Boulder County is home to more than 300,000 residents and includes some of the most diverse, natural landscapes and sustainable development along the Front Range.
The Government
From visionary open space, land use and sustainability policies to forward-thinking public services programs, our county government helps foster a vibrant, healthy and active community.
Academia and Scientific Research
Education:
- University of Colorado at Boulder
- FrontRange Community College
- Boulder Valley School District
- St. Vrain Valley School District
Scientific Facilities:
- National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Geography
Boulder County’s landscape features everything from farmland and rolling grasslands in the plains to the high peaks of the Continental Divide.
Located in north-central Colorado, northwest of Denver, the county’s landscape includes several dense urban centers surrounded by rural buffer zones and mountain communities, plus portions of Rocky Mountain National Park.
- 741 square miles
- Eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains
- Elevation: Ranges from approximately 5,000 to 14,000 feet
Population
As of 2007, Boulder County’s population is estimated to be 302,525 according to the Denver Regional Council of Governments:
- City of Boulder: 103,000
- City of Longmont: 84,600
- City of Lafayette: 26,450
- City of Louisville: 19,000
- Other towns*: 69,475
*Includes towns of Erie, Jamestown, Lyons, Nederland, Superior and Ward, and unincorporated areas including the communities of Allenspark, Eldorado Springs, Gunbarrel and Niwot.
History – County & Courthouse
- 1803: Territory within what is now Boulder County becomes part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase
- 1859: The first record of modern settlement in Boulder County
- 1861: the Colorado Territory was created
- Boulder one of the 17 counties represented in the first Territorial Assembly
- Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the county
- Followed by settlers, gold miners, farmers, coal miners and traders
- 1882: Cornerstone of the original Boulder County Courthouse laid
- Building marked official designation of a public square
- Meeting place of the Boulder County Commissioners
- Original structure was considered elaborate for a small pioneer town
- 1932: Building and many records were destroyed by fire
- 1934: New courthouse built on the same site
- 1962: Two wings added