| Fort Morgan, Colorado | |
| Settlement Type: | Home rule municipality[1] |
| Pushpin Map: | USA |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the City of Fort Morgan in the |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Morgan County seat |
| Government Type: | Home rule municipality |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Lyn Deal[2] |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | June 15, 1887[3] |
| Unit Pref: | US |
| Total Type: | Total |
| Area Footnotes: | [4] |
| Area Total Km2: | 13.993 |
| Area Land Km2: | 13.815 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.178 |
| Elevation M: | 1319 |
| Elevation Ft: | 4328 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 11,597 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 2,174 |
| Population Metro: | 29,111 |
| Timezone1: | MST |
| Utc Offset1: | −07:00 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | MDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | −06:00 |
| Coordinates: | 40.2533°N -103.7992°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes[5] |
| Postal Code: | 80701 & 80705 |
| Area Code: | 970 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 08-27810 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0204722 |
Fort Morgan is the home rule municipality city that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Morgan County, Colorado, United States.[1] [6] The city population was 11,597 at the 2020 United States Census.[4] Fort Morgan is the principal city of the Fort Morgan, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area.
See main article: Fort Morgan (Colorado).
Camp Wardwell was established in 1865 along the Overland Trail to protect emigrants and supplies going to and from Denver and the mining districts. The fort was renamed in 1866 by General John Pope for one of his staff, Colonel Christopher A. Morgan,[7] who had died earlier that year. The fort closed in 1868 after being used by 19 different companies from 11 cavalry and infantry regiments (about 1,300 soldiers).
The town of Fort Morgan was platted just south of the old military fort's ruins on May 1, 1884, by Abner S. Baker, a member of Greeley's Union Colony. The town became the county seat of the newly formed Morgan County on February 19, 1889.[8]
In World War II, a military school at the Fort Morgan State Armory was part of the West Coast Air Corps Training Center.[9]
At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 13.993km2 including 0.178km2 of water.[4]
Fort Morgan exhibits a semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk)
As of the census[10] of 2000, 11,034 people, 3,887 households, and 2,736 families resided in the city. The population density was 2472.1sp=usNaNsp=us. The 4,094 housing units averaged 917.2 per square mile (354.4/km). The racial makeup of the city was 74.43% White, 0.28% African American, 1.01% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 20.62% from other races, and 3.24% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 39.04% of the population.
Of the 3,887 households, 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were not families. About 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the city, the population was distributed as 30.2% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,128, and for a family was $36,134. Males had a median income of $27,667 versus $22,346 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,024. About 8.9% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of thoseunder age 18 and 8.6% of those age 65 or over.
Fort Morgan is home primarily to an agricultural economy.
Cargill operates a meatpacking plant. As of 2016, many of the employees at the plant were Muslims, many from Somalia.[11]
Western Sugar operates their main plant in Fort Morgan.
The city newspaper is the Fort Morgan Times.[12]
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service through Fort Morgan, operating its California Zephyr daily in both directions between Chicago and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco.
Although the town is served by Fort Morgan Municipal Airport, no scheduled airlines operate from there, and the airport is purely for general aviation. Denver International Airport is southwest and is the closest airport to provide scheduled services.
Fort Morgan is the boyhood home of Big Band musician Glenn Miller. Miller went to high school in Fort Morgan and was known to have once played trumpet on top of Abner S. Baker School, since destroyed in a fire and now rebuilt, which at the time was the high school campus, but is now an elementary school.
Robert G. Whitehead (1916–2007) was born in Fort Morgan.
Joel Dreessen, former tight end for the Denver Broncos, grew up in Fort Morgan and attended Fort Morgan schools. He graduated from Fort Morgan High School in 2000.[13]
Michael Crichton lived in Fort Morgan for a short time during World War II with his family when his father was drafted to serve in the war.[14]
Sam Brunelli, football player.
Elvin C. Drake was head track and field coach for the 1956 NCAA Champion UCLA Bruins.[15]
Ryan Jensen, center for the 2021 Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Grew up in Fort Morgan and played football at Fort Morgan High School. Graduated in 2009.
Brenton Metzler is a TV producer. He moved to Fort Morgan at the age 16 and graduated from Fort Morgan High School in 1997.[16] [17]