Windsor, Colorado

Windsor is a town located in western Weld County, Colorado and eastern Larimer County, Colorado.[1] (http://www.ci.windsor.co.us/planning.html#regional) As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 9,896.

It is located on the eastern edge of the county, within two miles of the Cache la Poudre River, on a high ground suitable for a railroad. It is approximately half-way between Fort Collins and Greeley on the BNSF Railway, and somewhat near the midpoint of a triangle formed by those two cities and Loveland. The centralized location of the town has given rise to rapid growth in the last two decades.

Description

Windsor was founded in the late 19th century by German-American immigrant settlers near a stop on the Greeley, Salt Lake, and Pacific Railway in eastern Weld County between Fort Collins and Greeley. Throughout most of its history, the town economy was based on agriculture, in particular the cultivation of sugar beets. The Great Western Sugar plant provided the basis of town employment for much of the 20th century until its closure in the late 1960s. A Kodak manufacturing facility built southeast of town in the following years took its place as the mainstay of the town economy.

In the last two decades, Its central location among the population centers of northern Colorado, together with its proximity to Interstate 25, have made it the site of rapid urban growth, pariticularly on the western edge of town, as it grows towards the interchange on I-25. In the 1990s, the town limits were westward into Larimer County. The incorporated town limits west of Interstate 25 are now contiguous with Loveland, and are separated from southeast Fort Collins by the Fossil Creek Open Space [2] (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=15&Z=13&X=78&Y=699&W=1), public lands of Larimer County acquired through a county-wide vote-approved sales tax.

The main business district of town is east-west, along Colorado Highway 392 (Main Street). The oldest Main Street buildings are Victorian two-story commercial structures, dating from the late 19th century. The BNSF line runs north of Main Street. The historic early grid of the town extends for roughly ten blocks south of Main, with a vibrant square green, called Main Park southeast of downtown. The park is surrounded by one-story residences, and by the Town Hall (formerly a school), at the north end.

Windsor Lake [3] (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=15&Z=13&X=79&Y=700&W=1), a small reservoir in the irrigation system of Weld County, is one block north of the BNSF tracks. The lake is a popular spot for fishing. In the last decade, part of the perimeter of the lake has been rimmed with a bikepath. The current plans for a bicycle trail throughout the Colorado Front Range include a segment that connects to the local paths, and then to Fort Collins and Greeley along the north bank of the Poudre.

The town is served by a local daily newspaper and has one high school. A relatively new park, Chimney Park, sits on the eastern edge of town and includes the historic property of an early 20th century mill. The scenic vista of Longs Peak and other Front Range mountain available from nearly all the town is widely considered one of the catalysts for new residential growth.

The recent 1990s development on the western edge, on the bluff overlooking the Poudre, is of modern subdivision type, and includes a golf course. The residential population of the new development includes day commuters to Fort Collins, Denver, Loveland, and other communities in the area.

Geography

Windsor is located at 40°28'38" North, 104°54'43" West (40.477333, -104.911812)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 38.7 km² (15.0 mi²). 37.9 km² (14.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.07% water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 9,896 people, 3,563 households, and 2,697 families residing in the town. The population density is 260.8/km² (675.6/mi²). There are 3,692 housing units at an average density of 97.3/km² (252.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 91.75% White, 0.45% African American, 0.74% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.26% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. 10.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 3,563 households out of which 42.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.2% are married couples living together, 7.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 24.3% are non-families. 19.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.73 and the average family size is 3.15.

In the town the population is spread out with 29.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 35.1% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 96.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $54,976, and the median income for a family is $60,305. Males have a median income of $42,543 versus $29,280 for females. The per capita income for the town is $23,957. 5.6% of the population and 3.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 6.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

• Town of Windsor (http://www.ci.windsor.co.us) (official website)

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