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Boulder County

Cities or Towns to visit - Boulder / Longmont

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, farmer s, 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. Population of t he county is approximately 241,274, with about 86,969 in the City of Boulder, another 56,065 in the City of Longmont, 26,296 in Broomfield, 15,995 in Lafayette, 14,356 in Louisville and the remainder dispersed throughout the smaller towns of Lyons, Nederl and, Ward, Jamestown, Superior and Erie and unincorporated areas, including the communities of Niwot, Gunbarrel and Allenspark.

The County encompasses 753 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 consider ed 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 dedica ted on May 7, 1934. Two wings were added to the Courthouse in 1962, bringing the Courthouse to its present-day form.

With the construction of the North Broadway Complex in 1966 and the Justice Center in 1976, there are now three major County centers in Boulder and offices are also located in Longmont, Louisville and Lafayette. The Fairgrounds Complex opened in Longmont in 1980 and the Longmont Human Services Building was added in 1986, expanded in 1989, and renamed the St. Vrain Complex. A new County Jail was built on Airport Road in Boulder and opened in 1988. The Boulder County Community Services Building in Lafayette was purchased in 1992, remodeled, and opened in 1993 to house County and other non-profit human service agencies.