Editing Berthoud, Colorado

{{short description|A statutory town in Larimer and Weld counties, Colorado, United States}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Berthoud, Colorado
|settlement_type           = [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|statutory town]]<ref name=COMun>{{cite web|url=https://dola.colorado.gov/dlg_lgis_ui_pu/publicMunicipalities.jsf|title=Active Colorado Municipalities|publisher=[[Colorado Department of Local Affairs]]|access-date=February 12, 2025}}</ref>
|nickname                 = The Garden Spot of Colorado

|image_skyline            = Berthoud, Colorado.JPG
|image_caption            = Entering Berthoud from the east (2012)
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

|image_map                = Larimer County and Weld County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Berthoud Highlighted 0806255.svg
|map_caption              = Location within [[Larimer County, Colorado|Larimer]] and [[Weld County, Colorado|Weld]] [[List of counties in Colorado|counties]] of [[Colorado]].
<!-- Pushpin map -->
|pushpin_map             = USA#USA Colorado
|pushpin_relief          = 
|pushpin_label           = Berthoud
|pushpin_label_position  = right
|pushpin_map_caption     = Location of the Town of Berthoud, Colorado.
<!-- Location -->
|coordinates             = {{coord|40.3083|-105.0811|type:city_region:US-CO_source:GNIS-178065|display=it}}
|coordinates_footnotes   = <ref name=GNIS>{{cite gnis|id=178065|name=Berthoud, Colorado|access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref>
|elevation_footnotes     = <ref name=GNIS/>
|subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name        = [[United States]]
|subdivision_type1       = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1       = [[Colorado]]
|subdivision_type2       = [[List of counties in Colorado|Counties]]
|subdivision_name2       = [[Larimer County, Colorado|Larimer]] and [[Weld County, Colorado|Weld]]<ref name=COcounty>{{cite web|url=https://dola.colorado.gov/dlg_lgis_ui_pu/publicCounties.jsf|title=Colorado Counties|publisher=[[Colorado Department of Local Affairs]]|access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref>

|established_title        = 
|established_date         = 
|established_title2       = [[municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date2        = August 28, 1888<ref name=MuniIncCO>{{cite web | url = http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html | title = Colorado Municipal Incorporations | publisher = [[Colorado|State of Colorado]], Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives | date = December 1, 2004 | access-date = September 2, 2007}}</ref>
|named_for                = [[Edward L. Berthoud]]
|government_type          = [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|statutory town]]<ref name=COMun/>
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = William Karspeck<ref name="Berthoud-Trustees"/>
|leader_title1            = Administrator
|leader_name1             = Chris Kirk<ref name="Berthoud-Administrator"/>

<!-- Area --------------------->
|total_type               = Total
|area_footnotes           = <ref name=2020_Census>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo/summary-files.html|title=Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], [[United States Department of Commerce]]|date=August 12, 2021|access-date=September 7, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 33.844
|area_land_km2            = 33.497
|area_water_km2           =  0.347
|elevation_m              = 1533
|elevation_ft             = 5030
|unit_pref                = US

<!-- Population ----------------------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name=2020_Census/>
|population_total         = 10,332
|population_density_sq_mi = 799

<!-- General information ----------------------->
|timezone1                = [[Mountain Time Zone|MST]]
|utc_offset1              = −07:00
|timezone1_DST            = [[Mountain Time Zone|MDT]]
|utc_offset1_DST          = −06:00
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 80513<ref name=ZIPcode>{{cite web|url=http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp |title=ZIP Code Lookup |format=[[JavaScript]]/[[HTML]] |publisher=[[United States Postal Service]] |access-date=September 3, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070903025217/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp |archive-date=September 3, 2007 }}</ref>
|area_code               = [[Area code 970|970]]
|blank_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS pop ID]]
|blank_info              = {{GNIS 4|178065}}
|blank1_name             = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS town ID]]
|blank1_info             = {{GNIS 4|2411681}}
|blank2_name             = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank2_info             = {{FIPS|08|06255}}
|website                 = {{URL|https://www.berthoud.org/|berthoud.org}}
}}

'''Berthoud''' is a [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|statutory town]] located in [[Larimer County, Colorado|Larimer]] and [[Weld County, Colorado|Weld]] counties, [[Colorado]], United States.<ref name=COMun/> The town population was 10,332 at the [[2020 United States census]] with 10,071 residing in Larimer County and 261 residing in Weld County.<ref name=2020_Census/> Berthoud is situated north of the [[Little Thompson River]], {{convert|21|mi}} south of [[Fort Collins, Colorado|Fort Collins]] and {{convert|43|mi}} north of [[Denver]] in the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]].

