40th parallel north]] (168th Avenue). Denver City served as the [[county seat]] of Arapahoe County until 1902.

In 1901, the [[Colorado General Assembly]] voted to split Arapahoe County into three parts - a new [[consolidated city-county|consolidated]] [[Denver, Colorado#History|City and County of Denver]], a new [[Adams County, Colorado#History|Adams County]], and the remainder of the Arapahoe County to be renamed [[South Arapahoe County, Colorado|South Arapahoe County]]. A ruling by the [[Colorado Supreme Court]], subsequent [[legislation]], and a [[referendum]] delayed the reorganization until November 15, 1902. [[Governor]] [[James Bradley Orman]] designated [[Littleton, Colorado|Littleton]] as the temporary [[county seat]] of South Arapahoe County. On April 11, 1903, the [[Colorado General Assembly]] changed the name of South Arapahoe County back to Arapahoe County. On November 8, 1904, Arapahoe County voters chose [[Littleton, Colorado|Littleton]] over Englewood by a vote of 1310 to 829 to be the permanent county seat.

==Geography==
[[File:Arapahoe County Justice Center.JPG|275px|thumbnail|right|The contemporary Arapahoe County Courthouse is in Dove Valley.]]

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|805|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|798|sqmi}} are land and {{convert|7.3|sqmi}} (0.9%) are covered by water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> The county measures {{convert|72|mi|km|abbr=on}} east-west and {{convert|4|to|12|mi|km|abbr=on}} north-south.

Two [[exclave]]s of Arapahoe County are entirely surrounded by the City and County of Denver, the [[Glendale, Colorado|City of Glendale]], and the [[Holly Hills, Colorado|Holly Hills]] neighborhood, a [[census-designated place]].

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Denver|City and County of Denver]] – northwest and exclaves
*[[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]] – north
*[[Washington County, Colorado|Washington County]] – east
*[[Lincoln County, Colorado|Lincoln County]] – southeast
*[[Elbert County, Colorado|Elbert County]] – south
*[[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas County]] – southwest
*[[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]] – west

===Major highways===
* [[File:I-25 (CO).svg|20px]] [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]]
* [[File:I-70 (CO).svg|20px]] [[Interstate 70 (Colorado)|Interstate 70]]
* [[File:I-225 (CO).svg|20px]] [[Interstate 225 (Colorado)|Interstate 225]]
*{{jct|state=CO|BL|70|dab1=Denver}}
*{{jct|state=CO|BS|70|dab1=Watkins}}
*{{jct|state=CO|BS|70|dab1=Strasburg}}
*{{jct|state=CO|BS|70|dab1=Deer Trail}}
* [[File:US 85.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 85 (Colorado)|U.S. Highway 85]]
* [[File:US 285.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 285 (Colorado)|U.S. Highway 285]]
* [[File:Colorado 30.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 30|State Highway 30]]
* [[File:Colorado 36.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 36|State Highway 36]]
* [[File:Colorado 40.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 40|State Highway 40]]
* [[File:Colorado 75.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 75|State Highway 75]]
* [[File:Colorado 79.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 79|State Highway 79]]
* [[File:Colorado 83.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 83|State Highway 83]]
* [[File:Colorado 88.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 88|State Highway 88]]
* [[File:Colorado 177.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 177|State Highway 177]]
* [[File:Colorado 470.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 470|State Highway 470]]
*[[E-470]] (tollway)

===State park===
*[[Cherry Creek State Park]]

===Historic trails===
*[[Smoky Hill Trail]]
*[[South Platte Trail]]

===Recreation trails===
*[[Highline Canal National Recreation Trail]]
*[[Platte River Greenway National Recreation Trail]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1870= 6829
|1880= 38644
|1890= 132135
|1900= 153017
|1910= 10263
|1920= 13766
|1930= 22647
|1940= 32150
|1950= 52125
|1960= 113426
|1970= 162142
|1980= 293621
|1990= 391511
|2000= 487967
|2010= 572003
|2020= 655070
|estyear=2023
|estimate=656061
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 31, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=U.S. Decennial Census |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=June 7, 2014 }}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/co190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="2020Census" />
}}

As of the [[census]] of 2000, 487,967 people, 190,909 households, and 125,809 families were residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|608|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people|people|abbr=on}}. The 196,835 housing units averaged {{convert|245|/mi2|/km2}}. The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the county was 79.93% White, 7.67% African American, 0.66% Native American, 3.95% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 4.51% from other races, and 3.16% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 11.81% of the population.

