Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Pagosa Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat
of, and the only incorporated municipality
in, Archuleta County
, Colorado
, United States
. The population was 1,591 at the 2000 census
. Approximately 65 percent of county land is either San Juan National Forest
or Southern Ute Indian land
.
Pagosa Springs and the surrounding county are both experiencing a substantial influx of second-home owners; a 2006 property assessment indicates that 60% of area private properties are owned by non-residents.
Pagosa Springs is located approximately 35 miles (56 km) north of the New Mexico
border, nestled at 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) on the Western Slope
of the Continental Divide
. This combination of high desert plateau and dramatic Rocky Mountains to the north and east creates an unusually mild climate, especially in the summer months, when compared with much of the surrounding Southwest. Pagosa is favored with around 300 days of sun each year, as well as four distinct seasons.
The town is located in the upper San Juan Basin
, surrounded by the 3 million acre (12,000 km²) San Juan National Forest, and adjacent to the largest wilderness area in the state of Colorado, the Weminuche Wilderness
.
People gather at the Hot Springs, one of the largest and hottest natural springs in the world, and one which continues to be celebrated for its therapeutic powers. The Utes called the sulfur-rich mineral springs "Pah gosah" meaning "healing waters" and visitors from all over the world come to enjoy its hot baths. Some come to cure ailments, others to simply relax in the mineral-rich waters. The Hot Springs are a natural complement to the Pagosa Springs area's year round recreational activities, which include downhill and cross country skiing at nearby Wolf Creek ski area
. Snowmobiling in the forest service land is also quite popular. Summertime activities include fishing, hiking, and rafting. Come autumn, the area is a popular destination for hunters, who harvest elk, deer, and other game animals.
"Downtown Pagosa Springs" was the final destination for a duo of truckers in the 1975 country
song "Wolf Creek Pass" by C.W. McCall. U.S. Highway 160 from the pass to town goes through a vertical drop of around 5000 feet (1,524 m), and is described in the song as "hairpin county and switchback city".
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 4.41 square miles (11.4 km²), of which, 4.38 square miles (11.3 km²) of it is land and 0.03 square mile (0.0776996433 km²) of it (0.3%) is water.
of 2000, there were 1,591 people, 633 households, and 415 families residing in the town. The population density
was 363.1 people per square mile (140.2/km²). There were 746 housing units at an average density of 170.2 per square mile (65.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.61% White, 0.50% African American, 2.20% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 18.73% from other races
, and 3.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 43.18% of the population.
There were 633 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples
living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,469, and the median income for a family was $33,831. Males had a median income of $24,125 versus $21,406 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $15,355. About 11.9% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over.
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of, and the only incorporated municipality
Colorado municipalities
The U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
in, Archuleta County
Archuleta County, Colorado
Archuleta County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the county population was 12,386 in 2006, a 25.14% increase since U.S. Census 2000...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,591 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. Approximately 65 percent of county land is either San Juan National Forest
San Juan National Forest
The San Juan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering over 1,878,846 acres in Archuleta, Conjeos, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Rio Grande, San Miguel and San Juan Counties in western Colorado. It borders the Uncompahgre National Forest to the north and the Rio Grande...
or Southern Ute Indian land
Southern Ute Indian Reservation
The Southern Ute Indian Reservation lies in southwestern Colorado, USA, along the northern border of New Mexico. Its territory consists of land from three counties; in descending order of surface area they are La Plata, Archuleta, and Montezuma Counties. The reservation has a land area of 1,058.785...
.
Pagosa Springs and the surrounding county are both experiencing a substantial influx of second-home owners; a 2006 property assessment indicates that 60% of area private properties are owned by non-residents.
Pagosa Springs is located approximately 35 miles (56 km) north of the New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
border, nestled at 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) on the Western Slope
Colorado Western Slope
The Western Slope of Colorado refers to a region of the U.S. state of Colorado incorporating everything in the state west of the Continental Divide. The Colorado River and its tributaries divide the region into north and south at Grand Junction, Colorado...
of the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
. This combination of high desert plateau and dramatic Rocky Mountains to the north and east creates an unusually mild climate, especially in the summer months, when compared with much of the surrounding Southwest. Pagosa is favored with around 300 days of sun each year, as well as four distinct seasons.
The town is located in the upper San Juan Basin
San Juan Basin
The San Juan Basin is a geologic structural basin in the Four Corners region of the Southwestern United States; its main portion covers around , encompassing much of northwestern New Mexico, southwest Colorado, and parts of Arizona and Utah....
, surrounded by the 3 million acre (12,000 km²) San Juan National Forest, and adjacent to the largest wilderness area in the state of Colorado, the Weminuche Wilderness
Weminuche Wilderness
The Weminuche Wilderness is a wilderness area in southwest Colorado managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the San Juan National Forest on the west side of the Continental Divide and the Rio Grande National Forest on the east side of the divide. It is about 5 miles south east of...
.
People gather at the Hot Springs, one of the largest and hottest natural springs in the world, and one which continues to be celebrated for its therapeutic powers. The Utes called the sulfur-rich mineral springs "Pah gosah" meaning "healing waters" and visitors from all over the world come to enjoy its hot baths. Some come to cure ailments, others to simply relax in the mineral-rich waters. The Hot Springs are a natural complement to the Pagosa Springs area's year round recreational activities, which include downhill and cross country skiing at nearby Wolf Creek ski area
Wolf Creek ski area
Wolf Creek Ski Area is a ski area in southwest Colorado, located on the Wolf Creek Pass between Pagosa Springs and South Fork. It is best known for receiving more average annual snowfall than any other resort in Colorado, at about 465 inches per year....
. Snowmobiling in the forest service land is also quite popular. Summertime activities include fishing, hiking, and rafting. Come autumn, the area is a popular destination for hunters, who harvest elk, deer, and other game animals.
"Downtown Pagosa Springs" was the final destination for a duo of truckers in the 1975 country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
song "Wolf Creek Pass" by C.W. McCall. U.S. Highway 160 from the pass to town goes through a vertical drop of around 5000 feet (1,524 m), and is described in the song as "hairpin county and switchback city".
Geography
Pagosa Springs is located at 37°16′5"N 107°1′28"W (37.268032, -107.024554).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 4.41 square miles (11.4 km²), of which, 4.38 square miles (11.3 km²) of it is land and 0.03 square mile (0.0776996433 km²) of it (0.3%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,591 people, 633 households, and 415 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 363.1 people per square mile (140.2/km²). There were 746 housing units at an average density of 170.2 per square mile (65.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 74.61% White, 0.50% African American, 2.20% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 18.73% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 43.18% of the population.
There were 633 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,469, and the median income for a family was $33,831. Males had a median income of $24,125 versus $21,406 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $15,355. About 11.9% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 21.1% of those age 65 or over.
See also
- State of Colorado
- Colorado cities and towns
- Colorado municipalitiesColorado municipalitiesThe U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
- Colorado municipalities
- Colorado countiesColorado countiesThe U.S state of Colorado is divided into 64 counties. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions, such as townships...
- Archuleta County, ColoradoArchuleta County, ColoradoArchuleta County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the county population was 12,386 in 2006, a 25.14% increase since U.S. Census 2000...
- Archuleta County, Colorado
- Colorado cities and towns