Fraser, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fraser, Colorado
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| Town of Fraser | ||
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Cozens Ranch Museum (1874)
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Location of the Town of Fraser in Grand County, Colorado.
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 Fraser, Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Colorado |
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| County | Grand County | |
| Established | 1871 | |
| Incorporated (town) | June 15, 1953 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Statutory Town | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 3.462 sq mi (8.966 km2) | |
| • Land | 3.457 sq mi (8.953 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.005 sq mi (0.013 km2) | |
| Elevation | 8,813 ft (2,686 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,400 | |
| • Density | 404/sq mi (156/km2) | |
| • Grand County | 15,717 | |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) | |
| ZIP code |
80442
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| Area code(s) | 970 | |
| FIPS code | 08-28305 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412655 | |
Fraser is a small town in Colorado, United States. It's located in Grand County. In 2020, about 1,400 people lived there, which was a good increase from 2010.
The town sits in a valley called Middle Park, right by the Fraser River and U.S. Highway 40. Fraser is close to Winter Park, which has a popular ski resort. This has helped Fraser grow with new homes and buildings.
Contents
Fraser's History
Fraser became an official town in 1953. However, it had a post office much earlier, starting in 1876. The town is named after Reuben Frazer, one of the first people to settle in the area.
Fraser's Location and Size
Fraser is in the southeastern part of Grand County. To the south, it borders the town of Winter Park. To the north, it's next to an area called Tabernash.
U.S. Route 40 goes south and east from Fraser, crossing Berthoud Pass. This road leads about 71 miles (114 km) to Denver. If you go northwest on the highway, it's about 15 miles (24 km) to Granby, which is the biggest town in Grand County.
In 2020, Fraser covered a total area of about 2,216 acres (8.966 km2). Only a tiny part of this, about 3.2 acres (0.013 km2), is water. The Fraser River flows through the eastern side of the town, heading north towards the Colorado River.
Fraser's Climate: The Icebox of the Nation
Fraser is known for being one of the coldest towns in the lower 48 states of the U.S. Its average yearly temperature is about 38.0 °F (3.3 °C). It can get frost at any time of the year. The town experiences about 287 nights a year where the temperature drops below 32 °F (0 °C). This is similar to places in northern Alaska!
Fraser also has about 63 nights a year where the temperature falls below 0 °F (−17.8 °C). The town has about 59 days where the high temperature doesn't get above freezing.
Fraser and International Falls, Minnesota have both claimed the nickname "Icebox of the Nation." This has caused some friendly arguments between the two towns over the years.
According to climate experts, Fraser has a subarctic climate. This means it has long, cold winters and short, mild summers. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Fraser was 93 °F (33.9 °C) on August 1, 1969. The coldest was −43 °F (−41.7 °C) on January 10, 1962.
Fraser gets a lot of snow, averaging about 143.2 inches (3.64 m) each year. It's one of the few places in the entire United States where a freeze has been recorded on every single date of the year!
