The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge steam train is the best-known thing about Durango, a town of roughly 20,000 people at about 6,500 feet in southwest Colorado that grew up around the railroad. The train still runs, and Main Avenue keeps its old brick storefronts, now filled with restaurants, breweries and outfitters.
It feels like a college and outdoors town, with Fort Lewis College adding energy. Locals mountain bike at Horse Gulch, float or fish the Animas River, ski at Purgatory, and soak in hot springs afterward. Visitors can add the Million Dollar Highway to Silverton and Mesa Verde National Park, about 36 miles away. The catches: housing is expensive against local incomes and inventory is tight. Winters bring snow and pass closures on US-550, summer brings smoke some years, and the altitude takes a day or two to get used to. Property crime and car break-ins are the usual complaints.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
- Known as
- Durango; Gateway to the San Juan Mountains; Home of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad; Mountain biking mecca
- Founded
- 1880 founded by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad; 1881 incorporated
- Languages
- English; Spanish; Navajo (Diné) and Ute spoken regionally
- Airports
- Durango-La Plata County (DRO), about 14 mi southeast of downtown, flights to Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas and others; Cortez (CEZ) about 45 mi, limited service; Farmington NM (FMN) about 50 mi; Albuquerque (ABQ) about 210 mi; Denver about 330 mi
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-20% for table service; bars $1-2 per drink; counter/coffee optional to $1; rideshare/taxi 15%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; ski, rafting and fishing guides 15-20%; train (Durango and Silverton) staff appreciate tips
About this data
Population Census QuickFacts July 1, 2025 estimate (19,733); population_metro is La Plata County (Durango micropolitan area), 56,898 (2025). area_km2 converts 14.71 sq mi (2020) land area. Crime from NeighborhoodScout 2024. Prices from Census and Zillow (Aug 2026); rent from Apartments.com. Elevation, coordinates and founding dates from general knowledge; cost-of-living index, hotel ranges and daily budget approximate or unverified. Event months typical, exact dates vary; Fall Fest and Durango Independent Film Festival naming not re-verified. Website and events pages verified via fetch.
