Steamboat Springs, Colorado | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Steamboat Springs in May 2006 with the ski area in the background | |
| Nickname: Ski Town USA | |
 Location of the City of Steamboat Springs inRoutt County, Colorado | |
  Steamboat Springs Location of the City of Steamboat Springs in Colorado Show map of Colorado Steamboat Springs Location of the City of Steamboat Springs in theUnited States Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:40°28′22″N106°48′59″W / 40.47278°N 106.81639°W /40.47278; -106.81639 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | Routt County[2] |
| City | Steamboat Springs[1] |
| Incorporated | July 19, 1900[3] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home rule municipality[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.90 sq mi (25.64 km2) |
| • Land | 9.89 sq mi (25.61 km2) |
| • Water | 0.012 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,867 ft (2,093 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 13,224 |
| • Density | 1,337/sq mi (516.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP Codes[7] | 80477, 80487, 80488 |
| Area code | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-73825 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411976[5] |
| Website | City Website |
Steamboat Springs is ahome rule municipality that is thecounty seat of and themost populous municipality inRoutt County, Colorado, United States.[8] The population was 13,224 at the2020 census.[9] Steamboat Springs is the principal city of the Steamboat Springs Micropolitan Statistical Area, and it is the largest city in northwestern Colorado.
The city is a winter ski resort destination, including theSteamboat Ski Resort onMount Werner in thePark Range just east of the town and the much smallerHowelsen Hill Ski Area. Steamboat Springs has produced more athletes for theWinter Olympics than any other town in North America.[10]
Steamboat Springs – known colloquially as "The Boat" – is located in the upper valley of theYampa River, alongU.S. Highway 40, just west of theContinental Divide andRabbit Ears Pass. It is located approximately 150 miles northwest ofDenver, and sits approximately 45 miles south of theWyoming border.[11] It is served bySteamboat Springs Airport (general aviation) and commercial service at nearbyYampa Valley Airport.
The area surrounding Steamboat Springs was originally inhabited by the Yampatika band of theUtes, who hunted in the valley during the summer.Trappers began to move through the area during the first decades of the 19th century.James Harvey Crawford, the founder of Steamboat Springs, first arrived in the spring of 1874. The Crawford family moved there in 1876, and for the first five years were the sole permanent white residents of the town. The native Utes were forcibly removed from the area to areservation inUtah by the U.S. Army starting in 1879. Milestones in the development of the pioneer town included the first sawmill in 1873, incorporation of the town in 1900, and the arrival of the railroad in 1909. The economy of the region was originally based on ranching and mining, which still have a large presence in the county.[12][13][14]
Steamboat is home to several natural hot springs that are located throughout the area (see Geography). Upon first hearing a chugging sound, early trappers believed that a steamboat was coming down the river. When the trappers saw that there was no steamboat, and that the sound was coming from a hot spring, they decided to name the spring Steamboat Spring.[15]
Originally,skiing was the only method of transportation during harsh and snowy Rocky Mountain winters. In turn, the popularity of skiing as a winter pastime catalyzed development of the town and other communities all over theRocky Mountains. In 1913,Carl Howelsen, a Norwegian, moved to town and introduced ski jumping. Howelsen built the first jump on Howelsen Hill, now part of theHowelsen Ski Area. He also founded the annual Winter Carnival, a celebration still held each winter. The festival includes ski racing and jumping, dog sledding, and chariot events down Lincoln Avenue, the city's main street. Light shows on both Mount Werner and Howelsen Hill are highlights. Howelsen also founded theSteamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and built the town's first ski jumps. The oldest continually operating ski area in North America, Howelsen Hill, now bears his name and is one of just three complete ski jumping complexes in the United States.
The Steamboat Ski Resort was largely established by two local men, Jim Temple and John Fetcher. Temple led the effort to develop the area. Fetcher, a local rancher, was the main designer and builder. The resort opened on what was then called Storm Mountain in 1963.
