Sugarloaf, Colorado

Sugarloaf (also spelled Sugar Loaf) is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the Sugarloaf CDP was 274 at the United States Census 2020. The Boulder post office (Zip Code 80302) serves the area.

History
Sugarloaf, sometimes spelled Sugar Loaf, Boulder County, was referred to in Colorado historical records dating back to 1868. It seems the early name came from a mining claim referred to as "Sugar Loaf, near Yellow Pine." Sugar Loaf seems also to have been a term for a mining district, of multiple mining claims.

In 1989, a destructive wildfire swept up and across much of Sugarloaf burning 2100 acre, destroying 44 houses and other structures, and causing approximately US$10 million in damages. The Black Tiger Fire"was the worst wildland fire loss in Colorado history" at the time. It was a human-caused fire that started 9 July 1989 in a scenic mountain area at the base of Black Tiger Gulch and swept up to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain through residential areas that were "nestled among the trees. Within the first five to six hours after ignition, 44 homes and other structures were destroyed and many others were damaged." Some fire fighters of the Sugarloaf Volunteer Fire Department had their own homes destroyed during the fire. Although there were a number of minor injuries, there were no fatalities from the fire.

Geography
Sugarloaf is located in south-central Boulder County, approximately halfway between Boulder and Nederland. It is bordered by the Mountain Meadows CDP to the northeast, and North Boulder Creek forms part of the southern edge of the community. Sugarloaf Road is the main route through the CDP.

The Sugarloaf CDP has an area of 5.640 km2, all land.

Demographics
The United States Census Bureau initially defined the Sugarloaf CDP for the United States Census 2010.

Town organizations and events
Sugarloaf has a volunteer fire department—as of 2019, the department typically runs 30 to 45 members—which is a part of the Sugar Loaf Fire Protection District (SLFPD) covering approximately 17 mi2 of territory, 500 homes, with land between 6000 to 8500 ft elevation in mountainous terrain. The VFD was initially formed in 1967, and in 2019, serves approximately 1400 persons.