San Luis, Colorado San Luis de la Culebra | |
|---|---|
 Entering San Luis from the west | |
| Motto: The Oldest Town in Colorado | |
 Location of San Luis in Costilla County, Colorado. | |
  San Luis  San Luis | |
| Coordinates:37°12′09″N105°25′21″W / 37.20250°N 105.42250°W /37.20250; -105.42250 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  State of Colorado |
| County[1] | Costilla County –seat[2] |
| Established | April 9, 1851 |
| Incorporated | 1885 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory Town[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.57 sq mi (1.47 km2) |
| • Land | 0.57 sq mi (1.47 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,989 ft (2,435 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 598 |
| • Density | 1,050/sq mi (407/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code[6] | 81152 |
| Area code | 719 |
| FIPS code | 08-68105 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413253[4] |
| Website | townofsanluisco |
San Luis is astatutory town that is thecounty seat of and the most populous town inCostilla County, Colorado, United States.[7] Formerly known asSan Luis de la Culebra, it is the oldest continuously occupied town in Colorado.[8] The population was 598 at the2020 census.[5]
The Town of San Luis is centuries younger than thepueblos and villages of northernNew Mexico becauseHispanic settlers were wary of venturing north of the37th parallel north for fear ofUte andComanche raids. Armed traders traveled theOld Spanish Trail through the area in the early 19th century. In 1821, theTreaty of Córdoba recognized the independence of Mexico from theSpanish Empire. San Luis was in theSangre de Cristo Land Grant awarded by the government of New Mexico to theCarlos Beaubien family in 1843. TheTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo annexed northern Mexico to the United States in 1848, and theCompromise of 1850 created the U.S.Territory of New Mexico.
Hispanic settlers from theTaos Valley established several small villages along theRio Culebra in theSan Luis Valley and officially took possession of this portion of theSangre de Cristo Land Grant on April 9, 1851.[9] The settlers built a church in the central village ofLa Plaza Medio. They dedicated it on theFeast of Saint Louis, June 21, 1851, renaming the villageSan Luis de la Culebra in honor of the saint.
TheUnited States Army establishedFort Massachusetts in 1852 andFort Garland in 1858 to provide protection for the settlers in the valley. The village of San Luis remained part of theTerritory of New Mexico until 1861 when theTerritory of Colorado was established. San Luis became theseat ofCostilla County in 1863, and remains so to this day.Colonel Christopher "Kit" Carson, Commander of Fort Garland, negotiated a treaty with theUte people in 1867. Colorado became a state in 1876 and the Town of San Luis was incorporated in 1885. Today, San Luis is the oldest continuously inhabited town in the State of Colorado.[10]
APueblo Chieftain article dated June 8, 1872, describes the three stores of San Luis as kept by Fred Meyer & Co,Auguste Lacome and Mazers & Rich in addition to a blacksmith, butcher, beer saloon, carpenter and two hotels.
Today, the town is renowned for itsStations of the Cross ascending the 250-foot high local mesa. Visitors can ascend the hill using a half-mile trail and visit each of the stations, or drive to the top and park near a chapel located at the end of the trail.[11] The town celebrates theFiesta de Santiago y Santa Ana each July and the San Luis Manito Christmas celebration in December.
The town of San Luis lies in theSan Luis Valley.Colorado State Highway 159 leads north 15 miles (24 km) toFort Garland andU.S. Route 160, and south 18 miles (29 km) to theNew Mexico border.Highway 142 leads west 31 miles (50 km) toManassa.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.54 square miles (1.4 km2), all of it land.[12]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 781 | — | |
| 1980 | 842 | 7.8% | |
| 1990 | 800 | −5.0% | |
| 2000 | 739 | −7.6% | |
| 2010 | 629 | −14.9% | |
| 2020 | 598 | −4.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Municipalities and communities ofCostilla County, Colorado,United States | ||
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| Towns |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
