Durango is a home rule municipality that is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

and the most populous municipality of La Plata County,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

, United States. The city population was 19,071 at the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

. Durango is the home of

Fort Lewis College Fort Lewis College is a public liberal arts college in Durango, Colorado. Because of its unique origins as a military fort turned Indian boarding school turned state public school, FLC follows a 1911 mandate to give qualified Native Americans ...

History

The town was organized from September 1880 to April 1881 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG, later known as the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad) as part of their efforts to reach Silverton, Colorado, and service the San Juan mining district, the goal of their "San Juan Extension" built from Alamosa Colorado. The D&RG chose a site in the Animas Valley close to the

Animas River Animas River (''On-e-mas''; es, Río de las Ánimas) is a river in the western United States, a tributary of the San Juan River, part of the Colorado River System. The Animas-La Plata Water Project was completed in 2015. The project pumps w ...

near what's now the Downtown Durango Historic Business District for its railroad facilities following a brief and most likely perfunctory negotiation with the other establishment in the area known as Animas City, two miles to the north. The city was named by ex-Colorado Governor Alexander C. Hunt, a friend of D&RG President William Jackson Palmer, after Durango, Mexico, based on his favorable impression of that city resulting from a scouting trip undertaken on behalf of Palmer. Palmer among other D&RG associates such as William Bell started a subsidiary company known as the Durango Trust to sell land and plan a Main Street, 2nd, and 3rd Avenue, and so on to organize the town, taking inspiration from how Palmer founded the city of Colorado Springs. Sales from the Durango Trust skyrocketed by the completion of the D&RG's Silverton Branch, and by 1885, Durango’s business district had seven hotels and restaurants, eleven saloons, dancehalls and stores, two bakeries and blacksmith shops, and a variety of other businesses, also boosting the town of Silverton’s population to 2,000 at the time. The D&RG(W) and the

Rio Grande Southern Railroad The Rio Grande Southern Railroad ( reporting mark RGS, also referred to as "The Southern") was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge railroad which ran in the southwestern region of the US state of Colorado, from the towns of Durango to Ridgway, ...

were vital resources to many places including Durango before the major introduction of the

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded ...

, helping transport goods such as produce and mineral traffic in and out of the Southwestern Colorado area, and along with other businesses such as the Durango Smelter, immensely supporting the town's economy. However, the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and aftermath of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

hurt the area's railroad industry. The Rio Grande Southern lost its contract to transport mail in 1951, and soon thereafter suspended operations. The D&RGW also ended their San Juan Express passenger service from Durango to Alamosa. However, the natural scenery along their Silverton Branch had been recognized as a major tourist attraction. In turn, the D&RGW introduced the major tourism industry into the Durango area, transporting visitors up to Silverton and back and attracting Hollywood into La Plata County for a time. Once the D&RGW ended up losing its freight traffic in 1968, the tracks from Durango east to

Chama, New Mexico Chama is a village in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,022 at the 2010 census. The village is located in the Rocky Mountains about south of the Colorado- New Mexico border. Geography Chama is located at (36.89 ...

, and south to Farmington, New Mexico were removed, but the Silverton Branch remained in operation until 1981 when it was sold and became the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. There are significant archaeological sites surrounding the Durango area featured on the State and National historical registers, including: * Mesa Verde National Park, a World Heritage site * Chimney Rock National Monument, the most northeastern known outpost of the Ancestral Puebloans * Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site, a Basketmaker and Pueblo culture * Spring Creek Archeological District, a Basketmaker and Pueblo site * Talus Village, a Basketmaker site

Geography

Durango is located at at an elevation of 6,512 ft (1,988 m). At the

, the town had a total area of including of water.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Durango has a mediterranean continental climate (''Dsa''). The average annual

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

is . Its hardiness zone is 5b.

