Idalia, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Idalia, Colorado
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Looking east on U.S. Route 36 (2017)
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| Nickname(s):
Jewel of the Plains
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Location within Yuma County and Colorado
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 Idalia, Colorado
Location in the United States
Idalia, Colorado
Location in Colorado
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | Yuma |
| Founded | 1887 |
| Government | |
| • Type | unincorporated community |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.085 sq mi (0.220 km2) |
| • Land | 0.085 sq mi (0.220 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.000 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,967 ft (1,209 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 97 |
| • Density | 1,142/sq mi (441/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP Code |
80735
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| Area code | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-38425 |
| GNIS ID | 204817 |
Idalia is a small town in Yuma County, Colorado. It's not officially a city, but it's a special kind of community called a "census-designated place" (CDP). In 2020, about 97 people lived there. It even has its own ZIP Code, 80735!
Contents
History of Idalia
Idalia started in 1887 with a different name: Alva. The post office there was called Alva for about a year. Then, in 1888, the name changed to Idalia. The town was named after Edaliah Helmick, who was one of the first people to settle in the area.
Idalia is located on the Eastern Plains of Colorado. It's about 150 miles east of Denver. It's also only about 15 miles from the Kansas border. Many families have lived in Idalia for generations. The main jobs in the area are farming, ranching, and producing natural gas.
Even though it's a small town, Idalia has many useful places. These include the Idalia Vision Foundation, two churches, a local Co-Op, a convenience store, restaurants, and a motel. A brand new school building for Kindergarten through 12th grade opened in 2013. It offers modern learning programs and facilities.
Idalia's Location and Climate
Idalia is found along U.S. Highway 36. This is about two miles west of U.S. Highway 385. The area of Idalia is about 0.220 square kilometers (which is about 54 acres), and it's all land.
Weather in Idalia
| Climate data for Idalia, Colorado (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1941–1946, 1987–2021) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 75 (24) |
81 (27) |
84 (29) |
92 (33) |
99 (37) |
110 (43) |
107 (42) |
104 (40) |
101 (38) |
93 (34) |
83 (28) |
78 (26) |
110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42.1 (5.6) |
44.1 (6.7) |
54.7 (12.6) |
62.2 (16.8) |
71.6 (22.0) |
83.9 (28.8) |
89.6 (32.0) |
86.9 (30.5) |
79.0 (26.1) |
65.4 (18.6) |
52.3 (11.3) |
42.7 (5.9) |
64.5 (18.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 29.1 (−1.6) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
40.3 (4.6) |
47.7 (8.7) |
57.7 (14.3) |
69.1 (20.6) |
75.1 (23.9) |
72.6 (22.6) |
64.2 (17.9) |
50.7 (10.4) |
38.6 (3.7) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
50.5 (10.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.2 (−8.8) |
18.1 (−7.7) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
33.3 (0.7) |
43.9 (6.6) |
54.4 (12.4) |
60.6 (15.9) |
58.2 (14.6) |
49.4 (9.7) |
36.0 (2.2) |
24.9 (−3.9) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
36.5 (2.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −27 (−33) |
−24 (−31) |
−11 (−24) |
6 (−14) |
24 (−4) |
33 (1) |
36 (2) |
40 (4) |
26 (−3) |
0 (−18) |
−7 (−22) |
−26 (−32) |
−27 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.47 (12) |
0.46 (12) |
1.03 (26) |
1.83 (46) |
2.82 (72) |
2.84 (72) |
2.96 (75) |
3.19 (81) |
1.20 (30) |
1.38 (35) |
0.53 (13) |
0.43 (11) |
19.14 (486) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.4 (11) |
5.0 (13) |
5.1 (13) |
3.4 (8.6) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
3.2 (8.1) |
2.9 (7.4) |
3.8 (9.7) |
28.5 (72) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 7.8 | 7.0 | 6.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 58.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 12.7 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Idalia's Population
The United States Census Bureau first officially counted Idalia as a CDP for the United States Census 2010.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2010 | 88 | — | |
| 2020 | 97 | 10.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Community Events
Idalia Days Celebration
The people of Idalia started a fun project to create their own summer town celebration. They wanted it to be like the events in nearby towns. This event is called Idalia Days. It happens every summer if enough people are interested.
During its first celebration, Idalia Days had many activities for everyone. They used ideas from past town celebrations. Events included bed races, an old-time baseball game, and a special six-man football game. There was also a play about how the town moved. Other activities were a softball tournament and a town dance. The dance often had live music and tasty food.
Education in Idalia
Idalia has one school, Idalia School. It teaches students from preschool all the way through twelfth grade. The school's mascot is the wolf. The town also has a preschool and a daycare for younger children.
School Timeline
- (1950) The first students graduated from the Idalia school.
- (1970s) A new part for the high school was added to the existing building.
- (1995) A new gymnasium (gym) was built.
- (2012-2013) The old school building was taken down. A new school was built after the State of Colorado gave Idalia a special grant called the BEST grant.
Idalia Sports
Because the high school has a small number of students, Idalia plays six-man football. This is a special type of football. Instead of 11 players on each side, there are only six. Many schools in states like Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas also play six-man football.
Idalia had a very strong football team from the late 1990s into the 2000s. They won eight state championships between 1998 and 2010! Recently, the football team has faced challenges. This is due to fewer students and other schools joining their sports programs.
However, while the football team is rebuilding, the Idalia girls' sports teams have been very successful. In 2015, the Idalia girls' volleyball team made it to the Colorado Class 1A championship game. They played a tough game but lost to Otis High School. The girls' basketball team won state championships two years in a row, in 2015 and 2016!
See also
In Spanish: Idalia (Colorado) para niños
