Castle Rock, Colorado

The Town of Castle Rock is the county seat of Douglas County, Colorado, United States and is named for the prominent castle tower-shaped butte near the center of town. It is part of Colorado's Front Range Urban Corridor and is located roughly 28 miles (46 km) south of Denver and 37 miles (60 km) north of Colorado Springs. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 48,231.

History
Castle Rock was founded in 1874 when the eastern Douglas County border was redrawn to its present location. Castle Rock was chosen as the county seat because of its central location.

The region in and around Castle Rock was originally home to Native Americans of the Arapahoe and Cheyenne tribes. They occupied the land between the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers.

White settlers were drawn to the area by rumors of gold and by land opened through the Homestead Act of 1862. However, it was the discovery of rhyolite stone not gold that ultimately led to the settlement of Castle Rock.

One of the first homesteaders in the area near today's Castle Rock was Jeremiah Gould. He owned about 160 acre to the south of "The (Castle) Rock." At that time, the settlement consisted of just a few buildings for prospectors, workers, and cowboys. In 1874 Jeremiah Gould donated 120 acre to the new town that was also now home to the Douglas County government. For the beginning the six streets named Elbert, Jerry, Wilcox, Perry, Castle and Front were laid out to build the actual town of Castle Rock. The Courthouse Square was defined and about 77 lots, each 50 by 112 ft, were auctioned off for a total profit of US$3,400.

A new train depot brought the Denver and Rio Grande Railway to the area. The depot building now houses the Castle Rock Historical Museum on Elbert Street, where visitors can see history of how Castle Rock changed over the years. Castle Rock currently encompasses about 35 sqmi, with a population of more than 42,000 in town and 70,000 in the surrounding area.

From 1986 through 2006, a professional golf tournament was held in Castle Pines Village. The International, a PGA Tour event, was held in August at the Castle Pines Golf Club.

Geography
Castle Rock is located at °N, °W (39.372212, -104.856090) at an elevation of 6,224 feet (1,897 m). The town lies in the Colorado Piedmont on the western edge of the Great Plains. The Front Range of the Rocky Mountains lay a few miles to the west. East Plum Creek, a stream within the South Platte River drainage basin, runs north then northwest through Castle Rock.

Common landforms in Castle Rock consist of rock outcroppings, steep hillsides, cliffs, canyons, mesas, and plateaus. About 37 million years ago, a volcanic eruption took place that covered the area around Castle Rock with 20 ft of extremely resistant rock called rhyolite. After a few million years, mass flooding and erosion of the volcanic rock gave way to the castle-shaped butte that is the town's namesake. The butte sits near the town's center, immediately north of downtown. Other prominent landforms visible from Castle Rock include Dawson Butte, Devils Head, Mount Evans and Pikes Peak.

Castle Rock is within the Colorado Foothills Life Zone. The hillsides are covered with large meadows of grass, small plants, scattered juniper trees and open Ponderosa Pine woodlands. Other trees common in the area include Gambel Oak (Scrub Oak or Oak Brush), Pinyon, and Pinyon Pine. Local wildlife includes the American Badger, American Black Bear, Bobcat, Coyote, Colorado Chipmunk, Gray Fox, Mountain Cottontail Rabbit, Mountain Lion, Mule Deer, Pocket Gopher, Porcupine, and Skunk. Birds that can be found in the area include the Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Black-billed Magpie, Red-tailed Hawk, Pinyon Jay and Western Tanager.

Castle Rock is located in central Colorado on Interstate 25 roughly 28 miles (46 km) south of Denver and 37 miles (60 km) north of Colorado Springs. Lying within the Front Range Urban Corridor, the town is part of the greater Denver metropolitan area. Nearby communities include Castle Pines North, Lone Tree, Parker, Highlands Ranch, Larkspur, Franktown and Sedalia. According to the United States Census Bureau, Castle Rock has a total area of 31.6 square miles (81.9 km²).

Climate
Castle Rock experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with cold, dry, snowy winters and hot, wetter summers. On average, the town receives 17.3 in of precipitation annually. Snowfall averages 60 in per year. On average, January is the coldest month, July is the hottest month, and May is the wettest month. The hottest temperature recorded in Castle Rock was 99 °F (37 °C) in July 1973; the coldest temperature recorded was -35 °F (-37 °C) in January 1963.

Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 48,231 people, 16,688 households, and 12,974 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,526.3 people per square mile (589.3/km²). There were 17,626 housing units at an average density of 557.8 per square mile (215.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.7% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.9% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. 10.0% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,688 households out of which 48.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.4% were married couples living together, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.0% 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 3.27.

In the town, the population was spread out with 32.4% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males age 18 and over.

As of 2009, the median income for a household in the town was $86,777, and the median income for a family was $97,599. Males had a median income of $65,996 versus $46,151 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,664. About 3.6% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Castle Rock is the 17th most populous municipality in Colorado and is the center of the burgeoning urbanization of the county.

Government


Castle Rock is a Home Rule Municipality with a council-manager form of government. The town council consists of seven members, each representing an election district, elected to two-year terms.

One member, appointed by the council, serves as mayor, presiding over council meetings, and another member serves as mayor pro tem. The mayor presides over council meetings and casts one vote, like other council members.

The council sets policy for the town, adopts ordinances, approves the town budget, makes major land-use decisions, and appoints key town government staff including the town manager, town attorney, municipal judge, and members of town boards and commissions.

The town manager supervises all departments, prepares and implements the town budget, and works with the council to develop policies and propose new plans.

Tax revenues are used to provide general government, fire, police, parks maintenance and programs, street maintenance and operations, public transit, support for recreation and planning and code enforcement services. The town also provides development services, golf, water and sewer services to residents through self-supporting enterprise funds.