Demographics

As of the 2000

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

, there were 13,922 people, 5,492 households, and 2,603 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,819 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.5%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 5.5% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 4.1% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 10.3% of the population. There were 5,492 households, out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a single female householder, and 52.6% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.83. In the city, 16.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 26.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,892, and the median income for a family was $50,814. Males had a median income of $31,812 versus $25,022 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $19,352. 17.2% of the population and 7.3% of families were living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. 11.2% of those younger than 18 and 8.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Arts and culture

Attractions

Main Avenue

Main Avenue is a Nationally Registered Historic District that cuts through downtown Durango and is home to galleries, boutiques, restaurants, bars, and other businesses. Two notable and historic hotels, The General Palmer and The Strater, lie at the south end of the avenue, near the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad depot. With its combination of historic architecture, entertainment, and shopping, Main Avenue has historically comprised the center of Durango and is a popular year-round tourist destination.

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

Durango is known worldwide for the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a heritage railroad that operates what was the Denver & Rio Grande Western's Branchline to the historic mining town of Silverton, Colorado, also still notably using historic D&RGW Steam Locomotives and other historic rail equipment.

Animas River Valley

The Animas River Valley begins in the heart of the San Juan Mountains and runs through downtown Durango. It boasts gold medal fly fishing waters and is popular for whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing. On warm summer afternoons a popular diversion is to buy an inflated inner tube and float from Animas City to Schneider Park or below. D^RGW 492 Durango turntable 8-65x - Flickr - drewj1946

D^RGW 492 Durango turntable 8-65x - Flickr - drewj1946

Purgatory Ski Resort

Purgatory Resort, located 25 miles north of downtown Durango, has 99 trails, 12 lifts, a vertical drop of over 2,000 feet, and more than 1,500 acres of skiable terrain. The resort features lodging, ski rentals, shopping, and dining. Purgatory is also a popular summertime recreation destination.

Snowdown Festival

Durango is home to Snowdown, an annual midwinter event popular for its Parade of Lights and other events. The event lasts 5 days, with competitions and costumes.

Music in the Mountains

Music in the Mountains is an annual classical summer music festival with performances at Purgatory Resort, Ft. Lewis College, in downtown Durango, and Cortez. As of 2019, the festival is no longer being held at Purgatory Resort.

Durango Ragtime & Early Jazz Festival

The annual Durango Ragtime & Early Jazz Festival features noted musicians from around the country. It is held in the Strater Hotel, a historic Victorian hotel in Durango.

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic

Founded in 1972, the Iron Horse is a 61-mile bicycle road race held annually in Durango, CO. Every year cyclists from around the world come together and race the Durango Narrow Gauge Train on its journey from Durango to Silverton.

Media

Durango has a number of media outlets, which include ''

The Durango Herald ''The Durango Herald'' is a newspaper in Durango, Colorado. The first edition of the ''Herald'' came out June 30, 1881. Two years later, the ''Herald'' merged with the ''Record'', which had started publishing in 1880, seven months before the '' ...

'', 99x Durango, The Point, KDGO, XRock 105.3, KDUR 91.9/93.9, Four Corners Broadcasting (KIQX 101.3, KRSJ 100.5, KKDC 93.3, and KKDC AM 930) and many others.

Infrastructure

Public Transportation

Durango is served by

U.S. Highway 160 U.S. Route 160 (US 160) is a 1,465 mile (2,358 km) long east–west United States highway in the Midwestern and Western United States. The western terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 89 (Arizona), US 89 five miles (8 km) ...

(the Old Spanish Trail), running east–west, and U.S. Highway 550, running north–south. Part of U.S. 550 offers high-speed access (primarily a 4-lane, divided highway) to Albuquerque, New Mexico. North of Durango, 550 is nicknamed the

Million Dollar Highway U.S. Route 550 (US 550) is a spur of U.S. Highway 50 that runs from Bernalillo, New Mexico to Montrose, Colorado in the western United States. The section from Silverton to Ouray is frequently called the Million Dollar Highway.

, and is part of the scenic

San Juan Skyway The San Juan Skyway Scenic and Historic Byway is a All-American Road, National Forest Scenic Byway, and Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, San Juan, and San Miguel counties, Colorado, ...

