The Big Thompson River is a tributary of the South Platte River , approximately 78 miles (126 km) long, in the U.S. state of Colorado . Originating in Forest Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park , the river flows into Lake Estes in the town of Estes Park and then through Big Thompson Canyon. It includes four crossings/bridges which are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
40-653: The Downtown Loveland Historic District in Loveland, Colorado is an 18 acres (7.3 ha) historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. It includes Loveland's commercial center which began in 1877, developed first as a railroad town, and then became an agricultural center and a regional center of government and commerce. The district includes portions of 4th Street, Loveland's main commercial avenue, from Railroad Avenue to Jefferson Avenue. It includes 45 contributing buildings and
80-608: A contributing object , as well as 13 non-contributing buildings and nine non-contributing objects. It includes: This article about a property in Colorado on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Loveland, Colorado Loveland is the home rule municipality that is the second most populous municipality in Larimer County , Colorado, United States. Loveland
120-576: A 1-year-old puppy, and the arrest of and usage of excessive force on a good samaritan. Between 2011 and 2019, the department had the second highest rate of police shootings among cities in Colorado . The chief of police in Loveland is Tim Doran, who was sworn in on January 3, 2023. The Fort Collins / Loveland Airport serves corporate and general aviation needs, but does not currently have commercial airline service. The closest commercial/commuter airport
160-539: A factory in Loveland, which remained as a source of employment until its closure in 1977. During the late 1920s, the Spring Glade Orchard was the largest cherry orchard west of the Mississippi River . At that time the cherry orchards produced more than $ 1 million worth of cherries per year. A series of droughts, attacks of blight, competition from growers in other states (particularly Michigan ), and finally
200-402: A household in the city was $ 47,119, and the median income for a family was $ 54,337. Males had a median income of $ 38,971 versus $ 26,714 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 21,889. About 4.0% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over. Because of its location along U.S. 34, at one of
240-409: A killer freeze destroyed the industry. By the late 1960s, cherries were no longer farmed at scale, although orchards remained in southeast Loveland and nearby Masonville into the 1990s. In the late 20th century, the economy diversified with the arrival of manufacturing facilities by Hewlett-Packard , Teledyne , and Hach, a water quality analysis equipment manufacturer. A new medical center has added
280-540: A single metropolitan area by the U.S. government. The establishment of county-owned open space between the two communities in the 1990s was intended to create a permanent buffer. The northern city limits are now contiguous with those of Windsor , which has expanded westward from Weld County across Interstate 25. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 25.5 square miles (66 km ), of which 24.6 square miles (64 km )
320-407: A substantial amount of employment in that sector. On September 12, 2013, a historic flood affected numerous areas in Colorado. It rained heavily for four consecutive days, causing most rivers and creeks to overfill their banks. Estes Park received 8 to 12 inches (200 to 300 mm) of rain, causing Lake Estes to overfill its banks. This prompted a lot of water to be released out of the dam, causing
360-436: Is Denver International Airport , 70 miles (110 km) to the south, which is served by nearly twenty airlines. Loveland can be approached from Denver by car via Interstate 25 . Hourly shared shuttle services to and from DIA are also offered by Green Ride Colorado and Red Lion to reach the Loveland and Fort Collins area. U.S. Highway 34 runs east to west into the mountains through Loveland. It becomes Eisenhower Boulevard in
400-596: Is a large population of artists in Loveland, which has drawn three foundries , an art museum , and the annual sculpture shows in August. The city is a major business center for northern Colorado. Loveland has 475 pieces of art in its public arts collection. While the arts collection consists primarily of sculpture, the collection also includes murals and other flat work. Over 150 pieces of the city's sculpture can be found in Benson Sculpture Garden . The Sculpture in
440-408: Is a nine-member policy-making board, led by the mayor, who is elected for a two-year term by the community at large. The mayor has the same voting rights as all other council members and is responsible for presiding over council meetings. This position is recognized as the city government leader for all ceremonial purposes. The council elects, by majority vote, a mayor pro tem to serve the same term as
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#1732851917880480-587: Is land, and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km ) (3.68%) is water. Loveland Pass , also named after William A.H. Loveland, is not located near the town of Loveland. Loveland has a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfa ). Its climate is characterized by warm to hot summer and long and moderately cold winter (sometimes severely). Due to its low annual precipitation, Loveland's climate can sometimes be categorized as cold semi-arid . Loveland, Colorado has an annual snowfall of 47.0 inches (1,190 mm). The hottest temperature recorded in Loveland
