Centennial, Colorado

A home rule city in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States.

Home rule city in Colorado, United States

Centennial, Colorado

home rule city[1]

Centennial Civic Center located on East Arapahoe Road

Flag

Motto:

Spirit of the Past

Centennial in Arapahoe County, Colorado

Centennial

Location of the City of Centennial, Colorado.

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Centennial

Centennial (Colorado)

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Coordinates: 39°34′45″N 104°52′37″W﻿ / ﻿39.5792°N 104.8769°W﻿ / 39.5792; -104.8769﻿ (Centennial, Colorado)[3]
Country| United States
State| Colorado
County| Arapahoe[2]
Incorporated| February 7, 2001[1]
Government

• Type| Home rule city[1]
• Mayor| Stephanie Piko
Area

[4]

• home rule city[1]

| 29.867 sq mi (77.355 km2)
• Land| 29.721 sq mi (76.976 km2)
• Water| 0.146 sq mi (0.379 km2)
Elevation

[3]

| 5,837 ft (1,779 m)
Population

(2020)[4]

• home rule city[1]

| 108,418
• Rank| 11th in Colorado
• Density| 3,648/sq mi (1,409/km2)
• Metro

| 2,963,821 (19th)
• CSA

| 3,623,560 (17th)
• Front Range

| 5,055,344
Time zone| UTC−07:00 (MST)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Area codes| 303/720/983
GNIS pop ID| 1890924
GNIS city ID| 2409422
FIPS code| 08-12815
Website| www.centennialco.gov

Centennial is a home rule city located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States.[1] The city population was 108,418 at the 2020 United States census, making Centennial the 11th most populous municipality in Colorado.[4] Centennial is a principal city of the Denver–Aurora–Centennial, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and a part of the Front Range Urban Corridor.

## History

[edit]

The City of Centennial was incorporated on February 7, 2001, from portions of unincorporated Arapahoe County, including the former Castlewood and Southglenn census-designated places (CDPs).[6] The citizens of the area had voted to incorporate on September 12, 2000, choosing Centennial as the official name during the vote. The name reflects Colorado's admission to the Union as the 38th state in 1876, the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence.[7] The state of Colorado is nicknamed the "Centennial State".[7]

Incorporation was approved by 77% of the voters, and the population of the area at over 100,000 made it the largest incorporation in U.S. history as of its creation. The city was incorporated in large part to prevent further annexations of unincorporated areas by the city of Greenwood Village in an attempt to improve its tax base.[8] The taxes generated from businesses in unincorporated portions of Arapahoe County funded the majority of the county's services, including road work. A number of court cases[specify] eventually established the right of incorporation to take precedence over the right of annexation.[citation needed]

The city was incorporated on a promise to keep city taxes at 1%. (One of the campaigns against incorporation appealed to voters to maintain the 3.8% sales tax of the unincorporated county.) According to the Centennial website, the current sales tax rate is two-and-a-half times the promised rate, at 2.5%.

In 2008, Centennial voters approved a referendum by approximately a 2-to-1 margin making Centennial a home rule city.[9]

Centennial Airport, formerly the Arapahoe County Airport, lies adjacent to Centennial, but is located in unincorporated Arapahoe County. The airport is not named after the city, as it predates the city by over 30 years.

## Geography

[edit]

Centennial is roughly divided in half by Interstate 25, with most of its business and entertainment centers lying west of the highway. The city's boundaries are highly irregular and evocative of a gerrymander, particularly the overwhelmingly residential eastern portions of the city, which appear with Foxfield, portions of Aurora, and unincorporated areas as a distorted checkerboard on the city's map.[10]

Centennial has many hills, gullies and ravines, and its open spaces are usually accompanied by recreational trails and parks, including Dry Creek Dam, DeKoevend Park, the High line Canal Trail, Willow Creek Trail, as well as Big Dry Creek and Little Dry Creek Trails. Centennial hosts most native wildlife and is a good reflection of Colorado's front range ecosystem. Centennial has seen a boost in coyote populations in recent years, leading to resident education on how to deter coyotes from eating family pets.[11]

At the 2020 United States census, the city had a total area of 19,115 acres (77.355 km2) including 94 acres (0.379 km2) of water.[4]

