Dotsero, Colorado
| Dotsero, Colorado | |
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| Census-designated place | |
Houses in Dotsero along the south side of Interstate 70, along the Eagle River
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 Dotsero
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| Coordinates: 39°39′0″N 107°3′30″W / 39.65000°N 107.05833°WCoordinates: 39°39′0″N 107°3′30″W / 39.65000°N 107.05833°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Eagle |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.6 sq mi (4.1 km2) |
| • Land | 1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,150 ft (1,870 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 705 |
| • Density | 501/sq mi (193.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 81637 |
| FIPS code | 08-21155 |
| GNIS feature ID | 174006 |
Dotsero is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in western Eagle County, Colorado, in the United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 705. The town originated as a railroad junction and is located at the confluence of the Eagle River with the Colorado River, along U.S. Highway 6 and Interstate 70, near the head of Glenwood Canyon, approximately 5 miles (8 km) west of Gypsum. The town consists mostly of a cluster of houses and trailers on both sides of the Eagle River.
Dotsero was an important railroad junction point for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad's Denver to Salt Lake City line. Originally the line passed through Dotsero following the Eagle River towards Tennessee Pass and through the Royal Gorge of the Arkansas River in route to Pueblo, Colorado before turning north towards Denver. Through the years, efforts were made to have a more direct connection between Denver and Salt Lake that did not require detouring through Pueblo. The Denver and Salt Lake Railroad (D&SL) built a line west from Denver and entered the Colorado River canyon near Bond, Colorado, about 40 miles (64 km) Northeast of Dotsero. The D&SL was never finished as a separate route to Salt Lake City; however, was eventually acquired by the D&RGW, who built a connection between Dotsero and Orestod (Dotsero spelled backwards) near Bond. This connection, commonly known as the Dotsero Cutoff, was completed on June 15, 1934 and finally provided Denver with a direct link to Salt Lake City, making Dotsero the junction between the old and new routes to Denver. After completion the old route over Tennessee pass remained in use as a secondary route, but has been dormant since 1997.
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