Colorado City, Texas

Colorado City is a city in and the county seat of Mitchell County, Texas, United States. Its population was 3,991 at the 2020 census.

History
Colorado City originated as a ranger camp in 1877. It grew into a cattlemen's center and has been called "the Mother City of West Texas". The town acquired a railway station and post office in 1881 and was named the county seat. In the early 1880s it was a center for cattle shipment, with herds driven to Colorado City and loaded onto trains for shipment to the eastern markets. The population was estimated at 6,000 in 1884–1885, but dropped to 2,500 by 1890 after a drought, and dropped further with the growth of nearby San Angelo.

The first school was conducted in a dugout in 1881 and moved to a building the next year. During the late 19th and 20th century, economic activity centered successively on salt mining, then farming, then oil production. By 1910 the town had a new public school, a waterworks, and an electric plant. A city hall was built by 1926.

An oil refinery began operation in 1924 and closed in 1969. Other industries included a meat-packing operation and a mobile home factory.

Hailey Dunn Disappearance
On December 26, 2010, Hailey Dunn disappeared on the way to her father's house to spend the night. The case against her has become cold, but her body was found in 2013 in Scurry County, Texas. Her mother's boyfriend, Shawn Adkins, has long been suspected for the death of Hailey and told police she was in Scurry County, but on June 28, 2023, the prosecutions dismissed the case on prejudice based on advice from the FBI.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 sqmi, all land. Colorado City is situated along the Colorado River to the west and Lone Wolf Creek to the east.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification, Colorado City has a semiarid climate, BSk on climate maps.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,991 people, 1,494 households, and 728 families residing in the city.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, 4,146 people, 1,646 households, and 1,124 families resided in the city. The population density was 809.2 PD/sqmi. There were 2,076 housing units at an average density of 392.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 76.71% White, 5.09% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 14.62% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 36.25% of the population.

Of the 1,646 households, 34.2% had children under 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were not families. About 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city, the age distribution was 28.5% under 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $22,842, and for a family was $27,363. Males had a median income of $22,272 versus $20,037 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,591. About 18.7% of families and 20.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 23.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Colorado City is served by the Colorado Independent School District.

Notable people

 * Dick Compton, played for the Detroit Lions, Houston Oilers, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, graduated from Colorado High School
 * Martin Dies Jr., U.S. Congressman, was born in Colorado City
 * Margaret Formby is the founder of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Fort Worth
 * George H. Mahon, U.S. Representative; was raised in Mitchell County and is honored with a statue in front of the courthouse
 * Don Maynard, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, graduated from Colorado High School