San Luis, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
San Luis, Colorado
San Luis de la Culebra
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Entering San Luis from the west
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| Motto(s):
The Oldest Town in Colorado
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Location of San Luis in Costilla County, Colorado.
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 San Luis, Colorado
Location in Colorado
San Luis, Colorado
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  State of Colorado |
| County | Costilla County – seat |
| Established | April 9, 1851 |
| Incorporated | 1885 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory Town |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.57 sq mi (1.47 km2) |
| • Land | 0.57 sq mi (1.47 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,989 ft (2,435 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 598 |
| • Density | 1,049/sq mi (406.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
81152
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| Area code(s) | 719 |
| FIPS code | 08-68105 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413253 |
San Luis is a small town in Costilla County, Colorado, United States. It is the main town and the county seat (where the local government is located). San Luis is special because it is the oldest town in Colorado where people have lived continuously since it was founded. In 2020, about 598 people lived there. It was once known as San Luis de la Culebra.
Contents
Discovering San Luis's Past
San Luis is much younger than the ancient pueblos (old Native American villages) in northern New Mexico. This is because early Hispanic settlers were careful about moving too far north. They worried about attacks from the Ute and Comanche tribes. In the early 1800s, traders who were armed traveled through the area on the Old Spanish Trail.
How San Luis Became Part of the U.S.
In 1821, Mexico became independent from Spain. San Luis was part of a large area of land called the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant. The government of New Mexico gave this land to the Carlos Beaubien family in 1843. Later, in 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo made northern Mexico, including this area, part of the United States. Then, in 1850, the Compromise of 1850 created the U.S. Territory of New Mexico.
Founding the Oldest Town
Hispanic settlers from the Taos Valley (a valley in New Mexico) started several small villages along the Rio Culebra in the San Luis Valley. On April 9, 1851, they officially took control of this part of the land grant. The settlers built a church in their main village, which they called La Plaza Medio. They dedicated the church on June 21, 1851, which was the Feast of Saint Louis. To honor the saint, they renamed the village San Luis de la Culebra.
Protection and Growth
To keep the settlers safe, the United States Army built Fort Massachusetts in 1852 and Fort Garland in 1858. San Luis stayed part of the Territory of New Mexico until 1861. That year, the Territory of Colorado was created.
In 1863, San Luis became the county seat for Costilla County, and it still is today. Colonel Christopher "Kit" Carson, who was in charge of Fort Garland, made a peace agreement with the Ute people in 1867. Colorado became a state in 1876. The town of San Luis was officially made a town (incorporated) in 1885. This makes San Luis the oldest town in Colorado that has been lived in continuously.
San Luis Today: Culture and Community
Today, San Luis is well-known for its Stations of the Cross. These are sculptures that go up a local mesa (a flat-topped hill). The town celebrates the Fiesta de Santiago y Santa Ana every July. They also have the San Luis Manito Christmas celebration in December.
Exploring San Luis's Location
The town of San Luis is located in the San Luis Valley. Colorado State Highway 159 goes north from San Luis for about 15 miles to Fort Garland and U.S. Route 160. If you go south on Highway 159, you'll reach the New Mexico border in about 18 miles. Highway 142 goes west for about 31 miles to Manassa.
The United States Census Bureau says that the town covers a total area of about 0.57 square miles (1.4 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Understanding San Luis's Population
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1970 | 781 | — | |
| 1980 | 842 | 7.8% | |
| 1990 | 800 | −5.0% | |
| 2000 | 739 | −7.6% | |
| 2010 | 629 | −14.9% | |
| 2020 | 598 | −4.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The population of a town tells us how many people live there. This information is gathered during a census, which happens every ten years. In 1970, San Luis had 781 residents. Over the years, the population has changed. By 2020, the number of people living in San Luis was 598.
See also
In Spanish: San Luis (Colorado) para niños