Economy
Many of Castle Rock’s residents work in the Denver Technological Center, better known as "The Denver Tech Center" (DTC), which is a 15 minute drive north on I-25. Downtown Denver and Denver International Airport are both approximately a 40 minute drive from Castle Rock.

Education
Douglas County School District provides public primary and secondary education with fourteen schools in Castle Rock:

Public Elementary Schools
 * Castle Rock Elementary School (Grades K-6)
 * Clear Sky Elementary School (K-6)
 * Flagstone Elementary School (K-6)
 * Meadow View Elementary School (K-6)
 * Renaissance Expeditionary Magnet School (K-6)
 * Rock Ridge Elementary School (K-6)
 * Soaring Hawk Elementary School (K-6)
 * South Street Elementary School (K-6)
 * Academy Charter School (K-8)

Public Middle Schools Public High Schools
 * Castle Rock Middle School (7-8)
 * Mesa Middle School (7-8)
 * Rocky Heights Middle School (6-8)
 * Castle View High School (9-12)
 * Douglas County High School (9-12)
 * Daniel C. Oakes High School (9-12), alternative school

Private Schools
 * Woodlands Academy (1-8) website
 * Valor High School

Health care
Castle Rock residents have access to numerous options when it comes to quality health care. Within town there are several medical offices, an urgent care and an emergency room. A hospital is currently under construction and is expected to open in 2013. Additionally, a large medical campus, JCAHO accredited hospital and 24 hour level III trauma center is only fifteen minute drive north of town.

Media
Castle Rock has a weekly newspaper, The Douglas County News-Press.

Castle Rock is part of the Denver radio and television market. Radio station KJMN is licensed to Castle Rock, but broadcasts from Denver playing a Spanish Adult Hits format on 92.1 FM. Television station KETD, an affiliate of the LeSEA network, broadcasts on digital channel 46. Licensed to Castle Rock, the station is located near Centennial, Colorado.

Neighborhoods
Castle Rock's postal codes include many neighborhoods:

North of Downtown / West of I-25
 * The Meadows website
 * Red Hawk Ridge website
 * Castle Pines Village website

South of Downtown / West of I-25
 * Keene Ranch website

North of Downtown / East of I-25
 * Founders Village website
 * Escavera website
 * Diamond Ridge Estates website
 * Sapphire Pointe / Puma Ridge / Cliffside / Cutter's Ridge website

South of Downtown / East of I-25
 * Plum Creek website
 * Castlewood Ranch website
 * Bell Mountain Ranch website

Link to a Map of the Neighborhoods in Castle Rock, Colorado

Parks and recreation
Castle Rock’s open space and parks comprise 27% the town’s total land area (5415 acre of parks and open space / 20224 acre total land area. Additionally, there are 56 mi of soft-surface and paved trails.
 * Parks - Baldwin Park, Bison Park, Butterfield Park, Castle Highlands Park, Castle North Park, Castlewood Canyon State Park, Centennial Park, Festival Park, Founders Park, Gemstone Park, Glovers Tot Lot, Matney Park, Metzler Ranch Park, Mitchell Gulch Park, Paintbrush Park, Plum Creek Park, Rhyolite Regional Park, Rosecrown Park.
 * Trails & Open Space - East Plum Creek Trail, Gateway Mesa Open Space, Hidden Mesa Open Space,  Memmen Ridge Open Space, Mitchell Creek Canyon Trail, Mitchell Creek Trail System,  Native Legend Open Space, Quarry Mesa Open Space, Ridgeline Open Space, Rock Park, The Bowl.

Recognition
Castle Rock has been recognized by a number of national periodicals:
 * Money magazine ranked Castle Rock No. 19 in the nation in its list of the “100 Best Places to Live in America" September 2011 . Ranking methodology was based on job growth, home affordability, safety, school quality, health care, arts and leisure, diversity and several ease-of-living criteria.
 * Family Circle magazine ranked Castle Rock No. 1 in the nation in its list of the “10 Best Towns for Families," August 2010. The article shares the results of the magazine’s quest to identify "the best communities across the country that combine big-city opportunities with suburban charm" and "an ideal blend of affordable houses, good jobs, top-rated schools, wide-open spaces and a lot less stress." This is Castle Rock's second time making Family Circle's top ten list. In the August 2007 issue Castle Rock was ranked No. 9.
 * Forbes magazine named Castle Rock No. 5 of “America's 25 Best Places To Move,” 7 July 2009
 * Money magazine ranked Douglas County No. 5 in the United States for “Job Growth over the Last Eight Years”. (Towns include Castle Rock, Parker, Stonegate, Lone Tree, and Highlands Ranch), 18 August 2009
 * American City Business Journals (ACBJ) ranked Douglas County No. 4 in the nation for “Quality of Life,” May 2004
 * Denver Business Journal reported that Castle Rock was ranked No. 6 on Gadberry Group’s list of "2008 High-Growth Areas in the United States". 9 January 2009
 * SchoolDigger.com ranked Douglas County School District No.1 in the Denver Metropolitan Area and No.12 in Colorado based on 2009 test scores. (School district rankings were determined by averaging the rankings of individual schools within each of the 122 districts evaluated).   Source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education, and Colorado Department of Education.

Notable natives and residents

 * Amy Adams, actress
 * Kirsten Bomblies, biologist
 * Jim Cottrell, NFL linebacker
 * Gary Hallberg, professional golfer
 * Nelson Rangell, jazz musician
 * Edward Seidensticker, Japanologist
 * Ann Strother, professional basketball player and coach
 * Tom Hamilton, Aerosmith bassist