520-614: Is located in the Colorado Front Range region at the base of the foothills just east of the mouth of Big Thompson River Canyon at the intersection of U.S. Highway 34 and U.S. Highway 287 . Longs Peak and other mountains of the Front Range are visible from much of the city. Loveland is in southeastern Larimer County. Located south of Fort Collins , its larger neighbor and the county seat of Larimer County, both cities have expanded steadily towards each other. They are considered
560-599: Is often compared to the Big Thompson Flood of 1976 , both of which are considered to be about a 1 in 500 chance of occurring in a given year, also called a "500-year flood", by the USGS and Colorado Department of Natural Resources standards and data respectively. Two people died as a result of the 2013 flooding in Larimer county while 144 people were killed in the 1976 flood, with 5 bodies in the 1976 incident never found. The city
600-758: Is situated 46 miles (74 km) north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver and is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. As of the 2020 census the population of Loveland was 76,378. The city forms part of the Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor . The city's public schools are part of the Thompson R2-J School District . Mariano Medina built
640-590: Is the home of the Valentine Re-Mailing Program. For decades people from across the world have sent their valentines to Loveland, Colorado, to be hand-stamped with a cachet and verse, and a specially designed postal cancelation. A new verse and stamp are selected each year through a contest held by the Loveland Chamber of Commerce and residents can submit their poems and artwork to be judged. On average, this program re-mails more than 160,000 cards from
680-491: The Big Thompson River to swell. The flooding river caused sections of U.S. Highway 34, the main highway from Loveland to Estes Park, to collapse. The Big Thompson caused major flooding in Loveland, and caused numerous road closures because of flood waters. The Loveland/Fort Collins area received about 4 inches (100 mm), which is relatively less significant compared to the amount of rain other places received. This flood
720-742: The South Platte approximately 5 mi (8.0 km) south of Greeley . It receives the Little Thompson River approximately four miles (6.4 km) upstream from its mouth. Water resources in the Big Thompson River are managed by the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District as part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project . On July 31, 1976, during the celebration of Colorado's centennial,
760-455: The 112-year record available in 1976, with a discharge of 1,000 cubic meters per second (35,000 ft³/s). In 2008, a man who was thought to have died in the flood was found to be alive and living in Oklahoma. Daryle Johnson and his family had rented a cabin east of Estes Park, but left without telling anyone on the morning of July 31. A woman who was researching the flood's victims discovered he
800-480: The Big Thompson Canyon was the site of a devastating flash flood that swept down the steep and narrow canyon, claiming the lives of 143 people, 5 of whom were never found, making it the deadliest disaster in Colorado's history. This flood was triggered by a nearly stationary thunderstorm near the upper section of the canyon that dumped 300 millimeters (12 inches) of rain in less than 4 hours (more than 3/4 of
840-752: The Big Thompson River begin in Forest Canyon within Rocky Mountain National Park in Larimer County, Colorado . The river flows east through Moraine Park to the town of Estes Park . There it is held in Lake Estes by Olympus Dam before being released into the Big Thompson Canyon. The North Fork Big Thompson River also begins in Rocky Mountain National Park, on the northern slopes of the Mummy Range . This tributary flows east, through
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#1732851917880880-610: The Park show, hosted by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council, takes place annually in August and exhibits artwork from artists from the United States and the world. Lake Loveland, an early agricultural reservoir in the irrigation system of the region, is located in the city limits and provides a recreational facility for the city residents. Loveland is a home-rule, council-manager form of government. The city council
920-639: The United States and more than 110 countries. Loveland's Valentine Re-mailing Program has inspired many other Valentine's Day programs including the Official Loveland Valentine, Miss Loveland Valentine and the Thompson Valley Rotary Heart's Program. Loveland's Valentine Re-mailing Program began in January 1947 by Ted Thompson and Elmer Ivers, the Loveland postmaster after Ivers received about 30 valentines from individuals requesting to have
960-407: The average annual rainfall for the area). Little rain fell over the lower section of the canyon, where many of the victims were. Around 9 p.m., a wall of water more than 6 meters (20 feet) high raced down the canyon at about 6 meters per second (13 mph), destroying 400 cars, 418 houses and 52 businesses and washing out most of U.S. Route 34 . This flood was more than 4 times as strong as any in
1000-528: The cards postmarked from Loveland for "a romantic extra touch." The two thought re-mailing valentines would be an opportunity to advertise Loveland, and the Loveland Chamber of Commerce agreed to promote the service. Thompson designed a cachet with the message, "A Valentine Greeting from Sweetheart Town, Loveland, Colorado," and the image was a heart pierced by an arrow over the Rocky Mountains . The cachet
1040-545: The city was 92.85% White , 0.37% Black , 0.69% Native American , 0.83% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 3.21% from other races , and 2.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.57% of the population. In 2020, the population of Loveland was 76,378, which is a 51% increase from the population in 2000 census. The racial makeup of the city has changed to 84% White , 9% two or more races, 4% from other races , 1.2% from Asian , and 0.9% Black . Of those, Hispanic or Latino of any race makes up 13% of
