The city of Littleton's history dates back to the 1859 Pike's Peak Gold Rush, which brought not just gold seekers, but merchants and farmers to the community. Richard Sullivan Little was an engineer from New Hampshire who came West to work on irrigation systems. Little soon decided to settle in the area at present day Littleton and brought his wife Angeline from the East in 1862. The Littles and neighbors built the Rough and Ready Flour Mill in 1867, which provided a solid economic base in the community. By 1890, the community had grown to 245 people and the residents voted to incorporate the Town of Littleton.[12]
Littleton grew significantly throughout the 1950s and 1960s due to its proximity to Denver and to the Martin Marietta facilities, which produced the Titan rocket and other aerospace products. Littleton is today fully engulfed in metropolitan Denver.
Littleton twinned with Bega, Australia in 1961 as one of the earliest sister cities.
Littleton lies on the South Platte River in the Colorado Piedmont region of the Great Plains a few miles east of the Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains.[18][20][21] Most of the city lies on the east side of the river. Several small tributaries of the river flow northwest through the city; from north to south, these include Big Dry Creek, Slaughterhouse Gulch, Lee Gulch, and Dad Clark Gulch. In addition, several small lakes and reservoirs are located along the river in the southwestern part of the city. Immediately west of the river are Cooley Lake, Bufflehead Lake, South Platte Reservoir, Eaglewatch Lake, Redtail Lake, and Blackrock Lake. Wolhurst Lake and McLellen Reservoir are east of the river, fed and drained by Dad Clark Gulch. Chatfield Reservoir lies immediately southwest of the city.[18]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.87 square miles (35.9 km2) of which 12.98 square miles (33.6 km2) is land and 0.89 square miles (2.3 km2) (6.4%) is water.[22]
Unlike most county seats of suburban counties, Littleton is on the same house numbering grid, including its downtown, as the major city, in this case, Denver.
Climate
Climate data for Littleton, Colorado (Elevation 5,310ft)
As of the 2010 census, there were 41,737 people, 18,312 households, and 10,724 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,215.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,241.5/km2). There were 19,176 housing units at an average density of 1,497.2 units per square mile (578.1 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.0% White, 2.2% Asian, 1.4% African American, 0.8% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 12.4% of the population.[26]
There were 18,312 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25, and the average family size was 2.93.[26]
The distribution of the population by age was 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.[26]
The median income for a household in the city was $54,512, and the median income for a family was $74,744. Males had a median income of $52,674 versus $40,297 for females. The city's per capita income was $33,889. About 7.4% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.[26]
Economy
As of 2013, 66.8% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.1% was in the armed forces, and 66.7% was in the civilian labor force with 61.2% employed and 5.5% unemployed. The occupational composition of the employed civilian labor force was: 44.4% in management, business, science, and arts; 25.0% in sales and office occupations; 17.8% in service occupations; 6.6% in production, transportation, and material moving; 6.2% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: educational services, health care, and social assistance (20.1%); professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (14.1%); retail trade (11.2%).[26]
The cost of living in Littleton is average; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the community is 101.8.[27] As of 2013, the median home value in the city was $269,000, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,668 for housing units with a mortgage and $470 for those without, and the median gross rent was $902.[26]
Government
Main Street in Downtown LittletonCoors Building
Littleton is a home-rule municipality with a council-manager form of government. The city council makes policy for the city and approves the annual city budget. The city manager implements the council's policies and oversees day-to-day administration of the city government and its departments.[28]
As the county seat, Littleton is the administrative center of Arapahoe County. The county government's main Administration Building is located in Littleton, and most county government departments base their operations in the city.[29]
The council consists of seven members - one member for each of the four legislative districts, two at-large members, and the mayor.[32] Beginning in 2021, all council members are elected to 4-year terms. General elections for city council are held in odd-numbered years with either three or four council seats up for election. In 2021, Littleton voters elected the first popularly-elected mayor to a four-year term.
