Parker

Parker is a home rule municipality in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. As a self-declared "town" under the home rule statutes, Parker is the second most populous town in the county. In recent years, Parker has become a commuter town at the southeasternmost corner of the Denver metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census the town population was 58,512. The first known people to live in the area were ancient and Plains Woodland peoples. Utes, Arapaho, and Cheyenne were all hunter-gatherers who established seasonal camps to acquire food. Tension between settlers and Native Americans began to build in the 1860s due to broken treaties, aggression, and cultural misunderstanding. People became especially fearful following the Hungate massacre of 1864 in present-day Elbert County. It may have been a precipitating factor in the Sand Creek massacre led by General John Chivington later that year. In 1870, Jonathan Tallman (John's brother) was killed by Native Americans while out riding his mule. In 1869, Twenty Mile House was owned by Nelson and Susan Doud, who sold it to James S. Parker, an American Civil War veteran from Illinois who came to Colorado in 1865. The name of the settlement was changed to Parker in 1882. It was first called Parkers' for two brothers and two brothers, but the apostrophe was later dropped. That year, the Denver and Orleans New Railroad completed the initial service between Denver, Parker, and Springs.

History

Parker is the primary city name, but also Lone Tree are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is Parker, Colorado. The first known people to live in the area were ancient and Plains Woodland peoples. They were hunter-gatherers who established seasonal camps to acquire food. In 1864, Alfred Butters established the Pine Grove Way Station to sell provisions, handle mail and messages, and provide respite for travelers. Tension between settlers and Native Americans began to build in the 1860s due to broken treaties, aggression, and cultural misunderstanding. In the mid-1880s, gold was found at Newlin Gulch (site of the current Rueter Reservoir) More businesses were added, including a blacksmith shop, a livery stable, barber shop, creamery, hotel, and brickworks. Many of these were added by 1900. The first Victorian style houses were built along Pikes Peak Drive in the 1910s. The name of the settlement was changed to Parker in 1882. It was first called Parkers' for the two brothers and largest landowners, but the apostrophe was later dropped. The earliest known death was in 1870, when James Parker (died 1910) and his wife Mattie are also buried there. The town of Parker is located in Elbert County, Colorado, near the junction of the Colorado and Southern Railway, which was renamed as its route in 1931. It is located on the National Register of Historic Places listings in downtown Denver (1861-1876). It is also on the U.S. Geological Survey's list of National Historic Landmarks.

Geography

Parker is located in northeastern Douglas County. Its northernmost border follows the Arapahoe County line, and the city of Aurora touches the town's northeast border. Cherry Creek flows through Parker on its way north toward Denver. Parker is home to the shortest rural mail route in the United States, at just 2.3 miles to cover 837 mailboxes. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.5 square miles (53.1 km²), of which 0.02 sq miles (0.04 km²) is water. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "BSk" (Tropical and Subtropical Steppe Climate). It has cooler, wetter weather resulting from the higher latitude and mid-latitude frontal cyclone activity. It has annual precipitation totals that are greater than in tropical and subtropical desert climates. The town is located 23 miles (37 km) southeast of downtown Denver. Castle Rock, the Douglas County seat, is 15 miles (24 km) to the southwest. Unincorporated communities that border Parker are Dove Valley to the northwest, Stonegate to the west, and The Pinery to the south. It has a climate type usually found in the outskirts of true deserts in low-latitudes, semi-arid regions. The climate is not as extreme as in the true deserts but is nevertheless large, with yearly variations in amount that are nevertheless large.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 23,558 people, 7,929 households, and 6,525 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 92.60% White, 1.71% Asian, 0.45% Native American, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.80% of the population. The town's population was spread out with 34.0% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 43.4% from 25 to 44, 15.0%. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.3 males. The median income for a household was $74,116, and the median family income was $77,384 (these figures had risen to $80,679 and $89,154, respectively, as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $52,070 versus $35,700 for females. The per capita income for the town is $27,479. About 2.3% of residents were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18. The average household size is 2.96 and the average family size is 3.27. It is the only town in the state with a population of more than 20,000 people. It has a population density of 1,615.2 inhabitants per square mile (623.6/km²).

