Crested Butte, Colorado
Crested Butte is a home rule municipality located in Gunnison County, Colorado, United States.[1] The town population was 1,639 at the 2020 United States Census.[4] The former coal mining town is now called "the last great Colorado ski town".[6] Crested Butte is a destination for skiing, mountain biking, and outdoor activities.
Crested Butte, Colorado | |
|---|---|
| Town of Crested Butte[1] | |
 Crested Butte – the town and mountain | |
| Nicknames: Wildflower Capital of Colorado The last great Colorado ski town | |
 Location of the Town of Crested Butte in Gunnison County, Colorado. | |
  Crested Butte Location of the Town of Crested Butte in the United States. | |
| Coordinates: 38°52′04″N 106°58′38″W[2] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | Gunnison County[1] |
| Incorporated | July 15, 1880[3] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home rule municipality[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.836 sq mi (2.166 km2) |
| • Land | 0.836 sq mi (2.166 km2) |
| • Water | 0.000 sq mi (0.000 km2) |
| Elevation | 8,909 ft (2,715 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 1,639 |
| • Density | 1,960/sq mi (760/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| ZIP Codes[5] | 81224 & 81225 (PO Box) |
| Area code | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-18310 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0188848 |
| Website | www |
The Colorado General Assembly in 1990 designated Crested Butte the wildflower capital of Colorado.[6]
History
The East River Valley where Crested Butte is located was once used as a summer residence by the Ute people. However, they were quickly displaced when European-Americans first entered the area. The first white people to explore the valley were beaver trappers, shortly followed by surveyors. Captain John Gunnison, after whom Gunnison County is named, was one of the early explorers to enter the area.
In the 1860s and 1870s coal and silver mines began to open in the surrounding area, and many little mining towns formed. However, when silver mining began to decline, many of these towns failed. Crested Butte, however, was in a better position to survive because it served as a supply town to the surrounding area.
Another industry that served to support Crested Butte was ranching.
When the coal mines closed, the town began to shrink, and eventually the local high school was closed. Students had to travel to Gunnison to go to high school. The town did not revive until a ski area was built on Crested Butte Mountain in the 1960s. After graduating the class of 1965 (from 1966 until 1990), the Crested Butte public school only facilitated K-5 students, while 6th grade and higher attended school in Gunnison. In 1990 Crested Butte offered middle school in the railroad depot building. In 1992 a new middle school was completed which allowed the public school to facilitate grades K through 8. Finally in 1997, a new facility for the Crested Butte Community School was completed. This included the addition of a public high school so that the school now serves students in grades K-12.
In 1993 the Crested Butte Academy opened in Crested Butte, bringing a private high school into town. However, on 9 July 2008, the academy was closed permanently due to financial difficulties that had plagued its entire existence.[7]
Since the 1970s, several companies have attempted to mine molybdenum on Mount Emmons (called the "Red Lady") near Crested Butte. In 1977 W Mitchell was elected mayor of Crested Butte and led a campaign which stopped AMAX (now Freeport-McMoRan) from building a billion-dollar molybdenum mine on Mount Emmons. Because of his battle against the anticipated environmental impact, Mitchell is known as the man who "saved a mountain". The same year, 1977, saw the formation of the High Country Citizens' Alliance (HCCA), an environmental organization dedicated to protecting natural resources within the Upper Gunnison River Valley.[8]
Currently the rights for Mount Emmons molybdenum are owned by U.S. Energy Corp. On 25 April 2011, Thomson Creek Metals announced that it had terminated its option agreement with U.S. Energy Corp. to acquire an interest in the Mount Emmons molybdenum project.[9] Although US Energy continued to maintain its commitment to moving the project forward on its own behalf,[10] the withdrawal of Thomson Creek Metals was heralded as a major victory in the town of Crested Butte in its battle against the proposed molybdenum mine.[11]
Geography
Crested Butte is in north-central Gunnison County on the west side of the valley of the Slate River, along Coal Creek. Colorado State Highway 135 runs south from Crested Butte 27 miles (43 km) to Gunnison, the county seat.
