For thousands of years, the area now known asGlenwood Springs has been inhabited by Indigenous people.[10] Theoral history of the Kapuuta and Mouache bands recall that Glenwood Springs is located within the traditionalNuuchiu tuvupu (The People's Land) of the Subuagan andParianuche bands. Fred Conetah'sHistory of the Northern Utes[11] states that theYampa or White River bands used the area, which is now in theUte ancestral jurisdiction.[12] The Utes were nomadic hunter-gatherers who seasonally used the natural hot springs in the area. The U.S. government surveyed the land in the mid-19th century, although they had no claim on the land. An 1868 treaty negotiated by the Tabeguache Ute Chief Ouray preserved the hunting grounds in the area of present-day Glenwood Springs.[13]
Glenwood Springs was originally known as "Defiance" because its original white settlers squatted on theUte Indian Reservation. Defiance was a camp of tents, saloons, and brothels.
Garfield County was created on February 10, 1883, withCarbonate as the county seat. The mining town of Carbonate was located high in the remoteFlat Tops mountains. Isaac Cooper platted a legal settlement named Barlow at the confluence of theRoaring Fork River and theGrand River where Defiance had been, and the Barlow, Colorado, post office opened on June 25, 1883.[14] Garfield County voters moved the county seat to the much more accessible Barlow later that year.[15]
Isaac Cooper's wife Sarah had a hard time adjusting to thefrontier life and, in an attempt to make her environment somewhat more comfortable, persuaded the founders to change the name of Barlow to Glenwood Springs, after her hometown ofGlenwood, Iowa.[16] The Barlow post office was renamed Glenwood Springs, Colorado, on March 28, 1884,[14] and the Town of Glenwood Springs was incorporated on September 4, 1885.[5]
Glenwood Hot Springs Bathhouse, Glenwood Springs, built c. 1888
The location of Glenwood Springs, and its railroad stop, established a center of commerce in the area. The city has seen well-known visitors, including PresidentTeddy Roosevelt,[17][18] who spent a summer vacation living in the historicHotel Colorado.Doc Holliday, who was known for theO.K. Corral gunfight, spent the final months of his life in Glenwood Springs and is buried in the town's original Pioneer Cemetery above Bennett Avenue.Kid Curry is buried in the same location.
Glenwood Springs was one of the first places in the United States to have electric lights. The original lighting was installed in 1897 inside of the Fairy Caves in Iron Mountain. Later, a dam was built on theGrand River inGlenwood Canyon, providing water for theShoshone Hydroelectric Generating Station, which began producing power on May 16, 1909. On July 21, 1921, an Act of Congress changed the name of the Grand River to theColorado River. The Shoshone plant retains some of the largest and oldest water rights on the upper Colorado River,[19] the "Shoshone Call",[20] which is valuable for the protection of Colorado River water rather than the minimal electricity produced.[21]
Theserial killerTed Bundy was imprisoned in the Garfield County Jail until he escaped on the night of December 30, 1977, an escape which went undetected for 17 hours.[22]
Glenwood Springs is located in the narrow mountain valleys that host the confluence of theColorado River and theRoaring Fork River. The surrounding terrain is steeply contoured on all sides, containing several caves.[23] The geology of the area includesgeothermal activity, such as the local hot springs, but it is also evidenced through other features such as theDotseromaar. Occasional proposals to leverage the geothermal energy for other purposes arise.[24] Glenwood Springs has experienced several mudslides throughout its history, a threat mitigated somewhat by public works.[25]
Glenwood Springs is considered a walkable town byPBS[26] and Walking Magazine,[27] included in the Walking Town Hall of Fame.[28] Though the town's geography makes it a natural environment for pedestrians and cyclists, there are also trails running throughout[29] and around the city[30] that resulted from planning efforts that began in the 1980s in response to congestion and traffic.[31]
Due to civic planning during the early years of the city, Glenwood Springs owns some senior water rights to tributaries of the Colorado River.[32] Glenwood Springs water supply is sufficient for its population, unlike some areas of theAmerican West, conservation plans have been enacted anyway for largely environmental reasons.[33] The town's drinking water is supplied primarily through senior rights to major watersheds in theFlat Tops Wilderness Area, and thetap water is generally of safe quality.[34]
Mineral deposits exist further up theCrystal River and in the Roaring Fork area, and petroleum resources are ample in western Garfield County,[35] which brings tax revenue to Glenwood Springs. However, the town itself lies outside of theColorado Mineral Belt, and there are no mineral or oil and gas sources near Glenwood Springs proper or its watersheds.[35] While the paucity of minerals and oil was disastrous for early miners hoping to strike it rich, modern Glenwood Springs has none of the typical Colorado mountain town legacy of resource extraction,[36] generally good air quality,[37] water, and land.[38] However,valley inversions and heavy traffic toAspen can lead to air quality problems during exceptionally cold spells of winter.
At the2020 United States census, the city had a total area of 3,740 acres (15.136 km2), including 5.4 acres (0.022 km2) of water.[6]
Glenwood Springs has a generally continental steppe climate, much more consistently stable than that of theFront Range and most of Colorado, though still decidedly continental and prone to periods of extreme weather.Microclimates dominate Glenwood Springs, with areas close to the rivers often much more damp and cool than hillsides.
