Durango, Colorado
City in the United States in La Plata County
About Durango
Durango is the home rule city and the county seat of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The city's population was 19,071 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous city in the county. Durango is the home of Fort Lewis College.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How Durango is governed
Form of government not yet listed.
0 of 14 positions listed. Gray dashed boxes are placeholders waiting for a name.
Residents of Durango
Registered voters elect the officials below.
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Mayor
Executive
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The city's chief elected official. Presides over the executive branch, proposes the budget and represents the city.
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City Manager / Administrator
Executive
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The professional administrator who runs day-to-day operations (in some cities appointed by the council instead of the mayor).
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Police Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the police department.
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Fire Chief
Administration & departments
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Leads the fire and emergency services department.
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Public Works Director
Administration & departments
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Streets, water, sewer, and city buildings.
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Finance Director
Administration & departments
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The budget, taxes, and city accounts.
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Planning & Zoning Director
Administration & departments
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Land use, zoning, building permits.
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Parks & Recreation Director
Administration & departments
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Parks, programs, and public facilities.
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City Council
Legislative
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The elected body that passes ordinances, sets the tax rate and approves the budget.
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City Clerk
Administration & departments
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Keeps the official records, runs meeting agendas and, often, local elections.
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City Attorney
Administration & departments
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The city's lawyer; advises officials and prosecutes ordinance violations.
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Boards & Commissions
Legislative
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Citizen advisory bodies, such as planning, zoning appeals and library boards.
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Municipal Court
Judicial
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Hears traffic, ordinance and other minor cases.
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Municipal Judge
Judicial
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Presides over the municipal court.
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- Website
- durangogov.org
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Population over time
From 16,887 in 2010 to 19,071 in 2020 (+12.9%).
Show the numbers
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 19,071 |
| 2013 | 17,557 |
| 2010 | 16,887 |
History
Durango was initially inhabited by members of the Ute Native American tribe.
The town was organized from September 1880 to April 1881 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG, later known as the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad) as part of their efforts to reach Silverton, Colorado, and service the San Juan mining district, the goal of their "San Juan Extension" built from Alamosa, Colorado. The D&RG chose a site in the Animas Valley close to the Animas River near what is now the Downtown Durango Historic Business District for its railroad facilities following a brief and most likely perfunctory negotiation with the other establishment in the area known as Animas City, two miles (3.2 km) to the north. The city was named by ex-Colorado Governor Alexander C. Hunt, a friend of D&RG President William Jackson Palmer, after Durango, Mexico, based on his favorable impression of that city resulting from a scouting trip undertaken on behalf of Palmer.
The Durango, Colorado, post office opened on November 19, 1880, and the Town of Durango was incorporated on April 27, 1881.
Palmer, among other D&RG associates such as William Bell, started a subsidiary company known as the Durango Trust to sell land and plan a Main Street, 2nd, and 3rd Avenue, and so on to organize the town, taking inspiration from how Palmer founded the city of Colorado Springs. Sales from the Durango Trust skyrocketed by the completion of the D&RG's Silverton Branch, and by 1885, Durango's business district had seven hotels and restaurants, eleven saloons, dance halls and stores, two bakeries and blacksmith shops, and a variety of other businesses, also boosting the town of Silverton's population to 2,000 at the time.
The D&RG(W) and the Rio Grande Southern Railroad were vital resources to many places, including Durango, before the major introduction of the automobile, helping transport goods such as produce and mineral traffic in and out of the Southwestern Colorado area, and along with other businesses such as the Durango Smelter, immensely supporting the town's economy. However, the Great Depression and aftermath of World War II hurt the area's railroad industry. The Rio Grande Southern lost its contract to transport mail in 1951, and soon thereafter suspended operations. The D&RGW also ended their San Juan Express passenger service from Durango to Alamosa. However, the natural scenery along their Silverton Branch had been recognized as a major tourist attraction. In turn, the D&RGW introduced the major tourism industry into the Durango area, transporting visitors up to Silverton and back and attracting Hollywood into La Plata County for a time. Once the D&RGW ended up losing its freight traffic in 1968, the tracks from Durango east to Chama, New Mexico, and south to Farmington, New Mexico, were removed, but the Silverton Branch remained in operation until 1981 when it was sold and became the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
There are significant archaeological sites surrounding the Durango area featured on the State and National historical registers, including:
Mesa Verde National Park, a World Heritage site
Chimney Rock National Monument, the most northeastern known outpost of the Ancestral Puebloans
Durango Rock Shelters Archeology Site, a Basketmaker and Pueblo culture site
Spring Creek Archeological District, a Basketmaker and Pueblo site
Talus Village, a Basketmaker site
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.