The City of Monte Vista is the

home rule municipality Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories ...

that is the most populous municipality in Rio Grande 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 United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

. The city population was 4,245 at the 2020 Census.

History

Monte Vista was laid out in 1884. The site had previously served as a watering stop for the

Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to ''Rio Grande'', D&RG or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, was an American Class I railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow-gauge line running south from D ...

. Monte Vista is the Spanish translation of "mountain view."

Geography

Monte Vista is located in the

San Luis Valley The San Luis Valley is a region in south-central Colorado with a small portion overlapping into New Mexico. The valley is approximately long and wide, extending from the Continental Divide on the northwest rim into New Mexico on the south. It co ...

at (37.577287, -106.145828). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and (2.56%) is water.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 4,529 people, 1,715 households, and 1,212 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,854 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 63.08%

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 on ...

, 0.38%

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 enslav ...

, 1.61% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.04%

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 Oce ...

, 31.82% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.78% 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 form ...

or Latino people of any race were 58.20% of the population. There were 1,715 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59, and the average family size was 3.13. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.6% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,392, and the median income for a family was $33,780. Males had a median income of $29,057 versus $23,482 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 $13,612.

Culture

Monte Vista is served by the Carnegie Public Library. Every March, nearly 20,000 Sandhill Cranes descend on the San Luis Valley before continuing their northward spring migration.

References

External links

City of Monte Vista website''Monte Vista Journal''CDOT map of the City of Monte VistaSLV Dweller
- Since 2002, SLV Dweller has served as an agglomeration of San Luis Valley news and information from varied sources. {{authority control Cities in Rio Grande County, Colorado Cities in Colorado