Thornton, Colorado
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Thornton is a home rule municipality located in Adams and Weld counties,
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 city population was 141,867, all in Adams County, at the 2020 United States census, an increase of 19.44% since the 2010 United States census. Thornton is the sixth-most-populous city in Colorado and the 191st-most-populous city in the United States. Thornton is north of the
Colorado State Capitol The Colorado State Capitol Building, located at 200 East Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado, United States, is the home of the Colorado General Assembly and the offices of the Governor of Colorado, Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, and the Co ...
in
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area.


History

Thornton consisted solely of farmland until 1953, when Sam Hoffman purchased a lot off Washington Street about north of Denver. The town he laid out was the first fully planned community in Adams County, and the first to offer full municipal services from a single
tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...
levy, including recreation services and free trash pickup. Thornton was named in honor of then-incumbent Colorado Governor Dan Thornton. The Thornton Community Association (TCA) was formed in 1954 to help guide the new community's development. By the end of 1955, Thornton had 5,500 residents in over 1,200 homes. The TCA was instrumental in Thornton's 1956 incorporation as a city. Oyer G. Leary was elected the first mayor.


Geography

Thornton is located at (39.903043, -104.954406). At the 2020 United States census, the town had a total area of including of water.


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 118,772 people, 41,359 households, and 30,254 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 43,230 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 77.4%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 4.4% Asian, 1.8%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.1% American Indian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 11.4% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 31.7% of the population. There were 41,359 households, out of which 43.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86, and the average family size was 3.32. The distribution of the population by age was 29.5% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.0 years. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female. The median income for a household in the city was $65,578, and the median income for a family was $74,233. Males had a median income of $49,154 versus $39,596 for females. The city's
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 ...
was $26,100. About 7.8% of families and 9.9% 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 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.


Recreation

Thornton has 81 city parks and nearly of parks and open space. There are over of trails throughout the city. Recreational facilities include the Margaret Carpenter Recreation Center and the Thornton Community Center.
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 ...
s include the Thorncreek Golf Course and Todd Creek Golf.


Transportation


Highways

Six highways run through the city of Thornton: *
Interstate 25 Interstate 25 (I-25), also known as the Pan-American Freeway, is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 st ...
passes through Thornton twice. First it enters from Sherrelwood and Welby to the south, then passing through Northglenn, before reentering Thornton. It then exits the city north into Broomfield. * Interstate 76 briefly passes through the southeastern edge of Thornton. * State Highway 7 (East 160th Avenue) runs along much of northern Thornton. It enters the city from Todd Creek to the east and exits to Broomfield to the west. * State Highway 44 (East 104th Avenue) begins in Thornton and then heads east into Commerce City. * State Highway 224 (East 74th Avenue) runs along Thornton's southern border for less than . * E-470 runs through northern Thornton in between Todd Creek to the east and Broomfield to the west.


Mass transit

The Regional Transportation District provides bus and
commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
service to Thornton. Commuter rail service to the city began on September 21, 2020, on the N Line. There are three commuter rail stations within the city, Original Thornton/88th station, Thornton Crossroads/104th station, and Eastlake/124th station, which currently serves as the northern terminus of the N Line.


Education

Thornton is served primarily by four school districts
Adams County School District 12
Adams County School District 1
Mapleton Public Schools
and Brighton School District 27J. These include: Eight high schools ( Thornton High School and Horizon High School , Riverdale Ridge High School , and five of Mapleton's small-by-design high schools), eleven middle schools (Five in Adams 12, one in Brighton 27J, five in Mapleton) and twenty elementary schools (Twelve in Adams 12, two in Brighton 27J, and six in Mapleton). There are also several charter schools in or near Thornton, including Stargate School, Colorado Virtual Academy, New America School, and Westgate Community Charter School. Lord of Life Lutheran School is a Christian Pre-K–8 school of the
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as Christian theology, theologically conservative, it was founded ...
in Thornton. Thornton has several libraries and is served by the Rangeview Library District, also known as Anythink Libraries.


Retail

Thornton has several shopping areas, such as Larkridge Mall, Thornton Town Center, and Thorncreek Crossing Shopping Center. Larkridge is home to national anchor tenants, big box retailers and restaurants, and has a pedestrian village. DaveCo Liquor Store is the largest liquor store in the world.


Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Thornton include: * Tesho Akindele (born 1992), soccer forward * Josh Bredl (born 1991), pro wrestler *
Yadira Caraveo Yadira D. Caraveo ( ; born December 23, 1980) is an American politician and pediatrician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2023 to 2025. A Democrat, she was Colorado's first Latina member of Congress. She represented the 31st d ...
(born 1986), former U.S. representative and Colorado state representative * Edward Casso (born 1974), Colorado state legislator * John Denney (born 1978), football long snapper * Dalton Knecht (born 2001), forward for the Los Angeles Lakers * Mike Manning (born 1987), actor * Nikki Marshall (born 1988), soccer forward, defender * Beth Martinez Humenik, Colorado state legislator * Mike McCoy (1953–2016), football cornerback *
Adrian Mora Adrián Mora (born February 26, 1978) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2000 to 2008. He held the IBA light welterweight title in 2007. Amateur career Mora had an amateur career of 62-8 and won a silver medal at the 2000 ...
(born 1978), welterweight boxer * Joseph Salazar, Colorado state legislator * Kyle Sleeth (born 1981), baseball starting pitcher * Neal Ulevich (born 1946), photojournalist


See also

*
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 ...
** Bibliography of Colorado ** Index of Colorado-related articles **
Outline of Colorado The following Outline (list), outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the U.S. state of Colorado: Colorado – List of U.S. states and territories by population#State and territory rankings, 22nd most populous, the Lis ...
* List of places in Colorado ** List of counties in Colorado **
List of municipalities in Colorado The U.S. Colorado, State of Colorado has 273 municipal corporation, active municipalities, comprising 198 towns, 73 City, cities, and two Consolidated city-county, consolidated city and county governments. The Denver, City and County of Denver ...
*
List of statistical areas in Colorado The United States, U.S. Colorado, State of Colorado has 20 Statistical area (United States), statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Statistical areas are important geographic delineations of pop ...
** Front Range Urban Corridor ** North Central Colorado Urban Area ** Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area ** Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area


References


External links


City of Thornton websiteCDOT map of the City of Thornton
{{authority control Cities in Adams County, Colorado Cities in Weld County, Colorado Cities in Colorado Denver metropolitan area