==History==
White settlers first came to the present-day Berthoud area in the early 1860s, following the [[Colorado Gold Rush]]. Many settlers filed homestead claims, but most bellied up and left the valley to hardier souls who ranched and farmed the arid prairie that straddled the river bottom.

In 1872, a miner-turned-rancher from [[Central City, Colorado]], Lewis Cross, staked the first homestead claim where the [[Colorado Central Railroad]] planned to cross Little Thompson creek. When the tracks were laid through the valley in 1877 a depot, section house, and water tank were installed at this strategic site. The tiny settlement known as Little Thompson was renamed Berthoud in honor of [[Edward L. Berthoud]], who had surveyed the rail route through the valley. The Berthoud, Colorado, post office opened on April 4, 1878.<ref name=CPO>{{cite book|title=Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989|first1=William H.|last1=Bauer|first2=James L.|last2=Ozment|first3=John H.|last3=Willard|date=1990|publisher=[[Colorado Railroad Museum|Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation]]|location=[[Golden, Colorado]]|isbn=0-918654-42-4}}</ref>

Over the next few years the settlement grew to include a handful of homes, a blacksmith shop, a mercantile store, a small [[grain elevator]], and a log cabin that served as school and church for the community.

In the early 1880s, the Colorado Central Railroad recognized that Berthoud's location on the river bottom caused their steam-powered locomotives to labor excessively to ascend the grade out of the valley. At their urging, during the winter of 1883–84, several buildings of the town were loaded on wheels and pulled by teams of draft animals to the town's present-day location on the bluff one mile (1.6&nbsp;km) north of the river.

Agriculture in the Berthoud area flourished. Farmers diverted water from the Little and [[Big Thompson River]]s into a network of reservoirs and ditches that allowed the arid uplands to be irrigated. Harvests of alfalfa, sugar beets, wheat, corn, and barley were sold on the open market or used to fatten pens of sheep and cattle. The town grew as merchants and shopkeepers set up businesses to serve farmers and ranchers from the nearby countryside.

In 1886, the Welch Addition doubled the size of the Berthoud as town boundaries extended south beyond present-day Mountain Avenue for the first time. A year later a hose company was hastily formed to protect the town from fire after the Davis & Hartford Mercantile store burned to the ground. Berthoud was incorporated on August 28, 1888.<ref name=MuniIncCO/> A town board was elected and within a short time they hired a marshal to keep the peace and light the street lamps. By the early 1900s, Berthoud sported a business district on Third Street and Massachusetts and Mountain Avenues.

In the 1920s Mountain Avenue became part of a paved state highway system which would become [[U.S. Route 287 in Colorado|U.S. Highway 287]] connecting the larger towns of northern Colorado.  In 2007, Highway 287 was rerouted to the north and west of Berthoud, bypassing downtown Berthoud and eliminating Mountain Avenue from the highway route.

In October 1941, Berthoud opened the sugar beet harvest. In the area surrounding Berthoud beets were harvested to be processed in Loveland, Colorado, to the north.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://berthoudsurveyor.com/sugar-beets-dominated-local-news-in-1941/|title=Sugar beets dominated local news in 1941 {{!}} Berthoud Weekly Surveyor|date=October 17, 2014|language=en-US|access-date=February 24, 2020}}</ref> According to the Berthoud historical society, "Berthoud growers delivered beets to several rural dumping stations where the beets were loaded into boxcars and hauled to sugar factories in nearby Loveland and Longmont."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.berthoudhistoricalsociety.org/agriculture-3/|title=Agriculture – Welcome to the Berthoud Historical Society|language=en-US|access-date=February 24, 2020}}</ref> This industry relied both on WWII German Prisoners of War as well as migrant farm workers from Mexico.

