Alamosa, Colorado | |
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.jpg) Downtown | |
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| Nickname: "Gateway to the Great Sand Dunes" | |
 Location of the City of Alamosa inAlamosa County, Colorado | |
  Alamosa Location of the City of Alamosa, Colorado. Show map of the United States Alamosa Alamosa (Colorado) Show map of Colorado | |
| Coordinates:37°28′10″N105°52′12″W / 37.4694°N 105.8700°W /37.4694; -105.8700[3] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Alamosa County seat[2] |
| Established | May 1878 |
| Incorporated | August 12, 1878[4] |
| Named after | The cottonwood trees along theRio Grande[5] |
| Government | |
| • Type | home rule city[1] |
| • Mayor | Ty Coleman[6] |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.97 sq mi (20.65 km2) |
| • Land | 7.90 sq mi (20.46 km2) |
| • Water | 0.073 sq mi (0.19 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,543 ft (2,299 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,806 |
| • Density | 184.0/sq mi (71.03/km2) |
| • Demonym | Alamosan |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| ZIP code | 81101, 81102[8] |
| Area code | 719 |
| GNIS pop ID | 203624 |
| GNIS city ID | 2409673 |
| FIPS code | 08-01090 |
| Website | cityofalamosa |
Alamosa is thehome rule city that is thecounty seat ofAlamosa County, Colorado, United States.[9][10] Alamosa is located along theRio Grande. The city population was 9,806 in the2020 United States census.[11] The city is the commercial center of theSan Luis Valley in south-centralColorado, and is the home ofAdams State University.
The Alamosa, Colorado, post office opened on March 12, 1878,[12] and the Town of Alamosa was incorporated on August 12, 1878.[4] The town was established by theDenver and Rio Grande Railroad and quickly became an important rail center.[13] Alamosa was the terminus of the D&RG until 1881, when the line was extended to Monte Vista.[14] The railroad had an extensive construction, repair, and shipping facility in Alamosa for many years and headquartered its remainingnarrow-gauge service here with trackage reaching many points throughout southwest Colorado and northernNew Mexico.Alamosa County was created on March 8, 1913, with Alamosa as its first and only seat.
Alamosa is now a notable tourist town with many nearby attractions, including theGreat Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve,Colorado Gators Reptile Park, and theRio Grande Scenic Railroad. The town hosts "Summer Fest on the Rio" which occurs the first weekend in June, the Early Iron car show over the Labor Day weekend, and "Weekends on the Rio" on various Sundays throughout the summer[15] The city takes its name from theSpanishadjectiveAlamosa, meaning "ofcottonwood", for the cottonwood forests which grow along theRio Grande and throughout town.[5]
Alamosa is located at the junction of U.S. Routes160 and285. At the2020 United States census, the city had a total area of 4,910 acres (19.871 km2) including 47 acres (0.192 km2) of water.[11]
Alamosa is located along theRio Grande in the San Luis Valley, in the highest general agricultural land in the United States. Elevation is about 7,544 feet (2,299 m) in Alamosa with peaks over 14,000 feet (4,300 m) within 23 miles (37 km) of town in theSangre de Cristo Range.
Alamosa is the gateway city to theGreat Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
Alamosa features acold desert climate (KöppenBWk) with long, cold winters and warm summers, and dry weather year-round. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 16.3 °F (−8.7 °C) in January to 64.6 °F (18.1 °C) in July. Annual precipitation is only 7.31 inches (186 mm), with the months of July through September being the wettest. The aridity depresses normal seasonal (July through June of the following year) snowfall to 27.6 inches (70 cm).
The altitude and dryness of the air causeday–night temperature differences to be severe year-round, averaging 35.4 °F (19.7 °C) throughout the year. There was a long-term annual average of 227 days per year with a minimum of 32 °F (0 °C) or less.[16] In the 1981–2010 period, there was an average of 46 nights with minima at or below 0 °F (−18 °C).
