Falcon is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
exurb
An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburbs, suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing-density,
and rela ...
in
El Paso County,
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. It lies along
US 24 about 14 miles northeast of
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...
. A railroad hub in the early 20th century, the town spent several decades as a quiet ranching community until it experienced rapid residential growth throughout the 1990s which has continued increasingly through today. The population of Falcon as of 2009 was estimated to be 10,514. The
U.S. Post Office
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...
in
Peyton, Colorado (
ZIP Code 80831) serves Falcon postal addresses.
History
In 1888, the area now known as "Falcon" was crossed by the railroads: first the
Denver and New Orleans on a rail bed parallel to today's Eastonville Road in 1882, then the
Chicago and Rock Island on a rail bed parallel to today's
U.S. Highway 24 during 1888. The lines' intersection remains an important center of the Falcon area today.
On September 20, 1888, the first announcement of "Falcon, Colorado" was advertised in the ''
Colorado Springs Gazette
''The Gazette'' is a daily newspaper based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. It has operated since 1873.
History
The publication began as ''Out West'', beginning March 23, 1872, but failed in its endeavor. The company relaunched ...
''. The Falcon Land and Town Company, associated with the Chicago Rock Island Railroad, were selling lots to individuals. By 1896, there were two hotels, a newspaper, six saloons, a pool hall,
stockyards, two train depots, two general stores, a blacksmith shop and a school.
The introduction of the automobile brought a decline in passenger rail traffic to Falcon. A 1935 flood washed out the
Colorado & Southern tracks, which weren't rebuilt, and the Rock Island railroad junction closed.
By 1975, only a small number of homes and the school remained near the Falcon intersection.
In 1984, a business complex including a convenience store and gas station was built at the intersection of Meridian Road and
U.S. 24; the intersection gained a traffic light in 1996.
In the early 1990s, Falcon began residential development at a rapid pace and the area's population nearly doubled between 1990 and 2000.
With the rapid growth, suburban amenities began appearing in Falcon.
Safeway
Safeway, Inc. is an American supermarket chain. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral and pharmacy, as well as Starbucks coffee shops, and veh ...
opened a grocery store in 2000.
El Paso County approved a new
Wal-Mart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
store in 2005 with minimal opposition. As that new retail presence was preparing to open, residents voted in May 2007 on whether to
incorporate as a town. The proposal was defeated, with 78% of the vote against incorporation. The next major retail chain slated to set up shop in Falcon was
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. ( ) is an American retail company specializing in home improvement. Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, the company operates a chain of retail stores in the United States. As of October 28, 2022, Lowe's and i ...
, which had agreed to procure the current site of Fire Station #1 of the Falcon Fire Protection District. Lowe's would have built a replacement station near Golden Sage Rd. and Woodmen Rd., but in September 2008 that deal fell through, and Lowe's did not complete the transaction.
Geography
Falcon is 14 miles northeast of downtown Colorado Springs, which sources services that are unavailable in Falcon. Falcon is primarily a region of semi-arid steppe grassland, and has a dry season in the fall and spring with a monsoon period towards the end of summer. North of Falcon is Black Forest, a forested area primarily filled with dark evergreen and pine trees.
Neighborhoods
Falcon neighborhoods include: Antler's Ridge, The Meadows, Elkhorn Estates, Meridian Ranch, Woodmen Hills, Paint Brush Hills (which is now the name of the neighborhood formerly known as "Falcon Hills"), Falcon Heights, and Sunny Slope Estates (an older Falcon neighborhood established in the late '70s, early '80s with 5+ acre parcels zoned for livestock, bordered by Falcon Highway and East Blaney Road). This area has some springs, ponds, and older trees.
Airport
Meadow Lake Airport (FLY; ICAO: KFLY) has been in operation since 1967. It is located southeast of
Highway 24 and Judge Orr Road in east Falcon. Meadow Lake is a pilot owned airport available for public use. It is designated as a general aviation reliever airport.
Arts and culture
The
Black Squirrel Creek Bridge, a property listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
, is located between Falcon and Peyton, Colorado. Because it no longer met highway safety standards, the bridge was dismantled and replaced by a newer span in 2012.
On October 16, 2010, High Prairie Library, a branch of the
Pikes Peak Library District, opened to the public.
In 2004, th
Antler Creek Golf Courseopened as the longest
golf course
A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...
in Colorado and the second-longest in the nation.
Education
Geographically, students are served by
Falcon School District 49, but some choose to attend other school districts in
El Paso County instead.
District 49 currently has four high schools:
Falcon High School,
Vista Ridge High School,
Sand Creek High School and the Patriot Learning Center. The area's rapid growth has caused the district to grow by 1,100 new students annually over the past few years.
Religion
Falcon is home to many churches and religious organizations including Falcon Baptist Church, Family of Faith Lutheran Church, Gathering Stones Community Church, Grace Community Church], Meridian Point Church, Missio Dei: Falcon, Sagecreek Community Church, St. Benedict Catholic Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Thai Buddhist Wat Buddhanimit Temple.
References
Further reading
*Ranchland News, September 11, 2008 "Lowe's Transaction stalls"
DENVER & NEW ORLEANS RAILROAD: IN THE SHADOW OF THE ROCKIES by James R. "Jim" Jones,1997, Sundance Publications, Denver, CO. Out of print.
External links
MeadowLake Airport - Falcon Colorado *
Meadow Lake Airport (Colorado)Falcon School District 49Falcon/Peyton Small Area Master PlanFalcon Fire Protection DistrictThe New Falcon Heraldnewspaper
Falcon Senior ServicesSenior activities
Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Unincorporated communities in El Paso County, Colorado
Populated places established in 1888
1888 establishments in Colorado
Unincorporated communities in Colorado