Sterling, Colorado#History

{{Infobox settlement

|name = Sterling, Colorado

|settlement_type = Home rule municipality{{cite web |url=https://dola.colorado.gov/lgis/municipalities.jsf|title=Active Colorado Municipalities|publisher=State of Colorado, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government|access-date=January 27, 2021}}

|native_name =

|nickname = A Colorado Treasure

|motto =

|image_skyline = Sterling CO main street.jpg

|imagesize =

|image_caption = Main Street in Sterling.

|image_flag =

|flag_size =

|image_seal =

|seal_size =

|image_shield =

|shield_size =

|image_blank_emblem =

|blank_emblem_type =

|blank_emblem_size =

|image_map = Logan County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sterling Highlighted 0873935.svg

|map_caption = Location of the City of Sterling in {{nowrap|Logan County, Colorado.}}

|pushpin_map = USA

|pushpin_label = Sterling

|pushpin_label_position = right

|pushpin_map_caption = Location of the City of Sterling in the {{nowrap|United States.}}

|subdivision_type = Country

|subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}}

|subdivision_type1 = State

|subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Colorado}}

|subdivision_type2 = County

|subdivision_name2 = Logan County{{cite web |url=https://dola.colorado.gov/lgis/counties.jsf|title=Colorado Counties|publisher=State of Colorado, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government|access-date=January 27, 2021}}

|subdivision_type3 = City

|subdivision_name3 = Sterling

|government_footnotes =

|government_type = Home rule municipality

|leader_title = Mayor

|leader_name = Matt Foos

|leader_title1 = City Manager

|leader_name1 = Kevin L. Blankenship

|leader_title2 = Police Chief

|leader_name2 = Tyson Kerr

|leader_title3 =

|leader_name3 =

|leader_title4 =

|leader_name4 =

|established_title = Settled

|established_date = 1868

|established_title2 = Platted

|established_date2 = 1890

|established_title3 = Incorporated

|established_date3 = December 3, 1884{{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 | access-date = September 2, 2007}}

|area_footnotes = {{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_08.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 1, 2020}}

|unit_pref = US

|area_total_km2 = 19.25

|area_land_km2 = 19.25

|area_water_km2 = 0.00

|area_total_sq_mi = 7.43

|area_land_sq_mi = 7.43

|area_water_sq_mi = 0.00

|area_water_percent = 0.0

|area_urban_km2 =

|area_urban_sq_mi =

|area_metro_km2 =

|area_metro_sq_mi =

|area_blank1_title =

|area_blank1_km2 =

|area_blank1_sq_mi =

|population_as_of = 2020

|population_footnotes = {{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Sterling_city,_Colorado?g=160XX00US0873935 |title=Sterling city; Colorado |author=United States Census Bureau|date= |website= |publisher= |access-date=April 21, 2023 |quote=}}

|population_note =

|population_total = 13735

|population_density_km2 = auto

|population_density_sq_mi = auto

|population_metro =

|population_density_metro_km2 =

|population_density_metro_sq_mi =

|population_urban =

|population_density_urban_km2 =

|population_density_urban_sq_mi =

|population_blank1_title =

|population_blank1 =

|population_density_blank1_km2 =

|population_density_blank1_sq_mi =

|timezone = MST

|utc_offset = −7

|timezone_DST = MDT

|utc_offset_DST = −6

|coordinates = {{coord|40|37|32|N|103|12|42|W|region:US-CO_type:city|display=inline,title}}

|elevation_footnotes =

|elevation_m = 1181

|elevation_ft = 3937

|postal_code_type = ZIP code{{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 5, 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101122200027/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp | archive-date = November 22, 2010 }}

|postal_code = 80751

|area_code = 970

|blank_name = FIPS code

|blank_info = 08-73935

|blank1_name = GNIS feature ID

|blank1_info = [http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:0202901 0202901]

|website = [http://www.sterlingcolo.com/ City of Sterling]

|pop_est_as_of =

|pop_est_footnotes =

|population_est =

}}

Sterling is a home rule municipality and the county seat and most populous municipality of Logan County, Colorado, United States.{{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}} Sterling is the principal city of the Sterling, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city population was 13,735 at the 2020 census.

Sterling is the largest city in the Eastern Plains region of Colorado and the site of the domed Logan County Courthouse, built in 1909.

History

A post office called Sterling has been in operation since 1874.{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?state=CO | title=Post offices | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | access-date=July 11, 2016}} The community was named for Sterling, Illinois, the native home of a railroad official.{{cite book|last=Dawson|first=John Frank|title=Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin|year=1954|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015051116740;view=1up;seq=54|publisher=The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co.|location=Denver, CO|page=48}}

File:Sterling Co Mar 28 1911.jpg

Geography

Sterling is {{convert|128|mi|km}} northeast of Denver, and is located on Interstate 76, on the 'eastern plains' of northeastern Colorado.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|7.43|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

=Climate=

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Sterling has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=32057&cityname=Sterling%2C+Colorado%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Sterling, Colorado]

