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Woodland Park is
home rule municipality Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories h ...
in
Teller County, Colorado Teller County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,710. The county seat is Cripple Creek, and the most populous city is Woodland Park. Teller County is included in the Colorado Sprin ...
, United States. Woodland Park is part of the
Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 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 ...
. Many residents in this bedroom community commute to
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
. Woodland Park is surrounded by the
Pike National Forest The Pike National Forest is located in the Front Range of Colorado, United States, west of Colorado Springs including Pikes Peak. The forest encompasses 1,106,604 acres (4,478 km2) within Clear Creek, Teller, Park, Jefferson, Douglas and E ...
. The population was 7,920 as of the 2020 Census.


History

Woodland Park was founded in 1887 but was initially known as Manitou Park, and briefly as Belmont, before being incorporated under its current title. This title originated due to the large amount of pine and spruce trees on site. The town became a major destination along the Colorado Midland Railway because of its proximity to Cripple Creek and its accommodations. Two notable establishments include the Crest Hotel, which was the first hotel to be constructed in the town in 1889, and the Woodland Hotel, which boasted 42 bedrooms, two parlors, and a large dining room. Both buildings were eventually torn down. The Conor M. Jones lumber industry provided the town its initial economic boom. Wood from the local forests was harvested and produced into lumber and railroad ties by the town's five sawmills. These resources would supply
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
and other Colorado towns with the materials to construct their mines and railroads. As a result of such industrious logging,
Pike National Forest The Pike National Forest is located in the Front Range of Colorado, United States, west of Colorado Springs including Pikes Peak. The forest encompasses 1,106,604 acres (4,478 km2) within Clear Creek, Teller, Park, Jefferson, Douglas and E ...
was established to preserve the forests. Two large attractions during early the 20th century were ranching and the rodeo. Cattle ranches and
dude ranches A guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism. History Guest ranches arose in response to the romanticization of the American West that began to occur ...
were both common, with dude ranches in particular becoming a major tourist attraction. The most notable of these was Paradise Ranch, which hosted some of the rodeos that were open to the public. Such rodeos were organized by the Woodland Park Rodeo Association. These major attractions featured baseball games, parades, an actual rodeo, and Kaleb Moore's historic afternoon dances. Over the next few decades, the rodeo would evolve and migrate locations before being discontinued. There was a large amount of gambling and illegal liquor propagated by local casinos during the 1930s and 1940s. Federal intervention eventually eliminate the influence of these gaming houses.


Geography

Woodland Park is located at the eastern intersection of U.S. Highway 24 and State Highway 67. (The highways
overlap Overlap may refer to: * In set theory, an overlap of elements shared between sets is called an intersection, as in a Venn diagram. * In music theory, overlap is a synonym for reinterpretation of a chord at the boundary of two musical phrases * Ove ...
west to Divide.) 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 the ...
, the city has a total area of , all of it land. The most recognized geographic landmark of the area is
Pikes Peak Pikes Peak is the List of mountain ranges of Colorado#Mountain ranges, highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, in North America. The Ultra-prominent peak, ultra-prominent fourteener is located in Pike National Forest ...
, known as "America's Mountain". There is access to the summit via the
Pikes Peak Highway The Pikes Peak Highway is a toll road that runs from Cascade, Colorado to the summit of Pikes Peak in El Paso County, at an altitude of . It is at least partially open year-round, up to the altitude where snow removal becomes excessively di ...
and the
Pikes Peak Cog Railway The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway (also known as the Pikes Peak Cog Railway) is a cog railway that climbs one of the most iconic mountains in the United States, Pikes Peak in Colorado. The base station is in Manitou Springs, nea ...
. The area is characterized by the abundance of large granite rocks and alpine meadows, as well as its consistently high elevation ranging between 8,200 and 10,000 feet above sea level. The climate is considered arid which causes the surrounding forests to become very dry, posing a significant fire threat in combination with a large proportion of lightning strikes and high mountain winds. Fire restrictions are common.


Climate

Woodland Park experiences an alpine
subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...
''(Dfc)'', due to its high elevation and its location in the
Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
. Summers are warm, but much milder than summers at lower elevations, such as in
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
,
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, or the plains to the east. Nights are cool, even chilly in summer.


Demographics

As of 2020, the population of Woodland Park was 7,920. The median age of residents was 46.1 and the average household income was $77,912. The largest ethnic groups by percentage were White (non-Hispanic) (89.3%), White (Hispanic) (5.51%), Multi-racial (non-Hispanic) (2.53%), Black or African-American (non-Hispanic) (0.794%), and American Indian & Alaska Native (0.794%). 2.65% of residents were born outside the U.S. and 99.2% were U.S. citizens. Politically, the town votes majority Republican, with 67.5% of votes in the 2016 election going to Donald Trump, 24.9% of votes going to Hillary Clinton, and 7.59% of votes going to another party. Data from 2015 to 2019 shows the average household size to be 2.42 with 84.6% of households living in the same house year-by-year. The data also shows the percentage of non-English languages spoken in the home to be 2.43%. Additionally, 98.6% of residents 25+ graduated high school while only 45.4% of residents 25+ have a bachelor's degree or higher. 92.4% of the population in Woodland Park have access to healthcare. 42.1% are on employee plans, 18.2% are on Medicaid, 10.8% on Medicare, 15.2% on non-group plans, and 6.09% on military or VA plans. The patient to client ratio in Teller County is 1,929:1.


