Meeker, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Meeker, Colorado
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Aerial view of Meeker, November 2010
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| Motto(s):
The river runs through it.
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Location of Meeker in Rio Blanco County, Colorado.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  State of Colorado |
| County | Rio Blanco (County seat) |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Incorporated | 1885-11-10 |
| Named for | Nathan Meeker |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory Town |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.59 sq mi (9.30 km2) |
| • Land | 3.59 sq mi (9.30 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,444 ft (1,964 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,374 |
| • Density | 661.3/sq mi (255.27/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
81641
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| Area code(s) | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-49875 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412977 |
| Website | Town of Meeker |
Meeker is a town in Colorado, United States. It is the main town in Rio Blanco County and where the county government is located. In 2020, about 2,374 people lived there.
Contents
About Meeker, Colorado
Meeker is mostly a ranching town. It is located in a wide, green valley near the White River in northwestern Colorado. The town is somewhat far from other communities. You can find it where Highway 13 and Highway 64 meet. It sits on the north side of the White River, at the bottom of a long hill called China Wall.
Meeker is also home to the yearly Meeker Classic Sheepdog trials. This is an event where trained dogs show off their skills at herding sheep.
Meeker's History
The town of Meeker is named after Nathan Meeker. He was a United States government agent who was killed in 1879. This event, known as the Meeker Incident, involved the White River Ute Native American people. The place where this happened, the old White River Indian Agency, is west of town along Highway 64. No buildings from that time are still standing.
After this event, the United States Army set up a camp where Meeker is now. This camp was called the Camp at White River. The town of Meeker was officially started in 1883, after the troops left. The White River Museum is in Meeker. It is located in some of the original wooden buildings from the Army camp.
Meeker was the first town in Northwestern Colorado to be officially recognized. It became the main center for banking and trade in the area for many years. The town was officially incorporated in 1885.
By the early 1900s, Meeker became a popular place for hunting. Theodore Roosevelt, who later became a U.S. President, visited Meeker twice. He came in 1901 and 1905 for hunting trips, looking for mountain lions and bears. He stayed at the historic Hotel Meeker. Today, Meeker is still a favorite summer spot for many people.
Town Geography
Meeker is located on the White River. It sits about 6,250 feet (1,905 meters) above sea level. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town covers an area of about 2.9 square miles (7.5 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Population Changes
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 260 | — | |
| 1900 | 507 | 95.0% | |
| 1910 | 807 | 59.2% | |
| 1920 | 935 | 15.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,069 | 14.3% | |
| 1940 | 1,399 | 30.9% | |
| 1950 | 1,658 | 18.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,655 | −0.2% | |
| 1970 | 1,597 | −3.5% | |
| 1980 | 2,356 | 47.5% | |
| 1990 | 2,098 | −11.0% | |
| 2000 | 2,242 | 6.9% | |
| 2010 | 2,475 | 10.4% | |
| 2020 | 2,374 | −4.1% | |
The population of Meeker has changed over the years. In 1890, only 260 people lived there. By 2020, the population had grown to 2,374 people.
Meeker's Climate
Meeker has a type of climate called a warm-summer humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Meeker was 103°F (39°C) on July 11, 1900. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -43°F (-42°C). This happened on January 7, 1913, and again on January 12, 1963.
| Climate data for Meeker, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 61 (16) |
65 (18) |
77 (25) |
86 (30) |
93 (34) |
102 (39) |
103 (39) |
99 (37) |
94 (34) |
86 (30) |
74 (23) |
63 (17) |
103 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 48.3 (9.1) |
54.1 (12.3) |
66.6 (19.2) |
74.3 (23.5) |
82.4 (28.0) |
89.9 (32.2) |
94.0 (34.4) |
92.0 (33.3) |
87.1 (30.6) |
78.2 (25.7) |
66.1 (18.9) |
53.0 (11.7) |
94.8 (34.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.9 (1.1) |
39.2 (4.0) |
50.3 (10.2) |
58.1 (14.5) |
67.9 (19.9) |
79.4 (26.3) |
86.4 (30.2) |
83.5 (28.6) |
75.5 (24.2) |
62.7 (17.1) |
48.0 (8.9) |
35.1 (1.7) |
60.0 (15.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 20.1 (−6.6) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
36.0 (2.2) |
42.9 (6.1) |
51.2 (10.7) |
60.7 (15.9) |
67.0 (19.4) |
64.9 (18.3) |
56.8 (13.8) |
45.0 (7.2) |
33.3 (0.7) |
21.7 (−5.7) |
43.8 (6.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 6.4 (−14.2) |
12.8 (−10.7) |
21.7 (−5.7) |
27.6 (−2.4) |
34.6 (1.4) |
40.9 (4.9) |
47.6 (8.7) |
46.2 (7.9) |
38.2 (3.4) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
18.6 (−7.4) |
8.4 (−13.1) |
27.5 (−2.5) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −15.3 (−26.3) |
−9.7 (−23.2) |
3.8 (−15.7) |
12.9 (−10.6) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
30.8 (−0.7) |
38.1 (3.4) |
37.2 (2.9) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
12.4 (−10.9) |
−2.8 (−19.3) |
−14.4 (−25.8) |
−19.9 (−28.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −43 (−42) |
−38 (−39) |
−24 (−31) |
−5 (−21) |
12 (−11) |
17 (−8) |
23 (−5) |
29 (−2) |
14 (−10) |
−17 (−27) |
−25 (−32) |
−36 (−38) |
−43 (−42) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.17 (30) |
0.99 (25) |
1.24 (31) |
1.96 (50) |
1.80 (46) |
1.02 (26) |
1.09 (28) |
1.44 (37) |
1.75 (44) |
1.74 (44) |
1.31 (33) |
1.20 (30) |
16.71 (424) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 13.7 (35) |
11.3 (29) |
8.7 (22) |
4.9 (12) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
3.3 (8.4) |
9.9 (25) |
12.2 (31) |
64.8 (164.41) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 11.2 (28) |
11.3 (29) |
6.9 (18) |
3.1 (7.9) |
0.8 (2.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
2.4 (6.1) |
5.3 (13) |
8.7 (22) |
13.3 (34) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.7 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 5.3 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 89.6 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 7.2 | 5.5 | 4.2 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 4.7 | 6.3 | 32.1 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Famous People from Meeker
Some notable people have connections to Meeker:
- Neal Blue is a co-owner of General Atomics, a company that works on technology.
- Virginia Neal Blue (1910–1970) served as the Colorado State Treasurer from 1967 to 1970. This means she managed the state's money.
- Margaret L. Curry (1898–1986) was a parole officer for the state of Colorado. She helped people who had been in prison follow rules after they were released.
- Buddy Roosevelt was an actor and a stunt performer in movies.
See also
In Spanish: Meeker (Colorado) para niños