{{Weather box

|location = Sterling, Colorado (1981–2010)

|width = auto

|single line = Y

|Jan high F = 42

|Feb high F = 46

|Mar high F = 56

|Apr high F = 64

|May high F = 74

|Jun high F = 84

|Jul high F = 91

|Aug high F = 89

|Sep high F = 80

|Oct high F = 67

|Nov high F = 53

|Dec high F = 42

|Jan low F = 14

|Feb low F = 18

|Mar low F = 26

|Apr low F = 35

|May low F = 46

|Jun low F = 56

|Jul low F = 61

|Aug low F = 59

|Sep low F = 48

|Oct low F = 35

|Nov low F = 24

|Dec low F = 15

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.30

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.36

|Mar precipitation inch = 0.96

|Apr precipitation inch = 1.33

|May precipitation inch = 2.31

|Jun precipitation inch = 2.76

|Jul precipitation inch = 2.66

|Aug precipitation inch = 1.88

|Sep precipitation inch = 1.18

|Oct precipitation inch = 1.09

|Nov precipitation inch = 0.54

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.34

|year precipitation inch= 15.72

|Jan snow inch = 4.0

|Feb snow inch = 4.0

|Mar snow inch = 3.7

|Apr snow inch = 1.8

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.4

|Oct snow inch = 1.0

|Nov snow inch = 4.1

|Dec snow inch = 5.8

|year snow inch = 24.8

|source 1 = Weather.com

{{cite web

| url = http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USCO0371

| title = Average Weather for Sterling, Colorado - Precipitation and Temperatures

| publisher = Weather.com

| access-date = October 22, 2014

}}

|date=October 2014

}}

Demographics

{{US Census population

|align=left

|1890= 540

|1900= 998

|1910= 3044

|1920= 6415

|1930= 7195

|1940= 7411

|1950= 7534

|1960= 10751

|1970= 10636

|1980= 11385

|1990= 10362

|2000= 11360

|2010= 14777

|2020= 13735

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census

}}

As of the 2020 census, there were 13,753 people, 4,604 households, and 2,790 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,653.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 5,171 housing units at an average density of {{convert|752.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 90.75% Caucasian American, 0.75% African American, 0.79% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 5.60% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.20% of the population.

There were 4,604 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,337, and the median income for a family was $39,103. Males had a median income of $27,921 versus $20,508 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,287.

Economy

File:LoganCountyCourthouse.jpg

File:Northeastern Junior College, Colorado.jpg

Major employers in Sterling include Northeastern Junior College, the RE-1 Valley School system, and the Sterling Correctional Facility.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

Sterling is the major shopping hub for most of northeastern Colorado and hosts big box retailers, as well as many local stores located primarily on Main Street. Six different banks have branches in Sterling and there are local AM and FM radio stations as well as a local television station, and a long-established regional newspaper, the [http://www.journal-advocate.com/ Sterling Journal-Advocate] and South Platte Sentinel [http://www.southplattesentinel.com].

File:Overland Trail Museum.JPG Museum in Sterling]]

Government

The Colorado Department of Corrections operates the Sterling Correctional Facility in Sterling."[http://www.doc.state.co.us/facility/scf-sterling-correctional-facility SCF - Sterling Correctional Facility]." Colorado Department of Corrections. Retrieved on April 19, 2012. "Facility Location: 12101 Hwy 61 Sterling, CO, 80751"

Education

Sterling is the home of Northeastern Junior College. Sterling is also the location of the RE-1 Valley School District.

Infrastructure

=Transportation=

Crosson Field serves as Sterling's airport, but there are no scheduled commercial flights available from there. The closest airport served by scheduled flights is Denver International Airport, located {{convert|121|mi|km}} away.

Sterling is also served by railroads, although only freight carriers serve the town. The main rail operator is Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), but other operators, like Union Pacific, serve Sterling as well. The closest Amtrak station is located in Fort Morgan, Colorado, about {{convert|47|mi|km}} away.

Intercity bus service is offered by Burlington Trailways and Express Arrow with service to Denver, as well as a number of cities in Nebraska including North Platte, Kearney, and Omaha. Sterling is also part of Colorado's Bustang network, as the eastern terminus of the Sterling–Denver and Sterling–Greeley routes, which operate two days per week and three days per week respectively.{{Cite web|title=Bustang Outrider Schedules & Rates|url=https://ridebustang.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Outrider_InfoCard_SterlingGreeleyDenver.pdf|publisher=Colorado Department of Transportation|access-date=October 5, 2023}}

==Highways==

25px Interstate 76 connects Sterling to Denver ({{convert|128|mi|km}} southwest) and northeast to Interstate 80, in Big Springs, Nebraska, along the South Platte River.
25px Business Loop 76 starts on the intersection of Interstate 76 and US 6, going through East Chestnut Street, North and South 4th Street, South Division Avenue, returning to US 6, connecting Sterling to Atwood and Merino.
25px US 6 runs east–west linking Provincetown, Massachusetts with Bishop, California, via Nevada, Colorado, Illinois and 8 other states.
25px US 138 Runs parallel to Interstate 76, connecting Sterling to US 30, north of Big Springs, Nebraska.
25px State Highway 14 connects Sterling to Fort Collins located {{convert|102|mi|km}} to the west.

=Health care=

Sterling is a regional center for health care as well and is the home of Sterling Regional MedCenter (SRMC).

=Media=

==Radio==

KSRX (97.5 FM), Branded as Bob FM, plays "80's, 90's... and whatever!"{{Cite web|url=https://onlineradiobox.com/us/ksrx/|title = 97.5 Bob FM}}{{Cite web |title=BOB FM {{!}} 80s, 90s... and whatever! |url=https://bobplaysanything.com/ |access-date=March 15, 2022 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=FM Station KSRX - FCC Public Inspection File |url=https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/fm-profile/KSRX |access-date=March 15, 2022 |website=publicfiles.fcc.gov}}