Centennial, Colorado
| City of Centennial, Colorado | ||
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| Motto: Spirit of the Past | ||
| Coordinates: 39°35′47″N 104°50′38″W / 39.59639°N 104.84389°WCoordinates: 39°35′47″N 104°50′38″W / 39.59639°N 104.84389°W | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | Colorado | |
| County | Arapahoe County[1] | |
| Incorporated | 2001 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Home Rule City[1] | |
| • Mayor | Cathy Noon | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 27.9 sq mi (72.0 km2) | |
| Elevation[2] | 5,830 ft (1,777 m) | |
| Population (2010)[3] | ||
| • Total | 100,377 (US: 274th) | |
| • Density | 3,695.3/sq mi (1,431.9/km2) | |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) | |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) | |
| ZIP Codes[4] | 80015, 80016, 80111, 80112, 80121, 80122, 80161 (PO Box) |
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| Area code(s) | Both 303 and 720 | |
| Website | City of Centennial | |
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The City of Centennial is a Home Rule City located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States, and part of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. The city had a total population of 100,377 in 2010 census.[3] Centennial is the tenth-most populous municipality in the state of Colorado and its 2001 incorporation was the largest in U.S. history. Centennial is ranked as the 15th safest[5] city in the country.
History
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This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2011) |
The City of Centennial was formed February 7, 2001, from portions of unincorporated Arapahoe County, including the former Castlewood and Southglenn census-designated places (CDPs). The citizens of the area had voted to incorporate on September 12, 2000, choosing Centennial as the official name during the vote. The name reflects Colorado’s admission to the Union as the 38th state in 1876, the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence.[6] The state of Colorado is nicknamed the "Centennial State".[6]
Incorporation was approved by 77% of the voters, and the population of the area at over 100,000 made it the largest incorporation in U.S. history as of its creation. The city was incorporated in large part to prevent further annexations by the city of Greenwood Village in the I-25 corridor to improve its tax base. The taxes generated from businesses in the unincorporated portions of Arapahoe County funded the majority of the county's services, including road work. There were a number of court cases establishing the right of incorporation to take precedence over the right of annexation.
The city was incorporated on a promise to keep city taxes at 1% (one of the campaigns against incorporation appealed to maintain the 3.8% sales tax of the unincorporated county). According to the City of Centennial website, the current sales tax rate is two and one-half times this rate, at 2.5%.
As it is new, many people in the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area do not recognize the area by the name Centennial, especially since the "default" city names for the ZIP codes within which Centennial is located are assigned to Aurora, Englewood and Littleton. Thus, mailing addresses that are actually in Centennial often have Aurora, Englewood or Littleton as the city name. This causes considerable confusion, as Centennial and Englewood do not even share a boundary, while some portions of Centennial are surrounded by Aurora and vice versa.
The city recently held a home-rule charter convention, where a new charter was adopted. The new charter was approved by voters on June 10, 2008 by a margin of 2-to-1.[7]
Centennial Airport, formerly Arapahoe County Airport, lies adjacent to Centennial but is in unincorporated Arapahoe County; it is not named after the city, as it predates it by over 30 years.
Geography
Centennial covers 27.9 square miles (72 km2). Centennial is roughly divided in half by Interstate 25, with most of its business and entertainment centers lying west of the highway. The city's boundaries are highly irregular and evocative of a gerrymander, particularly the overwhelmingly residential eastern portions of the city, which appear with Foxfield, portions of Aurora, and unincorporated areas as a distorted checkerboard on a map.
Centennial has many hills, gullies and ravines, and its open spaces are usually accompanied by recreational trails, including the Dry Creek Dam, DeKovend Park, and the Highline Canal. Centennial hosts most native wildlife and is a good reflection of Colorado's front range ecosystem. Centennial has also seen a boost in coyote populations in recent years, leading to resident education on how to deter coyotes from eating family pets.[8]
Centennial is located at 39°35'47" North, 104°50'38" West (39.5963, -104.8439).[9]
Economy
Big O Tires, LaMar's Donuts, National CineMedia and United Launch Alliance are among the companies based in Centennial.
Top employers
According to Centennial's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[10] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer |
|---|---|
| 1 | OppenheimerFunds |
| 2 | Comcast |
| 3 | United Launch Alliance |
| 4 | US Foods |
| 5 | Jones International University |
| 6 | United HealthCare |
| 7 | South Metro Fire Rescue |
| 8 | Saunders Construction |
| 9 | U.S. Security Associates |
| 10 | National CineMedia |
Demographics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 2000 | 102,439 | — |
| 2001 | 101,045 | −1.4% |
| 2002 | 99,680 | −1.4% |
| 2003 | 99,371 | −0.3% |
| 2004 | 103,100 | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 100,978 | −2.1% |
| 2006 | 99,789 | −1.2% |
| 2007 | 99,436 | −0.4% |
| 2008 | 100,514 | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 99,852 | −0.7% |
| 2010 | 100,377 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 102,603 | +2.2% |
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2011 estimate |
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Population: 103,100 (2004 estimate). There are also 36,200 households in Centennial.
