Fairplay, Colorado
| Fairplay, Colorado | |
|---|---|
| Statutory Town | |
View of Fairplay and South Park looking south from State Highway 9. The historic buildings of South Park City, an open-air museum, are in the foreground.
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| Nickname(s): The Real South Park | |
| Motto: "Where History Meets the High Country" | |
 Location in Park County and the State of Colorado |
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| Coordinates: 39°13′28″N 105°59′53″W / 39.22444°N 105.99806°WCoordinates: 39°13′28″N 105°59′53″W / 39.22444°N 105.99806°W | |
| Country |
 United States
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| State |
 State of Colorado
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| County | Park County |
| Founded | 1859 |
| Incorporated | November 15, 1872 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Statutory Town |
| • Mayor | Gabby Lane |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.1 sq mi (2.7 km2) |
| • Land | 1.1 sq mi (2.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 9,953 ft (3,034 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 679 |
| • Density | 617.3/sq mi (251.5/km2) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 80440 & 80456, 80432 (PO Box) |
| Area code(s) | 719 |
| FIPS code | 08-25610 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0169534 |
| Website | fairplayco.us |
Fairplay is the statutory town that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Park County, Colorado, United States. Fairplay is located in South Park at an elevation of 9,953 feet (3,034 m). The town is the fifth-highest incorporated place in the State of Colorado. The population was 679 at the U.S. Census 2010.
A historic gold mining settlement, the town was founded in 1859 during the early days of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. The town was named by settlers who were upset by the generous mining claims given to the earliest prospectors and promised a more equitable system for its residents. The town of Fairplay was incorporated in 1872.
It is the largest community in the grassland basin of Colorado known as South Park, sitting on the west edge of the basin at the junction of U.S. Highway 285 and State Highway 9. It is on a hillside just east of the Middle Fork South Platte River, near where Highway 9 ascends the river valley northward to Alma and Hoosier Pass. It is a quiet town, and the roads surrounding it have a low volume of traffic. Although it was founded during the initial placer mining boom, the mines in the area continued to produce gold and silver ore for many decades up through the middle of the 20th century.
The town consists of modern retail businesses along the highway, as well as a historic town on the bluff above the river along Front Street. The northern extension of Front Street along the river has been preserved and has become the site of relocated historic structures as an open-air museum called South Park City, intended to recreate the early days of the Colorado Gold Rush. Most of the residences in town are located on the hillside west of US Highway 285 and east of State Highway 9, in the vicinity of the schools and Park County Courthouse. The majority of the streets in town were finally paved in 2005.
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