Education

Douglas County School District has among the highest level of students in Colorado. Students have scored, on average, 12 to 19 percent above the state average. The district was rated 9th in the state in 2009. Two of the three principal high schools in the area, Ponderosa and Chaparral High School, have a cross-town rivalry. Legend High School opened in 2008, as Douglas County's ninth high school. Private schools in Parker include: Ave Maria Catholic School (PK-8) and Southeast Christian School (PK-8). Parker also has six public charter schools: American Academy (annual lottery) and North Star Academy. The University of Colorado South Denver Campus is located at the old Wildlife Experience on Lincoln Ave. Parker is home to Rocky Vista University - College of Osteopathic Medicine (Parker campus) and Arapahoe Community College (Parkersburg campus) The city is also home to the National Park Service, which runs a number of parks and trails in the city. The city has one of the highest rates of obesity in Colorado, with more than 1,000 people per square mile (1,000 per square kilometer) in the town of 3,000. The town has a high rate of obesity, with about 1,500 people per capita. The average weight of a Parker resident is 6.2 pounds (2.2 kilograms) The town's high school students have a BMI of 26.7 (24.2 percent) The average high school student has a body mass index of 25 (26.7 percent).

Recreation

The Town maintains 10 trails with over 27 miles of concrete paved, multi-use trails. The Cherry Creek Trail runs along Cherry Creek, north and south through Parker. Bicycling, hiking, nature walks, and cross-country skiing are all popular uses. The RueterHess Reservoir is located west of town and is not yet open for recreational use of the water as of 2021, although trails around the reservoir are open. No natural streams flow into the reservoir, instead, water rights owned by the Parker Water and Sanitation District provide water delivered via Cherry Creek and local canals. If filled to capacity, the surface size would be 1,140 acres. The Parker Recreation Center is located alongside Lincoln Avenue and has several amenities such as gyms, swimming pools, fitness and cycling studios, sports and fitness classes, and more.The Parker Field House offers 100000 square feet of space including sports turf, batting cages, gymnasiums, inline rink with Sport Court flooring, and climbing. The Town maintains over 6 miles of natural surface equestrian trails and a 1.8-mile natural surface,multi-use loop trail. The town maintains over 7 miles of paved trails with a total length of over 30 miles of trails. It also maintains over 3 miles of non-motorized boating trails for fishing, hiking and kayaking. It has a public library with more than 2,000 books and magazines for children and adults to read. It is home to the Parker High School, which offers classes in English, math, science, history, and other subjects.

Attractions

The town currently maintains about 250 acres of developed parkland and more than 900 acres of open space. It is the official home of the Parker Symphony Orchestra, a community orchestra established in 1994. Colorado School of Dance partners with Parker Arts, Culture, & Events Center (PACE) each December to produce the "Nutcracker of Parker" The annual ballet has been a Parker tradition since 2003. The town is also home to the South Suburban Community Orchestra, which was formerly the South South Community Orchestra. The Parker Symphony offers a full season of orchestra concerts annually. It was formerly known as the South Southwest Community Orchestra and was established in 1993. It offers a season of symphony concerts and other performances. It also hosts art exhibits, art classes, theater productions, and concerts. It is a venue that hosts art shows, art concerts, and art classes. The town also has a museum, which is open to the public, as well as a theater, which offers theater productions and other events. It has a library, which has a collection of more than 2,000 books. The city also has an art gallery, which holds art exhibits and classes, and a museum that holds art shows and other exhibits. It's home to a number of art galleries, including the Denver Museum of Art and the Denver Art Gallery. It hosts a variety of outdoor activities, such as the annual "Art in the Park" event, which takes place in the town's downtown area each year.

Local media

Parker currently has one local magazine and one local paper. Parker also receives the county-wide channel, Douglas County 8, which broadcasts school sports events and assorted programs run by residents. Search Parker Magazine is the local magazine. Search the Parker Chronicle for more information about the local media in the town of Parker, Arkansas. The Parker Chronicle is a local paper published by the town's community newspaper, the Parker Magazine, which is published by a local company. The magazine is published on a bi-monthly basis and is available in print and e-print. The Chronicle is published weekly and has a print edition of one hundred and fifty-two pages. It can be found on newsstands and on the Internet at www.parkerchronicle.com.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Parker, Douglas County, Colorado = 35.1. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 100. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 90. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Parker = 4.8 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 12,632 individuals with a median age of 31.7 age the population grows by 87.83% in Parker, Douglas County, Colorado population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 402.7 residents per square mile of area (1,043/km²). There are average 2.93 people per household in the 15,064 households with an average household income of $83,498 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 5.50% of the available work force and has dropped -4.90% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.70%. The number of physicians in Parker per 100,000 population = 162.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Parker = 14 inches and the annual snowfall = 53.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 47. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 242. 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 14.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 58, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Parker, Douglas County, Colorado which are owned by the occupant = 83.16%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 8 years with median home cost = $276,110 and home appreciation of -4.46%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $8.28 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,503 per student. There are 17.8 students for each teacher in the school, 533 students for each Librarian and 634 students for each Counselor. 7.99% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 32.34% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 11.49% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).