FALCON, COLORADO

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Falcon, Colorado is an unincorporated exurb 14 miles northeast of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. A railroad hub in the early 20th century, the town spent several decades as a quiet ranching community until it experienced rapid residential growth throughout the 1990s.

History

In 1881, the area now known as Falcon was crossed by the railroads: first the Denver and New Orleans on a rail bed parallel to today's Eastonville Road, then the Chicago and Rock Island on a rail bed parallel to today's U.S. Route 24. The lines' intersection remains an important center of the Falcon area today.

On September 20, 1888, the first announcement of "Falcon, Colorado" was advertised in the Colorado Springs Gazette. The Falcon Land and Town Company, associated with the Chicago Rock Island Railroad, were selling lots to individuals. By 1896, there two hotels, a newspaper, six saloons, a pool hall, stockyards, two train depots, two general stores, a blacksmith shop and a school.

The introduction of the automobile brought a decline in passenger rail traffic to Falcon. A 1935 flood washed out the Colorado & Southern tracks, which weren't rebuilt, and the Rock Island railroad junction closed. By 1975, only a small number of homes and the school remained at the Falcon intersection.

In 1984, a business complex including a convenience store and gas station was built at the intersection of Meridian Road and U.S. 24; the intersection gained a traffic light in 1996. In the early 1990s, Falcon began to undergo residential development at a rapid pace, regaining a community post office in March 1991. The area's population nearly doubled between 1990 and 2000.

With the rapid growth, suburban amenities began appearing in Falcon. Safeway opened a grocery store in Falcon in 2000. The county approved a new Wal-Mart store in 2005 with minimal opposition. As that new retail presence was preparing to open, residents voted in May 2007 on whether to incorporate as a town. The proposal was defeated, with 78% of the vote against incorporation. The next major retail chain to set up shop in Falcon was Lowe's, which procured a desirable location through a land swap with the Falcon Fire Protection District and providing funding for the construction of a new firehouse on Woodmen Road.

Geography

Falcon neighborhoods include Meridian Ranch, Woodmen Hills, Falcon Hills, Paint Brush Hills and Falcon Heights.

The Black Squirrel Creek Bridge, a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in Falcon.

In 2004, the Antler Creek Golf Course opened as the longest golf course in Colorado and the second-longest in the nation.

Education

Students are served by Falcon School District 49. The district currently has two high schools, Falcon High School and Sand Creek High School. The area's rapid growth has caused the district to grow by 1100 new students annually over the past few years.