Of the 190,909 households, 34.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.20% were married couples living together, 10.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were not families. About 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53, and the average family size was 3.11.

In the county, the age distribution was 26.70% under 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 33.10% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.

The median income for a household was $53,570, and for a family was $63,875. Males had a median income of $41,601 versus $31,612 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $28,147. About 4.20% of families and 5.80% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 7.00% of those under age 18 and 5.10% of those age 65 or over.

==Education==
===K-12 Education===
Arapahoe County is home to nine public school districts: [[Aurora Public Schools (Colorado)|Aurora]], [[Bennett School District 29-J|Bennett]], [[Byers School District 32J|Byers]], [[Cherry Creek School District|Cherry Creek]], [[Deer Trail School District 26J|Deer Trail]], [[Englewood Schools|Englewood]], [[Littleton Public Schools|Littleton]], [[Sheridan School District (Colorado)|Sheridan]], and [[Strasburg School District 31J|Strasburg]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st08_co/schooldistrict_maps/c08005_arapahoe/DC20SD_C08005.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Arapahoe County, CO|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-11-01}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st08_co/schooldistrict_maps/c08005_arapahoe/DC20SD_C08005_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

In the 2023-2024 school year, Cherry Creek and Littleton were ranked the #5 and #6 school districts in Colorado, by [[Niche.com]] respectively.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-school-districts/s/colorado/ | title=2024 Best School Districts in Colorado }}</ref> In addition, [[Cherry Creek High School]] in Greenwood Village was ranked the #2 public high school in Colorado, while [[Grandview High School (Colorado)|Grandview High School]] in Aurora was ranked #6.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-schools/s/colorado/ | title=Compare Public Schools in Colorado | newspaper=Niche }}</ref>

There are also several private schools throughout the county, including [[St. Mary's Academy (Cherry Hills Village)|St. Mary's Academy]] in Cherry Hills Village, [[Regis Jesuit High School]] in Aurora, and [[Kent Denver School]] in Englewood, the latter of which was ranked Colorado's #1 high school.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-high-schools/s/colorado/ | title=2024 Best High Schools in Colorado | newspaper=Niche }}</ref>

===Higher Education===
Arapahoe County is home to two large community colleges: [[Arapahoe Community College]] in Littleton, and the [[Community College of Aurora]]. The county is also home to the [[University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus]] and the Denver South campus of [[Colorado Technical University]], both located in Aurora.

==Politics==
Arapahoe County was once a classic bastion of suburban conservatism. In the [[1924 Colorado gubernatorial election]], Republican [[Clarence Morley]], who was openly affiliated with the [[Ku Klux Klan]], won over 66% of the vote in Arapahoe County, a higher percentage than he received in any other county in Colorado.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Campaigns - CO Governor Race - Nov 04, 1924 |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=264810 |access-date=February 2, 2024 |website=www.ourcampaigns.com}}</ref>  In addition, the county for many years was represented in congress by Republican [[Tom Tancredo]], a hardcore conservative known for his controversial [[Opposition to immigration|anti-immigration]], [[Anti-Catholicism|anti-Catholic]], and [[Nativism (politics)|nativist]] political beliefs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Post |first=Anne C. Mulkern {{!}} The Denver |date=April 17, 2008 |title=Tancredo slams pope on immigration |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2008/04/17/tancredo-slams-pope-on-immigration/ |access-date=February 2, 2024 |website=The Denver Post |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rosa |first=Erin |date=August 8, 2006 |title=Tancredo Vs. Catholics? |url=https://www.coloradoindependent.com/2006/08/07/tancredo-vs-catholics/ |access-date=February 2, 2024 |website=The Colorado Independent |language=en-US}}</ref>