. Durango is served by Durango–La Plata County Airport (

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tarif ...

code: DRO), a major regional airport for southwestern Colorado, located near Ignacio, Colorado. The airport is serviced year-round by regional carriers

Mesa Airlines Mesa Airlines, Inc., is an American regional airline based in Phoenix, Arizona. It is an FAA Part 121–certificated air carrier operating under air carrier certificate number MASA036A issued on June 29, 1979. It is a subsidiary of Mesa Air ...

( American Eagle), SkyWest Airlines (American Eagle and

United Express United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which six individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights. On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines merged t ...

), Republic Airways (United Express), and Envoy Air (American Eagle). As of 2014, regional connecting hubs to DRO include Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and Denver International Airport (DEN). Durango Transit provides several loop bus routes in the community, including

. Normal hours of operation are weekdays from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm. Ignacio Road Runner provides bus service to the nearby towns of Ignacio, Colorado and

Bayfield, Colorado The Town of Bayfield is a Statutory Town located in La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2,838 at the 2020 United States Census, a +21.65% increase since the 2010 United States Census. Bayfield is part of the Dur ...

, with four trips daily on weekdays and one on Saturdays. Both services share the Durango Transit Center as a hub.

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and ...

formerly served Durango, but after budget cuts, the service was discontinued. Since 2014, Road Runner Transit (a service of Southern Ute Community Action Programs) has restored daily bus service between Grand Junction and Durango. Since 2018, Road Runner's service has been incorporated into the larger mantle of the state-run program

Bustang Bustang is an intercity bus service in the U.S. state of Colorado. Service began in 2015 and originally traveled between Denver and Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Glenwood Springs. Service has since been expanded to connect Grand Junction, ...

Colleges

is on a mesa overlooking downtown Durango and is accredited by the

Higher Learning Commission The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Io ...

. As of 2014, 4,028 students were enrolled at FLC. FLC is a public 4-year liberal arts college. * Southwest Colorado Community College, a branch of

Pueblo Community College Pueblo Community College (PCC) is a public community college in Pueblo, Colorado. History ''Pueblo Community College'' (PCC) traces its history to the founding of Southern Colorado Junior College (SCJC) in 1933. In 1937 SCJC became part of the ...

, is in the Durango Highschool building on North Main Ave.

Notable people

* Paco Ahlgren, writer * Ross Anderson, World Cup/professional speed skier, All-American record holder *

Steve Carlton Steven Norman Carlton (born December 22, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher for six different teams from 1965 to 1988, most notably as a member of the Philadelph ...

, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher *

James Garesche Ord Major General James Garesche Ord (October 18, 1886 – April 17, 1960) was a United States Army officer who briefly commanded the 28th Infantry Division and was Chairman of the Joint Brazil–U.S. Defense Commission during World War II. Early ...

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

, born at Fort Lewis near Durango * Missy Giove, cyclist inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame * Howard Grotts, cyclist *

Greg Herbold Greg "H-Ball" Herbold (Born December 11, 1962) is an American former professional mountain bike racer. He competed in many forms of cycling including cross-country racing and Mountain bike trials but, was most notable for his downhill mountain ...

, cyclist inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame *

Sepp Kuss Sepp Kuss (born September 13, 1994) is an American professional cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Career Kuss started out in mountain bike racing as a junior and as a student at the University of Colorado won two races at the Coll ...

, cyclist, Vuelta a España and

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

stage winner * Matt Miller, NFL offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns *

Ned Overend Edmund ("Ned") Overend (born 20 August 1955) is an American former professional cross-country mountain bike racer. He is a six-time NORBA cross-country mountain bike national champion who became the first-ever cross-country world champion by win ...

, cyclist inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame *

Bob Roll Bob "Bobke" Roll (born July 7, 1960 in Oakland, California) is an American former professional cyclist, author, and television sports commentator. He was a member of the 7-Eleven Cycling Team until 1990 and competed for the Motorola Cycling Team ...

, retired pro cyclist; part of NBC Sports cycling broadcasting team. * Stuart Roosa, NASA astronaut and former USFS Smoke Jumper *

Quinn Simmons Quinn Simmons (born May 8, 2001) is an American road cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Career Simmons' first sport was ski mountaineering, for which he won the bronze medal in the cadet category in the 2017 World Championships. ...

