Columbine, Colorado

This article is about the census-designated place in Colorado. For the school shooting, see Columbine High School massacre.

Not to be confused with Columbine, Routt County, Colorado.

Columbine is a census-designated place (CDP) in and governed by Jefferson and Arapahoe counties in Colorado, United States.^[5] The CDP is a part of the Denver metropolitan area. Located primarily in Jefferson County, Columbine lies immediately south of Denver. The population of the Columbine CDP was 25,229 at the 2020 census.^[3] The community lies in ZIP code 80123.^[6]

Columbine, Colorado
Census-designated place
Location of the Columbine CDP in Jefferson and Arapahoe counties, Colorado.
Columbine Location of the Columbine CDP in Colorado Show map of Colorado Columbine Columbine (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°35′16″N 105°04′10″W[1]
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Counties	Jefferson & Arapahoe
Government [2]
• Type	unincorporated community
Area [1]
• Total	6.753 sq mi (17.491 km2)
• Land	6.631 sq mi (17.173 km2)
• Water	0.123 sq mi (0.318 km2)
Elevation [2]	5,545 ft (1,690 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	25,229
• Density	3,700/sq mi (1,400/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP Code[4]	80123, 80128
Area codes	303/720/983

History

Columbine High School sign, August 2008

Columbine grew rapidly during the Space Race years from 1958 to 1968 with the construction of the Martin Company missile facility in Waterton Canyon. Its population exceeded 20,000 for the first time in 1980.

Columbine was the site of the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 perpetrated by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

Geography

Columbine is located on the eastern edge of Jefferson County with a small portion extending east into Arapahoe County. Columbine is bordered to the east by Littleton and Columbine Valley, and to the west by Ken Caryl. The Denver city limits are 0.3 miles (0.48 km) north of the northern border of Columbine, and to the south the community extends as far as the Chatfield Reservoir dam.

The Columbine CDP has an area of 4,322 acres (17.491 km²), including 79 acres (0.318 km²) of water.^[1]

Demographics

The United States Census Bureau initially defined the Columbine CDP for the 1980 United States census.

Columbine CDP, Colorado

Year	Pop.	±%
1980	23,523	—
1990	23,969	+1.9%
2000	24,095	+0.5%
2010	24,280	+0.8%
2020	25,229	+3.9%
Source: United States Census Bureau

Education

The portion of Columbine in Jefferson County is served by the Jefferson County Public Schools.^[7]

• Zoned elementary schools:^[8] Columbine Hills,^[9] Dutch Creek,^[10] Leawood,^[11] and Normandy^[12]
• Middle school:^[13] Ken Caryl Middle School^[14]
• High school:^[15] Columbine High School^[16]

The portion of Columbine in Arapahoe County is served by the Littleton Public Schools.^[17] This section is zoned to:

• Wilder Elementary School (in Columbine CDP)^[18]
• Goddard Middle School^[19]
• Heritage High School^[20]

Jefferson County Public Library operates the Columbine Library. It opened in 1989, and an expansion and renovation were completed in 2017.^[21]

See also

• Cities portal
• United States portal
• Colorado portal

• Bibliography of Colorado
• Geography of Colorado
• History of Colorado
• Index of Colorado-related articles
• List of Colorado-related lists
  • List of census-designated places in Colorado
  • List of statistical areas in Colorado
• Outline of Colorado
  • Front Range Urban Corridor