Durango, Colorado
Durango is a city in La Plata County, Colorado, situated in the southwestern corner of the state near the San Juan Mountains. Founded in the late nineteenth century as a railroad and mining supply hub, Durango has evolved into a regional center known for its historic architecture, outdoor recreation, and cultural heritage. The city takes its name from Durango, Mexico, a connection rooted in a chance encounter involving one of Colorado's early territorial governors. Today, Durango draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, anchored in part by the fame of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a historic line that once served the ore-processing industry and now carries tourists through dramatic mountain scenery.
Name and Origins
The city's name traces directly to its Mexican counterpart. According to the City of Durango, Colorado's former territorial governor A. C. Hunt was traveling through Durango, Mexico at the time when the name for the new Colorado town was being decided, and the name was adopted in honor of that journey.[1] The city grew rapidly after the arrival of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, which brought with it the infrastructure necessary to support the booming mining operations scattered across the surrounding mountains.
The settlement's early identity was inseparable from the extractive industries of the region. Ore from the mountains required processing, and Durango's location made it a natural staging ground for smelters and mills. This industrial foundation shaped the physical landscape of the city and left environmental legacies that persisted well into the twentieth century and beyond.
History
Railroad and Mining Era
Durango's founding is closely tied to the expansion of railroad networks into the American Southwest during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The arrival of rail service made it practical to transport heavy ore out of the San Juan Mountains and bring supplies and settlers into the region. Durango served as a supply and processing center, and the town grew quickly around that economic engine.
The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad was originally constructed to transport ore to local smelters.[2] The narrow gauge line connected Durango to the mining town of Silverton, winding through the Animas River canyon along a route that remains among the most scenically dramatic rail journeys in the United States. The railroad's engineering and historical significance have earned it recognition as a heritage landmark, and it continues to operate as a tourist attraction to this day.
Uranium Processing and the Durango Mill Site
One of the more consequential chapters in Durango's industrial history involves uranium and vanadium processing at a local mill. The Durango Mill operated from 1942 to 1963, producing both vanadium and uranium during a period when demand for these materials was driven largely by the United States' wartime and Cold War programs.[3] The mill's two decades of operation left behind significant volumes of radioactive tailings and contaminated structures within the town itself.
The U.S. Department of Energy initially considered addressing the site under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP), but ultimately determined that the contamination would be more appropriately handled under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act.[4] Cleanup was carried out under the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project (UMTRA).
The remediation effort resulted in the construction of a disposal cell near Bodo Canyon, in the hills above Durango. Built in the early 1990s, the cell was designed to contain approximately 2.5 million cubic yards of radioactive tailings along with debris and materials from the former mill site. The disposal cell covers 42 acres and stretches nearly half a mile in length. The surface of the cell is partially seeded with vegetation, though no plants larger than grass are permitted to grow there in order to maintain the integrity of the containment structure.[5]
The Durango Mill Site represents one of many locations across the American West where mid-twentieth century uranium processing left lasting environmental consequences. The site has been documented as part of broader investigations into the United States' nuclear legacy.
The Gold King Mine Spill
In August 2015, Durango became the focal point of national attention when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inadvertently triggered a large toxic water spill at the Gold King Mine, located upstream in the San Juan Mountains. The incident released a plume of orange and yellow mine drainage — laden with heavy metals including lead and arsenic — into Cement Creek and subsequently into the Animas River, which flows directly through Durango.[6] The spill prompted emergency declarations, temporarily shut down water intake systems, and drew criticism of the EPA's handling of legacy mine sites throughout the region. The dramatic visual of the river running an unnaturally vivid orange drew widespread media coverage and renewed debate about the environmental liabilities left behind by historic mining operations across Colorado and the broader West.
The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad stands as one of the city's most iconic features and a significant draw for heritage tourism. Originally built to serve the mining industry by transporting ore from the mountains to the smelters in Durango, the railroad has transitioned over the decades from a working industrial line to a celebrated tourist attraction. The railroad now transports more than 200,000 tourists annually, carrying passengers through the canyon of the Animas River on a route that has changed little since the line's nineteenth-century origins.[7]
The railroad's historical and architectural significance has been recognized by preservation authorities, and it remains among the most tangible connections to Durango's railroad and mining past. Steam locomotives continue to haul passenger cars along the narrow gauge tracks, offering visitors an experience closely tied to the region's industrial heritage.
Culture and Tourism
Durango has developed a reputation as a destination for outdoor recreation, history, and culture. The city's historic Main Avenue district retains much of its late nineteenth and early twentieth century character, with brick-fronted commercial buildings that reflect the town's origins as a prosperous railroad hub. Visitors can explore the area's history through local museums, guided tours, and the living heritage represented by the narrow gauge railroad.[8]
The surrounding landscape — encompassing portions of the San Juan National Forest, nearby Mesa Verde National Park, and the rugged peaks of the San Juan range — makes Durango a base for hiking, mountain biking, skiing, river rafting, and other outdoor pursuits. The Animas River running through the center of town provides both a scenic amenity and a recreational resource, though the river's history has been complicated by its location downstream from numerous legacy mining sites.
The city's cultural life includes a variety of musical events, festivals, and arts programming that draw both local residents and visitors from across the region. Durango's combination of natural setting, historic character, and outdoor access has made it a notable destination in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest.
Economy and Cost of Living
Durango's economy has diversified significantly from its mining-era roots. Tourism, healthcare, education, and retail trade form the backbone of the local economy, alongside outdoor recreation-related businesses. Fort Lewis College, located on a mesa above the city, adds an academic dimension to the local economy and contributes to the city's relatively young and active demographic profile.
Housing costs in Durango reflect its popularity as a destination and the limited supply of developable land in the mountain terrain surrounding the city. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Durango runs around $1,300 per month, though actual costs vary depending on location and housing type.[9] These costs place Durango at the higher end of the spectrum relative to many other Colorado communities outside major metropolitan areas such as Denver and Boulder.
Recent Events
In late 2025, Durango received national media attention following an altercation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and a protester, an incident that prompted the city's police chief to publicly push back on federal immigration enforcement tactics in the area.[10] The episode highlighted ongoing tensions in many smaller American cities over local versus federal authority in immigration enforcement, a debate that has extended well beyond Durango into municipalities across Colorado and the nation.
See Also
- Silverton, Colorado
- Animas River
- San Juan Mountains
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Four Corners
- Fort Lewis College