In 1974, The Industrial Company (TIC) was started in Steamboat Springs and has since grown into one of the largest industrial construction companies in the United States with revenues of approximately $2 billion in 2007. The company is one of the largest employers in Routt County and has more than 9,000 employees worldwide.TIC - The Industrial Company was acquired by Kiewit Engineering and all operations except the Training Center moved elsewhere (Denver, etc.).[citation needed][date missing]The main TIC complex on Routt County Road 129 has been acquired by Yampa Valley Electric Association as their new headquarters, with extensive renovation. This property provides ample areas for offices, vehicle maintenance, and construction laydown activities.[citation needed]
In 1993, the City Council of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, conducted a poll of its residents to choose a new name for the bridge that crossed the Yampa River on Shield Drive. With 7,717 votes, the winning name was "James Brown Soul Center of the Universe Bridge". The bridge was officially dedicated in September 1993, and James Brown appeared at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the event.[16]
Historic buildings in Steamboat Springs include:
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Steamboat Springs, Colorado" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.1 square miles (26 km2), all of it land except for the Yampa River.
The Yampa Valley and surrounding area contain several geothermalhot springs. The city is named after the Steamboat Spring, located near the present-day library and the old train depot. The spring itself was so named because its bubbling sounded like a steamboat to early settlers.
Though there are no steamboats in the town, except for an allegorical "steamboat" playground in West Lincoln Park which was designed to resemble a steamboat and has since been mostly torn down. The area offers hot springs that are open to the public.
TheYampa River flows through the middle of town.
According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Steamboat Springs has awarm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Steamboat Springs was 100 °F (37.8 °C) on June 29, 1990, while the coldest temperature recorded was −54 °F (−47.8 °C) on January 7, 1913.
| Climate data for Steamboat Springs, Colorado (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 57 (14) | 59 (15) | 70 (21) | 79 (26) | 95 (35) | 100 (38) | 99 (37) | 98 (37) | 93 (34) | 89 (32) | 72 (22) | 64 (18) | 100 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 42.5 (5.8) | 48.4 (9.1) | 60.1 (15.6) | 71.7 (22.1) | 79.6 (26.4) | 86.4 (30.2) | 90.5 (32.5) | 89.4 (31.9) | 85.1 (29.5) | 76.0 (24.4) | 62.3 (16.8) | 45.6 (7.6) | 91.4 (33.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 29.2 (−1.6) | 34.3 (1.3) | 44.8 (7.1) | 54.4 (12.4) | 65.1 (18.4) | 75.9 (24.4) | 83.1 (28.4) | 81.5 (27.5) | 73.5 (23.1) | 59.3 (15.2) | 42.9 (6.1) | 30.4 (−0.9) | 56.2 (13.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.9 (−8.4) | 21.1 (−6.1) | 31.2 (−0.4) | 40.5 (4.7) | 49.6 (9.8) | 57.6 (14.2) | 64.5 (18.1) | 62.8 (17.1) | 54.6 (12.6) | 42.7 (5.9) | 29.7 (−1.3) | 18.3 (−7.6) | 40.8 (4.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 4.6 (−15.2) | 7.9 (−13.4) | 17.6 (−8.0) | 26.7 (−2.9) | 34.0 (1.1) | 39.2 (4.0) | 45.8 (7.7) | 44.2 (6.8) | 35.7 (2.1) | 26.1 (−3.3) | 16.4 (−8.7) | 6.3 (−14.3) | 25.4 (−3.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −17.1 (−27.3) | −13.5 (−25.3) | −1.3 (−18.5) | 12.2 (−11.0) | 22.2 (−5.4) | 29.9 (−1.2) | 36.5 (2.5) | 35.3 (1.8) | 24.5 (−4.2) | 11.4 (−11.4) | −3.7 (−19.8) | −14.9 (−26.1) | −22.1 (−30.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −54 (−48) | −48 (−44) | −34 (−37) | −15 (−26) | 8 (−13) | 16 (−9) | 21 (−6) | 20 (−7) | 6 (−14) | −16 (−27) | −28 (−33) | −44 (−42) | −54 (−48) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.46 (62) | 1.92 (49) | 1.58 (40) | 2.54 (65) | 2.65 (67) | 1.58 (40) | 1.72 (44) | 1.80 (46) | 2.32 (59) | 2.22 (56) | 1.93 (49) | 1.96 (50) | 24.68 (627) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 46.6 (118) | 35.7 (91) | 19.5 (50) | 13.2 (34) | 2.8 (7.1) | 0.3 (0.76) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (1.0) | 6.9 (18) | 23.3 (59) | 35.8 (91) | 184.5 (469.86) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 30.5 (77) | 35.0 (89) | 27.9 (71) | 7.5 (19) | 1.4 (3.6) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.3 (0.76) | 3.9 (9.9) | 9.9 (25) | 21.0 (53) | 37.7 (96) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 14.8 | 13.4 | 10.6 | 12.5 | 12.7 | 8.3 | 9.4 | 11.7 | 9.5 | 9.3 | 10.4 | 13.4 | 136.0 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 14.9 | 14.3 | 8.7 | 6.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 8.8 | 14.0 | 72.7 |
