Breckenridge, Colorado

Breckenridge is a town in Summit County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,408 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Summit County. Breckenridge is also a popular ski resort during the winter months, servicing multi-difficulty ski slopes on the Rocky Mountains. In the summer, the town turns into an outdoor lover's paradise with great hiking trails, beautiful wildflowers to see, fly-fishing in the Blue River, and nearby Lake Dillon for boating.

The name Breckenridge

Early in its history, the town wanted a post office. The townspeople decided to name their town after the United States' Vice President at the time, John C. Breckinridge. This worked, and Breckinridge got a post office. When civil war broke out in 1861 Breckinridge sided with the Confederates and pro-Union citizens of Breckinridge wanted to change the name. The i was changed to an e, and it has been Breckenridge ever since.

Geography

Breckenridge is located at (39.486445, -106.043516).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.8 km² (4.9 mi²), all land.

The elevation of Breckenridge is 9,600 feet (above sea level).

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,408 people, 1,081 households, and 380 families residing in the town. The population density was 187.8/km² (486.4/mi²). There were 4,270 housing units at an average density of 333.1/km² (862.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.56% White, 0.37% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.44% of the population.

There were 1,081 households out of which 13.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.9% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 64.8% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 0.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.61.

In the town the population was spread out with 11.1% under the age of 18, 22.8% from 18 to 24, 45.3% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 2.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 160.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 164.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,938, and the median income for a family was $52,212. Males had a median income of $29,571 versus $27,917 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,675. About 5.2% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Ski Resort Information

Breckenridge is one of the largest resorts in Colorado. On August 2nd, 2005, construction began on the Imperial Express Superchair, which opened in time for the 2005-2006 ski season. It is the highest lift in North America, reaching a peak elevation of 12,840 feet. It can be accessed from lift 6 and the T-Bar.

Peak 10 is the southernmost part of Breckenridge, servicing mainly difficult and a substantial amount of intermediate terrain. Peak 9 services mostly intermediate terrain, with a significant amount of beginner runs on the lower part of the mountain, though it can also access expert runs such as Devil's Crotch and the Windows hike to terrain that leads down to E-chair on the north side of Peak 9. Peak 8 is accessed from the Colorado Superchair, Rocky Mountain Superchair and the Peak 8 Superconnect. The lower part of Peak 8 accesses mostly intermediate runs with some advanced runs. The back bowl on Peak 8 can be accessed via 6 chair or the T-Bar, both can be used to access the Imperial Express lift and the northernmost (Peak 7) and westernmost bowls (Lake Chutes), which include some very difficult terrain with slopes up to 55 degrees. The lower part of Peak 7 can also accessed from the Independence Superchair which accesses intermediate terrain.

Hiking from the top of the Imperial lift allows access to the peak of Breckenridge (Peak 8) and some of the best terrain on the mountain, including some cornices with very nice, soft landings. It gets very windy and cold at the top, and in poor visibility conditions the peak will usually be closed.

Lifts

2 high-speed 6-passenger SuperChairs
7 high-speed quad lifts
1 triple lift
6 double lifts
4 surface lifts
8 carpet lifts

External links and references

Summit County, Colorado | Towns in Colorado | Ski areas of Colorado