1080-633: The city, dividing it in half. Loveland's two main ZIP Codes (80538 and 80537) are separated by this highway. A Tesla Supercharger was built and operational in the city by the end of December 2016. The city bus system in Loveland is called COLT—City of Loveland Transit. Loveland is connected to Fort Collins, Berthoud , and Longmont via the FLEX regional bus route and to Denver via the Bustang interregional express bus. Big Thompson River The headwaters of
1120-503: The first settlement in the area, Fort Namaqua , in 1858. It was a trading post and stage station , and the site is now Namaqua Park. Prior to that time it was a hub for French fur trappers dating back to the late 1700s. The city was officially founded in 1877 along the newly constructed line of the Colorado Central Railroad , near its crossing of the Big Thompson River . It was named in honor of William A.H. Loveland ,
1160-549: The interchange of Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 34 , and is currently developing the area. The intersection has become a primary commercial hub of northern Colorado , with the construction of shopping centers and the Blue Arena . A new medical center and mall have also been built at the I-25/US-34 interchange. This area is known as Centerra. The interchange is shared with its smaller neighbor Johnstown , of Weld County. Loveland
1200-517: The mayor. The mayor pro tem is expected to perform responsibilities of the mayor when the mayor is absent or unable to perform their duties. Two council members are elected from each ward to serve four-year terms. There are four wards in the city. The council member representing the ward must have lived in the ward for 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the election. Loveland is represented in Congress by Representative Ken Buck (Republican). On
1240-406: The population, and Non-Hispanic Whites makes up 79.7% of Loveland's population. There were 19,741 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who
Downtown Loveland Historic District - Misplaced Pages Continue
1280-542: The president of the Colorado Central Railroad. The city was founded one mile (1.6 km) upstream from the existing small settlement of St. Louis, the buildings of which were moved to the site of Loveland. For the first half of the 20th century, the town was dependent on agriculture. The primary crops in the area were sugar beets and sour cherries . In 1901 the Great Western Sugar Company built
1320-722: The principal access routes to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park , Loveland receives a significant amount of pass-through tourist traffic, especially in the summer months. In addition, the city serves as a bedroom community to commuters in many directions: to employment locations in Boulder , Westminster and other parts of the Denver Metropolitan area ; and also to the college towns of Fort Collins ( CSU ), Greeley ( UNC ), and Boulder , ( CU ). Loveland has aggressively expanded its incorporated limits eastward to embrace
1360-540: The state level, the city lies in the 15th district of the Colorado Senate , represented by Democrat Janice Marchman , and in the 51st district of the Colorado House of Representatives , represented by Republican Ron Weinberg. The Loveland Police Department has been involved in multiple controversies, including the arrest of Karen Garner , a 73-year-old woman with dementia, the shooting of and order of euthanasia on
1400-423: The town of Glen Haven , where it merges with the Big Thompson River in the town of Drake , in the Big Thompson Canyon. From Lake Estes, the river descends 1 ⁄ 2 mile (800 m) in elevation through the mountains in the spectacular 25-mile (40 km) Big Thompson Canyon, emerging from the foothills west of Loveland . It flows eastward, south of Loveland across the plains into Weld County and joins
1440-444: Was 106 °F (41 °C) on July 19, 2022, while the coldest temperature recorded was −31 °F (−35 °C) on December 22, 1990. As of the census of 2000, there were 50,608 people, 19,741 households, and 14,035 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,059.7 inhabitants per square mile (795.3/km ). There were 20,299 housing units at an average density of 826.2 per square mile (319.0/km ). The racial makeup of
1480-449: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males. The median income for
1520-577: Was still alive. The canyon was just one of the many areas along the Front Range that were devastated in the September 2013 flood . While not as intense as the 1976 flood, the storms that caused the flooding in 2013 still sent enough water down the canyon to wash out the highway in many places. The flood also damaged the US Bureau of Reclamation's Dille Diversion Dam. The biggest infrastructure casualty, however,
1560-695: Was the City of Loveland's hydroelectric plant (rebuilt after the 1976 flood); the Idylwilde Reservoir was completely filled with silt and rocks, the Idylwilde Dam broke free of the bedrock, and the hydroelectric plant in the Viestenz-Smith Mountain Park was filled with water and silt. The dam was in the process of being relicensed with the FERC, but it was instead demolished, the dam material and contents of
1600-455: Was used twice, then Thompson started the tradition of changing it each year at the request of collectors. Since then, a different verse and design have been used every year. In addition to the mailing program, community members can pay to purchase a large valentine message on wooden hearts that are displayed on the streets across Loveland. Many of these public valentines are engagement proposals, anniversary messages, and annual traditions. There
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