Parachute, Colorado

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Town of Parachute, Colorado
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settlement_type = Town
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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in Garfield County and the State of Colorado


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = USA
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = flag|Colorado|name=State of Colorado
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Garfield Countycite web | url = http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/local_governments/municipalities.html | title = Active Colorado Municipalities | format = HTML | publisher = State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs | accessdate = 2007-09-01]
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government_type = Home Rule Municipality
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Roy McClung
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established_title2 = Incorporated
established_date2 = 1908-04-01, as the Town of Grand Valleycite web | url = http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html | title = Colorado Municipal Incorporations | format = HTML | publisher = State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives | date = 2004-12-01 | accessdate = 2007-12-02]
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area_magnitude =
unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_total_km2 = 3.2
area_land_km2 = 3.1
area_water_km2 = 0.1
area_total_sq_mi = 1.2
area_land_sq_mi = 1.2
area_water_sq_mi = 0
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population_as_of = 2000
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population_total = 1006
population_density_km2 = 314.4
population_density_sq_mi = 838.3
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timezone = Mountain (MST)
utc_offset = -7
timezone_DST = MDT
utc_offset_DST = -6
latd = 39 |latm = 27 |lats = 6 |latNS = N
longd = 108 |longm = 3 |longs = 6 |longEW = W
elevation_footnotes = GR|3
elevation_m = 1552
elevation_ft = 5092
postal_code_type = ZIP codescite web | url = http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp | title = ZIP Code Lookup| format = JavaScript/HTML | publisher = United States Postal Service | accessdate = December 2 | accessyear = 2007]
postal_code = 81635, 81636 (PO Box)
area_code = 970
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 08-57400
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = [http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:0174253 0174253]
website = [http://www.parachutecolorado.com/ Town of Parachute]
footnotes =

The Town of Parachute is a Statutory Town in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,006 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Parachute is located at coor dms|39|27|6|N|108|3|6|W|city (39.451732, -108.051530)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.2 km²), of which, 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (4.07%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 1,006 people, 381 households, and 233 families residing in the town. The population density was 851.2 people per square mile (329.2/km²). There were 415 housing units at an average density of 351.1/sq mi (135.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 86.88% White, 0.80% African American, 1.59% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.70% Pacific Islander, 5.67% from other races, and 3.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.78% of the population.

There were 381 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.42.

In the town the population was spread out with 34.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $31,208, and the median income for a family was $34,423. Males had a median income of $31,118 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,114. About 7.7% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 22.5% of those age 65 or over.

Name

The name comes from the appearance on a map of several streams converging on the town as do the shroud lines of a parachute combined with the arc of the ridge line above the streams which resembles the canopy of a parachute. The town was previously named Grand Valley.

The town was originally named Parachute, after the one creek that flowed into town from the northwest. Parachute Creek was named such when the original surveyors mapped the area. As noted above, the creek has three main branches that converge at a point and a topographical map of the canyon has the appearance of a parachute -- but this is several miles northwest of the town. In 1908, the name of the town was changed to Grand Valley to lure travellers on their way to the Grand Valley, which is the Colorado River valley to the southwest known for its fruit production. After the local history "Lest We Forget" was published in the late 1970's, the town voted to return the name Parachute to the town.

ee also

*State of Colorado
**Colorado cities and towns
***Colorado municipalities
**Colorado counties
***Garfield County, Colorado

References

External links

* [http://www.parachutecolorado.com/ Town of Parachute website]
** [http://www.dot.state.co.us/App_DTD_DataAccess/Downloads/CityMaps/Parachute.pdf CDOT map of the Town of Parachute]