Dotsero, Colorado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dotsero, Colorado
Census Designated Place
Confluence of the Eagle River and the Colorado River in Dotsero.
Location of the Dotsero CDP in Eagle County, Colorado.
Dotsero, Colorado Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Eagle County
Government
• Type	unincorporated community
Area
• Total	1.551 sq mi (4.017 km2)
• Land	1.356 sq mi (3.511 km2)
• Water	0.195 sq mi (0.506 km2)
Elevation	6,145 ft (1,873 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,172
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP Code	Gypsum 81637
Area code(s)	970
GNIS feature	2583232

Aerial Photo of Dotsero Crater

Dotsero is a small community in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. It's called a "census-designated place" (CDP) because the government counts its population separately. In 2020, about 1,172 people lived there. Dotsero is served by the Gypsum post office. It's known for being where two important rivers meet and for its unique volcanic history.

History of Dotsero

Railroad Connections

Dotsero was once a very important spot for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. This railroad had a line that went from Denver to Salt Lake City. At first, the train route from Denver to Salt Lake City was quite long. It went through Dotsero, then south towards Pueblo, Colorado, and then turned north to Denver.

People wanted a more direct way to get from Denver to Salt Lake City. Another railroad, the Denver and Salt Lake Railroad (D&SL), started building a new line. It got close to Dotsero, but it wasn't finished. Later, the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad bought the D&SL.

They then built a special connection called the Dotsero Cutoff. This cutoff linked Dotsero to the new D&SL line. It was finished on June 15, 1934. This new route finally gave Denver a direct path to Salt Lake City. Dotsero became the meeting point for the old and new train routes. The older route was still used for a while but has been closed since 1997.

How Dotsero Got Its Name

In 1877, a scientist named Ferdinand Hayden created detailed maps of central and southwest Colorado. He used the location of what is now Dotsero as his "Dot Zero." This was his starting point for all his survey maps. The name "Dotsero" comes from this "Dot Zero" reference point. It became the official station name when the railroad was built in the 1890s.

Geography of Dotsero

Dotsero is located where the Eagle River flows into the Colorado River. You can find it along U.S. Highway 6 and Interstate 70. It's near the beginning of Glenwood Canyon, about 5 miles (8 km) west of Gypsum.

The Dotsero area covers about 1.55 square miles (4.017 square kilometers). A small part of this area, about 0.19 square miles (0.506 square kilometers), is water.

Dotsero Volcano

Dotsero sits at the base of a volcano called the Dotsero Volcano. This volcano is special because it's the most recently active volcano in Colorado. The United States Geological Survey says it last erupted about 4,140 years ago. Even though it was a long time ago, the volcano is still considered active today. It's the only active volcano in Colorado.

For many years, the main business in Dotsero was making cinderblocks. These blocks were made from the volcanic rock found around the volcano.

Population Information

The United States Census Bureau first officially counted the population of Dotsero for the United States Census 2010. The population has grown over the years.

See also

In Spanish: Dotsero (Colorado) para niños