Larkspur, Colorado

Larkspur, Colorado
Home rule municipality
Entering from the north
Entering from the north
Location of Larkspur in Douglas County, Colorado.
Location of Larkspur in Douglas County, Colorado.
Coordinates: 39°14′30″N 104°53′40″W / 39.24167°N 104.89444°W / 39.24167; -104.89444
Country United States
State State of Colorado
CountyDouglas County[1]
Incorporated1979[2]
Government
 • TypeHome Rule Municipality[1]
Area
[3]
 • Total
1.59 sq mi (4.12 km2)
 • Land1.59 sq mi (4.12 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[4]
6,880 ft (2,100 m)
Population
 (2020)[5]
 • Total
206
 • Density130/sq mi (50/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code
80118
Area code(s)Both 303 and 720
FIPS code08-43550
GNIS feature ID2412878[4]
Major Routes
Former Routes
Websitewww.townoflarkspur.org

Larkspur is a home rule municipality in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 206 at the 2020 census.[5] Each year, on weekends in June, July and August, the Colorado Renaissance Festival is held in the hills just west of the town.[6] The town is served by Larkspur Elementary School, a K-6 school in the Douglas County school district.[7] The according to William Bright the town was named for the plains larkspur (Delphinium geyeri).[8]

A post office called Larkspur has been in operation since 1871.[9] The community was named for the abundance of larkspur near the original town site.[10]

Larkspur is also the site of the historic headquarters building of Universal Co-Masonry[11] According to the town's website, Larkspur's Vision Statement is "Larkspur, a small friendly town in Colorado. A town that works together by: Fostering a Government of Integrity that Responds to its People, Directing Future Growth within Larkspur´s Small Town Values, Providing Community Facilities and Activities for All Ages, and Preserving the Natural Environment that is Unique to the Larkspur Area."[12]

Geography

Larkspur is located in southern Douglas County in the valley of East Plum Creek. Interstate 25 passes along the eastern edge of the town, with access from Exits 172, 173, and 174. I-25 leads north 11 miles (18 km) to Castle Rock, the Douglas County seat, and 39 miles (63 km) to Denver, as well as south 32 miles (51 km) to Colorado Springs.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), all land.[13]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1980141—
199023264.5%
20002340.9%
2010183−21.8%
202020612.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

Transportation

The city is Served by I-25. It was once served by SH-18 (now Upper Lake Gulch Road). In addition to the highways, the Colorado Joint Line (which is served by Union Pacific and BNSF) also runs through the town with a large Santa Fe bridge at the south end of town.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Archived from the original on 12 December 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  2. ^ "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. 1 December 2004. Retrieved 2 September 2007.
  3. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Larkspur, Colorado
  5. ^ a b United States Census Bureau. "Larkspur town; Colorado". Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Renaissance Festival Colorado". Colorado Renaissance Festival. n.d. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  7. ^ Larkspur Elementary School website
  8. ^ Bright, William (2004). Colorado place names. Boulder, Colorado: Johnson Books. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-55566-333-9. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  9. ^ "Post offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  10. ^ Dawson, John Frank (1954). Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin. Denver, CO: The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co. p. 31.
  11. ^ "American Federation of Human Rights". Douglas County Historical Society: A.F.H.R. Headquarters in Larkspur.
  12. ^ "Town of Larkspur | Local and Regional Information and Services | Larkspur, Colorado". Town of Larkspur. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  13. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Larkspur town, Colorado". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved 16 October 2015.[dead link‍]