| Source: NOAA[17][18] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 1,227 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,249 | 1.8% | |
| 1930 | 1,198 | −4.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,613 | 34.6% | |
| 1950 | 1,913 | 18.6% | |
| 1960 | 1,843 | −3.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,340 | 27.0% | |
| 1980 | 5,098 | 117.9% | |
| 1990 | 6,695 | 31.3% | |
| 2000 | 9,815 | 46.6% | |
| 2010 | 12,088 | 23.2% | |
| 2020 | 13,224 | 9.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[19] | |||
As of thecensus[20] of 2010, there were 12,088 people, 5,201 households, and 2,275 families residing in the city. There were 9,966 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 94%White, 0.6%Asian, 0.8%African American, 0.4%Native American, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 0.7% fromother races, and 2.5% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 8.5% of the population.[21]
There were 4,201 households, out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.6% were non-families. Additionally, 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.81.
The median age of Steamboat's population was 36.5 years. By sex, the population was 54.2 percent male, 45.8 percent female.
The median income for a household in the city was $54,647, and the median income for a family was $65,685. Males had a median income of $35,536 versus $28,244 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $31,695. About 2.7% of families and 7.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
Steamboat Springs has a severe housing shortage.[22][23] The median housing price for a single family home was $829,000 in 2022, which is up from $529,000 in 2019.[22] Rent for a one-bedroom apartment is around $2,100.[22]
Attempts to increase housing supply in Steamboat Springs have been blocked by residents. In 2010, the city council approved a plan to build thousands of condominiums in Steamboat Springs, but residents put the plan up for a ballot initiative where it was soundly defeated.[22] In 2024, a plan to build nearly 2,300 affordable housing units intended for priced-out workers in Steamboat Springs was blocked by residents in a ballot initiative.[23]
Steamboat Springs is served by Steamboat Springs School District RE-2. The district is home to seven schools:[24]
The city is also home to the Steamboat Springs campus ofColorado Mountain College.[25] CMC Steamboat Springs is notable for being the only college in the United States offering a degree in Ski & Snowboard Business, which focuses on the retail, manufacturing, and marketing of snowsports.[26] In 2022, CMC Steamboat Springs enrolled 2,050 students.[27]
Steamboat Springs offers skiing opportunities and has been the locale for skiing competitions including the1989 and1990 Alpine Skiing World Cup.[citation needed]
The Yampa river is a location for water sports like fishing, rafting, tubing, and kayaking (playboating). The 4-mile (6.4 km)grade II-III[28] whitewater run through town ends with two surfableholes. One is calledD-Hole; the other one—near the library, close to the Steamboat Spring—is namedCharlie's Hole orC-Hole for short, after local kayaker Charlie Beavers (1981–2002). Beavers started kayaking at age 12,[29] was the first to explore a number of rivers ("first descents"),[30] and successfully contended in playboating competitions. He died in a non-boating accident in 2002. The hole[31] and some kayaking events[32] were dedicated to him.
Every year on the first weekend of June, Steamboat Springs organizes theYampa River Festival. It includes a kayak rodeo (i.e., a playboating competition) which attracts national and international world class playboaters. Additional events include, but are not limited to, a downriver race which is Colorado's only upstream slalom race, and the Crazy River Dog Contest, in which dogs retrieve sticks from the river and may pass a whitewater section.[33]
The defunct ski areaStagecoach is about twenty miles (32 km) south of Steamboat. It lasted two ski seasons, closing in 1974.
Steamboat Springs has twosister cities, as designated bySister Cities International:
Saas-Fee,Valais, Switzerland
San Martín de los Andes,Neuquén, Argentina
Steamboat Springs travel guide from Wikivoyage
Municipalities and communities ofRoutt County, Colorado,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