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1980| 54,200| | —
1990| 67,479| | 24.5%
2000| 69,087| | 2.4%
2010| 100,377| | 45.3%
2020| 108,418| | 8.0%
2024 (est.)| 108,853| [12]| 0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
Map of racial distribution in Centennial, 2020 U.S. census. Each dot is one person: ⬤ White ⬤ Black ⬤ Asian ⬤ Hispanic ⬤ Multiracial ⬤ Native American/Other Centennial, Colorado – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[13] | Pop 2020[14] | % 2010  | % 2020

|
|
|
|

White alone (NH)  | 82,664  | 81,391  | 82.35%  | 75.07%
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 3,146  | 3,545  | 3.13%  | 3.27%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)  | 284  | 266  | 0.28%  | 0.25%
Asian alone (NH)  | 4,340  | 6,794  | 4.32%  | 6.27%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | 94  | 109  | 0.09%  | 0.10%
Some Other Race alone (NH)  | 131  | 508  | 0.13%  | 0.47%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)  | 2,261  | 5,387  | 2.25%  | 4.97%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 7,457  | 10,418  | 7.43%  | 9.61%
Total | 100,377 | 108,418 | 100.00% | 100.00%

The city is approximately composed of 87.4% White, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 3.6% Asian, 2.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, and 0.3% from other races.

The median age is 37.2 years, in comparison to the 35.3-year national average. For every 100 females, there are 98 males.

## Economy

[edit]

National CineMedia and United Launch Alliance are among the companies based in Centennial. According to Centennial's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,[15] the top employers in the city are:

#  | Employer

|

1  | Comcast
2  | United Healthcare
3  | Arrow Electronics
4  | United Launch Alliance
5  | CommonSpirit Health
6  | Sierra Nevada Corporation
7  | The Travelers Indemnity Company
8  | Ring Central
9  | Standard & Poor's
10  | MasTec Advanced Technologies

## Schools

[edit]

Most of Centennial is within the territory of the Cherry Creek Public Schools while the western portion of the city in the territory of Littleton Public Schools.[16] Centennial is also served by a few private schools.

Private Elementary and Middle Schools

* St. Thomas More Parish School
* Highlands Baptist Academy
* Shepherd of the Hills Christian School
* Centennial Christian Academy
* C.A.R.E. Middle School

Seminary

* Gateway Seminary

## Government

[edit]

Cathy Noon, mayor, signs the Buckley Air Force Base Partnership Steering Group charter on March 31, 2015.

The city is governed under the council–manager form of government[17] which limits the power of the city to levy and collect taxes. The city council has eight members. The Mayor and Council Members are all part-time officials who hold other full-time jobs.[citation needed] As of 2024[update], the mayor is Stephanie Piko and the city manager is Matt Sturgeon.[18]

## Sports

[edit]

Dove Valley, an unincorporated area bordering Centennial, is home to the training facilities and team headquarters for the Denver Broncos, a National Football League franchise that plays in Denver. The team moved their headquarters to Dove Valley in 1990 and built their training facilities there in 2003.[19] The Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse was constructed on the campus in 2014 and houses 115,000 square feet (10,700 m2) of training space and offices.[20] A major expansion of the team's facilities was announced in 2023 and is planned to be completed in 2023.[21]

Denver Summit FC in the National Women's Soccer League plans to build their training center in Centennial in a partnership with the city government and the Cherry Creek School District. The center will include eight fields on 43 acres (17 ha) of land and an indoor training area. A temporary 12,000-seat stadium on the grounds is planned to open in 2026 for the team's inaugural season and be used for two seasons while construction of a permanent stadium in Denver is completed.[22] The Centennial stadium project is expected to cost up to $25 million with funding from the team and school district. After the 2027 season, the stadium's capacity is planned to be reduced to 4,000 seats and continue to be used by the school district.[23]

## Points of interest

[edit]

* International Headquarters for Gamma Phi Beta sorority are located in Centennial. Gamma Phi Beta was the first women's organization to use the term "sorority".
* Centennial was chosen in 2008 as the site of the first IKEA store in Colorado.[24] The IKEA Centennial location opened on July 27, 2011. It is the second-largest IKEA store in the United States.[25] IKEA Centennial was awarded the Project of the Year in 2011 by city of Centennial.[26]
* Centennial is home to the headquarters of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA). NCBA also maintains an office in Washington, D.C.
* Centennial is home to the headquarters of Arrow Electronics and is the largest company headquartered in Colorado.[27]

## Notable people

[edit]

Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Centennial include:

