Ridgway, Colorado
Ridgway, Colorado | |
|---|---|
Approaching Ridgway on Highway 62 | |
| Nickname(s): Gateway to the San Juans, The Town That Refused to Die | |
| Motto: "Think Outside" | |
Location of Ridgway in Ouray County, Colorado. | |
| Coordinates: 38°09′32″N 107°45′02″W / 38.15889°N 107.75056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Ouray County |
| Incorporated (town) | April 2, 1891 |
| Named after | Robert M. Ridgway |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home rule municipality |
| • Mayor | John I. Clark |
| • Town Manager | Preston Neill |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.85 sq mi (4.79 km2) |
| • Land | 1.85 sq mi (4.79 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,962 ft (2,122 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,183 |
| • Density | 640/sq mi (250/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code | 81432 |
| Area code | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-64200 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412551 |
| Website | townofridgway |
The Town of Ridgway is a home rule municipality that is the most populous municipality in Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The town is a former railroad stop on the Uncompahgre River in the northern San Juan Mountains. The town population was 1,183 at the 2020 census.
Steep forested mountains and cliffs surround Ridgway on the south, east, and northeast. The Uncompahgre River runs through the town and flows into the Ridgway State Park and Reservoir, to the north. Dallas Creek also flows from the south-west and forms a confluence with the Uncompahgre before entering the reservoir. There is a notable wildlife presence — mountain lions, badgers, deer, elk, bears, coyotes, wild turkey, and bald eagles are indigenous to the area. The region's bald eagles nest in the cottonwoods along the river and are a common sight in the late fall.
Ridgway and the surrounding area have featured prominently in pop culture. Most notably the area is the setting of John Wayne's western movie True Grit, and others including How the West Was Won and Tribute to a Bad Man. Ridgway has the only stoplight in Ouray County, at the intersection of Highways 550 and 62.