Westcliffe, Colorado

Westcliffe is a statutory town that is the county seat of Custer County, Colorado, United States.[8][2] At the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 435.[6]

Westcliffe, Colorado
Town
Horn Peak of the Sangre de Cristo Range viewed from Westcliffe
Horn Peak of the Sangre de Cristo Range viewed from Westcliffe
Location of Westcliffe in Custer County, Colorado.
Location of Westcliffe in Custer County, Colorado.
Coordinates: 38°7′58″N 105°27′57″W
Country United States
State State of Colorado
County[1]Custer County - seat[2]
IncorporatedNovember 21, 1887[3]
Government
 • TypeStatutory Town[1]
 • MayorPaul Wenke
Area
[4]
 • Total1.24 sq mi (3.20 km2)
 • Land1.24 sq mi (3.20 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[5]
7,867 ft (2,398 m)
Population
 (2020)[6]
 • Total435
 • Density350/sq mi (140/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code[7]
81252
Area code719
FIPS code08-83450
GNIS feature ID0192151
Websitetownofwestcliffe.com

History

Westcliffe had its start in 1881 when the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad was extended to that point.[9]

The restored D&RGW depot in August of 2022

Geography

Westcliffe is located west of the geographic center of Custer County at 38°7′58″N 105°27′57″W (38.132874, -105.465920).[10] It lies in the Wet Mountain Valley, between the Wet Mountains to the east and the Sangre de Cristo Range to the west. The town of Silver Cliff is immediately to the east of Westcliffe.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.2 km2), all of it land.[11]

Shopping lane in downtown Westcliffe

Climate
Climate data for Westcliffe, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1895–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 65
(18)		 69
(21)		 74
(23)		 78
(26)		 88
(31)		 95
(35)		 96
(36)		 94
(34)		 90
(32)		 82
(28)		 79
(26)		 72
(22)		 96
(36)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 55.3
(12.9)		 56.5
(13.6)		 64.6
(18.1)		 70.4
(21.3)		 78.4
(25.8)		 86.3
(30.2)		 88.1
(31.2)		 85.1
(29.5)		 81.4
(27.4)		 74.9
(23.8)		 64.4
(18.0)		 56.2
(13.4)		 88.9
(31.6)
Average high °F (°C) 39.6
(4.2)		 41.7
(5.4)		 49.6
(9.8)		 56.4
(13.6)		 65.8
(18.8)		 76.9
(24.9)		 80.6
(27.0)		 78.0
(25.6)		 72.4
(22.4)		 61.3
(16.3)		 48.9
(9.4)		 39.8
(4.3)		 59.2
(15.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 23.9
(−4.5)		 26.9
(−2.8)		 34.6
(1.4)		 41.0
(5.0)		 49.5
(9.7)		 58.7
(14.8)		 62.8
(17.1)		 61.1
(16.2)		 54.7
(12.6)		 43.7
(6.5)		 32.8
(0.4)		 23.9
(−4.5)		 42.8
(6.0)
Average low °F (°C) 8.3
(−13.2)		 12.1
(−11.1)		 19.6
(−6.9)		 25.7
(−3.5)		 33.3
(0.7)		 40.6
(4.8)		 44.9
(7.2)		 44.1
(6.7)		 37.0
(2.8)		 26.1
(−3.3)		 16.7
(−8.5)		 8.0
(−13.3)		 26.4
(−3.1)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −13.7
(−25.4)		 −12.6
(−24.8)		 −3.1
(−19.5)		 5.2
(−14.9)		 19.8
(−6.8)		 30.3
(−0.9)		 37.9
(3.3)		 35.8
(2.1)		 23.9
(−4.5)		 5.6
(−14.7)		 −7.6
(−22.0)		 −15.9
(−26.6)		 −19.8
(−28.8)
Record low °F (°C) −41
(−41)		 −46
(−43)		 −31
(−35)		 −25
(−32)		 −2
(−19)		 17
(−8)		 25
(−4)		 20
(−7)		 4
(−16)		 −12
(−24)		 −29
(−34)		 −39
(−39)		 −46
(−43)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.48
(12)		 0.58
(15)		 1.06
(27)		 1.56
(40)		 1.41
(36)		 0.79
(20)		 2.66
(68)		 1.98
(50)		 0.90
(23)		 0.95
(24)		 0.69
(18)		 0.53
(13)		 13.59
(346)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 8.4
(21)		 10.4
(26)		 15.0
(38)		 19.6
(50)		 4.3
(11)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.9
(2.3)		 8.4
(21)		 8.5
(22)		 8.8
(22)		 84.3
(213.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 3.7 4.7 6.6 6.8 6.9 5.8 11.6 11.6 5.9 5.1 4.1 4.3 77.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 3.7 4.6 5.7 4.4 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 1.8 3.4 4.1 29.2
Source 1: NOAA[12]
Source 2: National Weather Service[13]

Dark skies

Westcliffe, and neighboring Silver Cliff, Colorado, are recognized as IDA International Dark Sky Communities by The International Dark-Sky Association. Gentle persuasion has resulted in residents and business in the towns and surrounding ranch land reducing the amount of light pollution.[14]

Locals have set up a free observatory in an old period building with a "roll-off" roof to open up the 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with computer-guided pointing and tracking to the skies overhead. Named the Smokey Jack Observatory, it was built in 2015.[15][16]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1890192—
190025633.3%
1910232−9.4%
192033845.7%
1930335−0.9%
194042928.1%
1950390−9.1%
1960306−21.5%
1970243−20.6%
198032433.3%
1990312−3.7%
200041733.7%
201056836.2%
2020435−23.4%

Notable people
  • Anne Kimbell (1932–2017), actress and founder of the Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts[17]
  • Adolph Treidler (1886-1981), artist, born in Westcliffe
  • Gordon Clark (1902-1985), philosopher and theologian, buried near Westcliffe

See also

References
  1. "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2007.
  2. "Colorado County Seats". State of Colorado, Department of Public Health and Environment. Retrieved December 31, 2007.
  3. "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
  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. "Westcliffe town, Colorado". Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  7. "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on November 22, 2010. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
  8. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  9. Fielder, John (2002). "John Fielder's Best of Colorado". Big Earth Publishing. p. 297. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  11. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Westcliffe town, Colorado". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  12. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Westcliffe, CO". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  13. "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Pueblo". National Weather Service. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  14. Jack Healy (August 12, 2016). "Colorado Towns Work to Preserve a Diminishing Resource: Darkness". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  15. "WATCH: Visit a dark sky observatory for free stargazing in southern Colorado". July 18, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  16. Smokey Jack Observatory, Dark skies of the Wet Mountain Valley, www.darkskiescolorado.org, accessed 21 July 2019.
  17. "Stage and screen star Anne Kimbell Relph dies". Wet Mountain Tribune. June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
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