Colorado is one of the 13 most urbanized states in the nation! (Denver: homes, camp)

[Colorado Rambler]

According to the data from the most recent census, Colorado ranks at 38 out of the 50 states when it comes to percentage of residents who still live in rural areas/small towns. States like Michigan and Delaware are actually more rural than Colorado. Daily Yonder - How rural are the states?

While this should hardly be surprising when one considers the growth on the Front Range and the high rents in Denver, this statistic is largely responsible for the dissonance so many feel about the Colorado of their dreams versus the Colorado of reality. People come here imagining themselves living in some cute mountain town and instead find themselves living in a cookie cutter project far to the east of Denver somewhere out on the plains.

Colorado natives and long time residents remember back to the days when Colorado was still largely a rural state. For example, I have pictures of myself in Telluride when it was still a ghost town, and you could snap up properties there for $10,000.00 or less. The solitude of Colorado’s back country has been seriously compromised. Crowds are everywhere now, and one can hardly drive over treacherous Imogene pass without running into jeep after jeep crowded with sightseers from both in and out of state. When I was young and crazy, I used to drive over Imogene pass the wrong way in order to get into the music festivals at Telluride. I’d never dream of pulling such a dangerous caper now. In Colorado Springs, the police now patrol Gold Camp Road, and bodies are found up there once or twice a year – this on an old dirt road outside of town where once upon a time, you never encountered another soul.

Posts such as mine have been appearing on the Colorado forum forever, but those demographics from the 2010 census were a shock to me never-the-less. Colorado – an urban state. Wow! Thank god for the few relatively unspoiled parts of the state left where a person such as me can find refuge. Enjoy the Front Range, all you urbanized Coloradans.

[mbalmedpoet]

Rambler, I'm sure you remember as I do when Arapahoe Road was the absolute south end of Denver. There was nothing else there. Ward Road was the west end, that was the country. Evergreen was a small mountain community with 2 lane highways to and from. 285 to Fairplay was another small 2 lane road that just had a few passing lanes.

Everywhere in the state has grown, some faster than others. People move here to live out their dreams, while those of us who have lived here our whole lives bemoan seeing homes built on mountain sides. Granted growth is necessary. Infrastructure, essential services, and education haven't been able to keep up with the growth thanks to a short sighted TABOR.

There are very few places that haven't been touched by urbanization. I seldom go to the mountains, I don't want to sit in the traffic anymore. It's not worth it to me. I know people slam Colorado natives on here a lot, but we have seen the natural beauty of our state disappear before our eyes, and it's not all for the better.

[SkyDog77]

As someone who enjoys time in the backcountry, I find increased urbanization to be a good thing. Your gripes are about population growth, not urbanization. Be thankful that all those people you are complaining about don't live in rural areas.

[reed303]

Originally Posted by mbalmedpoet

Rambler, I'm sure you remember as I do when Arapahoe Road was the absolute south end of Denver. There was nothing else there. Ward Road was the west end, that was the country. Evergreen was a small mountain community with 2 lane highways to and from. 285 to Fairplay was another small 2 lane road that just had a few passing lanes.

And 120th Av was the north end.

In the mid-1970s, I would occasionally have to drive from Broomfield to the Martin-Marietta plant in Waterton Canyon. Going straight down Wadsworth would see maybe 6 traffic lights. Now you have to leave a day early.

Remember when:
The Boulder Turnpike had no exits between Federal and Wadsworth ?
Anyone old enough to remember when the BT was a toll road ?
US 6 thru Glenwood Canyon before I-70 was finished ?
What was Loveland Pass like before the Eisenhower Tunnel was built ?
C-470 and E-470 did not exist ?

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by reed303

And 120th Av was the north end.

In the mid-1970s, I would occasionally have to drive from Broomfield to the Martin-Marietta plant in Waterton Canyon. Going straight down Wadsworth would see maybe 6 traffic lights. Now you have to leave a day early.

Remember when:
The Boulder Turnpike had no exits between Federal and Wadsworth ?
Anyone old enough to remember when the BT was a toll road ?
US 6 thru Glenwood Canyon before I-70 was finished ?
What was Loveland Pass like before the Eisenhower Tunnel was built ?
C-470 and E-470 did not exist ?

My 72 year old dad talks about when Hampden was in the sticks and was a 2 lane road.

Things will always change. Not being able to cope with it just makes you grumpy.

[Josseppie]

I think this is cool and its nice to see Pueblo as one of the urban areas.

[mbalmedpoet]

Yeah, when Pueblo Blvd. was the far west end of Pueblo. P-West was basically nothing. The drive-in on Hwy-50 where Albertsons is.

The whole of the front range has changed dramatically over the last 15 years. From Ft. Collins to Pueblo, some more than others, but it is mostly unrecognizable, which is not a great thing.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by mbalmedpoet

Yeah, when Pueblo Blvd. was the far west end of Pueblo. P-West was basically nothing. The drive-in on Hwy-50 where Albertsons is.

The whole of the front range has changed dramatically over the last 15 years. From Ft. Collins to Pueblo, some more than others, but it is mostly unrecognizable, which is not a great thing.

When my mom was growing up Pueblo Blvd was a dirt road called Western Blvd and she rode her horses on it.

[Katarina Witt]

When we moved to Louisville in 1982, the population was around 5000 people. It had been stuck at around 2000-2500 from 1940-1970, then started to grow. Today it's about 20,000. I've seen a lot of changes in 33 years, some good some bad.

[mbalmedpoet]

Yes, there was a time when Pueblo was the second largest city in the state, behind Denver.

The point that Rambler was trying to make is that Colorado has become very urbanized. To a point it's a good thing, but it's happened too quickly for it's own good. Colorado has lost its charm for those of us who have lived our lives here. I know many who have gone on to places like Wyoming that have seemed to keep their heritage for the most part.

We have become a concrete jungle from Colorado Springs to Ft. Collins. And from east of Aurora west of Evergreen. Mountain areas that once were desolate are becoming quite densely populated. There really is nowhere to go to escape the rat race in our state anymore. The places are quickly becoming few and far between.