Springfield, Colorado
{{short description|Town in Colorado, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Springfield, Illinois|Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield, Missouri}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Springfield, Colorado
|settlement_type = Town
|image_skyline = Springfield, Colorado.JPG
|image_caption = Springfield town hall (2015)
|image_flag =
|flag_size =
|image_seal =
|seal_size =
|image_shield =
|shield_size =
|image_map = Baca County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Springfield Highlighted 0873330.svg
|map_caption = Location within Baca County and Colorado
|image_map1 =
|map_caption1 =
|coordinates = {{coord|37|24|27|N|102|37|32|W|region:US-CO_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_name1 = Colorado
|subdivision_type2 = County{{Cite web | url = http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/local_governments/municipalities.html | title = Active Colorado Municipalities | publisher = State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs | access-date = September 1, 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091212060308/http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/local_governments/municipalities.html | archive-date = December 12, 2009 | df = }}
|subdivision_name2 = Baca{{Cite web|url=http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hs/cntyseat.html|title=Colorado County Seats|publisher=State of Colorado, Department of Public Health and Environment|accessdate=December 31, 2007}}
|subdivision_type3 =
|subdivision_name3 =
|established_title = Founded
|established_date = 1888
|established_title1 = Platted
|established_date1 =
|established_title2 = Incorporated
|established_date2 = January 16, 1889{{Cite web| url = http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html | title = Colorado Municipal Incorporations | publisher = State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives | date = December 1, 2004 | accessdate = September 2, 2007}}
|named_for =
|government_footnotes =
|government_type = Statutory Town
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name =
|area_total_sq_mi = 1.13
|area_land_sq_mi = 1.13
|area_water_sq_mi = 0.00
|area_total_km2 = 2.92
|area_land_km2 = 2.92
|area_water_km2 = 0.00
|area_water_percent =
|unit_pref = Imperial
|elevation_ft = 4370
|population_as_of = 2020
|population_total = 1325
|pop_est_footnotes =
|pop_est_as_of =
|population_est =
|population_density_sq_mi = auto
|population_density_km2 = auto
|timezone1 = MST
|utc_offset1 = −7
|timezone1_DST = MDT
|utc_offset1_DST = −6
|postal_code_type = ZIP Code
|postal_code = 81073{{Cite web | url = http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp | title = ZIP Code Lookup | format = JavaScript/HTML | publisher = United States Postal Service | access-date = January 4, 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070903025217/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp | archive-date = September 3, 2007 | df = }}
|area_code_type = Area code
|area_code = 719
|blank_name = FIPS code
|blank_info = {{FIPS|08|73330}}
|blank1_name = GNIS ID
|blank1_info = 2413324 {{cite gnis2|2413324|Springfield, Colorado}}
|website = {{URL|https://www.springfieldco.gov/|springfieldco.gov}}
}}
Springfield is a statutory town, the county seat of, and the most populous town in Baca County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,325 at the 2020 census.
History
Frank and Jim Tipton settled in Las Animas, Colorado in 1886. In 1888 or 1889, the Tiptons secured the title to 80 acres which was the original townsite. They did this using a "soldiers script" and named the town after Springfield, Missouri,{{cite book|last=Dawson|first=John Frank|title=Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015051116740;view=1up;seq=53|publisher=The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co.|location=Denver, CO|page=47}} since this is where the Tipton brothers had come from.{{cite book |last1=Calhan |first1=Henbest |title=Baca County History |date=March 24, 1988 |publisher=Plainsman Herald}}
Geography and climate
Springfield is located in north-central Baca County, approximately 30 miles north of the Oklahoma state line.
U.S. Routes 287 and 385 pass through the center of the town, leading north {{convert|47|mi}} to Lamar, Colorado, and south {{convert|49|mi}} to Boise City, Oklahoma. U.S. Route 160 passes just to the south of the town, leading west {{convert|120|mi}} to Trinidad, Colorado, and east {{convert|50|mi}} to Johnson City, Kansas.
Springfield Municipal Airport (FAA ID: 8V7) is four miles north.{{cite web|url=https://www.airnav.com/airport/8V7 |title=Springfield Municipal Airport|publisher=AirNav.com|accessdate=December 16, 2020}}
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|2.9|km2|order=flip}}, all of it land.{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0873330| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212175256/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0873330| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Springfield town, Colorado| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=September 26, 2013}}
Springfield has a cool semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with hot summers featuring mild mornings and occasional heavy thunderstorm rains, and highly variable winters that range from very warm and windy to frigid and relatively still.
