Rocky Ford is a statutory city located in Otero County,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

, United States. The population was 3,957 at the 2010 census. The community was named for a rocky ford near the original town site.

Geography

Rocky Ford is located at (38.051000, -103.721387). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.58% is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,286 people, 1,655 households, and 1,136 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,852 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 72.42%

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, 0.40%

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, 1.47% Native American, 0.75% Asian, 0.12%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 21.86% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.99% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 57.14% of the population. There were 1,655 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% 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 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,359, and the median income for a family was $29,470. Males had a median income of $26,271 versus $17,485 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $12,742. About 14.6% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 28.2% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Rocky Ford is noted for its watermelon, cantaloupe and agriculture due to its soil content and fluctuation in temperatures providing great growing conditions.

Transportation

Rocky Ford is part of Colorado's

Bustang Bustang is an intercity bus service in the U.S. state of Colorado. Service began in 2015 and originally traveled between Denver and Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Glenwood Springs. Service has since been expanded to connect Grand Junction, ...

network. Is it along the Lamar-Pueblo-Colorado Springs Outrider line.

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Rocky Ford include: *

Lewis Babcock Lewis Thornton Babcock (born April 4, 1943) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado and former judge of the Colorado Court of Appeals. Education and career Born in Rocky Ford, C ...

(1943- ), American judge * Marvin Cordova, Jr. (1985- ), light welterweight boxer *

Paul Gebhard Paul Henry Gebhard. Jr. (July 3, 1917 – July 9, 2015) was an American anthropologist and sexologist. Born in Rocky Ford, Colorado, he earned a BS and a PhD from Harvard in 1940 and 1947, respectively. Between the years 1946 and 1956, Gebhard ...

(1917-2015), anthropologist, sexologist *

Blaine Gibson Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC is an American digital media company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2003 by Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman, Rooster Teeth is a subsidiary of Warner ...

(1918–2015),

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sculptor (

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Haunted Mansion The Haunted Mansion is a dark ride attraction located at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland. The haunted house attraction features a ride-through tour in Omnimover vehicles called "Doom Buggies", and a walk-through show is displa ...

Pirates of the Caribbean ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' is a Disney media franchise encompassing numerous theme park rides, a series of films, and spin-off novels, as well as a number of related video games and other media publications. The franchise originated with the ...

) and animator * Earl T. Newbry (1900-1995),

Oregon Secretary of State The secretary of state of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the governor. The duties of the office are auditor of public accounts, c ...

* Manuel T. Pacheco (1941- ), university president * George W. Swink (1836-1910), land developer, fruit grower *

Robert Swink Robert Swink (June 3, 1918 – August 15, 2000) was an American film editor who edited nearly 60 feature films during a career that spanned 46 years. Born in Rocky Ford, Colorado, Swink and his family moved to Hollywood in 1927. After graduating ...

(1918-2000), film editor * John D. Vanderhoof (1922-2013), 37th

Governor of Colorado The governor of Colorado is the head of government of the U.S. state of Colorado. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws. The governor has the power to either app ...

Ken Kesey Ken Elton Kesey (September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001) was an American novelist, essayist and countercultural figure. He considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. Kesey was born in ...

, Merry Prankster during the 1960s, and author of ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest''

Gallery

File:Rocky Ford, CO, welcome sign IMG 5652.JPG, Rocky Ford welcome sign File:Restored Rocky Ford, CO, depot IMG 5667.JPG, Restored

railroad depot A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing such ...

in Rocky Ford File:Downtown Rocky Ford, CO IMG 5672.JPG, Downtown Rocky Ford on U.S. Highway 50 File:Grand Theatre, Rocky Ford, CO IMG 5663.JPG, Grand Theatre in Rocky Ford File:First National Bank, Rocky Ford, CO IMG 5671.JPG, First National Bank of Rocky Ford

References

External links

*
CDOT map of the City of Rocky Ford
{{authority control Cities in Otero County, Colorado Cities in Colorado Populated places established in 1887