* Amy Barczuk (born 1990), soccer defender, midfielder[28]
* Madisen Beaty (born 1995), actress[29]
* Melissa Benoist (born 1988), actress
* Tory Bruno (born 1961), aerospace engineer and United Launch Alliance CEO and president
* Tom Costello (born 1963), NBC NEWS Washington-based correspondent[30][31]
* Kevin Gausman (born 1991), baseball pitcher[32]
* Kenny McKinley (1987–2010), football wide receiver[33]
* George Ratterman (1926–2007), football quarterback[34]
* Ryan Sailor (born 1998), soccer defender[35]
* Spencer Swalm (born 1951), Colorado state legislator[36]
* Jack Tate (born 1961), Colorado state legislator[37]
* Ken Tribbett (born 1992), soccer defender, midfielder[38]
* Sean Tufts (born 1982), football, linebacker for the Carolina Panthers[39]

## See also

[edit]

* Geography portal
* History portal
* United States portal
* Colorado portal

* Denver–Aurora–Centennial, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
* Front Range Urban Corridor
* List of municipalities in Colorado
* List of populated places in Colorado
* List of post offices in Colorado

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Active Colorado Municipalities". Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
2. ^ "Colorado Counties". Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
3. ^ a b "Centennial, Colorado". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
4. ^ a b c d "Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data". United States Census Bureau, United States Department of Commerce. August 12, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
5. ^ "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
6. ^ Wallace, Susan. "Centennial off to fast start". Denver Post. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
7. ^ a b "Profile for Centennial, Colorado, CO". ePodunk. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
8. ^ Duran, Marlys (November 11, 1998). "SOUTH METRO TURF WAR CENTENNIAL WOULD BOOST ARAPAHOE COUNTY STILL WOULD RECEIVE TAXES, BUT RESPONSIBILITIES WOULD SHRINK". Rocky Mountain News. Denver, Colorado. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
9. ^ Illescas, Carlos (June 11, 2008). "Centennial goes home rule". Denver Post.
10. ^ "Centennial Map". open-centennial.opendata.arcgis.com. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
11. ^ "CentennialColorado.com redirects to CentennialCo.gov". Centennialcolorado.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
12. ^ "US Census Bureau City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
13. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Centennial city, Colorado". United States Census Bureau.
14. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Centennial city, Colorado". United States Census Bureau.
15. ^ "Centennial, Colorado ACFR" (PDF). centennialco.gov. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
16. ^ "Centennial Street Map - School Districts." (Archive) City of Centennial. Retrieved on December 13, 2013.
17. ^ "City Manager's Office". City of Centennial. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
18. ^ "Elected Officials". City of Centennial. Retrieved 2024-09-23.
19. ^ Klis, Mike (September 5, 2022). "After 32 years, Broncos purchase land beneath team headquarters". 9News Denver. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
20. ^ McCormick, Bret (November 7, 2023). "Broncos planning new $175M headquarters, training facility". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
21. ^ Gabriel, Parker (May 29, 2024). "Construction at newly named Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit won't start until after training camp, ensuring fan access". The Denver Post. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
22. ^ Carlisle, Jeff (March 27, 2025). "NWSL: Denver announces plans for training center, temporary stadium". ESPN. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
23. ^ Prentzel, Olivia (March 27, 2025). "Temporary home for women's pro soccer team will become permanent pitch for Cherry Creek schools". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
24. ^ "Cbs4denver.com - IKEA Announces Plans for Colorado Store". Archived from the original on September 13, 2008. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
25. ^ "IKEA Centennial Home Furnishings - IKEA". Ikea.com. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
26. ^ "Archived copy". www.ourcoloradonews.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2022.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
27. ^ "Arrow Electronics | 2022 Fortune 500". Fortune. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
28. ^ "Amy Barczuk". Boston Breakers. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
29. ^ "Madisen Beaty - Biography". IMDb. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
30. ^ "Tom Costello". LinkedIn.
31. ^ "Student shooting suspect was targeting teacher, officials say". NBC News.
32. ^ "Kevin Gausman". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
33. ^ Associated Press (September 29, 2010). "Sheriff: Broncos WR Kenny McKinley Found Dead". NPR. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
34. ^ Goldstein, Richard (November 10, 2007). "George Ratterman, Football Star and Sheriff, Dies at 80". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
35. ^ "Ryan Sailor". Major League Soccer. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
36. ^ "Spencer Swalm's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
37. ^ "Jack Tate's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
38. ^ "Ken Tribbett". Major League Soccer. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
39. ^ "Sean Tufts Stats, News and Video - LB". NFL.com.

## External links

[edit]

Centennial, Colorado at Wikipedia's sister projects

* Media from Commons
* Travel information from Wikivoyage

* State of Colorado
* History Colorado
* Centennial website

Places adjacent to Centennial, Colorado

|  | Greenwood Village, Aurora |

|
|

|  |
Littleton |

Centennial

| Foxfield, Aurora
|  |
| Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Parker |

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