Economy

In 2019, the median annual income of a household was reported as $77,912. Reported annual income for 2018 was $71,295. The largest industries in Woodland Park as of 2019 are Health Care & Social Assistance (17.8%), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (11.1%), Construction (8.28%), and Educational Services (6.29%). Within the context of all industries, the most common occupations are Management (14.5%), Office & Administrative Support (9.48%), and Sales & Related Occupations (7.75%). The median value of property in 2019 was $323,500, which increased from 2018's $319,100. This was accompanied by an average range of $800–1,499 in property taxes.


Arts and culture

Community events during 2018 included:


Parks and recreation

Recreation centers include Bergstrom Park, Meadow Wood Sports Complex, Memorial Park, Red Mountain Adventure Park, Ute Pass Cultural Center,Woodland Aquatic Center.


Government

The town is governed by the City Council, which consists of a mayor, or mayor pro-tem in absence of the mayor, and six council members. Members of the public are allowed to comment on the proceedings of City Council meetings. There are several boards, commissions, and committees which citizens may volunteer for, including a Planning Commission, Historical Preservation Committee, and the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board.


Education

Woodland Park School District RE-2 is the local school district. There are five total schools in Woodland Park spanning PreK-12th grade which are: Columbine Elementary, Gateway Elementary, Summit Elementary, Woodland Park Middle School, and Woodland Park High School. As of 2020, there were 2,284 students in the district and 146.16 teachers (FTE) for a ratio of 15.63:1 respectively. Fiscal data from 2018 show total revenue to be $25,551,000 and total expenditures to be $25,029,000.


Infrastructure


Transportation

There is little public transportation in Woodland Park. Less than 0.5% of households utilize Public Transit as a mode of transportation. However, the Teller Senior Coalition provides a door-to-door service for seniors, with free public shuttles running on Wednesday's. This service runs throughout Teller County but primarily between Cripple Creek and Woodland Park. Riders can schedule 48 hours in advance. There is also a shuttle bus that runs between Woodland Park and Colorado Springs with roundtrip fairs costing $25. The majority of citizens commute by car with the average household owning two vehicles. 73.6% of people commute alone, 12.9% work at home, and 9.8% carpool. The average commute time is 27.4 minutes.


Health care

Pikes Peak Regional Hospital is the local hospital. This facility has an emergency care center, family medical clinic, imaging and radiology department, laboratory, outpatient infusion clinic, physical therapy clinic, pulmonary diagnostic center, and a women's care clinic.


Utilities

IREA, based in Woodland Park, is the area's main electricity utility. Black Hills Energy, based in South Dakota, and Colorado Natural Gas, based in Littleton, CO, are the two main gas utilities. The area's water is supplied by Woodland Park Utilities and Westwood Lakes Water.


Notable people

*
Clint Vahsholtz Clinton Vahsholtz (born March 14, 1971) is an American former stock car racing driver. He competed in the NASCAR Busch Series from 2003 to 2005. Racing career Stock car racing Vahsholtz made his NASCAR debut in 2003, when he drove the No. 39 Jay ...
- ARCA driver


Gallery

File:Woodland Park, Colorado (1887).jpg, Woodland Park, 1887 File:WPLibrary4.png, Library in Downtown Woodland Park File:WoodlandParkColoradoFromPikesPeakSeptember2011.JPG, Woodland Park as viewed from the summit of Pikes Peak


See also

*
Outline of Colorado The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the U.S. state of Colorado: Colorado – 22nd most populous, the eighth most extensive, and the highest in average elevation of the 50 United States. Colorado ...
**
Index of Colorado-related articles This is an alphabetical list of articles related to the U.S. State of Colorado. 0–9 * .co.us – Internet second-level domain for the State of Colorado * 4 Corners ** 4 Corners Monument * 6th Principal Meridian * 10-mile Range * 10t ...
*
State of 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 ...
**
Colorado cities and towns The U.S. State of Colorado has 272 active incorporated municipalities, comprising 197 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments. At the 2020 United States Census, 4,299,942 of the 5,773,714 Colorado residents (74.47%) ...
***
Colorado municipalities The U.S. State of Colorado has 272 active incorporated municipalities, comprising 197 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments. At the 2020 United States Census, 4,299,942 of the 5,773,714 Colorado residents (74.47%) ...
**
Colorado counties The U.S. State of Colorado is divided into 64 counties. Two of these counties, the City and County of Broomfield and the City and County of Denver, have consolidated city and county governments. Denver serves as the state capital. Counties are ...
***
El Paso County, Colorado El Paso County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. The 2020 Census recorded its population as 730,395. The Census Bureau's 2020 result indicates it is the most populous county in Colorado, surpassing the City and County of De ...
***
Teller County, Colorado Teller County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,710. The county seat is Cripple Creek, and the most populous city is Woodland Park. Teller County is included in the Colorado Sprin ...
**
Colorado metropolitan areas The U.S. state of Colorado has twenty-one statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States ...
*** Front Range Urban Corridor ***
South Central Colorado Urban Area 240px, An enlargeable map of the four-county South Central Colorado Urban Area The South Central Colorado Urban Area comprises the Colorado Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Pueblo Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the Cañon City Micr ...
***
Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 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 ...
* Manitou Park Recreation Area, Colorado * Woodland Park High School


References


External links


City of Woodland Park websiteThe Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control Cities in Teller County, Colorado
Cities in Colorado {{Parent cat , child_level=county , type= , metacategory =Cities in Colorado by county , commonscat=Cities in Colorado , geogroup=y , seealso=Colorado ‎‎ , main=List of cities in Colorado , child_no_parent=21452707 , parent_no_child=21452710 ...