Colorado City, Texas

History

Colorado City originated as a ranger camp in 1877. It grew into a cattlemen's center and has been called "the Mother City of West Texas". The town acquired a railway station and post office in 1881 and was named the county seat. In the early 1880s it was a center for cattle shipment, with herds driven to Colorado City and loaded onto trains for shipment to the eastern markets. The population was estimated at 6,000 in 1884–1885, but dropped to 2,500 by 1890 after a drought, and dropped further with the growth of nearby San Angelo.

The first school was conducted in a dugout in 1881 and moved to a building the next year. During the late 19th and 20th century, economic activity centered successively on salt mining, then farming, then oil production. By 1910 the town had a new public school, a waterworks, and an electric plant. A city hall was built by 1926.

An oil refinery began operation in 1924 and closed in 1969. Other industries included a meat-packing operation and a mobile home factory.

Hailey Dunn Disappearance

On December 26, 2010, a 13-year-old girl named Hailey Dunn disappeared on the way to her father's house to spend the night. Her body was found in 2013 in Scurry County, Texas. Her mother's boyfriend was long suspected for the death of Hailey and told police she was in Scurry County, but in 2023 the prosecution dropped the case against him based on advice from the FBI.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 sqmi, all land. Colorado City is situated along the Colorado River to the west and Lone Wolf Creek to the east.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Colorado City has a semiarid climate, BSk on climate maps.

|Jan record high F = 91 |Feb record high F = 99 |Mar record high F = 98 |Apr record high F = 101 |May record high F = 110 |Jun record high F = 115 |Jul record high F = 112 |Aug record high F = 110 |Sep record high F = 107 |Oct record high F = 103 |Nov record high F = 91 |Dec record high F = 89

|Jan record low F = -7 |Feb record low F = -1 |Mar record low F = 8 |Apr record low F = 23 |May record low F = 27 |Jun record low F = 42 |Jul record low F = 51 |Aug record low F = 51 |Sep record low F = 33 |Oct record low F = 22 |Nov record low F = 3 |Dec record low F = 2

|access-date = March 27, 2023 |access-date = March 27, 2023

Demographics

| align-fn = center

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Colorado City had a population of 3,991, with 1,542 households and 728 families, and the median age was 37.1 years.

27.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.1 males.

There were 1,542 households in Colorado City, of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.9% were married-couple households, 21.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 1,950 housing units, of which 20.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.0% were owner-occupied and 37.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 14.2%.

93.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 6.2% lived in rural areas.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, 4,146 people, 1,646 households, and 1,124 families resided in the city. The population density was 809.2 PD/sqmi. There were 2,076 housing units at an average density of 392.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 76.71% White, 5.09% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 14.62% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 36.25% of the population.

Of the 1,646 households, 34.2% had children under 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were not families. About 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city, the age distribution was 28.5% under 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $22,842, and for a family was $27,363. Males had a median income of $22,272 versus $20,037 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,591. About 18.7% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Colorado City is served by the Colorado Independent School District.

Notable people

• Dick Compton, played for the Detroit Lions, Houston Oilers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, graduated from Colorado High School
• Martin Dies Jr., U.S. Congressman, was born in Colorado City
• Margaret Formby is the founder of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth
• George H. Mahon, U.S. Representative; was raised in Mitchell County and is honored with a statue in front of the courthouse
• Don Maynard, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, graduated from Colorado High School

References

References

1. "Welcome to Colorado City, TX". Colorado City.
2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau.
3. "U.S. Census website". [[United States Census Bureau]].
4. (October 25, 2007). "US Board on Geographic Names". [[United States Geological Survey]].
5. "Town Pronunciation Guide". [[Texas Almanac]].
6. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
7. Hunt, William R.. "Colorado City, TX (Mitchell County)". Texas State Historical Association.
8. (December 26, 2022). "12 years after Hailey Dunn's disappearance and murder, where does the case stand?".
9. Kendall, Jennifer. (2013-04-29). "A tragic end to the Hailey Dunn story: Scurry County remains identified as the missing teen's".
10. (June 28, 2023). "State explains reasons for dismissal of Shawn Adkins case".
11. "Climate Summary for Colorado City, Texas".
12. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov.
13. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
14. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
15. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
16. "Clint Formby obituary". [[Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]].
17. "Don Maynard Bio | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".