Avon, Colorado


Avon is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 6,447 at the 2010 United States Census. Avon is the gateway to the Beaver Creek Resort which lies about two miles south of the town. It was the previous site of Vail Resorts before the company moved its physical headquarters to Broomfield, CO. in 2006. The town also is the home of Liberty Skis, an independent ski manufacturing company.
The town first consisted of a rail station opened in 1889. Originally spelled "Avin", the name was later changed to "Avon".
Avon was incorporated in August 1978.
Formerly, Avon had a small private airport, being the Avon STOLport, which was owned and operated by Rocky Mountain Airways. This STOL airfield was located just west of the WalMart/Home Depot area. Rocky Mountain Airways operated scheduled passenger flights to and from Denver International Airport with 50-passenger de Havilland Canada DHC-7 "Dash 7" four-engine turboprop STOL aircraft.

Geography

Avon is located at , along Interstate 70, U.S. Highway 6, and the Eagle River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which, of it is land and of it is water. The town rests at 7,430 feet above sea level.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,561 people, 1,890 households, and 971 families residing in the town. The population density was 695.9 people per square mile. There were 2,557 housing units at an average density of 320.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 72.52% White, 0.79% African American, 0.68% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 21.79% from other races, and 3.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 39.96% of the population.
There were 1,890 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the town, the population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 17.5% from 18 to 24, 47.1% from 25 to 44, 13.3% from 45 to 64, and 1.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 141.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 144.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $56,921, and the median income for a family was $52,339. Males had a median income of $33,053 versus $30,703 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,115. About 7.1% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Neighborhoods

Avon includes a number of neighborhoods including Wildridge, Eagle-Vail, Wildwood, Mountain Star.

Transportation

Town of Avon offers a free public transportation system, which comprises four bus routes. ECO Transit provides service within Eagle County, with routes linking Avon with Vail, Minturn, Leadville, Edwards, Eagle, Gypsum and Dotsero. Fares range from $3 to $5 per trip.
Currently, Avon is not home to an active airport, most passengers going to Avon use Eagle County Airport, located west, or Denver International Airport, located east. There had previously been a STOLport facility in Avon. This was located between Chapel Place and Traer Creek Plaza; the outline of this airport can still seen on aerial and satellite photography.
Avon is served by Eagle County Airport, which is in Gypsum.

Major highways

A local four-lane access road spans the Eagle River on a bridge, constructed in 1992, that was officially christened "Bob" as the result of a local contest to choose a name for it. Avon received national attention for the humorous name and made "Bob the Bridge" the theme for several local festivals.

Economy

Top employers

According to Avon's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
#Employer# of Employees
1The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa270
2Walmart260
3The Home Depot222
4Maya150
5City Market125
6Eagle River Water & Sanitation District99
7Town of Avon79
8Sheraton Mountain Vista79
9Christie Lodge79
10Montana's Smokehouse25

Sister cities