Granby, Colorado
Town of Granby, Colorado | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Granby Town Hall | |
| Motto: The heart of something grand | |
 Location in Grand County and the state of Colorado | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County[1] | Grand |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Incorporated (town) | December 11, 1905[2] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory Town[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2) |
| • Land | 1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,935 ft (2,428 m) |
| Population (2009) | |
• Total | 1,663 |
| • Density | 847.2/sq mi (331.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code[3] | 80446 |
| Area code | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-31605 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0178402 |
The Town of Granby is a Statutory Town that is the most populous town in Grand County, Colorado, United States. Granby is situated along U.S. Highway 40 in Middle Park about 85 miles (137 km) west of Denver, Colorado, southwest of Rocky Mountain National Park. According to the population finder off the Census Bureau's website, in 2009, the town had a total population of 1,663.
The town was founded in 1904 along the route of the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway, and incorporated one year later. It was named after Granby Hillyer, a Denver lawyer who later served as the United States Attorney for that city's district.
Geography
Granby is 7935 feet above sea level. It is located at 40°5′11″N 105°56′11″W / 40.08639°N 105.93639°W (40.086396, -105.936487)Template:GR, in an area subject to average annual rainfall of 12¼ inches and annual snowfall of more than 128 inches.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), all land.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 1525 people in the town, organized into 579 households and 390 families. The population density is 856.2 people per square mile (330.8/km²). There are 628 housing units at an average density of 352.6 per square mile (136.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town is 96.26% White, 0.46% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. 3.61% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 579 households out of which 37.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% are married couples living together, 7.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% are non-families. 21.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.59 and the average family size is 3.05.
In the town the population is spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 104.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $46,667, and the median income for a family is $55,250. Males have a median income of $35,455 versus $24,417 for females. The per-capita income for the town is $21,224. 5.8% of the population and 4.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.9% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
In the news
On June 4, 2004, Marvin Heemeyer, a local businessman and skilled welder, used a 50-ton Komatsu D335A bulldozer he had custom armed and armor-plated (often dubbed by locals and the media as "The Kill Dozer") to damage or destroy several buildings in the town, including its town hall, the public library, a bank, a concrete batch plant, and a house owned by the town's former mayor, resulting in over $7 million in damage. Heemeyer was reportedly upset over a zoning dispute which he believed led to the closure of his muffler shop; he targeted buildings owned by those involved in his dispute. Nobody was injured in the incident, though Heemeyer committed suicide when the Heemeyer was unable to free the bulldozer when its treads became stuck inside a hardware store.
Currently the county is facing an epidemic of beetles that have destroyed most of the conifer forests there.[4]
Local history
 | This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. (October 2009) |
Many Granby and Grand County residents are descended from pioneer settlers who arrived before the country was fully surveyed. Early families established themselves under the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed easy access to land to those who would inhabit and improve upon the territory.
Since the turn of the century, families have contended for prime ranch land. The Huddlers and Cooks are descended from original homesteaders. Their waning ranch once covered approximately 10,000 acres (40 km2) and was rich in cattle and hay.
Transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service to Granby, operating its California Zephyr daily in both directions between Chicago and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco.
See also
References
- ^ a b "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
- ^ "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. 2004-12-01. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
- ^ "ZIP Code Lookup" (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. Retrieved September 24, 2007.
- ^ Mountain Pine Beetle
External links
- Town of Granby website
- Granby Chamber of Commerce website
- Greater Granby Chamber of Commerce
- Sky-Hi News, Granby's local newspaper
- Photographs from the Denver Public Library, now kept at the Library of Congress
Municipalities and communities of Grand County, Colorado, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
