Conifer, Colorado

Conifer is an unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States.[1] Conifer is located along U.S. Route 285 in the foothills west of Denver.

Conifer, Colorado
Unincorporated community
Sign along Highway 285.
Location within the state of Colorado
Coordinates: 39°31′16″N 105°18′19″W[1]
CountryUnited States
StateColorado
CountyJefferson County
Settled1860s
Government
 • TypeUnincorporated community
Elevation8,277 ft (2,523 m)
Population
 (2009 [2])
 • Total19,683 [3]
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code
80433 [4]
Area code(s)303 and 720
FIPS code08-16770 [1]
GNIS feature ID0204717 [1]
WebsiteConifer CoC

History

A post office called Conifer was established in 1894.[5] Some say the community was named after George Conifer, the proprietor of a local tavern, while others believe conifer trees near the original town site caused the name to be selected.[6]

Geography

Conifer is located at 39°31′16″N 105°18′19″W (39.5210995,-105.3052708).[1] A magnitude 3.1 tremor centered on Berrian Mountain about 1 mile north of Conifer occurred on November 1, 1981, at 8:03 p.m. MST.

Climate

Conifer has a subarctic climate (Koppen: Dfc) with a yearly temperature average of 38.6°F (3.7°C). Summertime is warm with cool nights, while winter is chilly with nights approaching zero.[7]

Climate data for Conifer, Colorado
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 65
(18)		 70
(21)		 72
(22)		 78
(26)		 86
(30)		 95
(35)		 95
(35)		 93
(34)		 91
(33)		 83
(28)		 72
(22)		 66
(19)		 95
(35)
Average high °F (°C) 38
(3)		 41
(5)		 46
(8)		 53
(12)		 62
(17)		 73
(23)		 78
(26)		 76
(24)		 69
(21)		 59
(15)		 45
(7)		 38
(3)		 57
(14)
Average low °F (°C) 7
(−14)		 10
(−12)		 17
(−8)		 23
(−5)		 31
(−1)		 38
(3)		 43
(6)		 42
(6)		 34
(1)		 24
(−4)		 15
(−9)		 9
(−13)		 24
(−4)
Record low °F (°C) −46
(−43)		 −48
(−44)		 −25
(−32)		 −15
(−26)		 6
(−14)		 22
(−6)		 28
(−2)		 26
(−3)		 7
(−14)		 −9
(−23)		 −26
(−32)		 −33
(−36)		 −48
(−44)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.40
(10)		 0.54
(14)		 1.28
(33)		 1.92
(49)		 2.10
(53)		 1.76
(45)		 2.55
(65)		 2.68
(68)		 1.25
(32)		 1.15
(29)		 0.89
(23)		 0.58
(15)		 17.1
(436)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 14
(36)		 11.3
(29)		 7.2
(18)		 2.5
(6.4)		 0.6
(1.5)		 0.1
(0.25)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.2
(0.51)		 1.7
(4.3)		 8.3
(21)		 17.6
(45)		 63.5
(161.96)
Source: [8]

Landmarks
  • The Clifton House Inn, Jefferson County Register of Historic Places
  • Conifer Junction School, National Register of Historic Places
  • The Conley Coffee Shop, Jefferson County Register of Historic Places
  • The Lubin-Blakeslee Place at Meyer Ranch, Conifer, Jefferson County Register of Historic Places
  • Midway House at Meyers Ranch, built 1889, National Register of Historic Places 5JF.303
  • Original Elk Creek Fire House, Jefferson County Register of Historic Places
  • Pleasant Park School, built 1894, Colorado Register of Historic Places 5JF.972
  • Yellow Barn at Bradford Junction, built 1918, Jefferson County Register of Historic Places
  • Coney Island Hot Dog Stand for many years it was in Aspen Park area of Conifer, but was moved to the nearby community of Bailey.
  • Staunton State Park - 3,908-acre state park located 6 miles west of Conifer

Education

Students living within Jefferson County attend Jefferson County schools. Those neighborhood schools are Elk Creek Elementary School, West Jefferson Elementary School, Marshdale Elementary School, West Jefferson Middle School, and Conifer High School. In 2011, Conifer High School was ranked 434 in the top 500 schools in the nation by Newsweek.[9]

Infrastructure

Conifer residents are served by the Elk Creek Fire Protection District, a mixed career/volunteer fire department with approximately 60 active duty firefighters.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) details for Conifer, Colorado; United States Geological Survey (USGS); October 13, 1978.
  2. "Year that population was last estimated". Archived from the original on 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  3. "Population numbers". Archived from the original on 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
  4. United States Postal Service (2012). "USPS - Look Up a ZIP Code". Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  5. "Post offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  6. Dawson, John Frank. Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin. Denver, CO: The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co. p. 15.
  7. "Conifer climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Conifer weather averages - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
  9. "Newsweek 2011 US Best 500 High Schools, Representing Top 2% - A Bridge to Ivy League-Esque Colleges". Newsweek. 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18.
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