, cyclist * Ed Stasium, record producer * Tom Tully, actor, Oscar nominee for '' The Caine Mutiny'' * Shan Wells, sculptor and illustrator *

Todd Wells Todd Wells is a professional cyclist specializing in mountain bike racing and cyclo-cross from the United States. Todd resides in Durango, Colorado and Tucson, Arizona. Wells races for the SRAM/TLD Factory Racing team for mountain bike racing. ...

, cyclist * Eli Tomac, professional motocross racer.

Sister cities

* Durango, Mexico * Durango, Spain

References in television and film

The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad began to advertise the La Plata County Area to Hollywood beginning in the mid 1930s, kick starting Durango's future in film appearances. *Parts of the 1948 film ''

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the ...

'' were filmed in the Durango area including the Railroad Depot and the D&RGW's railroad line south to Farmington, New Mexico. *The 1950 Film ''

A Ticket to Tomahawk ''A Ticket to Tomahawk'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Richard Sale and starring Dan Dailey and Anne Baxter. It was released by 20th Century Fox. Marilyn Monroe appeared in one of her earliest roles. Plot In 1876, Johnny Jameson ...

'' was shot primarily in the La Plata County area involving the D&RGW's Silverton Branch (later to become the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad), filmed north of Durango, Silverton, Colorado, on the current site of

, as well as a shot of a

Trestle ATLAS-I (Air Force Weapons Lab Transmission-Line Aircraft Simulator), better known as Trestle, was a unique electromagnetic pulse (EMP) generation and testing apparatus built between 1972 and 1980 during the Cold War at Sandia National Laborato ...

located west of Durango near Wild Cat Canyon. This was one of

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

's first onscreen appearances as well. *Much of the 1952 film ''Denver and Rio Grande'' was shot on whats now the D&RGW's Silverton Branch, retelling the story of the D&RG's battle for rights into the

Royal Gorge The Royal Gorge is a canyon of the Arkansas River located west of Cañon City, Colorado. The canyon begins at the mouth of Grape Creek, about west of central Cañon City, and continues in a west-northwesterly direction for approximately un ...

, against the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

. *Much of the 1953 western movie ''

The Naked Spur ''The Naked Spur'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan, Ralph Meeker, and Millard Mitchell. Written by Sam Rolfe and Harold Jack Bloom, the film is about a bounty hunter ...

'' starring

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality ...

was shot in Durango. * Several parts of the 1955 western film '' Run for Cover'' starring

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

, were filmed just north of Durango in and around the upper Hermosa Valley area. Includes shots of the D&RGW Silverton Branch as well. * Portions of the 1957 western '' Night Passage'' starring a returning

, as well as Audie Murphy and Brandon deWilde were filmed near Durango and on the D&RGW's Silverton Branch. * Parts of the 1969 film '' Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' were filmed north of town along the

, as well as scenes of the D&RGW Railroad on the Silverton branch, and southeast of Durango near Florida, as well as other locations on the D&RGW narrow gauge system. *The 1978 Roger Corman film ''

Avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be set off spontaneously, by such factors as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, animals, and ea ...

'', starring

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Gold ...

and Mia Farrow, was filmed mainly at Durango Mountain Resort and at the Lodge at Tamarron in north Durango. * The television series ''

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

'', episode "Sky Above, Death Below" was filmed in and around Durango, Purgatory Resort, and Chimney Rock. * Part of the 1991 film '' City Slickers'' was shot in Durango. * The 1999 movie '' Durango Kids'' describes a time tunnel in the old mines outside of Durango. * Parts of the 1993 film '' Cliffhanger'' were shot in Durango.

References

External links

City of Durango websiteCDOT map of the City of DurangoDurango Ragtime and Early Jazz Festival website
{{Authority control Cities in La Plata County, Colorado Cities in Colorado County seats in Colorado Company towns in Colorado Populated places established in 1881 1881 establishments in Colorado