On January 28, 1891, Woodland Park was officially incorporated with a population of 121 residents. The early settlers needed a government loan to fund a water line installation from Loy Gulch into the town reservoir, now a pond in Memorial Park. The founding fathers' first ordinance was to establish a morals and decency act; banning the sale of alcohol, and prohibiting gambling, obscene language and inappropriate attire. With the new law in place to allow enforcement, the calaboose was constructed in 1891 and is now located in History Park. Homesteaders, miners, loggers, health seekers and speculators were attracted to Woodland Park due to four historical factors: Gold Rush 1857 - 1919; Colorado Midland Railway 1883 - 1949; lumber and timber mills 1873 - 1936; and resorts and tourism 1887 - 1955. After the Colorado Midland Railway began operating in 1887, an infusion of travelers and new residents caused the town to grow with hotels, restaurants, livery stables, mercantile stores and homes. This growth created the need for churches, schools and recreational activities, such as, rodeo events, dances and baseball games. Throughout the first half of the 20th Century, lumbering continued to be the area's largest, year-round, economic driver. During the summer months, dude ranches were a great draw for tourist who enjoyed experiencing the Wild West and natural beauty of Pikes Peak country. The Paradise Ranch was one of those ranches that put Woodland Park on the map along with the Woodland Park Rodeo Association.
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,515 people, 2,476 households, and 1,884 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,151.0 people per square mile. There were 2,642 housing units at an average density of 466.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 94.89% White, 0.52% African American, 0.72% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.81% from other races, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.45% of the population. There were 2,476 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.9% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.03. In the city, the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $52,279, and the median income for a family was $59,583. Males had a median income of $36,157 versus $27,459 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,780. About 1.8% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.
A number of full-time musicians reside in Woodland Park and the surrounding areas, and arts festivals have become more frequent in recent years, often held at the Ute Pass Cultural Center. Woodland Park is also the site of the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center, a museum devoted to dinosaurs and fossils.
Climate
Woodland Park experiences an alpine subarctic climate , due to its high elevation and its location in the Rocky Mountains. Summers are warm, but much milder than summers at lower elevations, such as in Colorado Springs, Denver, or the plains to the east. Nights are cool, even chilly in summer.
