Walsenburg, Colorado La Plaza de los Leones (Plaza of the Leons) | |
|---|---|
 Walsenburg with theSpanish Peaks in the background. | |
 Location of the City of Walsenburg inHuerfano County, Colorado. | |
  Walsenburg Location of the City of Walsenburg in theUnited States. | |
| Coordinates:37°37′36″N104°46′44″W / 37.62667°N 104.77889°W /37.62667; -104.77889 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | Huerfano County[2] |
| City | Walsenburg[1] |
| Incorporated | June 16, 1873[3] |
| Named after | Fred Walsen |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory City[1] |
| • Mayor | Gary M. Vezzani[4] |
| • City administrator | Roger Tinklenberg[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.99 sq mi (7.74 km2) |
| • Land | 2.99 sq mi (7.74 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,300 ft (1,900 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 3,049 |
| • Density | 1,020/sq mi (394/km2) |
| Demonym | Walsenburger |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code[8] | 81089 |
| Area code | 719 |
| FIPS code | 08-82350 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412176[6] |
| Website | www |
Walsenburg is thestatutory city that is thecounty seat of and themost populous municipality inHuerfano County,Colorado,United States.[9][10] The city population was 3,049 at the2020 census,[11] down from 3,068 in 2010.
Walsenburg was originally settled under the name of La Plaza de los Leones in 1859. The settlement was named after settler Don Miguel Antonio de Leon, who came along with others from New Mexico.A post office called Walsenburg has been in operation since 1870.[12] The community was named after Fred Walsen, an early settler.[13]Robert Ford, the famous gunman, operated a combination saloon and gambling house in Walsenburg; his home at 320 West 7th Street still stands.[14] The town is also remembered in sports history due to a famous newspaper gaffe ("Will Overhead") after the1933 Indianapolis 500.[15][16][17]
Walsenburg played a central role in the 1913-1914 Strike of theUnited Mine Workers of America against theRockefeller-ownedColorado Fuel and Iron, an event better known as theColorado Coalfield War. The town was the site of aColorado and Southern Railway stop and location of several gun-battles before and after the April 20, 1914Ludlow Massacre that killed over a dozen women and children whenColorado National Guard opened fire on a striker encampment atLudlow, 22 miles south of Walsenburg. Among the first instances of violence in Walsenburg during the coal strikes is known as the Seventh Street Massacre, which saw three miners die in a shooting perpetrated by newly minted Walsenburg deputies.[18]
The Battle of Walsenburg (April 28–29, 1914) was the penultimate engagement of National Guard and militia against pro-strikers during the10-Day War stage of the conflict.[19] Several men on both sides, as well as at least one uninvolved civilian, were killed before strikers withdrew.
Walsenburg is mentioned in theWoody Guthrie song "Ludlow Massacre".[20]
In 1927 the coal mines in Walsenburg were one of the many shutdown during the statewide strike led by theIWW.[21]
On June 19, 2013,Boy Scouts at Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch noticed an uncontrolled fire nearEast Spanish Peak which rapidly grew over the next few days, growing into theEast Peak Fire. The entirety of Walsenburg was placed under a pre-evacuation notice. The fire burned 13,572 acres (54.92 km2) and was contained on July 9.[22]
Walsenburg is located in east-central Huerfano County, on the north side of theCucharas River, at the eastern edge of the foothills of theSangre de Cristo Mountains.Interstate 25 runs along the eastern edge of the city, with access from Exits 49, 50, and 52. I-25 leads north 48 miles (77 km) toPueblo and south 36 miles (58 km) toTrinidad.U.S. Route 160 passes through the center of Walsenburg, leading west across North La Veta Pass 72 miles (116 km) toAlamosa and south with I-25 to Trinidad.Colorado State Highway 10 leads northeast from Walsenburg 73 miles (117 km) toLa Junta.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Walsenburg has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.2 km2), all of it land.[11]
TheSpanish Peaks Regional Health Center is located 2 miles (3 km) west of Walsenburg on US 160, opposite the entrance toLathrop State Park. The building houses a state-operated veterans' retirement home and a community hospital that serves the area.
Walsenburg has ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) with hot, rainy summers with cool nights and cool snowy winters with chilly nights.