As the Denver Metro Area grew in the 1960s and beyond, Arapahoe County became the most Republican county in the state outside of Colorado Springs. However, heavy urbanization, demographic changes and population increases - such as the rapid diversification of Aurora's population and younger professionals in the southern suburbs - have caused the county to become much more competitive since the 1990s. It swung from a 22-point win for [[George H. W. Bush]] in 1988 to only a three-point win in 1992. By the turn of the millennium, it had become more of a suburban swing county. In 2008, the county swung over dramatically to support [[Barack Obama]], who became the first [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to carry it since 1964, and only the second since 1936. It swung from a four-point win for [[George W. Bush]] in 2004 to a 13-point win for Obama in 2008. It voted for Obama by a similar margin in 2012, and provided much of [[Hillary Clinton]]'s statewide margin in 2016 as [[Donald Trump]] failed to win even 40 percent of the vote in one of the worst showings for a Republican in the county's history, with the Democrats carrying the former Tech Center area Republican strongholds of [[Centennial, Colorado|Centennial]] and [[Littleton, Colorado|Littleton]]. In the 2020 election, [[Joe Biden]] turned in the strongest showing for a Democrat in over a century, becoming the first Democrat to win over 60% of the vote since 1916. Biden carried Aurora by lopsided margins and the traditionallly Republican southern parts of the county by nearly 20 points.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mason |first1=Kara |title=LEFT TURN: Aurora, area suburbs veering left politically |url=https://sentinelcolorado.com/news/metro/left-turn-aurora-area-suburbs-veer-left-politically/ |website=Aurora Sentinel |date=March 13, 2020 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=June 17, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=2020 Elections Map |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/upshot/2020-election-map.html |work=New York Times |date=February 2, 2021 |access-date=February 21, 2021|last1=Park |first1=Alice }}</ref>

'''Federal Representation'''

The bulk of the population and political strength of Arapahoe County is located in [[Colorado's 6th congressional district]], Tancredo's former district, centered in [[Aurora, Colorado|Aurora]] and represented by [[Jason Crow]]. The more rural eastern parts of the county are located in the [[Colorado's 4th congressional district|4th District]] represented by [[Lauren Boebert]] while the Denver enclave portions such as [[Glendale, Colorado|Glendale]] and [[Holly Hills, Colorado|Holly Hills]] are in the Denver-based [[Colorado's 1st congressional district|1st District]] represented by [[Diana DeGette]].

{{PresHead|place=Arapahoe County, Colorado|source1=<ref>{{cite web|title = Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections | access-date = June 11, 2011 | url = http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/}}</ref>|source2=<ref>There were 1,344 votes for the leading "other" candidate, [[Progressive Party (United States, 1912)|Progressive]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]], followed by 267 votes for Socialist [[Eugene Debs]], 40 votes for [[Prohibition Party|Prohibition]] candidate [[Eugene Chafin]], and 1 vote for [[Socialist Labor Party of America|Socialist Labor]] candidate [[Arthur E. Reimer]].</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|125,311|190,725|9,595|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|127,323|213,607|9,253|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|117,053|159,885|26,110|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|125,588|153,905|6,023|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|113,868|148,224|4,064|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|119,475|110,262|2,628|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|97,768|82,614|9,560|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|82,778|68,306|11,912|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|72,221|66,607|45,107|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|95,926|61,113|2,206|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|107,556|39,891|2,107|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|79,594|30,148|18,238|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|63,154|33,685|2,687|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|52,283|18,631|1,462|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|33,712|18,569|4,238|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|23,071|27,940|347|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|26,379|17,400|137|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|19,716|11,351|176|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|15,402|9,843|289|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|7,943|6,962|175|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|9,057|7,485|69|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|7,988|7,571|137|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|4,272|6,489|410|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|4,287|5,796|559|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|6,086|2,463|110|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|4,267|1,209|1,167|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|2,930|1,752|218|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|1,443|2,652|160|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|765|1,379|1,652|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|1,514|1,340|144|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|1,351|717|79|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|25,469|33,754|1,260|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|6,057|42,521|556|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1892|Populist|11,331|0|12,222|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|11,541|8,320|547|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1884|Republican|7,133|5,310|725|Colorado}}
{{PresFoot|1880|Republican|4,214|3,582|102|Colorado}}

