Red Cliff, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Red Cliff is a Statutory Town in Eagle County
, Colorado
, United States. The population was 289 at the 2000 census
. The town is a former mining camp situated in the canyon of the upper Eagle River
just off U.S. Highway 24 north of Tennessee Pass
. The town site is concealed below the highway (which passes over the Red Cliff Truss Bridge
) and is accessible by a side road leading to Shrine Pass
in the Sawatch Range
. It was founded in 1879 during the Colorado Silver Boom
by miners from Leadville
who came over Tennessee Pass scouting for better prospects. The name derives from the red quartzite
cliffs surrounding the town. As the first community in the Eagle Valley, it served temporarily as the first county seat of Eagle County (formed out of Summit County
in 1883) until the relocation of the county seat to Eagle
in 1921.
The town consists of a cluster of older homes and converted trailers on the flanks of the canyon around the river, as well as a post office, a historic church and older wooden structures along the main street of the town. Several of the older structures have been converted in recent years into modern businesses, including a restaurant. The town is located within easy driving distance of nearby ski areas
and the revival of the town has given rise to a new inn housed in one of the downtown structures.
In winter, the town also serves as a popular access point to Shrine Pass for cross-country skiers
. In recent years, a car shuttle has operated between the town and nearby Vail
, allowing visitors to Vail easy access to the pass.
In 2008, the Town of Minturn
annexed around 4000 acres (16.2 km²) for a proposed Battle Mountain Resort, which also included the abandoned mining town of Gilman
. With the expansion, Minturn is now Red Cliff's immediate neighbor to the north.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 289 people, 109 households, and 68 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,256.4 people per square mile (485.1/km²). There were 122 housing units at an average density of 530.4 per square mile (204.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 62.98% White, 0.69% African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.35% Pacific Islander, 32.87% from other races
, and 2.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 61.94% of the population.
There were 109 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 124.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 126.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,104, and the median income for a family was $44,219. Males had a median income of $35,694 versus $30,750 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,864. About 6.8% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 31.6% of those sixty five or over.
Eagle County, Colorado
Eagle County is the thirteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county is named for the Eagle River. The county population was 41,659 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the Town of Eagle...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States. The population was 289 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The town is a former mining camp situated in the canyon of the upper Eagle River
Eagle River (Colorado)
The Eagle River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in west central Colorado in the United States.It rises in southeastern Eagle County, at the continental divide, and flows northwest past Gilman, Minturn, Avon...
just off U.S. Highway 24 north of Tennessee Pass
Tennessee Pass (Colorado)
Tennessee Pass elevation is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States.The pass traverses the continental divide north of Leadville in a gap between the northern end of the Sawatch Range to the west and the northern end of the Mosquito Range to the east...
. The town site is concealed below the highway (which passes over the Red Cliff Truss Bridge
Red Cliff Bridge
Red Cliff Bridge is an arch bridge near Vail, Colorado that carries U.S. Highway 24 over the Eagle River and the former Union Pacific Railroad track over Tennessee Pass...
) and is accessible by a side road leading to Shrine Pass
Shrine Pass
Shrine Pass is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States.The pass is located at the northern end of the Sawatch Range, along the border of Eagle and Summit counties west of Frisco and just northwest of Vail Pass...
in the Sawatch Range
Sawatch Range
The Sawatch Range is a mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies....
. It was founded in 1879 during the Colorado Silver Boom
Colorado Silver Boom
The Colorado Silver Boom was a dramatic expansionist period of silver mining activity in the U.S. state of Colorado in the late 19th century. The boom started in 1879 with the discovery of silver at Leadville...
by miners from Leadville
Leadville, Colorado
Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States. Situated at an elevation of , Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States...
who came over Tennessee Pass scouting for better prospects. The name derives from the red quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
cliffs surrounding the town. As the first community in the Eagle Valley, it served temporarily as the first county seat of Eagle County (formed out of Summit County
Summit County, Colorado
Summit County is the 19th most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 23,538 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Breckenridge...
in 1883) until the relocation of the county seat to Eagle
Eagle, Colorado
Eagle is a Statutory Town in and the county seat of Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,032 at the 2000 census.The town was made famous as the location of the Kobe Bryant sexual assault trial.-Demographics:...
in 1921.
The town consists of a cluster of older homes and converted trailers on the flanks of the canyon around the river, as well as a post office, a historic church and older wooden structures along the main street of the town. Several of the older structures have been converted in recent years into modern businesses, including a restaurant. The town is located within easy driving distance of nearby ski areas
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
and the revival of the town has given rise to a new inn housed in one of the downtown structures.
In winter, the town also serves as a popular access point to Shrine Pass for cross-country skiers
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
. In recent years, a car shuttle has operated between the town and nearby Vail
Vail, Colorado
The Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,589 in 2005. The town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived...
, allowing visitors to Vail easy access to the pass.
In 2008, the Town of Minturn
Minturn, Colorado
Minturn is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,068 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Minturn is located at ....
annexed around 4000 acres (16.2 km²) for a proposed Battle Mountain Resort, which also included the abandoned mining town of Gilman
Gilman, Colorado
Gilman is an abandoned mining town in southeastern Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The U.S. Post Office at Minturn now serves Gilman postal addresses....
. With the expansion, Minturn is now Red Cliff's immediate neighbor to the north.
Geography
Red Cliff is located at 39°30′38"N 106°22′24"W (39.510570, -106.373458) and is sited at elevation 8,750.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 289 people, 109 households, and 68 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,256.4 people per square mile (485.1/km²). There were 122 housing units at an average density of 530.4 per square mile (204.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 62.98% White, 0.69% African American, 0.69% Native American, 0.35% Pacific Islander, 32.87% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 61.94% of the population.
There were 109 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 124.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 126.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,104, and the median income for a family was $44,219. Males had a median income of $35,694 versus $30,750 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $19,864. About 6.8% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 31.6% of those sixty five or over.
See also
- Colorado municipalitiesColorado municipalitiesThe U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
- Eagle County, ColoradoEagle County, ColoradoEagle County is the thirteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county is named for the Eagle River. The county population was 41,659 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the Town of Eagle...
- Edwards Micropolitan Statistical AreaEdwards Micropolitan Statistical AreaThe Edwards Micropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Micropolitan Statistical Area located in the Edwards area of the State of Colorado. The Edwards Micropolitan Statistical Area comprises Eagle County and Lake County, Colorado. The Micropolitan Statistical Area had...
- State of Colorado
- Red Cliff BridgeRed Cliff BridgeRed Cliff Bridge is an arch bridge near Vail, Colorado that carries U.S. Highway 24 over the Eagle River and the former Union Pacific Railroad track over Tennessee Pass...