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Colorado City ( ) is a city in and the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Mitchell County, Texas Mitchell County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 8,990. Its county seat is Colorado City. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1881. It is named for Asa and Eli Mitchell, two ear ...
, United States. Its population was 3,991 at the 2020 census.


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 San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin (North America), Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert ...
. 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 United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , all land. Colorado City is situated along the
Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...
to the west and Lone Wolf Creek to the east.


Climate

According to the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Colorado City has a
semiarid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...
, ''BSk'' on climate maps.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,991 people, 1,494 households, and 728 families residing in the city.


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, 4,146 people, 1,646 households, and 1,124 families resided in the city. The population density was . There were 2,076 housing units at an average density of . 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 Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $15,591. About 18.7% of families and 20.6% 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 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 The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
,
Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston, Texas, from its founding in 1960 Houston Oilers season, 1960 to 1996 Houston Oilers season, 1996. The Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the Ame ...
, and the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
, graduated from Colorado High School * Martin Dies Jr., U.S. Congressman, was born in Colorado City *
Margaret Formby Margaret Clark Formby (July 12, 1929 – April 10, 2003) was an American educator best known as the founder of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is located in Fort Worth, Texas, US. E ...
is the founder of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in
Fort Worth Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
* George H. Mahon, U.S. Representative; was raised in Mitchell County and is honored with a statue in front of the courthouse *
Don Maynard Donald Rogers Maynard (January 25, 1935 – January 10, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver known for playing for the New York Jets in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (N ...
, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, graduated from Colorado High School


See also

* Champion Creek Reservoir


References


External links


Colorado City
– Official website * {{authority control Cities in Texas Cities in Mitchell County, Texas County seats in Texas