Winter Park, Colorado
Winter Park is a home rule municipality in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The permanent population was 1,033 at the 2020 census,[5] although with 2,572 housing units within the town limits[7] the seasonal population can be much higher.
Winter Park, Colorado | |
|---|---|
 Part of downtown Winter Park with the Continental Divide in the background | |
| Motto: Colorado's Highest | |
 Location of Winter Park in Grand County, Colorado. | |
| Coordinates: 39°54′15″N 105°46′45″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County[1] | Grand County |
| Founded | August 1, 1978 |
| Incorporated | September 1, 1979[2] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home rule municipality[1] |
| • Mayor | Nick Kutrumbos |
| Area | |
| • Total | 16.89 sq mi (43.74 km2) |
| • Land | 16.89 sq mi (43.74 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 9,052 ft (2,780 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 1,033 |
| • Density | 61/sq mi (24/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code[6] | 80482 (PO Box) |
| Area code | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-85705 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0180960 |
| Website | www |
Highest incorporated town in the U.S. | |
It is home to Winter Park Resort, a ski resort owned by the City of Denver and managed by Alterra Mountain Company. The town and resort are served by the Winter Park Express ski train run by Amtrak. The area also has cross-country skiing opportunities, including Devil's Thumb Ranch. In the spring and summer, Winter Park is known for mountain biking, concerts, hiking, and fishing.
Geography
Winter Park is located in southeastern Grand County at 39°54′15″N 105°46′45″W,[8] at the southern end of the Fraser Valley. It is bordered to the north by the town of Fraser. U.S. Route 40 passes through the town, leading south and east over Berthoud Pass 66 miles (106 km) to Denver and northwest 20 miles (32 km) to Granby.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 16.5 square miles (42.7 km2).[7]
Its elevation ranges from approximately 8,700 to 12,060 feet (2,650 to 3,680 m) above sea level, and is considered sub-alpine country. It is snow-covered for about six months a year. Although the town center is at about 9,000 feet (2,700 m) above sea level,[9] Winter Park, using administrative boundaries as a measure, became the highest incorporated town in the United States after the July 2006 annexation of 5,214 acres (21.10 km2) of Winter Park Resort to allow new on-mountain improvements. This claim is disputed since Winter Park has no residences above 9,550 feet (2,910 m), while contiguous residential neighborhoods in Leadville, Colorado, extend to 10,360 feet (3,160 m) and in Alma, Colorado, to 11,680 feet (3,560 m), and Alma's town center is at 10,361 feet (3,158 m).
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Winter Park has a subarctic climate, abbreviated "Dfc" on climate maps. Winters are long, bitterly cold, and very snowy with over 200 inches of snowfall yearly and in January nights average below 0. summers are mild to warm with cold, occasionally freezing nights, and have moderate precipitation. Winters are cold enough to have nights averaging below 0.
| Climate data for Winter Park, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 53 (12) |
53 (12) |
64 (18) |
67 (19) |
78 (26) |
88 (31) |
87 (31) |
86 (30) |
82 (28) |
78 (26) |
68 (20) |
65 (18) |
88 (31) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 45 (7) |
48 (9) |
55 (13) |
63 (17) |
73 (23) |
81 (27) |
83 (28) |
82 (28) |
76 (24) |
66 (19) |
55 (13) |
44 (7) |
74 (23) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 30.4 (−0.9) |
34.5 (1.4) |
39.1 (3.9) |
49.9 (9.9) |
58.6 (14.8) |
69.7 (20.9) |
76.1 (24.5) |
74.1 (23.4) |
64.7 (18.2) |
53.8 (12.1) |
39.1 (3.9) |
32.4 (0.2) |
51.9 (11.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 14.8 (−9.6) |
17.8 (−7.9) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
33.6 (0.9) |
42.2 (5.7) |
50.2 (10.1) |
56.6 (13.7) |
54.6 (12.6) |
45.6 (7.6) |
37.0 (2.8) |
23.3 (−4.8) |
16.5 (−8.6) |
34.6 (1.4) |
| Average low °F (°C) | −0.9 (−18.3) |
1.1 (−17.2) |
5.7 (−14.6) |
17.2 (−8.2) |
25.8 (−3.4) |
30.6 (−0.8) |
37.0 (2.8) |
35.1 (1.7) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
20.2 (−6.6) |
7.4 (−13.7) |
0.6 (−17.4) |
17.2 (−8.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −23 (−31) |
−18 (−28) |
−15 (−26) |
0 (−18) |
12 (−11) |
22 (−6) |
31 (−1) |
28 (−2) |
17 (−8) |
6 (−14) |
−10 (−23) |
−14 (−26) |
−16 (−27) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −33 (−36) |
−27 (−33) |
−25 (−32) |
−20 (−29) |
−2 (−19) |
12 (−11) |
24 (−4) |
22 (−6) |
2 (−17) |
−10 (−23) |
−15 (−26) |
−24 (−31) |
−33 (−36) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.13 (54) |
2.29 (58) |
2.54 (65) |
3.34 (85) |
2.42 (61) |
1.49 (38) |
2.16 (55) |
2.01 (51) |
1.77 (45) |
1.88 (48) |
2.17 (55) |
2.20 (56) |
26.4 (671) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 33.2 (84) |
30.8 (78) |
31.9 (81) |
31.5 (80) |
11.2 (28) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.3 (3.3) |
14.2 (36) |
26.8 (68) |
32.1 (82) |
214 (542.8) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 13.0 | 11.3 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 9.5 | 7.2 | 10.2 | 11.6 | 8.7 | 8.2 | 10.7 | 11.7 | 124.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 12.3 | 11.0 | 10.4 | 9.6 | 3.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 5.3 | 9.7 | 10.7 | 73.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA[10] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: WRCC (average high, mean, low 1942–2015)[11] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 480 | — | |
| 1990 | 528 | 10.0% | |
| 2000 | 662 | 25.4% | |
| 2010 | 999 | 50.9% | |
| 2020 | 1,033 | 3.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Notable people
- Elizabeth McIntyre (born 1965), freestyle skier, Olympic silver medalist; lives in Winter Park
- Ryan Max Riley (born 1979), freestyle skier, US Champion, and humorist; lived in Winter Park
- Michelle Roark (born 1974), freestyle skier, World Champion silver medalist and two-time Olympian; lived in Winter Park
- Ryan St. Onge (born 1983), freestyle skier, World Champion and two-time Olympian; lived in Winter Park
See also
References
- "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved September 1, 2007.
- "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
- "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- United States Census Bureau. "Winter Park town; Colorado". Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- "ZIP Code Lookup" (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. Retrieved January 9, 2008.
- "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Winter Park town, Colorado". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
- "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- City of Winter Park official web site, Retrieved February 22, 2007.
- "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- "Period of Record Monthly Climate Summary". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
External links
- Town of Winter Park official website
- The Lift public transit system
- CDOT map of the Town of Winter Park
- Winter Park Resort
- Winter Park History
- 3dSkiMap of Winter Park
Winter Park (Colorado) travel guide from Wikivoyage
Municipalities and communities of Grand County, Colorado, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  Map of Colorado highlighting Grand County | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
