Buena Vista, Colorado
| Town of Buena Vista, Colorado | |
|---|---|
| Statutory Town | |
| Motto: "8,000 Feet Above Average" | |
 Location in Chaffee County and the State of Colorado |
|
| Coordinates: 38°49′46″N 106°08′22″W / 38.829332°N 106.139515°WCoordinates: 38°49′46″N 106°08′22″W / 38.829332°N 106.139515°W | |
| Country |
 United States
|
| State |
 State of Colorado
|
| County | Chaffee County |
| Incorporated | November 8, 1879 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory Town |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.4 sq mi (8.9 km2) |
| • Land | 3.4 sq mi (8.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,965 ft (2,428 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,617 |
| • Density | 760/sq mi (290/km2) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 81211 |
| Area code(s) | 719 |
| INCITS place code | 0810105 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0189268 |
| Website | www |
The Town of Buena Vista is a Statutory Town in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2,617 at the 2010 United States Census.
The Arkansas River Valley and the area of what would become Buena Vista was first settled in 1864 by settlers drawn to the area by the plentiful water which made the land suitable for agriculture. By 1880, the county seat had moved from Granite to Buena Vista, but by 1928 Salida had a larger population so the county seat was moved once again. By 1894, Buena Vista had electricity, telephone service, street lights, parks, cemeteries, and schools. Travelers, speculators, and miners traveling up the Arkansas Valley towards Leadville made Buena Vista a popular stagecoach stop, and railroad depot following the 1890s. While certainly experiencing economic ups and downs, the valley's agricultural economy has made the area more resistant to the 'boom, bust' cycle of mining towns.
Buena Vista is located in central Colorado roughly midway between Salida and Leadville in the Upper Arkansas River Valley at an elevation of 7,965 feet (2,428 m). The area between Buena Vista and Salida is often referred to as the Denver & Rio Grande, South Park & Pacific, and Colorado Midland railroads. Many of the existing buildings of Buena Vista date back to this era, and were built in the 1880s and 1890s.
The name "Buena Vista", Spanish for "Beautiful View", can often be heard pronounced locally as "Biewna Vista". This Americanized pronunciation was specified by Alsina Dearheimer, who chose this name for the town, which was officially selected over other names (Cottonwood, Mahonville) on the occasion of the town's incorporation. Alternate pronunciations include "Bwena Veesta" (Spanish pronunciation) and simply "Biewnie." Many residents simply refer to the town as "BV".
Buena Vista has a Semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk), with cold, dry winters and warm, somewhat wetter summers. Altitude and dryness cause the diurnal temperature variation to be high year-round.
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