The city is approximately 87.4% White, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 3.6% Asian, 2.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, and 0.3% from other races.
The median age is 37.2 years, in comparison to the 35.3 year national average. For every 100 females there are 98.0 males.
Schools
Centennial is serviced mainly by Littleton Public Schools and Cherry Creek Public Schools, as well as a few private schools.
Public High Schools
- Arapahoe High School
- Eaglecrest High School (located outside the city in unincorporated Arapahoe County)
- Cherry Creek High School (located outside the city in neighboring Greenwood Village)
- Cherokee Trail High School (located outside the city in neighboring Aurora)
- Smoky Hill High School (located outside the city in neighboring Aurora)
- Grandview High School (located outside the city in neighboring Aurora)
Public Middle Schools
- Campus Middle School (located outside the city in neighboring Greenwood Village)
- Euclid Middle School
- Isaac Newton Middle School
- John Wesley Powell Middle School
- West Middle School (located outside the city)
- Horizon Middle School (located outside the city in neighboring Aurora)
Public Elementary Schools - West Centennial
- Ames Elementary School (Closed at the end of 2008/2009 School Year)
- Franklin Elementary School
- Highland Elementary School
- Highlands Baptist Academy
- Hopkins Elementary School
- Lenski Elementary School
- Peabody Elementary School
- Sandburg Elementary School
- Twain Elementary School
- Dry Creek Elementary School
- Heritage Elementary School
- Homestead Elementary School
- Walnut Hills Community Elementary School
- Willow Creek Elementary School
- Greenwood Elementary School (Located Outside the City)
Public Elementary Schools - East Centennial
- Creekside Elementary School
- Peakview Elementary School
- Timberline Elementary School
- Trails West Elementary School
- Buffalo Trail Elementary School (located outside the city in neighboring Aurora)
Private Elementary and Middle Schools
- St. Thomas More Parish School
- Highlands Baptist Academy
- Shepherd of the Hills Christian School
- Centennial Christian Academy
- C.A.R.E. Middle School
Government
The city is governed in what is known mayor-council style, which limits the city's tax levying and collection powers. The city council comprises eight members. The Mayor and all Council Members are part-time officials and hold other full-time jobs.
| Office | Incumbent | |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Cathy Noon | |
| Councilmembers, District I | Rick Dindinger | Vorry Moon |
| Councilmembers, District II | Sue Bosier | Keith Gardner |
| Councilmembers, District III | Ken Lucas | Rebecca McClellan |
| Councilmembers, District IV | Stephanie Piko | Ron Weidmann |
| City Clerk | Brenda Madison | |
| City Manager | John Danielson | |
Points of interest
- International Headquarters for Gamma Phi Beta sorority are located in Centennial. Gamma Phi Beta was the first women's organization to use the term sorority.
- On September 10, 2008, it was announced that Centennial will be the site of Colorado's first IKEA location.[11] The IKEA Centennial location opened on July 27, 2011. It is the second largest IKEA store in the United States.[12] On October 7, 2011, IKEA Centennial was awarded the Project of the Year by the City of Centennial.[13]
- The Denver Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is located in Centennial. The temple, 40th operating of the church, was dedicated 24–28 October 1986 by president Ezra Taft Benson.
Surrounding municipalities
| North: Aurora, Greenwood Village | ||
| West: Littleton | Centennial | East: Aurora |
| South: Lone Tree, Foxfield, Parker |
References
- ^ a b "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ a b "Incorporated Places and Minor Civil Divisions: Colorado". Population Census. 2010 United States Census. 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-08-07.
- ^ "ZIP Code Lookup" (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. Retrieved September 5, 2007.
- ^ http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/21718593/detail.html
- ^ a b "Profile for Centennial, Colorado, CO". ePodunk. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
- ^ Illescas, Carlos (June 11, 2008). "Centennial goes home rule". Denver Post.
- ^ http://www.centennialcolorado.com/forms.aspx?FID=60
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ City of Centennial CAFR
- ^ http://cbs4denver.com/local/IKEA.colorado.centennial.2.814104.html
- ^ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/store/centennial
- ^ http://www.ourcoloradonews.com/business/notes/business-recognized-at-best-of-centennial-dinner/article_d93f8e22-f11c-11e0-9c59-001cc4c002e0.html
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Centennial, Colorado |
- City of Centennial website
- Centennial Airport
- South Suburban Parks and Recreation
- Arapahoe Library District
- Cherry Creek Schools
- Littleton Public Schools
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