Elizabeth, Colorado

Elizabeth is a statutory town which is the most populous municipality in Elbert County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,358 at the 2010 census, down from 1,434 at the 2000 census.HistoryElizabeth began in 1855 as a saw mill camp operated by the Weber Brothers along the bank of Running Creek. The town was later named after a family member of John Evans, a territorial governor.The Town was incorporated in October 1890 and had a population of 300 as well as an operating post office since 1882. By 1901, Elizabeth had several businesses offering general merchandise, lumber, creamery products, feed, other services, and with a student enrollment of 300 in the local school system. The railroad, previously known as the D&NO Railway, had changed ownership and became known as the Colorado and Southern Railway. Following the 1935 flood in Elbert County, the railroad tracks that ran through Elizabeth were torn out and consequently, for the next thirty years, the town suffered an economic decline.Transportation improvements in the region in the 1960s brought the community closer to the metropolitan area and the community began to grow slightly. By 1970, the population was 493, in 1980 it was 789, in 1995 it was 1,053, and the current estimated population is 1,358.GeographyElizabeth is located in western Elbert County at . Colorado State Highway 86 passes through the town, leading east 7mi to Kiowa and west to Castle Rock. Denver is to the northwest via Franktown and Parker.