Durango

Durango is a home rule city and the county seat of La Plata County in southwestern Colorado, situated along the Animas River at an elevation of 6,512 feet above sea level. It is the most populous municipality in La Plata County, with a city population of 19,071 recorded at the 2020 United States Census. Strategically positioned near the Four Corners region where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona converge, Durango has grown from a railroad boomtown of the 1880s into one of southwestern Colorado's most prominent cities, recognized for its Victorian architecture, outdoor recreation, and deep connections to Native American history.

Name and Origins

Durango, Colorado, was named after Durango, Mexico. As the story goes, Colorado's former territorial governor A. C. Hunt was traveling through Durango, Mexico at the time when the name for the new town was being decided, and thought the two regions looked similar. The word Durango originates from the Basque word "Urango," meaning "water town" or "well watered place." There is also a Durango in Spain, and the three Durangos are sister cities that have exchanged gifts and formal visits of their officials.

Before the city of Durango was established, a predecessor community already existed in the same valley. Before there was the City of Durango there was Animas City, located north of the current city. Animas City was founded in 1876, the same year Colorado became a state, and was named after the nearby Animas River — El Rio de las Animas Perdidas (River of Lost Souls). By 1880, Animas City was a small, bustling community that served as the trade center of the area, with 286 residents. When the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad was unable to reach an agreement to build a depot in Animas City, it bypassed the settlement entirely. General William J. Palmer, president of the railroad, along with William A. Bell and John A. Porter, formed the Durango Trust for the purpose of buying land and selling property for the proposed town site of Durango — a mere two miles south of Animas City. Most businesses moved from Animas City to Durango, and in 1948 Animas City was annexed into Durango.

Founding and the Railroad Era

Durango was founded in 1880 and incorporated in 1881, when the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Company established the town as a hub for its rail system into the mountains. In 1880, railroad officials drafted city plans for Durango, laying out the rails, a depot and rail yards as well as Main, Second and Third Avenues. The original plan was an efficient grid of streets, surveyed by civil engineer Charles Perin, with the wholesale enterprises near the railroad (now Main Ave.), Second Avenue designated as the business district, and residential properties located upslope on Third Avenue, "with a mountain view." This grid remains intact today, with the historic residential district and Downtown Durango reflecting the Victorian heritage of the town.

The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad reached Durango in August of 1881. Within one year of the railroad's arrival, Durango had 134 businesses, which included doctors, saloons, and many newspapers. Local historian Duane Smith recounts in his book Rocky Mountain Boom Town that in the early 1880s, some 2,000 settlers poured into the area in response to a newspaper advertisement hailing Durango as the "New Denver of the Southwest."

Durango emerged as the center of industry and commerce for the Denver and Rio Grande's San Juan Extension. Of primary importance to Durango's growth was the completion of the Silverton Branch, which traveled 45 miles from Durango to Silverton through the Animas River Valley's mountains and mining camps. Tracks began being laid in the spring of 1881 and reached Silverton by July 1882. This remarkable eight-month construction feat was recognized by the American Society of Engineers as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

The smelting industry played an equally important role in Durango's rapid rise. A smelter began operation on Smelter Mountain in 1881, drawing business away from Silverton's economy, and was successful in part due to the coal available in Durango. John Porter chose to locate the smelter in Durango because of cheap fuel, labor, favorable climate, and an ore route that ran downhill to the facility. By 1887, the smelter had processed one million pounds of silver, lead, gold, and copper, and was among the largest employers in the region with 300 men employed at a time.

Within a year of its founding in 1880, Durango had a population of 2,400 and really began to grow. Durango's finest Victorian building, the Strater Hotel, opened "strictly first class in all appointments" in 1888. In 1898, Civil War General William Jackson Palmer built the General Palmer Hotel. However, the Crash of 1893 brought a depression to the region, and silver mining never fully rebounded. Nevertheless, the population of Durango doubled to 4,686 by 1910.

The 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 branch line to the historic mining town of Silverton, Colorado, still notably using historic steam locomotives and other historic rail equipment. Originally used to transport ore to local smelters, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad now transports over 200,000 tourists annually to visit historic towns and enjoy stunning mountain vistas.

