Alamosa, Colorado
| Alamosa, Colorado | |
|---|---|
| Home Rule Municipality | |
Entering from the east
|
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| Nickname(s): Hub of the San Luis Valley | |
| Motto: "Gateway to the Great Sand Dunes" | |
 Location within Alamosa County and Colorado |
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| Coordinates: 37°28′30″N 105°52′31″W / 37.475041°N 105.875314°WCoordinates: 37°28′30″N 105°52′31″W / 37.475041°N 105.875314°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Alamosa County – seat |
| Established | May 1878 |
| Incorporated | August 12, 1878 |
| Named for | The cottonwood trees along the Rio Grande |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home Rule Municipality |
| • Mayor | Josef Lucero |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.5 sq mi (14.3 km2) |
| • Land | 5.4 sq mi (14.0 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,543 ft (2,299 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 8,780 |
| • Density | 1,600/sq mi (610/km2) |
| • Demonym | Alamosan |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 81101, 81102 |
| Area code(s) | 719 |
| INCITS place code | 0801090 |
| GNIS ID | 0203624 |
| Highways |
 SH 17
|
| Website | cityofalamosa |
Alamosa is a city under Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 8,780 at the 2010 United States Census. The city is the commercial center of the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado, and is the home of Adams State University.
Alamosa was established in May 1878 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and quickly became an important rail center. The railroad had an extensive construction, repair and shipping facility in Alamosa for many years and headquartered its remaining narrow gauge service here with trackage reaching many points throughout southwest Colorado and northern New Mexico. Alamosa is now a notable tourist town with many nearby attractions, including the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and Colorado Gators Reptile Park. The town hosts "Summer Fest on the Rio" which occurs the first weekend in June and the Early Iron car show over the Labor Day weekend. The city takes its name from the Spanish adjective Alamosa, meaning "of cottonwood", for the cottonwood forests which grow along the Rio Grande and throughout town.
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