Montezuma, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Town of Montezuma, Colorado
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Location of Montezuma in Summit County, Colorado.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  State of Colorado |
| County | Summit County |
| Founded | 1865 |
| Incorporated | September 1881 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory Town |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2) |
| • Land | 0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 10,302 ft (3,140 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 74 |
| • Density | 930/sq mi (352/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
80435
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| Area code(s) | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-51690 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413008 |
| Highways | none (connected to US 6 5 miles away by Montezuma Road) |
The Town of Montezuma is a small town in eastern Summit County, Colorado, United States. In 2020, only 74 people lived there. It used to be a mining town.
Montezuma sits very high up, at about 10,200 feet (3,109 meters) above sea level. It's located west of the Continental Divide, surrounded by mountains that reach 12,000 to 13,000 feet (3,700-4,000 meters) high. The town is in the upper part of the Snake River valley, above the Keystone ski resort in the Rocky Mountains.
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About Montezuma Town
The town is named after Montezuma II, who was an Emperor of the Aztecs. Montezuma has many old buildings and homes along its unpaved streets. These streets are at the end of a paved road that goes up the Snake River from Keystone.
The town is in a high, steep valley. It is surrounded by forested mountains. This area offers great access to the national forest lands nearby. The paved road from Keystone goes through the national forest right up to the town's entrance. A sign over the road marks the town.
Montezuma still has many old buildings. Some of them are from the late 1800s. For example, there's a beautiful schoolhouse from the 1880s. This schoolhouse is now a historical site in Colorado. Even though it's sometimes called a ghost town, Montezuma still has a small number of people who live there all the time. Many others own homes there but don't live there year-round.
From 2004 to 2009, a small radio station (KMZM 96.5 then 96.7) broadcast from one of the houses. You could only hear it in and near the town.
Montezuma is known for its amazing outdoor activities. It has some of the most popular trails in Summit County for backcountry skiing, biking, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and hiking. John Fielder even listed Montezuma as one of Colorado's top scenic places in his book, "Best of Colorado."
Montezuma's Past: A Mining Story
Montezuma was started in 1865. This happened after silver was found near Argentine Pass. Prospectors, or people looking for valuable minerals, came from nearby Georgetown to settle here. The town officially became a town in 1881.
A local newspaper, the Montezuma Mill Run, started in 1882. In its first issue, the newspaper said the town had two hotels, three stores, three saloons, two blacksmiths, one shoemaker, and many restaurants and boarding houses.
In 1890, during the peak of the Colorado Silver Boom, Montezuma's population grew to almost 10,000 people! At that time, the town had two stores, a post office, two hotels (the Summit House and the Rocky Mountain House), and a sawmill. Later, it even got a smelter. A smelter is a place where metal is separated from its ore. This allowed them to separate silver and lead ores found in the area.
At its busiest, the mountains around Montezuma had many mines. These mines were part of the Belle and Blance lodes, run by the Sts. John Mining Company. The nearby ghost town of Saints John is named after this company. Today, Saints John has only three cabins near the tree line, at 10,764 feet (3,281 meters).
The town's growth slowed down a lot after the Silver Bust in 1893. This was when the price of silver dropped. There was a small increase in mining interest in 1940, but Montezuma has been pretty quiet since World War II.
The town has had five big fires over the years. Fires in 1949 and 1958 destroyed many old buildings. The Summit House hotel, for example, burned down on Christmas in 1958. More fires in the 1970s and 1980s destroyed other historic buildings and businesses. This left the town with very few businesses today. However, people are now very interested in buying property in Montezuma. This is because land near ski areas and wilderness is becoming much more valuable.
Montezuma's Location and Weather
At 10,200 feet (3,109 meters) above sea level, Montezuma is one of only a few towns in the United States that are higher than 10,000 feet (3,048 meters).
The United States Census Bureau says the town covers about 0.1 square miles (0.21 square kilometers), and all of it is land.
Montezuma's Climate
Montezuma has a subarctic climate. This means it has short, mild summers and long, cold winters.
| Climate data for Montezuma, Colorado | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 56 (13) |
55 (13) |
65 (18) |
64 (18) |
75 (24) |
84 (29) |
85 (29) |
78 (26) |
78 (26) |
76 (24) |
62 (17) |
61 (16) |
85 (29) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33 (1) |
34 (1) |
38 (3) |
44 (7) |
53 (12) |
64 (18) |
70 (21) |
68 (20) |
61 (16) |
51 (11) |
40 (4) |
33 (1) |
49.1 (9.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 11 (−12) |
11 (−12) |
15 (−9) |
22 (−6) |
31 (−1) |
40 (4) |
45 (7) |
43 (6) |
36 (2) |
28 (−2) |
18 (−8) |
11 (−12) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −28 (−33) |
−28 (−33) |
−20 (−29) |
−14 (−26) |
2 (−17) |
9 (−13) |
27 (−3) |
24 (−4) |
9 (−13) |
−9 (−23) |
−21 (−29) |
−23 (−31) |
−28 (−33) |
| Average rainfall inches (mm) | 0.72 (18) |
0.93 (24) |
1.93 (49) |
2.55 (65) |
1.98 (50) |
1.93 (49) |
2.70 (69) |
3.01 (76) |
1.64 (42) |
1.36 (35) |
1.38 (35) |
1.01 (26) |
21.14 (538) |
| Source: weather.com | |||||||||||||
Montezuma's Population
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 40 | — | |
| 1910 | 134 | 235.0% | |
| 1920 | 69 | −48.5% | |
| 1930 | 38 | −44.9% | |
| 1940 | 59 | 55.3% | |
| 1950 | 48 | −18.6% | |
| 1960 | 17 | −64.6% | |
| 1990 | 60 | — | |
| 2000 | 42 | −30.0% | |
| 2010 | 65 | 54.8% | |
| 2020 | 74 | 13.8% | |
In 2000, there were 42 people living in Montezuma. These people made up 20 households and 6 families. The population was 100% White. About 2.4% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
Out of the 20 households, 25% had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.10 people, and the average family had 3.33 people.
The people in town were spread out by age:
- 19% were under 18
- 11.9% were 18 to 24
- 50% were 25 to 44
- 19% were 45 to 64
The average age was 36 years old.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,750. For a family, it was $53,750. The average income per person in the town was $31,924.
See also
In Spanish: Montezuma (Colorado) para niños