Climate data for Glenwood Springs (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1893–present)
As of the census[40] of 2000, there were 7,736 people, 3,216 households, and 1,926 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,611 inhabitants per square mile (622/km2). There were 3,353 housing units at an average density of 698.5 units per square mile (269.7 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.42%White, 0.23%African American, 0.71%Native American, 0.8%Asian, 0.08%Pacific Islander, 5.82% fromother races, and 1.94% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino people of any race were 13.3% of the population. 13.9% were ofGerman, 13.3%English, 12.9%Irish, 7.6%American and 7%Italian ancestry according toCensus 2000.
There were 3,216 households, out of which 30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $43,934, and the median income for a family was $52,903. Males had a median income of $38,506 versus $29,272 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,449. About 3.5% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Despite being an expensive area in which to live, Glenwood Springs has the highest life expectancy in America for 40-year-olds making working wages.[41][42]
Historical image of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, its baths and Hotel Colorado
Glenwood does not primarily serve as abedroom community. In 2020, it received stimulus money.[43] Due to severe geographic constraints,[33] if further population growth is to be accommodated, it must come primarily from multifamilyinfill development.[44][45]
Bloomberg Business named Glenwood Springs the seventh wealthiest small town in America in 2015,[46][47] due principally to the influence of Aspen.[citation needed] Glenwood Springs and Aspen share amicropolitan statistical area, and businesses often serve the entire Valley. Many small businesses start in the area due to the ambient wealth and a strong preference for local business, but they typically relocate to larger metropolitan areas after successful growth leads to needs for more affordable labor and physical resources.[48]
A ranch located in Glenwood Springs produces Red Delicious apples.[49]
Strawberry Days Festival, founded in 1898, is Colorado's oldest festival, and the oldest continuously held civic celebration west of theMississippi River.[51]
There are numerous hot springs in the area, including several facilities in town that range from 93 to 104 °F (34 to 40 °C) with varying mineral content.[52][12] Native Americans believe the springs had medicinal and magical qualities, and prior to 1800, theUtes believed the springs were sacred.[10]
Yampah Hot Springs vapor caves are underground geothermal steam baths, historically used by the Ute people as a source of rejuvenation and healing.[53] The vapor caves consist of three connecting rock chambers, and temperatures average 110 to 112 °F (43 to 44 °C).[citation needed]
St. Stephen Catholic School offers an elementary and middle school curriculum.[66] Also located in Glenwood Springs is Yampah Mountain School, which offers alternative education.
Colorado Mountain College is headquartered in Glenwood Springs, and maintains two campuses in the city: a commuter campus in downtown Glenwood Springs, and the Spring Valley residential campus just south of the city.[67] In 2022, CMC Glenwood Springs enrolled 1,908 students, while CMC Spring Valley enrolled 810 students.[68]
TheUniversity of Denver maintains its Western Colorado Master of Social Work program in Glenwood Springs. This program specifically focuses on training students to be social workers in rural communities.[69]
Glenwood Springs' principal news source is thePost Independent,[70] a local daily newspaper created by the merger of theGlenwood Post, with a history stretching back in various forms to 1889,[71] and a newer competitor, theGlenwood Independent. It has received numerous awards over the years,[72] including the 2016American Society of News Editors' Osborne Award for Editorial Leadership.[73] The newspaper and many of its reporters have been recognized by the Colorado Associated Press for a variety of distinctions.[74]
KMTS[75] provides localcountry radio along the Colorado River, andKSNO-FM[76] serves the Roaring Fork Valley.
Starting in August 2021, the Canada-based luxury rail excursion companyRocky Mountaineer has provided direct passenger rail service betweenMoab, Utah andDenver, Colorado (with an overnight stop in Glenwood Springs, Colorado) on itsRockies to the Red Rocks route.[79]
The local transportation authority isRoaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA, pronounced "rafta"). RFTA retains ownership of the land previously used for rail traffic to Aspen,[80] a source of occasional consternation in balancing development needs.[81] Proposals to introduce light rail to the valley remain unrealized[82] but were not found economically feasible.[83] VelociRFTA service described below currently serves that role,[84] but RFTA remains committed to realizing the light-rail vision.[85]
RFTA provides bus transit in Glenwood Springs and throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. VelociRFTA (pronounced "Veloci-rafta", a pun onvelociraptor)BRT service, the first rural BRT in the United States, began in September 2013, offering connections between south Glenwood Springs and Aspen roughly every 15 minutes with a 60-minute total travel time. Timetables vary by season, with different frequencies offered during spring, summer, autumn, and winter, to accommodate shifting seasonal demands.[86]
The city also operates an intracity bus service, Ride Glenwood.[87] Ride Glenwood offers a main route from the west side of town along the 6&24 corridor, through downtown, to the south part of Glenwood along Hwy 82.
^Stark, Laura (April 11, 2016)."Colorado's Rio Grande Trail". Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. RetrievedNovember 14, 2016.
^Stewart-Severy, Elizabeth (October 5, 2016)."RFTA looks for more funding". Aspen Public Radio.Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. RetrievedOctober 19, 2016.