On June 25, 2019, Berthoud became the only municipality in Colorado to ban the sale of [[puppy mill]] dogs.<ref name="Puppy Mills Banned">{{cite press release|title=Berthoud bans sale of puppy mill dogs|url=https://www.reporterherald.com/2019/06/25/berthoud-bans-sale-of-puppy-mill-dogs/|date=June 25, 2019|work=[[Loveland Reporter-Herald]]|access-date=June 26, 2019}}</ref>

==Geography==
At the [[2020 United States census]], the town had a total area of {{convert|33.844|km2|acre|order=flip}} including {{convert|0.347|km2|acre|order=flip}} of water.<ref name=2020_Census/>

Berthoud has a cold semi-arid climate with relatively mild winters and hot, dry summers. Rainfall is fairly sparse, but the town does receive an average of 16 inches of precipitation annually. Average temperatures in the winter months range from the mid-30s to upper 40s Fahrenheit with lows occasionally dipping into the teens and single digits. During summer months, temperatures often exceed 90 degrees with an average high in the mid-80s Fahrenheit. The area receives an average of 229 sunny days per year. Berthoud averages 39 inches of snow per year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Climate in Berthoud, Colorado |url=https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/collorado_not_found_not_found/berthoud |website=BestPlaces |access-date=10 June 2024}}
</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| align =
| 1890 = 228
| 1900 = 305
| 1910 = 758
| 1920 = 852
| 1930 = 811
| 1940 = 811
| 1950 = 867
| 1960 = 1014
| 1970 = 1446
| 1980 = 2362
| 1990 = 2990
| 2000 = 4839
| 2010 = 5105
| 2020 = 10332
| estyear = 2021
| estimate = 11717
| footnote = [[United States census|U.S. Decennial Census]]
}}

=== 2020 census ===
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 10,332 people, and 3,983 households in Berthoud.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Berthoud town, Colorado |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/berthoudtowncolorado/PST045222 |access-date=April 27, 2023 |website=www.census.gov |language=en}}</ref> The [[population density]] was 798.9 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 90.9% [[White Americans|White]], 0.0% [[African Americans|African American]], 1.1% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 0.9% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 0.6% [[Pacific Islander]], and 3.2% from two or more races. [[Hispanic]] or [[Latin America|Latino]] people of any race made up 12.2% of the population.<ref name=":0" />

22.3% of the population were under 18, and 7.0% were under 5. People over 65 made up 13.8% of the population. The gender makeup of the town was 50.8% female and 49.2% male.<ref name=":0" />

The median household income was $95,872, and the per capita income was $45,051. People under the [[Poverty line in the United States|poverty line]] made up 2.9% of the population.<ref name=":0" />

=== 2010 census ===
According to the 2010 [[census]],<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> there were 5,105 people and 1,999 households residing in the town.

The [[population density]] was 446.7 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 93.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.2% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.9% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.0% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.2% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], and 2.1% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]]. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 8.6% of the population.

There were 1,999 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.07.

The town's population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 31.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $70,292. Males had a median income of $43,676 versus $29,861 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $28,111. About 4.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]].
{{clear|left}}

==Arts and culture==
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2024}} 
Berthoud is surrounded largely by farmland, and is nicknamed the "Garden Spot of Colorado".

Annual events include:
* Berthoud Day
* Oktoberfest
* Arbor Day Celebration
* Berthoud Sunfest, featuring a quilt show and art market
* Berthoud Open Golf Tournament
* Berthoud Snowfest, featuring a sculpting competition

Museums include:
* Little Thompson Valley Pioneer Museum, featuring [[Bimson Blacksmith Shop]], listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Larimer County, Colorado|National Register of Historic Places]].
*McCarty-Fickel Home, featuring a medical office from the 1930s.