| Climate data for Walsenburg, Colorado (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1934–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 78 (26) | 75 (24) | 81 (27) | 87 (31) | 98 (37) | 101 (38) | 106 (41) | 99 (37) | 98 (37) | 92 (33) | 91 (33) | 79 (26) | 106 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 65.6 (18.7) | 66.1 (18.9) | 74.2 (23.4) | 79.5 (26.4) | 87.0 (30.6) | 95.0 (35.0) | 96.4 (35.8) | 93.7 (34.3) | 90.4 (32.4) | 83.3 (28.5) | 72.9 (22.7) | 65.1 (18.4) | 97.3 (36.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 47.3 (8.5) | 49.3 (9.6) | 57.1 (13.9) | 63.4 (17.4) | 72.5 (22.5) | 83.5 (28.6) | 87.4 (30.8) | 85.1 (29.5) | 79.2 (26.2) | 68.4 (20.2) | 55.9 (13.3) | 46.5 (8.1) | 66.3 (19.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 34.0 (1.1) | 35.4 (1.9) | 42.1 (5.6) | 48.5 (9.2) | 57.6 (14.2) | 67.7 (19.8) | 72.5 (22.5) | 70.6 (21.4) | 63.6 (17.6) | 52.5 (11.4) | 41.8 (5.4) | 33.4 (0.8) | 51.6 (10.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 20.7 (−6.3) | 21.5 (−5.8) | 27.2 (−2.7) | 33.6 (0.9) | 42.7 (5.9) | 51.8 (11.0) | 57.5 (14.2) | 56.2 (13.4) | 48.0 (8.9) | 36.6 (2.6) | 27.7 (−2.4) | 20.4 (−6.4) | 37.0 (2.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −1.3 (−18.5) | 0.1 (−17.7) | 9.1 (−12.7) | 18.3 (−7.6) | 29.6 (−1.3) | 41.5 (5.3) | 49.8 (9.9) | 48.3 (9.1) | 34.9 (1.6) | 19.7 (−6.8) | 9.0 (−12.8) | −2.5 (−19.2) | −7.7 (−22.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −36 (−38) | −25 (−32) | −14 (−26) | −2 (−19) | 14 (−10) | 30 (−1) | 41 (5) | 37 (3) | 21 (−6) | −2 (−19) | −19 (−28) | −27 (−33) | −36 (−38) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.83 (21) | 0.82 (21) | 1.72 (44) | 2.26 (57) | 1.82 (46) | 1.28 (33) | 2.24 (57) | 2.15 (55) | 0.85 (22) | 1.31 (33) | 1.00 (25) | 1.01 (26) | 17.29 (439) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.5 (27) | 12.8 (33) | 17.4 (44) | 15.1 (38) | 2.0 (5.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.5 (1.3) | 7.2 (18) | 12.7 (32) | 13.4 (34) | 91.6 (233) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 4.2 | 5.1 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 7.7 | 6.3 | 9.9 | 10.5 | 5.7 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 77.5 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 4.2 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 3.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 28.8 |
| Source:NOAA[23][24] | |||||||||||||
Lathrop State Park, located 2 miles (3 km) west of the Walsenburg city limits, is Colorado's first state park and is over 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) in size. Martin Lake and Horseshoe Lake offer fishing stocked byColorado Parks and Wildlife, water skiing, boating, and jet skiing. Hiking and camping are other activities in the park, and it is the only state park in Colorado with a golf course.[25]
TheSpanish Peaks, 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Walsenburg are anational natural landmark[26] and have been named one of "Colorado's Seven Wonders" byThe Denver Post.The Highway of Legends, connecting Walsenburg withLa Veta, other historic mining towns, andTrinidad, is aNational Scenic Byway.
The Walsenburg Golf Course is a 9-hole public golf course open for play year round. The city opened a $2 million water park, "Walsenburg Wild Waters", after efforts by former mayor Maurice Brau and the city council, on May 27, 2007.[27] However, the water park has been closed since about 2020.[28]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 377 | — | |
| 1890 | 928 | 146.2% | |
| 1900 | 1,033 | 11.3% | |
| 1910 | 2,423 | 134.6% | |
| 1920 | 3,565 | 47.1% | |
| 1930 | 5,503 | 54.4% | |
| 1940 | 5,855 | 6.4% | |
| 1950 | 5,596 | −4.4% | |
| 1960 | 5,071 | −9.4% | |
| 1970 | 4,329 | −14.6% | |
| 1980 | 3,945 | −8.9% | |
| 1990 | 3,300 | −16.3% | |
| 2000 | 4,182 | 26.7% | |
| 2010 | 3,068 | −26.6% | |
| 2020 | 3,049 | −0.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Walsenburg lies inHuerfano School District Re-1,[29] one of two school districts in Huerfano County. The district operates two schools in Walsenburg. Peakview School offersPre-K throughsixth grade, and Walsenburg Jr. Sr. High School (formerly John Mall High School) offersseventh throughtwelfth grades.[30] In the 2024-2025 school year, Walsenburg Jr. Sr. High School had 174 students and a student:teacher ratio of 29:1. Minority enrollment was 66%, with a majority Hispanic.[31]
Walsenburg is also home to a satellite campus ofColorado State University Pueblo, known as CSU Pueblo at Spanish Peaks. The campus opened in August 2024 and offers one degree, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).[32][33]
Greyhound Lines serves Walsenburg on its route between Denver and Albuquerque.[34] Walsenburg is part of Colorado'sBustang network. It is on the Trinidad-Pueblo Outrider line.[35]
TheColorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad interchanges in Walsenburg.
Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Walsenburg include:
Walsenburg travel guide from WikivoyageMunicipalities and communities ofHuerfano County, Colorado,United States | ||
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