Erie is a part of the Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.

Erie's Planning Area spans 48 square miles (120 km2), extending from the north side of State Highway 52 south to State Highway 7, and between US 287 on the west and Interstate 25 to the east.

The town was named after Erie, Pennsylvania, the former home of early settler Richard Van Valkenburg.

[9] Coal was discovered in the region in the 1860s, and by 1870, railway service was established by the Denver-Pacific Spur Railroad.

[8] The railroad made it much easier to transport coal to the surrounding communities and to Denver, helping the town grow quickly.

[8] In 1884, the first newspaper was founded by Charles D. Bell; called the Erie-Canfield Independent, it continued publishing until 1896.

[8] The Erie Herald was established in 1907 and published for far longer than other short lived newspapers, serving the community until 1948.

[9] Erie was one of the only "wet" towns in the area and by 1895, boasted eleven saloons on Briggs Street.

Erie was also hard-hit by the Panic of 1893 and the Great Depression, the latter of which led to a decline in coal output.

The board has the authority to adopt laws, ordinances and resolutions as needed to conduct the business of the town, and by ordinance may enter into contracts or intergovernmental agreements to furnish, receive services or to provide for cooperative service delivery.

There are good venues for art at the Erie Community Center and High Plains Library, and shows change about every two months.