City of Loveland, Colorado | |
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Home Rule Municipality | |
Nickname(s): The Sweetheart City | |
Location of Loveland shown within Colorado | |
Coordinates: 40°24?17?N 105°5?9?W / 40.40472°N 105.08583°W / 40.40472; -105.08583Coordinates: 40°24?17?N 105°5?9?W / 40.40472°N 105.08583°W / 40.40472; -105.08583 | |
Country | United States |
State | Colorado |
County | Larimer |
Founded | 1877 |
Incorporated | April 30, 1881 |
Named for | William A.H. Loveland |
Government | |
o Type | Home Rule Municipality |
o Mayor | Cecil Gutierrez |
o Mayor pro tem | Dave Clark |
o City Manager | Bill Cahill |
Area | |
o Total | 25.5 sq mi (66.1 km2) |
o Land | 24.6 sq mi (63.6 km2) |
o Water | 0.9 sq mi (2.4 km2) 3.68% |
Elevation | 4,982 ft (1,519 m) |
Population (2010) | |
o Total | 66,859 |
o Estimate (2013) | 71,334 |
o Density | 2,059.7/sq mi (795.3/km2) |
Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
o Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
ZIP codes | 80534, 80537-80539 |
Area code(s) | 970 |
FIPS code | 08-46465 |
GNIS feature ID | 0177720 |
Highways | I-25, US 34, US 287, SH 60, SH 402 |
Website | City of Loveland |
Fourteenth most populous Colorado city |
Loveland is located at 40°24?17?N 105°5?9?W / 40.40472°N 105.08583°W / 40.40472; -105.08583 (40.404789, -105.085868).
It is south of Fort Collins, its larger neighbor and the county seat of Larimer County. Both cities have expanded steadily toward each other over the last several decades and are considered a single metropolitan area by the U.S. government. The establishment of county-owned open space between the two communities in the 1990s was intended to create a permanent buffer between them. The northern city limits are now contiguous with those of Windsor, which has expanded westward from Weld County across Interstate 25. Loveland has aggressively expanded its incorporated limits eastward to embrace the interchange of Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 34, and is currently developing the area. In the last decade, the intersection has become a primary commercial hub of northern Colorado, with the construction of shopping centers and the Budweiser Events Center. A new medical center and mall have also been built on the Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 34 interchange. This area is known as Centerra. The interchange is shared with its smaller neighbor Johnstown, of Weld County.
The City of Loveland is the Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous municipality in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated 46 miles (74 km) north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimated that in 2014 the population of the city was 72,651 The city forms part of the Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor. The city's public schools are part of the Thompson R2-J School District.
The city was founded in 1877 along the newly constructed line of the Colorado Central Railroad, near its crossing of the Big Thompson River. It was named in honor of William A.H. Loveland, the president of the Colorado Central Railroad. The city was founded one mile (1.6 km) upstream from the existing small settlement of St. Louis, the buildings of which were moved to the site of Loveland. For the first half of the 20th century the town was dependent on agriculture. The primary crops in the area were sugar beets and sour cherries. In 1901, the Great Western Sugar Company built a factory in Loveland, which remained as a source of employment until its closure in 1985. During the late 1920s the Spring Glade orchard was the largest cherry orchard west of the Mississippi River. At that time the cherry orchards produced more than $1 million worth of cherries per year. A series of droughts, attacks of blight and finally a killer freeze destroyed the industry. By 1960 cherries were no longer farmed. In the late 20th century, the economy diversified with the arrival of manufacturing facilities by Hewlett-Packard, Teledyne, and Hach, a water quality analysis equipment manufacturer. A new medical center has added a substantial amount of employment in that sector as well.
On September 10, 2013 a historic flood affected numerous areas in Colorado. It rained heavily for 4 consecutive days, causing most rivers and creeks to overfill their banks. Estes Park received 8-12 inches of rain, causing Lake Estes to overfill its banks. This prompted a lot of water to be released out of the dam causing the Big Thompson River to swell. The flooding River caused sections of U.S. Highway 34 to collapse. Route 34 is one of the main highways from Loveland to Estes Park. The Big Thompson caused major flooding in Loveland, and caused numerous road closures because of flood waters. The Loveland/Fort Collins area received about 4 inches, which is relatively less significant compared to the amount of rain other places received. This flood is said[according to whom?] to be worse than the Big Thompson Flood of 1976. It also being called a 500-year flood.[citation needed] Two people were killed in the floods from the Cedar Cove neighborhood in the Big Thompson River Canyon.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.5 square miles (66 km2), of which 24.6 square miles (64 km2) is land, and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km2) (3.68%) is water.
Loveland Pass, also named after William A.H. Loveland, is not located near the town of Loveland.
Loveland has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk).
Loveland Colorado has an annual snowfall of 54 inches (137 cm).