The natural scenery along the Silverton Branch was recognized as a major tourist attraction, and in turn the Denver & Rio Grande Western 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. Indeed, the railroad and its surrounding landscape served as a backdrop for some of Hollywood's most recognizable productions. With 2 million acres of wild national forest at its doorstep, Durango has been chosen as the set for movies and film more than 30 times. Some of the films shot in Durango include "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "National Lampoon's Vacation," "A Ticket to Tomahawk," and "City Slickers."

The railroad also has literary connections. At the Strater Hotel on Main Avenue, visitors can stay in the exact room where author Louis L'Amour wrote his famed Sackett Series.

Geography, Climate, and Natural Setting

Nestled in the foothills of the La Plata Mountains, Durango sits at an elevation of 6,512 feet above sea level. The town covers 9.92 square miles of land area and 0.03 square miles of water area. The town is cupped by the Animas River (Rio de las Animas Perdidas), which flows from the majestic San Juan Mountains through one of the most fertile valleys in Southwest Colorado.

Durango averages 266 days of sunshine per year. The July high is approximately 87 degrees Fahrenheit, with a possible January low of 12 degrees. This climate supports both summer and winter recreation on a broad scale.

Durango serves as a gateway to several protected natural areas. By the turn of the century, Durango had become a vacation destination with the creation of the San Juan National Forest in 1905 and Mesa Verde National Park in 1906. Located about 35 miles west of town, Mesa Verde was designated a World Heritage Site in 1978 and contains over 5,000 archaeological sites, including masonry towers and farming structures, making it one of the best-preserved Puebloan ruins in North America.

Purgatory Resort, founded in 1965, is located about 25 miles north of Durango in the San Juan Mountains and offers over 1,600 acres of skiable terrain with 105 trails, 11 lifts, three terrain parks, and a vertical drop of 2,029 feet. The name "Purgatory" itself carries historical resonance: the Animas River was originally named Rio de las Animas Perdidas (River of Lost Souls) by Spanish explorers after those who perished in its waters, whose bodies were never found. Since last rites could not be administered, the devoted Catholic explorers believed these souls were relegated to Purgatory — a legend that endures in the name of the local ski mountain.

Economy, Education, and Government

With over 35,000 employees working in the city, Durango is an economic hub in southwestern Colorado and the Four Corners region. The tourism industry is a vital aspect of Durango's economy, alongside retail, educational services, and health care.

Fort Lewis College, a public four-year liberal arts college, sits on a 350-foot mesa overlooking downtown Durango and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. As of 2024, 3,544 students were enrolled at the college. Fort Lewis College opened in Durango in 1956 and grew from a two-year agricultural school into the four-year college it is today.

Durango, as the county seat of La Plata County, is a home rule city with a council/manager form of government. By an overwhelming vote of its citizens in the election of September 3, 1912, Durango changed its governing officials from aldermen to commissioners and became the fourth city in Colorado to adopt a home rule charter. Its switch to home rule was preceded only by Denver in 1904 and Colorado Springs and Grand Junction in 1909.

Durango is served by Durango–La Plata County Airport (IATA code: DRO), a major regional airport for southwestern Colorado, located near Ignacio, Colorado. The airport is serviced year-round by regional carriers including Mesa Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Republic Airways, and Envoy Air.

Culture, Events, and Heritage

Durango's culture reflects its layered history, from its deep Ancestral Puebloan roots to its Victorian railroad heritage and contemporary arts scene. The community of Durango has evolved from a mining town to a town that thrives as a result of dedication to preserving its history and culture. Today the historic steam train, the Animas River running through the center of town, three historic districts, and the surrounding mountains and national parks offer a wide range of activities to attract visitors.

Durango is home to Snowdown, an annual midwinter event popular for its Parade of Lights and other festivities. Since 1983, each year's festival has been given a unique theme, and the event lasts five days, with competitions and costumes. The annual Durango Ragtime & Early Jazz Festival features noted musicians from around the country. It is held in the Strater Hotel and is hosted by Durango resident and ragtime pianist Adam Swanson.

Founded in 1972, the Iron Horse is a 61-mile (98 km) bicycle road race held annually in Durango. Competitions like the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic and the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run also draw accomplished athletes from around the country.

The Powerhouse Science Center, formerly the Colorado Ute Power Plant built in 1893, reflects the city's commitment to adaptive preservation. A successful community project was the preservation of the 1893 Colorado Ute Power Plant, which after a nearly decade-long effort was reborn as the Durango Discovery Museum (now the Powerhouse Science Center).