At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 535 acres (2.166 km2), all of it land.[4] Crested Butte lies at an elevation of 8,885 feet (2,708 m) above sea level.[12]
Climate
Climate type is dominated by the winter season, a long, bitterly cold period with short, clear days, relatively little precipitation in the form of rain, but massive amounts in the form of snow, and low humidity. The Köppen Climate Classification sub-type for this climate is Dfc (Continental Subarctic Climate).[13]
| Climate data for Crested Butte, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1910–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 54 (12) |
52 (11) |
58 (14) |
72 (22) |
80 (27) |
89 (32) |
89 (32) |
91 (33) |
87 (31) |
78 (26) |
69 (21) |
60 (16) |
91 (33) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 38.0 (3.3) |
42.4 (5.8) |
50.5 (10.3) |
61.1 (16.2) |
71.7 (22.1) |
80.2 (26.8) |
83.8 (28.8) |
81.0 (27.2) |
77.0 (25.0) |
68.9 (20.5) |
55.7 (13.2) |
41.3 (5.2) |
84.4 (29.1) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 25.8 (−3.4) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
37.0 (2.8) |
46.9 (8.3) |
58.3 (14.6) |
70.2 (21.2) |
76.1 (24.5) |
73.5 (23.1) |
65.9 (18.8) |
54.3 (12.4) |
39.4 (4.1) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
50.3 (10.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 9.6 (−12.4) |
13.7 (−10.2) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
33.0 (0.6) |
43.4 (6.3) |
51.9 (11.1) |
57.8 (14.3) |
55.9 (13.3) |
48.6 (9.2) |
38.2 (3.4) |
24.3 (−4.3) |
11.3 (−11.5) |
34.2 (1.2) |
| Average low °F (°C) | −6.5 (−21.4) |
−2.1 (−18.9) |
7.0 (−13.9) |
19.1 (−7.2) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
33.7 (0.9) |
39.5 (4.2) |
38.4 (3.6) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
22.0 (−5.6) |
9.3 (−12.6) |
−4.2 (−20.1) |
18.0 (−7.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −27.8 (−33.2) |
−25.4 (−31.9) |
−16.4 (−26.9) |
3.0 (−16.1) |
17.4 (−8.1) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
30.6 (−0.8) |
20.2 (−6.6) |
7.0 (−13.9) |
−15.4 (−26.3) |
−26.1 (−32.3) |
−31.0 (−35.0) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −43 (−42) |
−47 (−44) |
−42 (−41) |
−17 (−27) |
−1 (−18) |
15 (−9) |
17 (−8) |
17 (−8) |
3 (−16) |
−11 (−24) |
−30 (−34) |
−39 (−39) |
−47 (−44) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.72 (69) |
2.54 (65) |
2.09 (53) |
2.01 (51) |
1.52 (39) |
0.93 (24) |
1.96 (50) |
1.98 (50) |
1.95 (50) |
1.71 (43) |
2.04 (52) |
2.31 (59) |
23.76 (605) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 42.2 (107) |
35.2 (89) |
29.1 (74) |
19.4 (49) |
6.7 (17) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.2 (3.0) |
8.5 (22) |
25.3 (64) |
35.1 (89) |
203.0 (516) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 32.9 (84) |
39.9 (101) |
37.7 (96) |
19.0 (48) |
3.7 (9.4) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
3.0 (7.6) |
11.7 (30) |
22.5 (57) |
43.0 (109) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.5 | 11.8 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 8.0 | 5.9 | 10.4 | 12.0 | 9.5 | 7.8 | 8.9 | 11.2 | 116.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 11.7 | 11.7 | 9.7 | 8.3 | 3.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 3.9 | 8.5 | 11.3 | 69.1 |
| Source: NOAA[14][15] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 857 | — | |
| 1900 | 988 | 15.3% | |
| 1910 | 904 | −8.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,213 | 34.2% | |
| 1930 | 1,251 | 3.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,145 | −8.5% | |
| 1950 | 730 | −36.2% | |
| 1960 | 289 | −60.4% | |
| 1970 | 372 | 28.7% | |
| 1980 | 959 | 157.8% | |
| 1990 | 878 | −8.4% | |
| 2000 | 1,529 | 74.1% | |
| 2010 | 1,487 | −2.7% | |