| Climate data for Fraser, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1989–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 50 (10) |
53 (12) |
65 (18) |
74 (23) |
81 (27) |
87 (31) |
93 (34) |
84 (29) |
82 (28) |
75 (24) |
65 (18) |
53 (12) |
93 (34) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 42.0 (5.6) |
46.1 (7.8) |
54.8 (12.7) |
64.7 (18.2) |
74.1 (23.4) |
81.0 (27.2) |
83.3 (28.5) |
81.2 (27.3) |
76.7 (24.8) |
69.1 (20.6) |
55.3 (12.9) |
44.1 (6.7) |
83.7 (28.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.8 (−0.7) |
34.4 (1.3) |
42.7 (5.9) |
51.1 (10.6) |
62.1 (16.7) |
72.4 (22.4) |
76.8 (24.9) |
74.5 (23.6) |
68.0 (20.0) |
55.7 (13.2) |
41.1 (5.1) |
30.7 (−0.7) |
53.4 (11.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 14.9 (−9.5) |
18.2 (−7.7) |
26.7 (−2.9) |
35.4 (1.9) |
44.5 (6.9) |
52.5 (11.4) |
57.4 (14.1) |
55.6 (13.1) |
48.6 (9.2) |
38.3 (3.5) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
15.0 (−9.4) |
36.0 (2.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −0.9 (−18.3) |
2.0 (−16.7) |
10.7 (−11.8) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
32.6 (0.3) |
38.0 (3.3) |
36.8 (2.7) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
20.9 (−6.2) |
9.5 (−12.5) |
−0.8 (−18.2) |
18.7 (−7.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −25.9 (−32.2) |
−23.5 (−30.8) |
−15.0 (−26.1) |
1.1 (−17.2) |
16.0 (−8.9) |
23.8 (−4.6) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
17.5 (−8.1) |
3.2 (−16.0) |
−15.0 (−26.1) |
−24.3 (−31.3) |
−30.9 (−34.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −34 (−37) |
−43 (−42) |
−31 (−35) |
−19 (−28) |
3 (−16) |
20 (−7) |
23 (−5) |
24 (−4) |
7 (−14) |
−19 (−28) |
−30 (−34) |
−41 (−41) |
−43 (−42) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.94 (49) |
1.43 (36) |
1.79 (45) |
2.04 (52) |
1.27 (32) |
1.18 (30) |
1.90 (48) |
1.73 (44) |
1.63 (41) |
1.62 (41) |
1.37 (35) |
1.68 (43) |
19.58 (496) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 24.7 (63) |
24.7 (63) |
19.4 (49) |
18.6 (47) |
3.0 (7.6) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.2 (3.0) |
9.5 (24) |
16.2 (41) |
25.5 (65) |
143.2 (363.6) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.7 | 10.8 | 8.3 | 8.8 | 7.4 | 5.8 | 8.9 | 11.1 | 7.9 | 6.9 | 7.9 | 10.4 | 104.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 10.6 | 10.8 | 7.4 | 6.0 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 7.4 | 10.5 | 57.4 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
The "Icebox of the Nation" Dispute
Fraser, Colorado, has been in a friendly disagreement with International Falls, Minnesota since 1956. They both wanted to use the nickname "Icebox of the Nation." After some discussions, the United States Patent and Trademark Office officially gave the slogan to International Falls on January 29, 2008.
Fraser's Population
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 253 | — | |
| 1970 | 221 | −12.6% | |
| 1980 | 470 | 112.7% | |
| 1990 | 575 | 22.3% | |
| 2000 | 910 | 58.3% | |
| 2010 | 1,224 | 34.5% | |
| 2020 | 1,400 | 14.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 910 people living in Fraser. These people made up 410 households, with 191 of them being families. The town had 622 housing units.
About 25% of the households had children under 18 living with them. About 33% were married couples. The average household had 2.21 people, and the average family had 2.71 people.
The population was spread out by age. About 18% were under 18 years old. The largest group, about 46%, was between 25 and 44 years old. The median age in Fraser was 31 years.
Transportation in Fraser
Train Services
Amtrak offers train service to Fraser and nearby Winter Park. Their California Zephyr train runs every day. It travels between Chicago, Illinois, and Emeryville, California, near the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2015, Amtrak also brought back a special seasonal train for skiers called the Winter Park Express. In 2025, they added a stop right in Fraser. This train service used to be provided by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad's Ski Train for almost 70 years.
Other Ways to Get Around
Besides trains, you can also use the Bustang, which is a bus service that replaced the old Greyhound bus. Another option is Home James Transportation. They have been offering shared shuttle rides and private car services since 1982.
Famous People from Fraser
- Susan Anderson, a doctor known as "Doc Susie"
- Carlota D. EspinoZa
See also
In Spanish: Fraser (Colorado) para niños
