Gilcrest, Colorado
Gilcrest is a statutory town located in Weld County, in the state of Colorado, United States. Situated west of U.S. Highway 85 and south of Weld County Road 42, the town was incorporated on March 18, 1912, and has since developed into a small but established community on the northeastern Colorado plains. As of the 2020 United States Census, the town's population stood at 1,029 residents, with more recent estimates placing the figure at approximately 1,014 as of 2026.[1] Gilcrest carries the characteristics common to many small agricultural communities on the High Plains of Colorado — a modest population, deep local roots, and a close relationship with the rural landscape that surrounds it.
Geography and Location
Gilcrest is situated in Weld County, one of Colorado's largest counties by area and among the most agriculturally productive in the state. The town's location west of U.S. Highway 85 places it within easy reach of the broader South Platte River corridor, a region historically shaped by irrigation, farming, and ranching activity. The zip code associated with Gilcrest is 80623.[2]
The surrounding landscape is defined by the open terrain of northeastern Colorado, where agricultural fields stretch broadly and the communities that dot the region tend to be small in population but significant to the local economy. The South Platte River valley, which runs through much of Weld County, has historically provided the water resources that made agricultural settlement in this area viable. Nearby towns and rural road networks — including Weld County Road 35 and Weld County Road 38 — connect Gilcrest to the wider network of communities in the county.[3]
History
The Town of Gilcrest was incorporated on March 18, 1912, a date that places its formal founding during a period of active settlement and development across the northeastern Colorado plains.[4] Like many communities in Weld County, Gilcrest's origins are tied to the broader history of agricultural expansion in Colorado, which accelerated in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as irrigation infrastructure opened up previously dry lands to farming. The extension of rail lines and the development of water delivery systems across the region enabled small towns such as Gilcrest to take root and grow.
The community has persisted for well over a century, maintaining a stable if modest presence within Weld County's network of towns. Its longevity reflects the enduring character of small agricultural communities throughout the Colorado plains, many of which have sustained populations through multiple generations of families engaged in farming, ranching, and related industries.
Historical records and obituary notices indicate that Gilcrest has been home to families with deep roots in the area. For example, Sylvester Teber Penaflor was born on November 12, 1943, in Gilcrest, Colorado, to parents Rufus and Eliza Penaflor, illustrating the generational ties that residents have maintained with the town across the decades.[5]
Government
Gilcrest operates as a statutory town under Colorado state law, a designation that defines the legal framework governing its municipal functions. Statutory towns in Colorado are incorporated municipalities that operate according to the general statutes of the state rather than under a home-rule charter. This structure is common among smaller Colorado municipalities and provides the town with the legal standing to maintain local government, manage public services, and represent the interests of its residents.[6]
The town's government oversees a range of municipal services appropriate to a community of its size, including the management of local infrastructure and public utilities. Gilcrest is located in Weld County, and as such, residents also fall under the jurisdiction of county-level government, which administers broader regional services and road maintenance across the county.
Population and Demographics
The population of Gilcrest has remained modest throughout its history, consistent with the scale of many rural towns in northeastern Colorado. The 2020 United States Census recorded a population of 1,029 residents within the town.[7] More recent population estimates place the figure slightly lower, at approximately 1,014 as of 2026, reflecting a modest annual decline of approximately 0.1 percent.[8]
This gradual population decline is consistent with broader demographic trends observed in many small rural towns across the Great Plains region of the United States, where shifts in agricultural employment, consolidation of farming operations, and the gravitational pull of larger urban centers have contributed to slow but steady population loss in smaller communities. Gilcrest's proximity to larger regional centers in Weld County, including Greeley, means that residents have access to the commercial and employment resources of a larger city while remaining rooted in a smaller community setting.
Infrastructure and Utilities
Water and Sewerage
Gilcrest's municipal infrastructure includes a sewerage system classified and monitored under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regulatory framework for water quality. Data recorded by the EPA and reported by The New York Times as part of a national review of water quality and environmental compliance identified the Town of Gilcrest as operating a sewerage system located west of U.S. Highway 85 and south of Weld County Road 42.[9]
According to EPA data, the Gilcrest sewerage system received two inspections, with the last recorded inspection occurring on March 30, 2006. The facility accrued no total fines and had no formal or informal enforcement actions taken against it. However, the EPA data did record a total of 51 violations over the period from 2004 through 2008, largely consisting of effluent violations and reporting or monitoring violations. The breakdown of violations by year was as follows: three effluent violations in 2004; fourteen effluent violations, one permit violation, and one reporting violation in 2005; seventeen effluent violations and one reporting violation in 2006; seven effluent violations and two reporting violations in 2007; and five effluent violations in 2008. It should be noted that the EPA data indicated the reporting and monitoring violations did not necessarily reflect actual discharges of pollutants into waterways, but rather that required reports were not filed, resulting in automatic violations under EPA rules. As of the time of reporting, the facility was not out of compliance in the preceding twelve quarters.[10]
Gilcrest Lateral Pipeline
In addition to the town's sewerage infrastructure, a facility known as the Gilcrest Lateral Pipeline is located in the broader area, situated approximately 650 feet northeast of the intersection of Weld County Road 35 and Weld County Road 38 in Weld County. This pipeline facility, associated with a different zip code (80651) than the central town, was also included in EPA monitoring records. According to available EPA data, the Gilcrest Lateral Pipeline had received no inspections and recorded no violations as of the time of reporting, and had no enforcement actions associated with it.[11]
Water Rights and Agricultural Context
The broader region surrounding Gilcrest has not been immune to the complex water rights and agricultural challenges that have defined life in northeastern Colorado. Weld County, in which Gilcrest sits, has been a focal point for tensions between agricultural water users and regulatory frameworks governing groundwater use. Such issues have had real consequences for farm families across the region. One such case, reported by the Associated Press, involved a Greeley-area farmer named Harry Strohauer, whose experiences with well-pumping regulations highlighted the difficulties facing agricultural communities dependent on groundwater access in the region surrounding Gilcrest.[12]
Education
Gilcrest is home to Valley High School, which serves students in the community and the surrounding area.[13] As with many small rural communities in Colorado, the local school serves not only as an educational institution but as a central gathering place and point of community identity. Valley High School connects generations of Gilcrest residents and families from the broader rural area surrounding the town.
Notable Connections
Gilcrest's long history as an incorporated community means that it has served as a birthplace and home for numerous individuals across multiple generations. Among those born in Gilcrest is Sylvester Teber Penaflor, born November 12, 1943, the second of twins born to Rufus and Eliza Penaflor.[14] His connection to Gilcrest illustrates the town's role as a birthplace and early home for families rooted in the agricultural communities of northeastern Colorado and the broader High Plains region.