Current Littleton City Council makeup
Member
District
Term
Kyle Schlachter
Mayor (at-large)
2021-2025
Gretchen Rydin
At-large
2021-2025
Pam Grove
At-large
2023-2027
Patrick Driscoll
District 1
2021-2025
Robert Reichardt
District 2
2023-2027
Stephen Barr
District 3
2021-2025
Andrea Peters
District 4
2023-2027
List of mayors of Littleton
Mayor
Term
Franklin S. Gilmore
1890–1891
Dr. D.S. Weaver
1891–1892
H.H. Shepperd
1892–1893
J. Vanatta
1893–1894
G.M. Benedict
1894–1895
H.H. Shepperd
1895–1896
G.M. Benedict
1896–1897
C.H. Barclay
1897–1898
H.H. Shepperd
1898–1901
C.W. Sittser
1901–1902
Dr. J.A. Farnsworth
1902–1905
R.F. Gill
1905–1906
H.H. Shepperd
1906–1908
Dr. W.C. Crysler
1908–1910
J.E. Maloney
1910–1912
John B. Mayers
1912–1913
J.E. Maloney
1913–1919
S.A. Noyes
1919–1921
O.C. Hoffman
1921–1924
Dr. W.C. Crysler
1924–1926
C.E. Stephenson
1926–1929
Charles G. Louthan
1929–1932
Dr. C.C. Harrod
1932–1934
Charles G. Louthan
1934–1940
H.H. Taylor
1941–1946
Roy E. Babcock
1946–1948
George Malcolm
1948–1952
Norman Granes
1952–1956
Frank A. Randall
1956–1957
A.N. (Bert) Williams
1957–1959
Everett Dawson
1959–1960
Gordon F. Taylor
1960–1963
Thomas R. Heaton
1963–1965
John G. Kinghorn
1965–1969
A.R. Bessette
1969–1971
F. Vaughn Gardinier
1971–1975
Harold Meyer
1975–1977
Sally M. Parsons
1977–1979
James P. Collins
1979–1983
Charley Emley
1983–1989
Susan Thornton
1989–1993
Dennis Reynolds
1993–1997
Pat Cronenberger
1997–1999
Susan Thornton
1999–2003
John Ostermiller
2003–2005
Jim Taylor
2005–2007
Doug Clark
2007– 2011
Debbie Brinkman
2011– 2013
Phil Cernanec
2013– 2015
Bruce Beckman
2015– 2017
Debbie Brinkman
2017– 2019
Jerry Valdes
2019– 2021
Kyle Schlachter
2021– present
ZIP codes
The place name "Littleton" was assigned to eleven ZIP codes which cover a vast area west, east, and south of the city much larger than the city itself. This area includes the following unincorporated communities:
In addition, an extreme southwest portion of Denver, the Marston neighborhood, is located in a ZIP code (80123) with "Littleton" as the preferred place name for use in mailing addresses, though "Denver" is also acceptable. The Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood, also located in this ZIP code, is neither in Littleton[33] nor Englewood, but in unincorporatedJefferson County.[34]
The Regional Transportation District provides bus and light rail service to Littleton. Light rail service to the city began on July 14, 2000, on the C and D Lines, however C Line operation ended on January 10, 2021. There are two light rail stations within the city, Littleton-Downtown station located within downtown Littleton and Littleton-Mineral station located near the Aspen Grove shopping center, which serves as the southern terminus of the D Line.
Culture
Falcon 9 Rocket Booster opened for general public at Dish Network's Littleton, CO office is a type of reusable rocket that SpaceX used for repeated launches[38]
Arts and music
Snow in Littleton, Colorado, during March 2021
The Depot Art Gallery and Littleton Fine Arts Guild
Western Welcome Week
Since the late 1920s, Littleton has celebrated Western Welcome Week - an annual community celebration in the greater Littleton area. Western Welcome Week started in the late 1920s, and has been held every year since. Western Welcome Week includes over 40 events benefiting dozens of local civic and charitable organizations.[40]
Candlelight Walk
The Candlelight Walk is a Littleton tradition, featuring an evening of holiday festivities, culminating in the illumination of the trees on Main Street.[41]
Twilight Criterium
The Littleton Twilight Criterium occurs in the late summer in Historic Downtown Littleton on a 0.8-mile course. The event features famous athletes, concerts, and a cruiser ride for the general public.[42]
Composer, arranger and pianist Dave Grusin was born and raised in Littleton. He is the winner of an Academy Award and numerous Grammys.
Don Grusin, Grammy-awarding-winning jazz keyboardist, composer, and producer was born and raised in Littleton.
South Park co-creator Matt Stone attended Heritage High School in Littleton, and aspects of the animated television show are loosely based on the city. The show's series editor Thomas M. Vogt is also from Littleton.
Actor Hayden Byerly, who plays Jude Jacob Adams Foster on the TV series The Fosters, was raised in Littleton until the age of ten.
Siblings Riker Lynch, Rydel Lynch, Rocky Lynch and Ross Lynch, who are best known as members of the pop-rock band R5, were born and raised in Littleton until they moved to Los Angeles in 2007.
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