| Florence, Colorado | |
| Official Name: | City of Florence[1] |
| Settlement Type: | Statutory City |
| Pushpin Map: | USA |
| Pushpin Label: | Florence |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the City of Florence in the |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Fremont County |
| Government Type: | Statutory City |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Steve Wolfe, Mayor-elect [2] |
| Leader Title1: | City Manager |
| Leader Name1: | Amy Nasta |
| Leader Title2: | City Clerk |
| Leader Name2: | Cortlyne Huppe |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | September 13, 1887[3] |
| Unit Pref: | US |
| Total Type: | Total |
| Area Footnotes: | [4] |
| Area Total Km2: | 11.091 |
| Area Land Km2: | 11.076 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.015 |
| Elevation Ft: | 5200 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 3,822 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 894 |
| Population Metro: | 48,939 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | CSA |
| Population Blank1: | 217,101 |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Front Range |
| Population Blank2: | 5,055,344 |
| Timezone1: | MST |
| Utc Offset1: | −07:00 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | MDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | −06:00 |
| Coordinates: | 38.3836°N -105.1114°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes[5] |
| Postal Code: | 81226 & 81290 |
| Area Code: | 719 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 08-27040 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2410510 |
The City of Florence is a statutory city located in Fremont County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 3,822 at the 2020 United States Census.[4] Florence is a part of the Cañon City, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.
See also: Early history of Fremont County, Colorado.
Florence was built as a transportation center, with three railroads including a small railroad depot for the trains that hauled coal from the neighboring towns of Rockvale and Coal Creek. After a small oil was discovered north of Canon City at Oil Spring, commercial quantity oil was discovered in Florence in 1862, Florence became the first significant oil center west of the Mississippi. In the early 1880s the town grew rapidly.[6] The city was named after Florence, the daughter of local settler James McCandless.[7] The town was incorporated in 1887.[8]
The Downtown Florence Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.
Florence is in eastern Fremont County, on the south side of the Arkansas River. It is bordered to the west by the town of Williamsburg, and the town of Coal Creek is 3miles to the southwest. Colorado State Highway 115 runs northwest 9miles to Cañon City and northeast 6miles to Penrose, intersecting U.S. Route 50 in each direction. Colorado State Highway 67 leads north to US 50 and south to Wetmore. Pueblo is to the east via CO 115 and US 50.
At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 11.091km2 including 0.015km2 of water.[4]
Florence sits in the semi-arid high desert lands of southern Colorado.
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 3,653 people, 1,488 households, and 973 families residing in the city. The population density was 897.7sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 1,622 housing units at an average density of 398.6sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 92.77% White, 0.30% African American, 1.23% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 2.63% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.66% of the population.
There were 1,488 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,628, and the median income for a family was $39,276. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $22,042 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,969. About 12.5% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.0% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
Federal Correctional Complex, Florence, including USP Florence ADMAX, the only federal supermax prison in the United States, is located near Florence in unincorporated Fremont County.[10] [11]
Fremont RE-2 School District operates public schools, including Penrose Elementary School, Florence Elementary School and Florence Junior/Senior High School.