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2.2 Community Description Adams County is located in central Colorado, just north and east of Denver, the state capital. The general shape of the physical boundary resembles a rectangle that is 18 miles wide by 72 miles long. Extending from near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains easterly to the open plains of the state, Adams County covers approximately 1,240 square miles. It is bordered on the north by Morgan and Weld Counties, on the east by Washington County, on the south by Arapahoe and Denver Counties, and on the west by Jefferson and Boulder Counties. The City of Brighton is located in north central Adams County. The City of Brighton has grown from a stagecoach stop in the early l860s, to a rapidly growing city at the fringe of the Denver metropolitan area. The City originally based its economy on agriculture, which expanded rapidly after development of an extensive irrigation system in the early 1900s. Today agriculture still plays a significant role in the economy; however, the pressures of urban growth are currently changing this emphasis. The community has grown steadily over the years since its incorporation, but its pace has dramatically changed since 1970 by an increase in population of 50 percent, from 8,309 in 1970 to an estimated 12,500 in 1973. Commerce City is situated in the southwestern corner of Adams County. The City is 15 miles south of Brighton, the county seat. Denver's Stapleton International Airport and the U.S. Army's Rocky Mountain Arsenal border the City on the east. The City and the County of Denver, the state capital, forms the southern boundary, and Adams County adjoins the City to the north and west. Commerce City was first incorporated in December of 1952 and named Commerce Town. The population increased 750 percent from 1,200 in 1952 to 9,000 in 1960, at which time Commerce Town became Commerce City. As of 1980, the City had a population of approximately 16,230. In 1988, the population was estimated to be approximately 18,200 (Reference 7). The City of Federal Heights is located in west-central Adams County, approximately 5 miles north of the Denver corporate limits and 1.5 miles east of the Jefferson County line, in central Colorado. Federal Heights is bordered by the Cities of Thornton on the east, Westminster on the west, and Northglenn on the northeast. Adams County is one of the richest irrigated and dryland farming areas in the country. In addition, the southwestern corner of the county has experienced heavy industrial development. In recent years, the population growth in the county has been rapid, resulting from the urbanization of the Denver metropolitan area and subsequent suburban development. Federal Heights experienced much growth between 1970, when the population was 1,502, and 1980, when the population figure was 7,846 (Reference 14). 7