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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.
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 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 ...
. 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
* 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 ...
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 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 ...
, as well as a shot of a 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, ...
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 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 ...
, 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 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 ...
, 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.
See also
*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 ...
**Bibliography of Colorado
The location of the State of Colorado in the United States of America
This is a bibliography of the U.S. State of Colorado.
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*Sibley, George. ''Water Wranglers - The 75- ...
**Index of Colorado-related articles
This is an alphabetical list of articles related to the U.S. State of Colorado.
0–9
* .co.us – Internet second-level domain for the State of Colorado
* 4 Corners
** 4 Corners Monument
* 6th Principal Meridian
* 10-mile Range
* 10th ...
** Outline of Colorado
* List of counties in Colorado
* List of municipalities in Colorado
*List of places in Colorado
A
B
C
D
E
F
G-O
* List of places in Colorado G through O
P-Z
* List of places in Colorado P through Z
References
{{Reflist ...
*List of statistical areas in Colorado
The U.S. state of Colorado has twenty-one statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States ...
**Durango, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area
La Plata County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,638. The county seat is Durango. The county was named for the La Plata River and the La Plata Mountains. "La plata" means "the s ...
* Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad
* Durango Herald
* Durango Telegraph
* Old Spanish National Historic Trail
References
External links
City of Durango website
CDOT map of the City of Durango
Durango 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