# Superior, Colorado

Superior is a Home Rule Town in Boulder County, Colorado, United States, with a small, uninhabited segment of land area extending into Jefferson County. Superior is a suburban community with a population of 13,361 as of 2024. Located in Colorado's Front Range urban corridor, it is close to the cities of Boulder, Denver, and the foothills of the Front Range mountains.

## History

Superior's history is one of coal mining. The first mines in the area were developed in the late 19th century. Coal was discovered on the Hake family farm in 1864, and recollections of members of pioneer families in Superior, including the Hakes and Autreys, are preserved as part of the Maria Rogers Oral History Program at the Carnegie Library for Local History in Boulder, Colorado. The town was reportedly named after its superior quality of coal.
Mining was the major force in Superior's history until the Industrial Mine closed in 1945. Subsequently, many people moved out of the area and the Town evolved into a quiet ranching and farming community. Superior's population hovered around 250 until the late 1990s, when subdivisions were built in the town and the population rose dramatically to 9,011 by 2000. More recently, infill and the Downtown Superior mixed-use development have added additional businesses and residences.

### Recent events

Marshall Fire
On December 30, 2021, the Marshall Fire, the most destructive fire in Colorado's history, destroyed over 1000 homes in Superior, the neighboring city of Louisville, and portions of unincorporated Boulder County. In Superior, approximately 378 homes (14% of the single-family homes in the town) were destroyed and 58 were damaged, 7 commercial properties were destroyed and 30 damaged, and there were 2 fatalities.
The fire started in Boulder County land to the west and was driven by 60–100 mph (97–161 km/h) wind gusts across extremely dry grasses and fuels before reaching the town. It spread rapidly and unexpectedly, prompting the temporary evacuation of 13,000 people in Superior and 21,000 in Louisville.
According to the official investigation performed by the Boulder County Sheriff, the fire started from two separate sources of ignition. The first was a trash fire set six days earlier on land near the intersection of Marshall Road and State Highway 93 owned by Twelve Tribes. Its remaining embers were uncovered and reignited by high winds on the day of the fire. The second source was power lines on the western side of the Marshall Mesa trailhead owned by Excel. A line became unmoored from its supports and subsequent arcing caused sparks that ignited dry fuels on the ground. No criminal charges were filed.
Vigorous recovery and rebuilding efforts are ongoing in 2024, supported in part by a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster declaration and numerous local government and nonprofit organizations.
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport
In 1960, the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport ("RMMA") was opened on the northern edge of Jefferson County. At the time, the population of Superior was approximately 175 citizens. Since the first flight from RMMA, the airport has continued to experience annual growth. As a result of a perceived national pilot shortage, numerous flight schools have established their base of operations at the airport. This has led to conflict between Superior and RMMA. As a result, the Town of Superior has filed a lawsuit against the airport. Superior also ignored previous letters sent by Jefferson County, who is the airport sponsor, warning the town that the new developments of Rock Creek and schools were too close to the airport, and that these new homes would experience repeated noise events and vibrations.
Home Rule
On December 10, 2024, Superior held an election adopting a Home Rule Charter.

## Geography

Superior is at 39°55′52″N 105°09′33″W﻿ / ﻿39.93111°N 105.15917°W﻿ / 39.93111; -105.15917 (39.93119, −105.159085) with an elevation of 5,522 ft (1,683 m). It is bordered by the city of Louisville to the northeast, the city of Broomfield to the east and south, Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge to the south, and Boulder County open space to the west. U.S. Highway 36, also known as the Denver-Boulder Turnpike, runs along the northeast boundary of the town, and Colorado Route 128A runs along the south.
According to the United States Census Bureau as of 2021, Superior has a total area of 3.972 sq mi (10.29 km$^2$), of which 3.933 sq mi (10.186 km$^2$) is land and 0.039 sq mi (0.101 km$^2$) is water.

## Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Superior has Dry, Semi-arid, cold climate (BSk). According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the Plant Hardiness zone is 6a, with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of −10 to −5 °F (−23 to −21 °C).
Climate data for Superior, Colorado. 1991-2020 :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46 (8) | 47 (8) | 55.4 (13.0) | 61.3 (16.3) | 70 (21) | 82.1 (27.8) | 88.3 (31.3) | 86.1 (30.1) | 78.4 (25.8) | 65.4 (18.6) | 53.8 (12.1) | 45.5 (7.5) | 64.9 (18.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20 (−7) | 21 (−6) | 28.1 (−2.2) | 34.2 (1.2) | 43.4 (6.3) | 52.8 (11.6) | 58.9 (14.9) | 56.7 (13.7) | 48.8 (9.3) | 36.8 (2.7) | 27.2 (−2.7) | 19.9 (−6.7) | 37.3 (2.9) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.60 (15) | 0.75 (19) | 1.59 (40) | 2.49 (63) | 2.69 (68) | 1.67 (42) | 1.66 (42) | 1.55 (39) | 1.64 (42) | 1.30 (33) | 0.67 (17) | 0.67 (17) | 17.51 (445) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group ||||||||||||||

## Amenities and Recreation

Superior has 788.2 acres (319.0 ha) of parks and open space, which is about 31% of its total land area. This includes owned natural space, natural space under conservation easements, and developed open space. Recreational trails (on-road, hard, and soft) extend for 29.75 mi (47.88 km). Recreational amenities include 13 playgrounds, 6 pickleball courts, 4 tennis courts, 3 multipurpose fields, 3 baseball/softball fields, 2 outdoor pools, 3 basketball courts, 2 sand volleyball courts, 1 dog park, 1 bike park, 1 skate park, and 1 disk golf course.
The Superior Community Center serves as a public venue for diverse uses.

## Demographics

As of the 2022 American Community Survey, there were 13,146 people and 4,646 households in Superior. Additional demographic information is available from the US Census profile of Superior and US Census Quick Facts about Superior. Data here are from the 2020 census and 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates.
Age distribution estimates from 2022 showed 5.5% of the population under age 5, 27.4% under age 18, 6.62% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.9.2% 65 or older. There were 108.2 +/- 9.0 males per female, and the median age was 36.9 years.
The racial makeup of the town, considering races alone or in combination with one or more other races, was 80.3% White, 19.4% Asian, 8.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 4.7% some other race, with less than 1% in any other category. A language other than English was spoken at home by 20.9% of the population.
Family and household characteristics included 67.8% married-couple families, 16.1% family households with a male householder and no spouse present, and 11.7% family households with a female householder and no spouse present. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.27.
Housing characteristics estimates from the 2020 Census indicated the population density was 3,332 inhabitants per square mile (1,286/km$^2$). Of the 5,025 housing units, 61.5% were owner-occupied. The median value of owner-occupied housing units for 2016-2020 was $603,600. The median gross rent for the same period was $2,060.
Median income levels are high. The median income for a household in 2022 (in 2022 inflation-adjusted dollars), according to 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, was $149,464 +/- $16,790, compared to $89,302 for Colorado. The median income for families was $173,563 +/- $20,834. The employment rate was 71.3%. About 2.2% of the population were living below the poverty line, and 5.0% were without health care coverage.
Educational levels are also high. Characteristics of residents 25 years and over in 2022 were that 97.8% were high school graduates or higher, 76.3% held a bachelor's degree or higher (which compares with 45.9% for Colorado), and 36.3% held a graduate or professional degree.

## Businesses

Superior’s diverse businesses as of 2024 include many large retailers and a Tesla service center, in addition to national chain and independent retailers, restaurants, service providers, and offices. As of 2023, development was underway on a mixed-use retail/residential development called Downtown Superior. The Superior Chamber of Commerce supports businesses of all types.

## Educational Institutions

Superior is part of the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) and is home to two public schools: Superior Elementary and Eldorado PK-8. The home public high school is Monarch High School in neighboring Louisville. The school district's open enrollment policy also allows students to attend any other BVSD public school as long as space is available. Nearby institutions of higher education include the University of Colorado at Boulder, Naropa University in Boulder, and Front Range Community College campuses in Longmont and Westminster.

## In popular culture

Sections of the 1985 movie American Flyers were filmed in Superior.

## Notable people

* Marcelo Balboa – soccer star
* Josh Sims – lacrosse player

## Sister city

Superior has a sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:
* Khandbari, Koshi Province, Nepal