City of Montrose, Colorado | |
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— City — | |
Main Street | |
Location in Montrose County and the State of Colorado | |
Coordinates: | |
Country | United States |
State | State of Colorado |
County | Montrose County Seat[1] |
Incorporated | May 1, 1882[2] |
Government | |
• Type | Home Rule Municipality[1] |
• Mayor | Kathy Ellis[3] |
• City Manager | William E. Bell[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 (2010) | |
• Total | 19,132 (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.
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Montrose is located at (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.
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 | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
2000 | 12,344 |
|
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2010 | 19,132 | 55.0% |
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 .[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]
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 | |||||||||||||
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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 (17.4) |
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 (1.4) |
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] |
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.
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