Columbine and Littleton
Over the years there has been confusion about where Columbine High School is exactly. Its mailing address of 6201 S Pierce St, Littleton, CO 80123 would seem to put it in Littleton, Colorado. The city of Littleton is located in Araphoe County. However, the school is physically located in the Columbine region, an unincorporated portion of southern Jefferson County. Littleton, which is incorporated, is right next door and so the high school has to use its post office for their mailing region. The media picked up the address and ran with it, so the township's name has become synonymous with the high school.

Columbine is a part of the metro Denver area, with a population of just under 24,000 in 1999. As of 2020, the population is 25,229. You can learn more about the statistics of Columbine, Colorado here: DataUSA Columbine, CO.

Columbine grew rapidly between the years of 1958 to 1958 due to the Space Race. In 1956, Lockheed Martin (then known as the Glenn L. Martin Company) built a missile testing facility in Columbine, which contributed greatly to the growth of the area and continues to provide over 10,000 jobs to those living there.

Columbine is served by the Jefferson County Public Schools, and includes Columbine Hills, Dutch Creek, Leawood, and Normandy elemmentary schools; Ken Caryl Middle School; and Columbine High School. It is also served via contract by the Littleton Fire Department. Littleton Fire Fighters were the first medical emergency personnel to respond to the shooting and stayed on scene until the last victims were removed from the school. The Littleton Police and SWAT were among the first responders to the call for aid from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

Following the shooting, people with various media outlets tried to contact people in Littleton for information. They called the mayor, the public information officer, they even called the historical museum searching for an official voice to answer their questions. While these officials tried their best to correct the misunderstanding, the city's name was irrevocably attached to the Columbine High shooting.

Littleton helped with the planning of the Governor's memorial service. Littleton mayor Pat Croenberger spoke at the service, saying that while Columbine High School was not within the boundaries of the city, that the citizens joined the world in grieving for the students, staff, their families, and the community.