== Parks and recreation ==
Berthoud has many parks, which include a skate park, baseball fields, soccer fields, outdoor basketball courts, sand volleyball courts, and pickleball courts. In 2023, the town authorized the construction of a bike and scooter park. Berthoud Recreation Center also contains an aquatic center.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.berthoud.org/departments/parks-recreation |title=Berthoud, CO: Parks & Recreation |website=www.berthoud.org |access-date=November 15, 2016}}</ref>

== Government ==
Berthoud is a statutory town with a mayor-council form of government. The Board of Trustees includes all at-large elected positions serving for four-year terms and is made up of the mayor and six trustees. The board is charged with setting policy, passing the budget and creating the overall vision for the Berthoud.

The mayor has the same voting rights as all other trustees and is responsible for presiding over town board meetings. This position is recognized as the town government leader for all ceremonial purposes. The Board of Trustees elects, by majority vote, a mayor pro tem, who is expected to perform responsibilities of the mayor when the mayor is absent or unable to perform their duties.

The Board of Trustees meets regularly on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month and may schedule additional special meetings as needed. All meetings are open to the public and subject to Colorado Open Meeting Laws.

The current mayor is William Karspeck (term expires in April 2024),<ref name="Berthoud-Trustees">{{cite web |title=Board of Trustees |url=https://www.berthoud.org/257/Board-of-Trustees |website=Town of Berthoud}}</ref> the current town administrator is Chris Kirk.<ref name="Berthoud-Administrator">{{cite web |title=Town Administrator |url=https://www.berthoud.org/1327/Town-Administrator |website=Town of Berthoud}}</ref>

== Education ==
Students from the area attend the four public schools which are part of the [[Thompson School District]]: two elementary schools (Berthoud Elementary and Ivy Stockwell), a centrally located middle school (Turner Middle School), and a high school ([[Berthoud High School]]).

==Infrastructure==
=== Police department ===
Berthoud contracts with the Larimer County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services. The contract provides one sergeant and five deputies to provide patrol services for the town with support from all other divisions of the Sheriff's Office. Two deputies are assigned as school resource officers.

=== Transportation ===
Berthoud Area Transportation Service (BATS) is the main transit system in Berthoud and provides door-to-door service rides within Berthoud, as well as trips to [[Loveland, Colorado|Loveland]] and [[Longmont, Colorado|Longmont]]. BATS is open to the public and is operated through the town. The service receives funding from Berthoud, the Larimer County Office on Aging and the city of Fort Collins.

FLEX is a regional bus route that serves the communities of Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud, Longmont, and [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]]. This service is operated by [[Transfort]] and is made possible through regional partnerships.<ref>[http://www.ridetransfort.com/flex FLEX]</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Clint Barmes]] - American former professional baseball second baseman and shortstop<ref>{{Cite web |last=Star |first=Sean |date=2018-04-10 |title=Baseball: Former Colorado Rockies infielder Clint Barmes an assistant coach at Berthoud |url=https://www.reporterherald.com/2018/04/10/baseball-former-colorado-rockies-infielder-clint-barmes-an-assistant-coach-at-berthoud/ |access-date=2024-12-22 |website=Loveland Reporter-Herald |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Tyler Carron]] - American ice sled hockey player
* [[Nikko Landeros]] - American ice sled hockey player and skier
* [[Eric Conn (biochemist)|Eric Conn]] - American biochemist
* [[Rennie Davis]] -  American anti-war activist

==See also==
{{portal|Geography|History|United States|Colorado}}
*[[Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area]]
*[[Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area]]
*[[Front Range Urban Corridor]]
*[[List of municipalities in Colorado]]
*[[List of populated places in Colorado]]
*[[List of post offices in Colorado]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|auto=yes}}
*[https://www.berthoud.org/ Town of Berthoud]
**[http://www.berthoudcolorado.com/ Berthoud Area Chamber of Commerce]
*[https://www.colorado.gov/ State of Colorado]
**[https://www.historycolorado.org/ History Colorado]

{{Larimer County, Colorado|collapse_state=expanded}}
{{Weld County, Colorado|collapse_state=expanded}}
{{Colorado}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Larimer County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Towns in Weld County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Towns in Colorado]]