| Idaho Springs, Colorado | |
| Settlement Type: | Statutory City[1] |
| Official Name: | City of Idaho Springs |
| Motto: | “Where The Gold Rush Began” |
| Pushpin Map: | USA |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the City of Idaho Springs in the |
| Coordinates: | 39.7425°N -105.5136°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Clear Creek County[2] |
| Subdivision Type3: | City |
| Subdivision Name3: | Idaho Springs |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1859 |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1885-11-15[3] |
| Government Type: | Statutory City |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Chuck Harmon[4] |
| Unit Pref: | US |
| Area Footnotes: | [5] |
| Area Total Km2: | 5.92 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 2.28 |
| Area Land Km2: | 5.83 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 2.25 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.09 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.03 |
| Elevation Ft: | 7526 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 1782 |
| Population Footnotes: | [6] |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code[7] |
| Postal Code: | 80452 |
| Area Code: | 303 and 720 |
| Timezone: | MST |
| Utc Offset: | -7 |
| Timezone Dst: | MDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -6 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 08-38370 |
| Blank1 Info: | 204710 |
The City of Idaho Springs is the statutory city that is the most populous municipality in Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States. Idaho Springs is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,782. Idaho Springs is located in Clear Creek Canyon, in the mountains upstream from Golden, some 30miles west of Denver.
Founded in 1859 by prospectors during the early days of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, the town was at the center of the region's mining district throughout the late nineteenth century. The Argo Tunnel drained and provided access to many lodes of ore between Idaho Springs and Central City. During the late twentieth century, the town evolved into a tourist center along U.S. Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 40, which ascend Clear Creek Canyon through the historic mining district.
The town today is squeezed along the north side of Interstate 70, with a historical downtown in the central portion, a strip of tourist-related businesses on its eastern end, and mostly residences on its western end. It also serves as a bedroom community for workers at the Loveland Ski Area farther up the canyon. The town today is the largest community in Clear Creek County, but, for historical reasons, the county seat has remained at Georgetown.
On January 5, 1859, during the Colorado gold rush, prospector George A. Jackson discovered placer gold at the present site of Idaho Springs, where Chicago Creek empties into Clear Creek. It was the first substantial gold discovery in Colorado. Jackson, a Missouri native with experience in the California gold fields, was drawn to the area by clouds of steam rising from some nearby hot springs. Jackson kept his find secret for several months, but after he paid for some supplies with gold dust, others rushed to Jackson's diggings.[8] The location was originally known as "Jackson's Diggings". Once the location became a permanent settlement, it was variously called "Sacramento City", "Idahoe", "Idaho", "Idaho City", and finally "Idaho Springs".[9]
The first placer discoveries were soon followed by discoveries of gold veins in the rocks of the canyon walls on both sides of Clear Creek. Hard rock mining became the mainstay of the town long after the gold-bearing gravels were exhausted.
The Idaho Springs miners' strike of 1903 demanding an eight-hour day erupted into violence in May 1903. This was a conflict was a part the much broader Colorado Labor Wars, where the Western Federation of Miners sought to pressure mining companies into improving conditions for miners.
The 1969 film Downhill Racer portrayed an alpine ski racer from Idaho Springs, played by Robert Redford; a brief scene was shot on location in Idaho Springs. Several scenes from the comedy film The Overbrook Brothers were filmed here in the spring of 2008.
Idaho Springs is located in northeastern Clear Creek County along Clear Creek near the confluence of its tributary, Chicago Creek.[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7km2, of which 0.09sqkm, or 1.53%, is water.[11]
Idaho Springs has a humid continental climate (Koppen: Dfb) with moderately cold winters and warm summers with cool nights. Annual snowfall is heavy, averaging 72 inches (183 cm).[12]
Idaho Springs Public Schools are part of the Clear Creek School District RE-1. There are two elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one charter school. Students attend Clear Creek High School.
Carlson Elementary School is located in Idaho Springs.
Karen Quanbeck is the Interim Superintendent of Schools.[13]
Idaho Springs is the birthplace of Colorado-style pizza.[14] [15]
Idaho Springs is incorporated into the Colorado Department of Transportation's Bustang network. It is part of the West Line, which connects Denver to Grand Junction.[16]
Beaus of Holly, a -TV Christmas movie produced in 2020 for the ION Channel, was filmed in Idaho Springs. The fictional mining town of Haven Springs in the video game is inspired by Idaho Springs.[17]