About Boulder County
Boulder County is large and diverse, featuring everything from the
spectacular scenery of Rocky Mountain National Park (a national
treasure) to lush farmland, and one of the nation's largest
concentrations of research laboratories and high-tech industry.
Situated in the north-central part of Colorado,
Northwest of Denver, the western border of the County is the Continental
Divide. The eastern half of the County is rolling plains, and the
western half is mountainous.
The territory within Boulder County first became part of the United
States in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. The first record of modern
settlement in Boulder County dates from March 1859 where reference is
made in a letter to the laying out of the City of Boulder. In 1861 the
Colorado Territory was created with Boulder being one of the 17 counties
represented in the first Territorial Assembly. Native Americans were the
first inhabitants of the County. They were followed by settlers, gold
miners, farmers, coal miners and traders.
Today Boulder County remains diversified, with both rural and urban
settings. The University of Colorado at Boulder, two school districts
and numerous scientific, research and recreational facilities are among
the attributes of the County. The Denver Regional Council of Governments
estimates Boulder County’s population at approximately 294,000, with
about 103,100 in the City of Boulder, another 84,636 in the City of
Longmont, 26,453 in Lafayette, 19,000 in Louisville and the remainder
dispersed throughout the smaller towns of Lyons, Nederland, Ward,
Jamestown, Superior and Erie and unincorporated areas, including the
communities of Niwot, Gunbarrel and Allenspark.
The County encompasses 741 square miles and is situated on the
eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. Elevations within the boundaries
of the County vary from the 5,000-foot level of the plains to the
14,000-foot peaks of the Continental Divide.
The cornerstone of the original Boulder County Courthouse was laid on
July 4, 1882. It marked the official designation of a public square in
the Town of Boulder and the meeting place of the Boulder County
Commissioners. The original structure was considered elaborate for a
small pioneer town.
 In 1932 a fire destroyed the original Courthouse building along with
many of its records. The replacement building, designed to project the
image of a progressive area with emphasis on the then-current art deco
style, was built on the same site and dedicated on May 7, 1934. Two
wings were added to the Courthouse in 1962, bringing the Courthouse to
its present-day form.
To better serve all of its residents, Boulder County
operates offices throughout the county. In addition to the
County Courthouse on Pearl Street, Boulder County
has two other major county centers in Boulder, as well as offices in
Longmont, Louisville and Lafayette. The North Broadway
complex, at Broadway and Iris, was built in 1966, followed by the
Justice Center, at 6th and Canyon, in 1976. The
County Jail was built on Airport Road in 1988 and
underwent a major expansion in 2005.
In Longmont, the County Fairgrounds
opened on Nelson Road in 1980. The Longmont Human Services building was
added on Coffman Street in 1986, expanded in 1989 and renamed the
St. Vrain Complex. The County's
newest Longmont addition, the Parks
and Open Space building, was completed in late 2005 on St. Vrain
Road west of Airport Rd.
Boulder County purchased its
Community Services Building on Simpson Street in Lafayette in 1992.
The site houses both County offices and non-profit human services
agencies. Finally, Boulder County operates
Clerk and Recorder and Social
Services branch offices on Main Street in Louisville.
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