Durango, Colorado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Durango (Navajo: Kinłání) is a city in La Plata County, Colorado (USA). According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 15,501.[1] It is the county seat of La Plata County.GR6
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[edit] History
The town was organized in September 1880 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad to serve the San Juan mining district. The D&RG chose a site south of Animas City for its depot after Animas City refused to pay a "dowery" to the D&RG. The city is named after Durango, Spain. The word Durango originates from the Basque word "Urango" meaning "water town".
[edit] Geography
Durango is located at at an elevation of 1988 meters (6523 feet). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.6 km² (6.8 mi²).
[edit] Attractions
Durango is nestled in the Animas River Valley surrounded by the San Juan Mountains. The Animas River - El Río de las Animas Perdidas or the River of Lost Souls - runs through downtown and boasts gold medal fly-fishing waters and is very popular for whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing. Durango is an outdoor activity paradise - Hiking, mountain biking, road biking, backpacking, rock climbing, hunting, off-roading, year-round fishing, kayaking, rafting and golfing - to name just a few.
In the winter, Durango has easy access to five major ski areas, including the Durango Mountain Resort at Purgatory, located just 30 minutes north of downtown. Located 35 miles west of Durango is Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its Ancestral Puebloan Cliff Dwellings. Durango is also well known for another historical attraction, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a heritage railway which travels from Durango to the historic mining town of Silverton, Colorado on steam-powered trains with rolling stock dating back to the 1920s and before.
Durango hosted the first-ever Mountain Bike World Championships in 1990.
Also Durango is home to the Snowdown Festival [1], an event which includes fireworks and a parade. The centerpiece, the parade, usually occurs the last Friday of January or the first Friday of February.
[edit] Transportation and Business
Durango is served by U.S. Highway 160 (the Old Spanish Trail) and U.S. Highway 550. 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.
It offers a regional shopping center and La Plata Regional Airport (actually located near Ignacio) is a major regional airport for southwestern Colorado. Durango-La Plata County Airport is serviced by United Express (United Airlines), US Airways, and Delta Air Lines.
[edit] Colleges
Fort Lewis College is situated on a 500ft mesa (bluff) overlooking downtown Durango, and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Pueblo Community College is a small community college located on Camino del Rio. San Juan Technical College, located outside of Cortez, Colorado, 45 miles away, offers EMT certification in Durango
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 13,922 people, 5,492 households, and 2,603 families residing in the city. The population density was 792.8/km² (2,052.4/mi²). There were 5,819 housing units at an average density of 331.4/km² (857.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.84% White, .50% 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 are 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 29 years. For every 100 females there are 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 103.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $34,892, and the median income for a family is $50,814. Males have a median income of $31,812 versus $25,022 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,352. 17.2% of the population and 7.3% of families live below the poverty line. 11.2% of those younger than 18 and 8.9% of those 65 and older live below the poverty line.
[edit] Notable Residents
- Tom Danielson
- Missy Giove
- Ned Overend
- Elaine Youngs
- Bob Roll
- JP Murphy
- Andrew Duffy
- Art and Anne Isgar
- John Cole
- Derek, Barbara and Rebecca Wilkie
[edit] Sister cities
Durango has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):
[edit] References in fiction
- The 1999 movie Durango Kids describes a time tunnel in the old mines outside of Durango.[2]
- Durango is the home of Alexander Mahone's wife and young son in the television series Prison Break.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Durango Area Tourism Office (DATO) Website
- Durango.Com
- Durango Homepage
- City of Durango (official website)
- The Durango Herald - local daily newspaper
- The Durango Telegraph - local weekly newspaper
- Information on Crime
- Road/Mountain Biking
- The Durango Independent Film Festival
- Durango Transit Information
- The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
| The Million Dollar Highway (Route 550) |
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| Passes: Coal Bank Pass | Molas Pass | Red Mountain Pass Towns: Durango | Silverton | Ouray |