On July 10, 2020, Alamosa made weather history by measuring a record low temperature 37 °F (2.8 °C) and a record high temperature 92 °F (33.3 °C) in less than 12 hours.[17]
| Climate data for Alamosa, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1906–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 63 (17) | 66 (19) | 76 (24) | 82 (28) | 90 (32) | 95 (35) | 96 (36) | 91 (33) | 89 (32) | 81 (27) | 71 (22) | 63 (17) | 96 (36) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 48.7 (9.3) | 53.7 (12.1) | 67.0 (19.4) | 73.2 (22.9) | 81.4 (27.4) | 89.2 (31.8) | 90.0 (32.2) | 87.1 (30.6) | 83.2 (28.4) | 75.4 (24.1) | 63.0 (17.2) | 50.5 (10.3) | 91.0 (32.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.8 (1.6) | 41.2 (5.1) | 52.7 (11.5) | 60.2 (15.7) | 69.8 (21.0) | 80.2 (26.8) | 83.3 (28.5) | 80.5 (26.9) | 74.4 (23.6) | 62.8 (17.1) | 48.5 (9.2) | 35.4 (1.9) | 60.3 (15.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.8 (−8.4) | 24.3 (−4.3) | 35.2 (1.8) | 42.6 (5.9) | 51.7 (10.9) | 60.6 (15.9) | 65.3 (18.5) | 63.2 (17.3) | 55.9 (13.3) | 43.8 (6.6) | 30.3 (−0.9) | 18.1 (−7.7) | 42.3 (5.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −1.1 (−18.4) | 7.4 (−13.7) | 17.6 (−8.0) | 25.0 (−3.9) | 33.6 (0.9) | 40.9 (4.9) | 47.3 (8.5) | 45.8 (7.7) | 37.3 (2.9) | 24.8 (−4.0) | 12.1 (−11.1) | 0.8 (−17.3) | 24.3 (−4.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −17.6 (−27.6) | −11.8 (−24.3) | 1.2 (−17.1) | 10.9 (−11.7) | 21.1 (−6.1) | 30.7 (−0.7) | 38.5 (3.6) | 36.9 (2.7) | 24.4 (−4.2) | 8.2 (−13.2) | −5.0 (−20.6) | −15.0 (−26.1) | −21.6 (−29.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −50 (−46) | −35 (−37) | −18 (−28) | −6 (−21) | 11 (−12) | 23 (−5) | 28 (−2) | 29 (−2) | 15 (−9) | −9 (−23) | −30 (−34) | −42 (−41) | −50 (−46) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.32 (8.1) | 0.28 (7.1) | 0.51 (13) | 0.57 (14) | 0.60 (15) | 0.43 (11) | 1.04 (26) | 1.29 (33) | 0.98 (25) | 0.65 (17) | 0.37 (9.4) | 0.35 (8.9) | 7.39 (187.5) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.5 (11) | 4.0 (10) | 4.3 (11) | 3.6 (9.1) | 0.9 (2.3) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.9 (4.8) | 3.5 (8.9) | 4.7 (12) | 27.4 (69.1) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 8.4 | 9.9 | 6.5 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 64.5 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 21.4 |
| Source: NOAA[18][19] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 802 | — | |
| 1890 | 973 | 21.3% | |
| 1900 | 1,141 | 17.3% | |
| 1910 | 3,013 | 164.1% | |
| 1920 | 3,171 | 5.2% | |
| 1930 | 5,107 | 61.1% | |
| 1940 | 5,613 | 9.9% | |
| 1950 | 5,354 | −4.6% | |
| 1960 | 6,205 | 15.9% | |
| 1970 | 6,985 | 12.6% | |
| 1980 | 6,830 | −2.2% | |
| 1990 | 7,579 | 11.0% | |
| 2000 | 7,960 | 5.0% | |
| 2010 | 8,780 | 10.3% | |
| 2020 | 9,806 | 11.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 3,834 | 39.1% |
| Black or African American | 193 | 1.97% |
| Native American | 151 | 1.54% |
| Asian | 121 | 1.23% |
| Pacific Islander | 17 | 0.17% |
| Other/Mixed | 274 | 2.79% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 5,216 | 53.19% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 9,806 people, 3,828 households, and 1,935 families residing in the city.
According to city-data.com from 2014 there were 9,531 people, 2,974 households, and 1,769 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,995.0 inhabitants per square mile (770.3/km2). There were 3,215 housing units at an average density of 805.8 per square mile (311.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 44.5%White, 2.6%Black orAfrican American, 2.20%Native American, 1.7%Asian, 1.3%Pacific Islander, 0.3% fromother races, and 0.9% from two or more races. 49.00% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 2,974 households, out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 21.8% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,593, and the median income for a family was $33,017. Males had a median income of $27,100 versus $22,671 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,405. About 18.1% of families and 25.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.4% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.
Alamosa is ahome rule municipality like many other Colorado towns. The city council has six members, four elected from wards and two at large. The council has authority to make, change, and repeal laws and ordinances. The city elects a mayor-at-large on a non-partisan ballot. The current mayor of Alamosa is Ty Coleman.
Alamosa Public Schools are part of theAlamosa School District RE-11J, and include Alamosa Elementary School, Ortega Middle School, andAlamosa High School. Robert Alejo is the Superintendent of Schools.[21]
Adams State University, founded in 1921 as a teacher's college, offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. Graduate level programs emphasize teaching and education, art, history and business with many of the courses available online. In 2015, the college reached an all-time high enrollment of 3,701 students. The university's location in Alamosa, with an elevation of about 7,800 ft above sea level, attracts many athletes (especially runners) to the school's athletic program. In 2014, ASU added a cycling program.[22]
The schools in Alamosa were the subject to theeducational segregation lawsuit,Maestas vs. George H. Shone.[23]
Alamosa is on theRio Grande River, which is crossed by two auto bridges, one pedestrian bridge and one rail bridge in town. Auto traffic is served byU.S. Highway 160 running east and west andU.S. Highway 285 andState Highway 17 running north and south. Alamosa is served by theColorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad andBustang. The local airport isSan Luis Valley Regional Airport. Alamosa is part of Colorado'sBustang network. It is on the Alamosa-Pueblo Outrider line.[24]
Alamosa is the shopping center for the San Luis Valley and has several national and regional stores. There are a number offast food restaurants, two medical clinics, and a regional hospital,San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center.
Adams State University is located in Alamosa. ASU is a four-year, state-supported university founded in 1921 and offering degrees in several fields including business and education.
Trinidad State College has a campus situated in Alamosa. They offer 2-year degrees in gunsmithing, aquaculture, cosmetology, welding and nursing, as well as traditional arts and sciences classes like English, physics and chemistry.
Media from Commons
Travel information from WikivoyageMunicipalities and communities ofAlamosa County, Colorado,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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