Branson, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Branson, Colorado
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Entering Branson from the south.
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Location of the Town of Branson in Las Animas County, Colorado.
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 Branson, Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | Las Animas County |
| Incorporated | 1921-03-26 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory Town |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.245 sq mi (0.634 km2) |
| • Land | 0.245 sq mi (0.634 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.000 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,286 ft (1,916 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 57 |
| • Density | 233/sq mi (90/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
81027
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| Area code(s) | 719 |
| FIPS code | 08-08345 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411720 |
Branson is a small town in Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. It's located in the southern part of Colorado, very close to the New Mexico border. In 2020, about 57 people lived there.
Branson is found in the Great Plains area, which is mostly flat land. It's also near the Black Mesa region, surrounded by flat-topped hills called mesas. Today, Branson is mainly a community focused on ranching.
Contents
History of Branson
Branson was first known by other names like Wilson or Wilson Switch. Later, it was called Coloflats. The post office in Coloflats, Colorado, opened in 1915. Its name changed to Branson in 1918.
The town was named after Josiah F. Branson. He was the person who planned out the town on his own land. Branson officially became a town on March 26, 1921.
Early Days and Farming
Branson is located north of a natural break in the mesas. This break was part of a smaller route of the famous Santa Fe Trail. The town started near a train switch called Wilson Switch. This switch was part of a railway line that later became the Burlington Northern Santa Fe. A train station was built in 1918.
Even though the land wasn't great for farming, many homesteaders tried to grow crops there in the early 1900s. They used a method called dryland farming, which means growing crops without much irrigation.
In good years, there were lots of grain harvests. In the 1920s, Branson grew quite a bit. It had about 1,000 people and three grain elevators. It also had important places like a bank and a newspaper.
The Dust Bowl Era
However, the 1930s brought a severe drought and the Dust Bowl. This made farming very difficult. Because of this, the town's population quickly dropped. The economy then shifted from farming to ranching, which is still important today.
Geography of Branson
According to the 2020 United States Census, the town of Branson covers a total area of about 0.634 square kilometers (or about 0.245 square miles). All of this area is land, with no water.
Climate in Branson
Branson has a climate typical of its elevation and location. Here's a look at the weather details:
| Climate data for Branson, Colorado (Elevation 6,257ft) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 72 (22) |
74 (23) |
83 (28) |
86 (30) |
92 (33) |
99 (37) |
100 (38) |
97 (36) |
95 (35) |
86 (30) |
78 (26) |
78 (26) |
100 (38) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 45.8 (7.7) |
47.6 (8.7) |
52.5 (11.4) |
62.8 (17.1) |
71.7 (22.1) |
81.8 (27.7) |
86.4 (30.2) |
84.5 (29.2) |
78.1 (25.6) |
67.0 (19.4) |
55.0 (12.8) |
47.2 (8.4) |
65.0 (18.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 21.0 (−6.1) |
22.2 (−5.4) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
35.4 (1.9) |
44.6 (7.0) |
53.9 (12.2) |
59.1 (15.1) |
58.1 (14.5) |
50.7 (10.4) |
40.4 (4.7) |
29.0 (−1.7) |
23.1 (−4.9) |
38.6 (3.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −25 (−32) |
−15 (−26) |
−10 (−23) |
5 (−15) |
19 (−7) |
28 (−2) |
40 (4) |
41 (5) |
25 (−4) |
7 (−14) |
−8 (−22) |
−9 (−23) |
−25 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.44 (11) |
0.64 (16) |
0.93 (24) |
1.71 (43) |
2.37 (60) |
1.28 (33) |
2.68 (68) |
2.86 (73) |
1.46 (37) |
1.01 (26) |
0.74 (19) |
0.60 (15) |
16.72 (425) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.8 (17) |
6.7 (17) |
9.9 (25) |
5.8 (15) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
1.9 (4.8) |
6.4 (16) |
8.4 (21) |
46.9 (119) |
| Source: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?co0898. | |||||||||||||
Population of Branson
The population of Branson has changed over the years. Here's how it has looked in different U.S. Decennial Census counts:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 237 | — | |
| 1940 | 250 | 5.5% | |
| 1950 | 157 | −37.2% | |
| 1960 | 124 | −21.0% | |
| 1970 | 70 | −43.5% | |
| 1980 | 73 | 4.3% | |
| 1990 | 58 | −20.5% | |
| 2000 | 77 | 32.8% | |
| 2010 | 74 | −3.9% | |
| 2020 | 57 | −23.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In the year 2000, there were 77 people living in Branson. These people lived in 37 households, with 24 of them being families. The population density was about 309 people per square mile.
About 26% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in Branson was 42 years.
See also
In Spanish: Branson (Colorado) para niños
