Rico, Colorado

Rico is a town in Dolores County, Colorado, United States. It was settled in 1879 as a silver mining center in the Pioneer Mining District; today it functions as a historic and tourism site. The population was 288 at the 2020 census.[6] Its current form of government is that of a home rule municipality.

Rico, Colorado
Town
Rico Town Hall, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Rico Town Hall, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Motto: 
"A Slice of Paradise"
Location of Rico in Dolores County, Colorado.
Location of Rico in Dolores County, Colorado.
Coordinates: 37°41′32″N 108°1′51″W
Country United States
State State of Colorado
County[1]Dolores County
Incorporated (town)February 25, 1880[2]
Government
 • TypeHome rule municipality[1]
 • MayorNicole Pieterse[3]
Area
[4]
 • Total0.68 sq mi (1.76 km2)
 • Land0.68 sq mi (1.76 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[5]
8,825 ft (2,690 m)
Population
 (2020)[6]
 • Total288
 • Density420/sq mi (160/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code[7]
81332
Area code970
FIPS code08-64090
GNIS feature ID0204670
Websitericocolorado.gov

Rico is a name derived from Spanish meaning "rich".[8]

Geography

Rico is located in eastern Dolores County at 37°41′32″N 108°1′51″W (37.692095, -108.030839),[9] in the valley of the Dolores River. Colorado State Highway 145 passes through the town as it follows the river, leading southwest 48 miles (77 km) to Cortez and northeast over Lizard Head Pass 27 miles (43 km) to Telluride.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Rico has an area of 0.8 square miles (2.0 km2), all of it land.[10]

Climate

Rico experiences an alpine subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc) with long, cold, very snowy winters and short, cool summers due to the high altitude and high precipitation year-round due to orographic lift.

Climate data for RICO, COLORADO
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 38.2
(3.4)		 39.9
(4.4)		 43.4
(6.3)		 50.5
(10.3)		 60.7
(15.9)		 70.6
(21.4)		 75.4
(24.1)		 73.2
(22.9)		 66.6
(19.2)		 58.2
(14.6)		 45.8
(7.7)		 39.5
(4.2)		 55.2
(12.9)
Average low °F (°C) 5.2
(−14.9)		 7.6
(−13.6)		 13.4
(−10.3)		 20.9
(−6.2)		 28.2
(−2.1)		 33.7
(0.9)		 40.3
(4.6)		 39.6
(4.2)		 32.7
(0.4)		 24.8
(−4.0)		 14.8
(−9.6)		 7.2
(−13.8)		 22.4
(−5.4)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.48
(63)		 2.15
(55)		 2.44
(62)		 1.81
(46)		 1.65
(42)		 1.31
(33)		 2.78
(71)		 2.91
(74)		 2.31
(59)		 2.13
(54)		 2.01
(51)		 2.27
(58)		 26.27
(667)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 32.1
(82)		 26.5
(67)		 30.8
(78)		 18.5
(47)		 6.0
(15)		 0.1
(0.25)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.5
(1.3)		 7.6
(19)		 21.5
(55)		 26.2
(67)		 171
(430)
Source: The Western Regional Climate Center [11]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880894—
18901,13426.8%
1900811−28.5%
1910368−54.6%
1920326−11.4%
193044737.1%
1940388−13.2%
1950212−45.4%
196035366.5%
1970275−22.1%
198076−72.4%
19909221.1%
2000205122.8%
201026529.3%
20202888.7%
Dey Building, built in 1892 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Transportation

Rico is part of Colorado's Bustang network. It is on the Durango-Grand Junction Outrider line.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Archived from the original on February 2, 2007. Retrieved September 1, 2007.
  2. "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
  3. "Town Hall". Rico Colorado. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  4. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. United States Census Bureau. "Rico town, Colorado". Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  7. "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on December 14, 2006. Retrieved December 24, 2007.
  8. Dawson, John Frank. Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin. Denver, CO: The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co. p. 43.
  9. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  10. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Rico town, Colorado". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  11. "RICO, COLORADO (057017)". Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  12. "Bustang Schedule". RideBustang. CDOT.
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