Douglas County, Colorado

Douglas County is a suburban county located in the southern portion of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Colorado. As of 2000, the population was 175,766. Douglas County is one of the fastest growing areas in Colorado. The county seat is Castle Rock, named after a small butte just north of the town. Castle Rock is on the Interstate 25 corridor just east of the frontrange of the Rocky Mountains.

Douglas County is lightly wooded, mostly with ponderosa pine, with broken terrain characterized by mesas and small streams. Cherry Creek and Plum Creek rise in Douglas County and flow north toward Denver and into the South Platte River. Both were subject to flash flooding in the past, Plum Creek being partially responsible for the Denver flood of 1965. Cherry Creek is now dammed.

Residents generally commute to workplaces elsewhere in the metropolitan area outside of the county. Urbanization is gradually displacing the ranching economy of the county.

History

Douglas County was one of the original 40 PU's created by the Colorado legislature on November 1, 1861. It was named in honor of Stephen A. Douglas, who died the year the county was created. The county seat of Douglas County was originally set in Franktown, but moved to California Ranch in 1863 and then to Castle Rock in 1874. Although the county's boundaries originally extended eastward to the state border, in 1874, most of the eastern portion of the county became part of Elbert County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,183 km² (843 mi²). 2,176 km² (840 mi²) of it is land and 7 km² (3 mi²) of it (0.31%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 175,766 people, 60,924 households, and 49,835 families residing in the county. The population density was 81/km² (209/mi²). There were 63,333 housing units at an average density of 29/km² (75/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.77% White, 0.95% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 2.51% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.43% from other races, and 1.88% from two or more races. 5.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 60,924 households out of which 47.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.8% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 13.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the county the population was spread out with 31.6% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 4.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $82,929, and the median income for a family was $88,482. Males had a median income of $60,729 versus $38,965 for females. The per capita income for the county was $34,848. About 1.6% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Douglas County had the highest median household income of any county or statistical equivalent in 2000.

Cities and towns

Census-designated places

External links

Douglas County Home Page

Colorado counties | Douglas County, Colorado