Salida, Colorado: Wikis

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Categories: County seats in Colorado > Cities in Colorado > Chaffee County, Colorado

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Updated live from Wikipedia, last check: June 04, 2012 23:24 UTC (43 seconds ago)

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City of Salida, Colorado
— City —
Nickname(s): Heart of the Rockies
Location in Chaffee County and the state of Colorado
Coordinates: 38°31′53″N 105°59′46″W / 38.53139°N 105.99611°W / 38.53139; -105.99611Coordinates: 38°31′53″N 105°59′46″W / 38.53139°N 105.99611°W / 38.53139; -105.99611
Country	United States
State	State of Colorado
County^[1]	Chaffee County - seat^[2]
Founded	1880
Incorporated	March 23, 1891^[3]
Government
- Type	Statutory City^[1]
- Mayor	Chuck Rose
Area
- Total	2.2 sq mi (5.7 km²)
- Land	2.2 sq mi (5.7 km²)
- Water	0 sq mi (0 km²)
Elevation	7,083 ft (2,159 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	5,504
- Density	2,501.8/sq mi (965.6/km²)
Time zone	Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)
- Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC-6)
ZIP codes^[4]	81201, 81227 (PO Box), 81237
Area code(s)	719
FIPS code	08-67280
GNIS feature ID	0204758
Website	City of Salida

The City of Salida is a Statutory City that is the county seat and most populous city of Chaffee County, Colorado, United States.^[5] The population was 5,504 at the U.S. Census 2000.

The town's name is pronounced /səˈlaɪdə/ sə-LYE-də in English and [saˈliða] ('exit') in Spanish.

Founded in 1880, Salida was originally a railroad town and was a significant link in the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. After World War II the railroad began pulling back its operations in Salida. Many residents in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s worked either in local ranching operations or commuted north to Leadville to work at the Climax Molybdenum Company. Today the most prominent business in Salida is tourism, consisting of skiing at Monarch ski area, whitewater rafting, kayaking and outfitting, particularly on the Arkansas River. Salida is home to the annual FIBArk kayak race, one of the oldest whitewater races in North America.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Notable natives
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Geography

Salida is located at 38°31′53″N 105°59′46″W / 38.53139°N 105.99611°W / 38.53139; -105.99611 (38.531442, -105.996090)^[6].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²). 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it is land, and the Arkansas River, which runs through town, is the major source of water.

The Sawatch mountain range runs north and south and is located roughly 30 miles west of Salida. Methodist Mountain, which is a major feature on Salida's southern horizon, is the northernmost mountain in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. To the north of Salida is the Arkansas Valley and Buena Vista, Colorado.

Demographics

As of the census^[7] of 2000, there were 5,504 people, 2,504 households, and 1,449 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,480.1 people per square mile (957.3/km²). There were 2,748 housing units at an average density of 1,238.3/sq mi (477.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.66% White, 0.05% African American, 1.44% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.29% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.76% of the population.