| 2020 | 1,639 | 10.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 1,529 people, 692 households, and 253 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,183.1 inhabitants per square mile (842.9/km2). There were 930 housing units at an average density of 1,327.9 per square mile (512.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.19% White, 0.26% African American, 0.92% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 2.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 692 households, out of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.9% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 63.3% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 13.5% under the age of 18, 11.5% from 18 to 24, 55.6% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 1.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 124.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,250, and the median income for a family was $49,118. Males had a median income of $27,386 versus $23,073 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,789. 11.4% of the population and 2.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.5% of those under the age of 18 and 0.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Arts and culture
Festivals
Crested Butte hosts a number of festivals and parades throughout the year. These include Torchlight, New Years, Winter Carnival, Butte Bash College Ski Week and Mardi Gras during the winter months; Extreme Board Fest, Slushuck and Flauschink during spring; the Crested Butte Bike Week, Crested Butte Music Festival, Crested Butte International Film Festival, 4th of July,[17] the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, Alpenglow Concert Series, Festival of the Arts and Ball Bash during summer; and Fall Fest, Vinotok[18] and Paragon Peoples' Fair during fall.
Parks and recreation
The town of Crested Butte has a Nordic Center which has an ice skating rink as well as cross-country skiing trails.
The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame was located in Crested Butte before moving in 2014 to Fairfax, California.
Media
Movies filmed in Crested Butte include Snowball Express (1972), Snowbeast (1977), The Further Adventures of the Wilderness Family (1978), and Ink (2009).
Infrastructure
Crested Butte is served by the Gunnison–Crested Butte Regional Airport in Gunnison.
See also
References
- "Active Colorado Municipalities". Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
- "2014 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Places". United States Census Bureau. July 1, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
- "Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data". United States Census Bureau, United States Department of Commerce. August 12, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on November 4, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2007.
- "Visitor Information". Town of Crested Butte, Colorado. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- Academy to close its doors for good. The Crested Butte News (2008-07-09). Retrieved on 2012-01-03.
- Stevens, Mark (February 12, 1979). "Battle on Mount Emmons". The Christian Science Monitor, cited by The Deseret News. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
- Thompson Creek Metals Company – News Releases – Thompson Creek Terminates Option Agreement with U.S. Energy Corp. – Tue Jan 3, 2012 Archived August 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Thompsoncreekmetals.com. Retrieved on 2012-01-03.
- Thompson Creek Metals Terminates Its Mount Emmons Option Agreement with U.S. Energy Corp. | U.S. Energy Corp Archived 2011-08-18 at the Wayback Machine. Investor.usnrg.com (2011-04-25). Retrieved on 2012-01-03.
- High Country Citizens' Alliance – Home. Hccaonline.org (2010-11-18). Retrieved on 2012-01-03.
- U.S. Geological Survey Crested Butte CO 7.5 minute topographic map
- Climate Summary for Crested Butte, Colorado
- "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- Harte, Julia (July 2, 2014). "Fourth of July Parade Brings Scientists Dressed in Foliage—Some With Nothing Else". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
- Carla Davidson "Secret Season: Colorado before the Snow Flies," American Heritage, August–September 2006.
Further reading
- Hitt, Tarpley (May 2, 2021). "Billionaire Is Buying Up Small Colorado Town—and Locals Are Freaked". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
External links
Municipalities and communities of Gunnison County, Colorado, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  Map of Colorado highlighting Gunnison County | |
| Towns | ||
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||