Editing Elizabeth, Colorado

{{short description|Town in Elbert County, Colorado, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|name                     = Elizabeth, Colorado
|settlement_type          = [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|Statutory Town]]<ref name=COMun>{{cite web|url=https://dola.colorado.gov/lgis/municipalities.jsf|title=Active Colorado Municipalities|publisher=[[Colorado Department of Local Affairs]]|access-date=October 16, 2021}}</ref>
|motto                    = 
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
|image_skyline            = Elizabeth Colorado.JPG
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Old Town Elizabeth, Colorado
|image_flag               = 
|flag_size                = 
|image_seal               = 
|seal_size                = 
|image_shield             = 
|shield_size              = 
|image_blank_emblem       = 
|blank_emblem_type        = 
|blank_emblem_size        = 
|image_map                = File:Elbert County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Elizabeth Highlighted 0823740.svg
|map_caption              = Location of the Town of Elizabeth in {{nowrap|[[Elbert County, Colorado]].}}
|pushpin_map              = USA
|pushpin_label            = Elizabeth
|pushpin_label_position   = right
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location of the Town of Elizabeth in the {{nowrap|[[United States]].}}
<!-- Location ------------------>
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = {{flag|United States}}
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = {{flag|Colorado}}
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Colorado|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Elbert County, Colorado|Elbert County]]<ref name=COMun/>
<!-- Politics ----------------->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|Statutory Town]]<ref name=COMun/>
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = Nick Snively
|leader_title1            = Mayor Pro Tem
|leader_name1             = Linda Secrist
|leader_title2            = 
|leader_name2             = 
|leader_title3            = 
|leader_name3             = 
|leader_title4            = 
|leader_name4             = 
|established_title        = <!-- Settled -->
|established_date         = 
|established_title2       = [[municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
|established_date2        = October 9, 1890<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>
|established_title3       = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
|established_date3        = 
<!-- Area --------------------->
|unit_pref                = US
|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           = 5.178
|area_land_km2            = 5.178
|area_water_km2           = 0.000
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=September 9, 2021}}</ref>
|elevation_m              = 1974
|elevation_ft             = 6476
<!-- Population ----------------------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name=2020_Census/>
|population_total         = 1,675
|population_density_sq_mi = 838
|population_metro         = 2,963,821 ([[List of metropolitan statistical areas|19th]])
|population_blank1_title  = [[Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area|CSA]]
|population_blank1        = 3,623,560 ([[List of primary statistical areas|17th]])
|population_blank2_title  = [[Front Range Urban Corridor|Front Range]]
|population_blank2        = 5,055,344
<!-- General information ----------------------->
|timezone1                = [[Mountain Time Zone|MST]]
|utc_offset1              = −07:00
|timezone1_DST            = [[Mountain Time Zone|MDT]]
|utc_offset1_DST          = −06:00
|coordinates              = {{coord|39.361015|-104.606172|region:US-CO_type:city|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|coordinates_footnotes = <ref name=Gazetteer>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/gazetteer2014.html|title=2014 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Places|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date=July 1, 2014|access-date=January 6, 2015}}</ref>
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]<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 9, 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080101160345/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp | archive-date = January 1, 2008 }}</ref>
|postal_code              = 80107
|area_code                = [[Area code 303|303]]
|blank_name           = [[International Committee for Information Technology Standards|INCITS place code]]
|blank_info           = 0823740
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS feature ID]]
|blank1_info              = 0185149
|blank2_name              = [[FIPS code]]
|blank2_info              = 08-23740
|website                  = {{URL|www.townofelizabeth.org}}
|footnotes                = 
| blank1_name_sec2                = Primary Major Routes
| blank1_info_sec2                = [[File:Colorado_86.svg|26px|link=Colorado State Highway 86]]
}}

'''Elizabeth''' is a [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|Statutory Town]] that is the [[List of municipalities in Colorado|most populous municipality]] in [[Elbert County, Colorado|Elbert County]], [[Colorado]], United States.<ref name=COMun/> The town population was 1,675 at the [[2020 United States census]], a +23.34% increase since the [[2010 United States Census]].<ref name=2020_Census/> Elizabeth is a part of the [[Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area]] and the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]].

