Clear Creek County, Colorado#History

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Clear Creek County

| state = Colorado

| ex image = DSCN2140 georgetownalpinehose e 600.jpg

| ex image size = 220px

| ex image cap = Alpine Hose, historic firehouse in Georgetown.

| seal =

| motto = Where The Old West Meets New Adventures

| founded year = 1861

| founded date = November 1

| seat wl = Georgetown

| largest city wl = Idaho Springs

| area_total_sq_mi = 396

| area_land_sq_mi = 395

| area_water_sq_mi = 1.3

| area percentage = 0.3%

| census yr = 2020

| pop = 9397

| pop_est_as_of = 2024

| population_est = 9076 {{loss}}

| density_sq_mi = auto

| time zone = Mountain

| footnotes =

| web = www.clearcreekcounty.us

| named for = Clear Creek

| district = 2nd }}

Clear Creek County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,397.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/clearcreekcountycolorado/PST045219|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |access-date=September 4, 2021|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}} The county seat is Georgetown.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}

History

{{Unreferenced section|date=March 2023}}File:The forks of creek, Clear Creek (NYPL b11707543-G90F028 066ZF).tiff

File:Gold-231683.jpg. Size: 1.8 x 0.9 x 0.2 cm.[http://www.mindat.org/loc-133349.html Lamartine Mining District] at Mindat.org]]

Clear Creek County was one of the original 17 counties created by the Colorado legislature on November 1, 1861, and is one of only two counties (along with Gilpin) to have persisted with its original boundaries unchanged. It was named after Clear Creek, which runs down from the continental divide through the county. Idaho Springs was originally designated the county seat, but the county government was moved to Georgetown in 1867.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|396|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|395|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|1.3|sqmi}} (0.3%) is water.{{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}}

=Adjacent counties=

Jefferson - east
Gilpin - northeast
Park - south
Summit - west
Grand - northwest

=Major highways=

=National protected areas=

=Scenic trails and byways=

Demographics

{{US Census population

| 1870 = 1596

| 1880 = 7823

| 1890 = 7184

| 1900 = 7082

| 1910 = 5001

| 1920 = 2891

| 1930 = 2155

| 1940 = 3784

| 1950 = 3289

| 1960 = 2793

| 1970 = 4819

| 1980 = 7308

| 1990 = 7619

| 2000 = 9322

| 2010 = 9088

| 2020 = 9397

| estyear = 2024

| estimate = 9076

| estref = {{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html|title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 21, 2025}}

| align-fn = center

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2014}}
1790-1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=June 7, 2014|archive-date=August 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|url-status=dead}} 1900-1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/co190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2014}}
1990-2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2014}} 2010-2020

}}

At the 2000 census there were 9,322 people, 4,019 households, and 2,608 families living in the county. The population density was {{convert|24|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people}}. There were 5,128 housing units at an average density of {{convert|13|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 96.37% White, 0.28% Black or African American, 0.73% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. 3.87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.{{cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov |access-date=May 14, 2011 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}

Of the 4,019 households 28.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.10% were non-families. 27.20% of households were one person and 4.30% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.81.

The age distribution was 22.60% under the age of 18, 5.60% from 18 to 24, 32.60% from 25 to 44, 32.20% from 45 to 64, and 7.10% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.20 males.

The median household income was $50,997 and the median family income was $61,400. Males had a median income of $41,667 versus $30,757 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,160. About 3.00% of families and 5.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.80% of those under age 18 and 5.60% of those age 65 or over

Communities

=City=

Central City (partially)
Idaho Springs

=Towns=

=Census-designated places=

=Ghost towns=

Politics

Throughout its history, Clear Creek County tended to be somewhat divided between Republicans and Democrats, but has reliably voted Democratic in recent elections, with George W. Bush having been the most recent Republican to win the county, in 2000, while his father, George H. W. Bush, was the last Republican to win the narrow majority of the county's votes, in 1988. In 2008, Barack Obama won the county with the best performance by a Democrat since 1964. During the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton became the first Democrat since her husband in 1996 to not win the majority of the county's vote, while still winning the county by a plurality. Since then, the county has decisively swung further into the Democratic column, and in 2024 it saw a continued leftward shift, opposite of the national average.

{{PresHead|place=Clear Creek County, Colorado|source={{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=December 15, 2020}}}}

Education

The county is served by Clear Creek School District RE-1.

=Elementary Schools=

Carlson Elementary School (Idaho Springs)
King-Murphy Mountain School (Evergreen)

=Middle School=

Clear Creek Middle School (Idaho Springs)

=High School=

Clear Creek High School (Evergreen)

=Charter School=

Georgetown Community School (Georgetown)

Historic areas

Ski areas

References

External links

{{Official website|https://www.clearcreekcounty.us/}}
[http://www.clearcreekcounty.org Clear Creek County Colorado tourism and visitors site]
[http://www.coloradohistory.org/ Colorado Historical Society]

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = Clear Creek County, Colorado

|North =

|Northeast = Gilpin County

|East = Jefferson County

|Southeast =

|South = Park County

|Southwest =

|West = Summit County

|Northwest = Grand County

}}

{{Coord|39.69|-105.64|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-CO_source:UScensus1990}}