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ABOUT
THE COMMUNITY:
Littleton
is situated along the Platte River in a natural basin adjacent
to both Denver and Jefferson counties. Only ten miles from
the bustling center of downtown Denver, Littleton strives
to retain its small town tradition of commitment, involvement
and pride within the 13.5 square miles and approximate population
of 40,000 residents. Homes for sale come in a variety of
traditional and newly- built styles and since the city has
developed most of the useable land, the population remains
stable and constant. Littleton is serviced by major arterials,
C470 and a light rail system. It has nationally acclaimed
schools, smaller class sizes and over half the teachers
have advanced degrees.
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HISTORY:
The
beginnings of Littleton can be traced to the "Pikes
Peak" gold rush of 1859. Along with the gold-seekers
came merchants and farmers to provide the necessities of
life. As the fledgling metropolis of Denver City began to
grow, the need arose to construct a series of ditches to
carry water to farms and businesses without ready access
to rivers and creeks in this arid land. Among the engineers
hired to lay out this system was young Richard Sullivan
Little of New Hampshire.
Littleton's first schoolhouse, restoration on the Littleton
Historical Museum grounds, 1997.
Surveying in an area several miles south of Denver, Little
fell in love with the site of present-day Littleton. Upon
filing a home stake and other land claims, Richard brought
his wife Angeline from the East in 1862, the dry climate
all but curing her asthmatic condition, and began to farm.
The Littles joined with several neighbors to build the Rough
and Ready Flour Mill in 1867, providing a solid economic
base in the community for years to come.
In
1872, the Littles filed a plat to subdivide much of their
property into the village of Littleton. When the Denver
and Rio Grande Railroad reached the area in 1871, settlement
began at a rapid pace. By the time of Colorado’s statehood
in 1876, there were schools, churches, a hotel, stores and
many of the other trappings of civilization. In 1890, the
245 residents voted to incorporate the Town of Littleton.
A milestone in the history of Littleton came in 1902 when
the old Arapahoe County (dating from pre-Colorado Territory
days) was divided into Arapahoe, Denver, Adams, Washington
and Yuma Counties. Then-Governor Orman named Littleton the
temporary county seat, placing it in a favorable position
to defeat rival Englewood in the general election in 1904.
Gaining the permanent county seat brought not only government
employees and businesses, but all of their support services.
Littleton’s place among Colorado’s cities was
assured.
Agriculture
remained the staple industry of Littleton until after World
War II. Beginning with electronics and pneumatics, moving
to munitions and finally to aerospace, manufacturing became
the important employer and a magnet for the boom in housing
development during the fifties, sixties and seventies. Littleton
added Arapahoe Community College in 1965 and Chatfield Reservoir
in 1972 to further enhance its appeal. When Littleton celebrated
its centennial in 1990, its population had grown to 33,661and
has grown to 40,340 in the year 2000.
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POPULATION
AND DEMOGRAPHICS:
Population:
41,324 people
Area: 13.33 square miles
Click
Here for the data
| Median
Age |
38.6 |
| Median
Household Income |
$50,583 |
| %
Male |
48.6% |
| %
Female |
51.4% |
| White |
93.6% |
| African
American |
1.5% |
| Native
American |
1.4% |
| Asian
Pacific Islander |
2.3% |
| Hispanic |
8.4% |
| Other |
2.0% |
Households
with individuals under 18 years
|
29.9% |
Households
with individuals 65 years and over
|
23.3% |
Owner-occupied
housing units
|
62.1% |
Renter-occupied
housing units
|
37.9% |
Population: 41,324
Area: 13.5 square miles
Median household income: $50,583
Earned college degrees: 47%
Achieved advanced degrees: 13%
Average household size: 2.29
Elevation at the courthouse steps: 5,389 feet above sea
level
Miles of streets: Approximately 150 miles
Miles of bikeways and trails: Approximately 35 miles
For
more information on the census visit www.census.gov/
For information on Arapahoe County visit
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08005.html
For
demographics information on Arapahoe County visit
here |