==History==
<!--- Redirect to this section from [[Russellville, Colorado]]---->
Elizabeth was originally a saw mill camp.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.townofelizabeth.org/history.html |title=History |website=Town of Elizabeth |language=en |access-date=June 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627034402/http://www.townofelizabeth.org/history.html |archive-date=June 27, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The town was later named after a family member of [[John Evans (Colorado governor)|John Evans]], a territorial governor.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dawson|first=John Frank|title=Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin|year=1954|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015051116740;view=1up;seq=26|publisher=The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co.|location=Denver, CO|page=20}}</ref>

The town has had a post office since 1882<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?state=CO |title=Post offices |publisher=Jim Forte Postal History |access-date=June 25, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306120236/http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?state=CO |archive-date=March 6, 2016 }}</ref> and was incorporated in October 1890.<ref name=COMun/>

In August 2024, the Elizabeth School District’s School Board removed 19 books from school libraries because they included what the Board deemed to be ‘sensitive’ topics.  Students, parents and authors sued the Elizabeth School District in federal court, and in March 2025 they won a preliminary injunction requiring that all 19 of the removed books be immediately returned to the browsing shelves of school libraries and prohibiting the Elizabeth School Board from removing any other library books due to its disagreement with the content and/or viewpoint of those books.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.aclu-co.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/esd_aclu-co_pi_order.pdf |title=Order in Civil Action No. 1:24-cv-03512-CNS-STV |date=March 19, 2025 |access-date=March 20, 2025 |first=Charlotte |last=Sweeney |publisher=US District Court for the District of Colorado}}</ref>

==Geography==
Elizabeth is located in western Elbert County at {{coord|39|21|36|N|104|36|0|W|type:city}} (39.359954, -104.600063).<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>

At the [[2020 United States census]], the town had a total area of {{convert|5.178|km2|acre|order=flip}}, all of it land.<ref name=2020_Census/>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population|align=left
|1900= 215
|1910= 194
|1920= 230
|1930= 266
|1940= 275
|1950= 263
|1960= 326
|1970= 493
|1980= 789
|1990= 818
|2000= 1434
|2010= 1358
|2020= 1675
|footnote=[[United States census|U.S. Decennial Census]]
}}

As of the [[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> of 2000, there were 1,434 people, 496 households, and 380 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,670.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 513 housing units at an average density of {{convert|597.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 94.00% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.07% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.84% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.21% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 3.49% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.39% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 6.00% of the population.

There were 496 households, out of which 47.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.27.

The population breakdown was 33.3% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 36.5% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 4.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,596, and the median income for a family was $51,902. Males had a median income of $38,875 versus $25,066 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $18,902. About 7.8% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

==Media==
Elizabeth is home to the weekly newspaper the ''Meadowlark Herald'',<ref>http://www.meadowlarkherald.blogspot.com {{User-generated source|date=August 2022}}</ref> which is also the only newspaper wholly owned and published in Elbert County. The ''Elbert County News'', ''The Ranchland News'', ''The West Elbert County Sun'', and ''The Prairie Times'' also publish Elbert County news and distribute widely in the county.{{clear left}}

Elizabeth is also the hometown of author and stand-up comedian Sam Tallent.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://boulderweekly.com/entertainment/comedy/chubby-behemoth/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231122195754/https://boulderweekly.com/entertainment/comedy/chubby-behemoth/ | archive-date=November 22, 2023 | title=Comedian/Author Sam Tallent on the pen, the mic and the future | date=November 15, 2023 }}</ref>

== Infrastructure and transport ==
[[File:Elizabeth, Colorado town hall.JPG|thumb|Elizabeth Town Hall]]
[[Colorado State Highway 86]] bisects the town, leading east {{convert|7|mi|0}} to [[Kiowa, Colorado|Kiowa]] and west {{convert|15|mi}} to [[Castle Rock, Colorado|Castle Rock]]. [[Denver]] is {{convert|40|mi}} to the northwest via [[Franktown, Colorado|Franktown]] and [[Parker, Colorado|Parker]]. The town lays in between the Gold Creek and [[Box Elder Creek (Colorado)|Box Elder Creek]] (locally known as the Running Creek). No public transport exists in Elizabeth.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Dropped Pin |url=https://maps.apple.com/place?ll=39.343246,-104.580979&q=Dropped%20Pin |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=maps.apple.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

A group of three separate unmarked turf airstrips exist to Elizabeth's southeast, though has no commercial service. Elizabeth is located equidistantly to Denver and [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]], with both cities' primary airports, [[Denver International Airport]] and [[Colorado Springs Airport]], serving as the closest major air gateways to Elizabeth.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Airports Near Me - Elizabeth, Colorado {{!}} Travelmath |url=https://www.travelmath.com/nearest-airport/Elizabeth,+CO |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=www.travelmath.com}}</ref>

==See also==
{{stack|{{portal|Colorado}}}}
* [[List of municipalities in Colorado]]

==References==
{{reflist|22em}}

==External links==
{{stack|{{commons category|Elizabeth, Colorado}}}}
* {{official website|http://www.townofelizabeth.org/}}
* [http://dtdapps.coloradodot.info/staticdata/Downloads/CityMaps/Elizabeth.pdf CDOT map of the Town of Elizabeth]

{{Elbert County, Colorado}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Elbert County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Towns in Colorado]]
[[Category:Denver metropolitan area]]