Durango, Colorado


Durango is the county seat and the most populous municipality of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. It is home to Fort Lewis College. The United States Census Bureau reported a population of 16,887 in the 2010 census.

History

The town was organized in September 1880 to serve the San Juan mining district. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad chose the site on the Animas River for its depot following a brief and most likely perfunctory negotiation with Animas City, two miles to the north. The city was named by ex-Colorado Governor Alexander C. Hunt after Durango, Mexico, based on his favorable impression of that city resulting from a scouting trip undertaken on behalf of William J. Palmer, the head of the D&RG.
Area archaeological sites on the State and National historical registers include:
Durango is located at at an elevation of 6,512 ft. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of.

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Durango has either a warm-summer Mediterranean climate or a humid continental climate depending on which variant of the system is used. The average annual precipitation is.
Its hardiness zone is 5b.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 13,922 people, 5,492 households, and 2,603 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,052.4 people per square mile. There were 5,819 housing units at an average density of 857.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 86.84% White, 0.5% African American, 5.51% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 4.12% from other races, and 2.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.31% 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 female householder with no husband present, 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 for the city was $19,352. 17.2% of the population and 7.3% of families were living below the poverty line. 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

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 railway that travels from Durango to the historic mining town of Silverton, Colorado via steam-powered trains. The history of the town and the D&SNG are inextricably woven, dating back to the 1880s.

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.

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 , 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

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.

Media

Durango has a number of media outlets, which include The Durango Herald, 99x Durango, The Point, KDGO, XRock 105.3, KDUR 91.9/93.9, Four Corners Broadcasting and many others.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Durango is served by U.S. Highway 160, running east–west, and U.S. Highway 550, running north–south. Part of U.S. 550 offers high-speed access to Albuquerque, New Mexico. North of Durango, 550 is nicknamed the Million Dollar Highway, and is part of the scenic San Juan Skyway.
Durango is served by a major regional airport for southwestern Colorado, Durango-La Plata Regional Airport, near Ignacio. Durango-La Plata County Airport is serviced year-round by regional carriers Mesa Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Republic Airways, Expressjet Airlines, and American Eagle.
As of 2014, regional connecting hubs to DRO include Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and Denver International Airport.
Durango Transit provides several loop bus routes in the community, including Fort Lewis College. 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, with four trips daily on weekdays and one on Saturdays. Both services share the Durango Transit Center as a hub.
Greyhound Bus Lines formerly served Durango, but after budget cuts the service was discontinued. Since 2014, Road Runner Transit 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.
Durango is served by the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Colleges