Elizabeth, Colorado
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Elizabeth is a Statutory Town that is the most populous municipality in 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
[edit]Elizabeth was originally a saw mill camp.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The town was later named after a family member of John Evans, a territorial governor.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The town has had a post office since 1882<ref>Template:Cite web</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>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
[edit]Elizabeth is located in western Elbert County at Template:Coord (39.359954, -104.600063).<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref>
At the 2020 United States census, the town had a total area of Template:Convert, all of it land.<ref name=2020_Census/>
Demographics
[edit]As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 1,434 people, 496 households, and 380 families residing in the town. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 513 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the town was 94.00% White, 0.07% African American, 0.84% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 3.49% from other races, and 1.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or 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 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
[edit]Elizabeth is home to the weekly newspaper the Meadowlark Herald,<ref>http://www.meadowlarkherald.blogspot.com Template:User-generated source</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.Template:Clear left
Elizabeth is also the hometown of author and stand-up comedian Sam Tallent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Infrastructure and transport
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Colorado State Highway 86 bisects the town, leading east Template:Convert to Kiowa and west Template:Convert to Castle Rock. Denver is Template:Convert to the northwest via Franktown and Parker. The town lays in between the Gold Creek and Box Elder Creek (locally known as the Running Creek). No public transport exists in Elizabeth.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</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, 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>Template:Cite web</ref>