- Montrose, Colorado
-
City of Montrose, Colorado — City — Main Street
Location in Montrose County and the State of Colorado
Coordinates: 38°28′37″N 107°51′56″W / 38.47694°N 107.86556°WCoordinates: 38°28′37″N 107°51′56″W / 38.47694°N 107.86556°W Country 
United StatesState 
State of ColoradoCounty Montrose County Seat[1] Incorporated May 1, 1882[2] Government – Type Home Rule Municipality[1] – Mayor Kathy Ellis[3] – City Manager Mary Watt[4] Area – Total 11.5 sq mi (29.7 km2) – Land 11.5 sq mi (29.7 km2) – Water 0.0 sq mi (0 km2) Elevation 5,806 ft (1,770 m) Population (2006) – Total 15,479 (city proper) – Density 1,076.3/sq mi (521.2/km2) Time zone MST (UTC-7) – Summer (DST) MDT (UTC-6) ZIP codes[5] 81401, 81402 (PO Box), 81403 Area code(s) 970 FIPS code 08-51745 GNIS feature ID 0203328 Website City of Montrose The City of Montrose is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Montrose County, Colorado, United States.[6] The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 15,479 in 2005.[7] The main road that leads in and out of Montrose is U.S. Route 50.
Contents
Geography
Montrose is located at 38°28′37″N 107°51′56″W / 38.47694°N 107.86556°W (38.476952, -107.865544)[8].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.5 square miles (30 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 12,344 people, 5,244 households, and 3,319 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,076.3 people per square mile (415.5/km²). There were 5,581 housing units at an average density of 486.6 per square mile (187.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.01% White, 0.44% African American, 0.98% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 6.55% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.36% of the population.
There were 5,244 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $42,017. Males had a median income of $30,674 versus $21,067 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,097. About 11.3% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
Historical populations Census Pop. %± 2000 12,344 — 2010 19,132 55.0% History
Montrose was incorporated on May 2, 1882 and named after Sir Walter Scott's novel A Legend of Montrose. The Denver & Rio Grande railroad building west toward Grand Junction reached Montrose later in 1882, and the town became an important regional shipping center. A branch railroad line served the mineral-rich San Juan Mountains to the south.
In 1909 the US government completed construction of the Gunnison Tunnel, which provided irrigation water from the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon to the Uncompahgre Valley, helping turn Montrose into an agricultural hub. The Uncompahgre Project is one of the oldest of those in the area by the US Bureau of Reclamation.
Today the canal is also used for recreation: water rushing through the canal below the tunnel creates a kayak-surfing spot called the M-wave 38°26′42″N 107°46′59″W / 38.444884°N 107.783014°W.[10] Tourist and recreation opportunities are important to the regional economy. Montrose is a gateway to the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park to the east of town; in the winter, it is a transportation hub for ski areas of the San Juan Mountains to the south.
Early in the areas history, prehistoric people lived in the Montrose vicinity and left rock art panels at the Shavano Valley Rock Art Site from 1000 BC or earlier until about AD 1881. The panels recorded cultural events and were a means of artistic expression. The site is listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties and the National Register of Historic Places.[11]
Climate
Montrose features a Semi-arid climate, grinding into an Arid climate. It sits on "high desert" lands in the Uncompahgre Valley of Western Colorado. Summers are hot and dry, while winters are fairly cold and dry as well. Rainfall is scarce, averaging roughly 9 inches of precipitation per year, with some years with even lower numbers. Snowfall does occur during the winter, but snow is usually short lived in this region due to the high altitude and abundant sunshine, even in winter months.
Climate data for Montrose Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average high °F (°C) 38.0
(3.3)43.9
(6.6)52.9
(11.6)62.4
(16.9)72.3
(22.4)83.1
(28.4)88.6
(31.4)85.7
(29.8)79.8
(26.6)65.7
(18.7)50.3
(10.2)39.3
(4.1)63.3 Average low °F (°C) 13.7
(−10.2)19.6
(−6.9)26.5
(−3.1)33.9
(1.1)42.1
(5.6)49.6
(9.8)55.6
(13.1)53.9
(12.2)45.6
(7.6)35.0
(1.7)23.9
(−4.5)15.3
(−9.3)34.6 Precipitation inches (mm) 0.57
(14.5)0.48
(12.2)0.70
(17.8)0.87
(22.1)0.88
(22.4)0.54
(13.7)0.86
(21.8)1.26
(32)1.10
(27.9)1.02
(25.9)0.65
(16.5)0.62
(15.7)9.53
(242.1)Snowfall inches (cm) 6.5
(16.5)4.2
(10.7)3.5
(8.9)1.8
(4.6)0.1
(0.3)0.0
(0)0.0
(0)0.0
(0)0.0
(0)0.6
(1.5)2.6
(6.6)6.4
(16.3)25.8
(65.5)Source: www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/climsmco.html [12] Transportation
Montrose Regional Airport serves the Montrose area with regional service to Denver. As the nearest major airport to the Telluride Ski Area, Montrose sees heavy seasonal service.
Major highways
US 50 runs east-west, crossing 12 states. It links Sacramento, California with Ocean City, Maryland. In Colorado, it connects Montrose to Grand Junction, Gunnison and Pueblo.
US 550 comes all the way from Bernalillo, New Mexico (just north of Albuquerque), via Durango and Ridgway, reaching its end at the corner of Townsend Avenue and Main Street, in Montrose.
In popular culture
- The video game Homefront is set mostly in Montrose, Colorado, where a resistance movement in 2027 is defying Korean occupation in the US.
- In the A&E reallity show, "Dog The Bounty Hunter", Montrose, Colorado is featured in 4 epiodes.
See also
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Colorado municipalities
- Mesa State College
- Montrose Botanic Gardens
- Montrose Micropolitan Statistical Area
- Old Spanish National Historic Trail
- Ute Indian Museum
References
- ^ a b "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/local_governments/municipalities.html. Retrieved 2007-09-01.
- ^ "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. 2004-12-01. http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
- ^ "Council Members". City of Montrose, Colorado. http://www.cityofmontrose.org/index.aspx?NID=186. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
- ^ "City Manager". City of Montrose, Colorado. http://www.cityofmontrose.org/index.aspx?nid=305. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
- ^ "ZIP Code Lookup" (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp. Retrieved November 23, 2007.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Colorado" (CSV). 2005 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. June 21, 2006. http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2005-04-08.csv. Retrieved November 17, 2006.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Jared Seiler, Dave Fusilli Jared Seiler and Alex Hoetz surfing the M-Wave in Montrose Colorado, YouTube, 6 September 2007.
- ^ National & State Registers for Montrose County, Colorado. Colorado Historical Society, Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 10-8-2011.
- ^ http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?comont
External links
Montrose area
- Montrose Community Portal
- City of Montrose website
- Montrose County website
- Montrose Visitors and Convention Bureau
- Montrose Economic Development Corporation
- Montrose Recreation District
- Montrose Association of Commerce and Tourism
- Montrose Colorado Online
- Montrose Press Newspaper
Community services
Municipalities and communities of Montrose County, Colorado County seat: MontroseCity Montrose
Towns Unincorporated
communitiesGhost town Categories:- Montrose, Colorado
- Populated places in Montrose County, Colorado
- Cities in Colorado
- County seats in Colorado
- Colorado Mesa University
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