{{Weather box
|location = Springfield 7 WSW, Colorado (1971 to 2000; extremes 1956 to 2001)
|width = auto
|single line = Y
|collapsed = Yes
|Jan record high F = 79
|Feb record high F = 83
|Mar record high F = 90
|Apr record high F = 97
|May record high F = 104
|Jun record high F = 111
|Jul record high F = 109
|Aug record high F = 104
|Sep record high F = 101
|Oct record high F = 95
|Nov record high F = 86
|Dec record high F = 78
|year record high F = 111
|Jan high F = 44.9
|Feb high F = 50.1
|Mar high F = 57.8
|Apr high F = 66.3
|May high F = 75.0
|Jun high F = 86.3
|Jul high F = 91.3
|Aug high F = 88.8
|Sep high F = 80.2
|Oct high F = 69.7
|Nov high F = 54.4
|Dec high F = 45.3
|year high F = 67.5
|Jan low F = 14.9
|Feb low F = 18.4
|Mar low F = 24.1
|Apr low F = 32.7
|May low F = 43.2
|Jun low F = 54.2
|Jul low F = 58.4
|Aug low F = 57.4
|Sep low F = 48.4
|Oct low F = 36.8
|Nov low F = 24.1
|Dec low F = 16.7
|year low F = 35.8
|Jan record low F = −23
|Feb record low F = −22
|Mar record low F = −10
|Apr record low F = 5
|May record low F = 20
|Jun record low F = 37
|Jul record low F = 44
|Aug record low F = 40
|Sep record low F = 21
|Oct record low F = 6
|Nov record low F = −11
|Dec record low F = −18
|year record low F = −23
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.47
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.48
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.16
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.64
|May precipitation inch = 2.86
|Jun precipitation inch = 2.00
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.49
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.46
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.37
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.96
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.73
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.42
|Jan precipitation days = 3.8
|Feb precipitation days = 3.5
|Mar precipitation days = 5.8
|Apr precipitation days = 5.6
|May precipitation days = 9.0
|Jun precipitation days = 6.8
|Jul precipitation days = 8.1
|Aug precipitation days = 7.4
|Sep precipitation days = 5.3
|Oct precipitation days = 4.0
|Nov precipitation days = 3.7
|Dec precipitation days = 3.7
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 inch
|Jan snow inch = 5.4
|Feb snow inch = 4.4
|Mar snow inch = 7.7
|Apr snow inch = 3.3
|May snow inch = 1.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.4
|Oct snow inch = 1.8
|Nov snow inch = 4.4
|Dec snow inch = 5.1
|Jan snow days = 3.8
|Feb snow days = 3.2
|Mar snow days = 3.5
|Apr snow days = 1.4
|May snow days = 0.3
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.2
|Oct snow days = 0.7
|Nov snow days = 2.7
|Dec snow days = 3.4
|unit snow days = 0.1 inch
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim20/co/057866.pdf
| title = Climatography of the United States No. 20: 1971-2000
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| accessdate = April 6, 2017
}}
|date=June 2016
}}
Demographics
{{US Census population
|1920= 295
|1930= 1393
|1940= 1082
|1950= 2131
|1960= 1791
|1970= 1660
|1980= 1657
|1990= 1475
|2000= 1562
|2010= 1451
|2020= 1325
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census
}}
As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2010, there were 1,451 people, 715 households, and 409 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,793.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 838 housing units at an average density of {{convert|962.4|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 94.88% White, 1.15% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 2.56% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.83% of the population.
There were 715 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 26.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $28,099, and the median income for a family was $34,107. Males had a median income of $25,385 versus $16,339 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,890. About 14.4% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.6% of those under age 18 and 17.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The Board of Trustees as of December 2020 consists of Tyler K Gibson (Mayor), Ervin Maltbie (Mayor Pro-Tem), and Trustees Ted Locke, Jim Howard, Mike Cooper, Dan McVey, and Christy Brady.{{cite web|url=https://townofspringfield.colorado.gov/board-trustees-13 |title=Board of Trustees|publisher=Town of Springfield|accessdate=December 16, 2020}} Town Clerk is Tammy Newman; Town Manager/Treasurer is Merna McGinnis.{{cite web|url=https://townofspringfield.colorado.gov/administration|title=Town Employees|publisher=Town of Springfield|accessdate=December 16, 2020}}
Education
The superintendent, and elementary principal, is Richard Hargrove, and the high school principal is Ginger Walker. The town has one library.
Notable people
Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Springfield include:
See also
{{portal|Colorado}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- {{Official website|https://www.springfieldco.gov/}}
- [http://dtdapps.coloradodot.info/staticdata/Downloads/CityMaps/SPRINGFIELD.pdf Map of Springfield], CDOT
- [https://www.spre4.org Springfield School District, RE-4]
{{Baca County, Colorado}}
{{Colorado|collapsed}}
{{Colorado county seats}}
{{Authority control}}