Fremont County, Colorado

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Fremont County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,939.<ref name="2020Census">Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Cañon City.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county is named for 19th-century explorer and presidential candidate John C. Frémont.

Fremont County comprises the Cañon City, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Pueblo-Cañon City, CO Combined Statistical Area.

Rural Fremont County is the location of 15 prisons; most of these are operated by the state. ADX Florence, the only federal Supermax prison in the United States, is in an unincorporated area in Fremont County, south of Florence, and is part of the Federal Correctional Complex, Florence.<ref>"USP Florence ADMAX Contact Information Template:Webarchive." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on December 30, 2009.</ref><ref>"Zoning Map." City of Florence, Colorado. Retrieved on December 30, 2009.</ref> As of March 2015, Fremont County leads the nation among all counties as the one with the largest proportion of persons incarcerated. Prisoners are counted as part of the county population in the census, and 20% of residents are held in the prisons in the county.<ref>"Crime, Inc." The Big Picture with Kal Penn, National Geographic Channel. Aired March 30, 2015.</ref>

History

Fremont County was founded in 1861, in central Colorado. It is named for John C. Frémont.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.06%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Adjacent counties

Teller County - north
El Paso County - northeast
Pueblo County - southeast
Custer County - south
Saguache County - southwest
Chaffee County - northwest
Park County - northwest

Major highways

National protected areas

State protected area

Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

National scenic byway

Gold Belt Tour National Scenic and Historic Byway

Bicycle routes

Demographics

Template:US Census population

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 46,145 people, 15,232 households, and 10,494 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 17,145 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 89.52% White, 5.34% Black or African American, 1.53% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.22% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. 10.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,232 households, out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.60% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 33.40% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 133.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 143.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,150, and the median income for a family was $42,303. Males had a median income of $30,428 versus $23,112 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,420. About 8.30% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.80% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.

Sister cities

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Government

Fremont County (including Cañon City itself) is heavily conservative, having been won by Republicans in every election since 1964.

Fremont County is governed by a board of county commissioners, one for each of the three separate districts in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Kevin Grantham, District 1
Debbie Bell, District 2
Dwayne McFall, District 3

The daily operations of the county are controlled centrally from the County Administration Building, located in Cañon City. It houses the offices of both elected and appointed officials, including:

Stacey Seifert, assessor
Justin D Grantham, clerk and recorder
Randy Keller, coroner
Kathy Elliott, treasurer/public trustee
Allen Cooper, sheriff
John Kratz, surveyor
Tony Carochi, county manager

Corrections and prisons

Colorado Department of Corrections operates several prisons in the county. The department operates the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility in Cañon City.<ref>"Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility Template:Webarchive." Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 15, 2010. "125 West US 50 Canon City, CO, 81215."</ref> In addition several correctional facilities near Cañon City are located in unincorporated areas in the county. Colorado State Penitentiary, the location of the state death row and execution chamber,<ref name="ColoradoDR">"Death Row FAQ." (Archive) Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 15, 2010.</ref> is in Fremont County.<ref>"Colorado State Penitentiary Template:Webarchive." Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 15, 2010. "E US Highway 50 Evans Blvd Cañon City, CO, 81215"</ref> Other state prisons in Fremont County include Arrowhead Correctional Center,<ref>"Arrowhead Correctional Center Template:Webarchive." Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 15, 2010. "E US Highway 50 Evans Blvd Cañon City, CO, 81215"</ref> Centennial Correctional Facility,<ref>"Centennial Correctional Facility Template:Webarchive." Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 15, 2010. "E US Highway 50 Evans Blvd Cañon City, CO, 81215"</ref> Fremont Correctional Facility,<ref>"Fremont Correctional Facility Template:Webarchive." Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 15, 2010. "E US Highway 50 Evans Blvd Cañon City, CO, 81215"</ref> Four Mile Correctional Center,<ref>"Four Mile Correctional Center Template:Webarchive." Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 15, 2010. "E US Highway 50 Evans Blvd Cañon City, CO, 81215"</ref> and Skyline Correctional Center.<ref>"Skyline Correctional Center Template:Webarchive." Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 15, 2010. "E US Highway 50 & Evans Blvd Cañon City, CO, 81215"</ref>

The Colorado Women's Correctional Facility, near Cañon City in an unincorporated area, was decommissioned on June 4, 2009.<ref>Mitchell, Kirk. "Cañon City women's prison closes today." The Denver Post. June 4, 2009. Retrieved on August 15, 2010.</ref><ref>"GDE Testing Centers by City Template:Webarchive." Colorado Department of Education. Retrieved on August 15, 2010. "Colorado Women's Correctional Facility 3800 Grandview Ave. | Canon City, CO 81215."</ref>

The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Federal Correctional Complex, Florence in Fremont County, which consists of several separate Federal prisons, including the only supermax facility in the federal system, home to many convicted terrorists and other notorious criminals.

Communities

Cities

Cañon City (County seat)
Florence

Towns

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Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

References

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External links

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