==Communities==

===Cities===
{{div col}}
*[[Aurora, Colorado|Aurora]] (most; also extends into [[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]] and [[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas County]])
*[[Centennial, Colorado|Centennial]]
*[[Cherry Hills Village, Colorado|Cherry Hills Village]]
*[[Englewood, Colorado|Englewood]]
*[[Glendale, Colorado|Glendale]] (exclave completely surrounded by the city of [[Denver]])
*[[Greenwood Village, Colorado|Greenwood Village]]
*[[Littleton, Colorado|Littleton]] (most; also extends into [[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas County]] and [[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]])
*[[Sheridan, Colorado|Sheridan]]
{{div col end}}

===Towns===
{{div col}}
*[[Bennett, Colorado|Bennett]] (part; also extends into [[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]])
*[[Bow Mar, Colorado|Bow Mar]] (part; also extends into [[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]])
*[[Columbine Valley, Colorado|Columbine Valley]]
*[[Deer Trail, Colorado|Deer Trail]]
*[[Foxfield, Colorado|Foxfield]]
{{div col end}}

===Census-designated places===
{{div col}}
*[[Aetna Estates, Colorado|Aetna Estates]]
*[[Brick Center, Colorado|Brick Center]]
*[[Byers, Colorado|Byers]]
*[[Cherry Creek, Colorado|Cherry Creek]]
*[[Columbine, Colorado|Columbine]] (part; also extends into [[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]])
*[[Comanche Creek, Colorado|Comanche Creek]]
*[[Dove Valley, Colorado|Dove Valley]]
*[[Four Square Mile, Colorado|Four Square Mile]]
*[[Holly Hills, Colorado|Holly Hills]] (exclave located within the city of [[Denver]])
*[[Inverness, Colorado|Inverness]]
*[[Peoria, Colorado|Peoria]]
*[[Strasburg, Colorado|Strasburg]] (part; also extends into [[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]])
*[[Watkins, Colorado|Watkins]] (part; also extends into [[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]])
{{div col end}}

===Former census-designated places===
*[[Castlewood, Colorado|Castlewood]] (now part of Centennial)
*[[Southglenn, Colorado|Southglenn]] (now part of Centennial)
{{clear}}

==See also==
{{portal|Government|History|United States|Colorado}}
*[[Bibliography of Colorado]]
*[[Geography of Colorado]]
*[[History of Colorado]]
**[[Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory]]
**[[Arrappahoe County, Jefferson Territory]]
**[[Arapahoe County, Colorado Territory]]
**[[South Arapahoe County, Colorado]]
**[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Arapahoe County, Colorado]]
*[[Index of Colorado-related articles]]
*[[List of Colorado-related lists]]
**[[List of counties in Colorado]]
**[[List of statistical areas in Colorado]]
*[[Outline of Colorado]]
**[[Arapahoe Library District]]
**[[Front Range Urban Corridor]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{sister project links}}
*{{Official website|https://www.arapahoegov.com/}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102713/http://www.stanwyck.com/cogenweb/cocounties.html Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck]
*[http://www.coloradohistory.org/ Colorado Historical Society]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Arapahoe County, Colorado
|North     = [[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]]
|Northeast = 
|East      = [[Washington County, Colorado|Washington County]]
|Southeast = [[Lincoln County, Colorado|Lincoln County]]
|South     = [[Elbert County, Colorado|Elbert County]]
|Southwest = [[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas County]]
|West      = [[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]]
|Northwest = [[Denver, Colorado|City and County of Denver]]
}} 
{{Arapahoe County, Colorado}}
{{Colorado}}

{{coord|39.64|-104.33|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-CO_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Arapahoe County, Colorado| ]]
[[Category:Colorado counties]]
[[Category:Colorado placenames of Native American origin]]
[[Category:1861 establishments in Colorado Territory]]
[[Category:Eastern Plains]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1861]]