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Fort Garland, Colorado
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Fort Garland is an unincorporated town, located at an elevation of 7,943 feet (2,421 meters) in northern Costilla County, Colorado. As
of 2023, the population was 426. Fort Garland, one of
the oldest towns in Colorado, was established by the US Army in June of 1858 to protect settlers from the Utes in the San Luis Valley, which was then part of the New Mexico Territory. The fort was abandoned in 1883 following the confinement of the tribes to Indian reservations in Utah territory and Colorado.
Fort Garland is located at the crossroads of U.S. Route 160 and Colorado State Highway 159, which leads south towards Taos and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The town of Blanca is 4 miles (6.4 km) west on U.S. Route 160. Walsenburg is 47 miles (76 km) to the east, across the Sangre de Cristo Range.
At the 2020 United States Census, the Fort Garland CDP had an area of 240 acres (0.973 km2), all land.
Fort Garland is referred to as the "Gateway to the San Luis Valley", as it is the first town one encounters when traveling west having crossed over La Veta Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Range. Fort Garland is home to many artists, painters, crafters and internationally known musicians.
The Annual Fort Garland Band Jam Music Festival features local and regional musicians, as well as nationally and internationally recognized musical talent. This summer event, usually held in mid-July, includes an open-air market, local food vendors offering up traditional and regional cuisine, a beer garden, and children's activities. The music offered covers numerous styles, from traditional Spanish guitar to R&B to rock and roll.
Fort Garland experiences a cool, semi-arid climate. Sitting in the San Luis Valley, it features abundant sunshine, low humidity, and large daily temperature fluctuation.
Average highs range from the upper
40s F in winter to the low
in 80 F mid-summer. Nighttime temperatures drop significantly, falling below freezing in the winter and into the
40s F
during the summer. The area averages around
to 55 inches / 140 centimeters of snowfall per snow season, with March typically being the snowiest month.
US Route 160, Fort Garland, Colorado
Looking east towards La Veta Pass
(from
CDOT)
US Route 160 at CO 159, Fort Garland, Colorado
Looking south towards New Mexico
(from
CDOT)
US Route 160, Fort Garland, Colorado
Looking west towards Alamosa
(from CDOT)
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