City of Glenwood Springs, Colorado | |
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Home Rule Municipality | |
Glenwood Springs view from Lookout Mountain
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Location in Garfield County, Colorado |
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Coordinates: 39°33′N 107°19′W / 39.550°N 107.317°WCoordinates: 39°33′N 107°19′W / 39.550°N 107.317°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Colorado |
County | Garfield County Seat |
Incorporated | September 4, 1885 |
Government | |
• Type | Home Rule Municipality |
Area | |
• Total | 5.69 sq mi (14.74 km2) |
• Land | 5.68 sq mi (14.72 km2) |
• Water | 0.008 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
Elevation | 5,761 ft (1,756 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 9,614 |
• Density | 1,692/sq mi (653.3/km2) |
Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
• Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
ZIP codes | 81601, 81602 (PO Box) |
Area code(s) | 970 |
FIPS code | 08-30780 |
GNIS feature ID | 0204659 |
Website | www |
The City of Glenwood Springs is the Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Garfield County, Colorado, United States. Glenwood Springs is located at the confluence of the Roaring Fork River and the Colorado River, threading together the Roaring Fork Valley and a series of smaller towns up and down the Colorado River. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 9,614.
Glenwood Springs is best known as a historic destination for vacationers with diverse natural amenities, most particularly hot springs, but gentrification and development have introduced modern cultural, dining, and recreational activities as well. It is also home to two of the campuses and the administrative offices of the Colorado Mountain College system.
Glenwood Springs in 2015 was named the "Most Vibrant Small Town Arts Environment in the United States" by Southern Methodist University and the 5th Best Place to Live in America by Outside magazine. It was named the "Most Fun Town in America" by Rand McNally and USA Today in 2011.
Glenwood Springs was originally known as "Defiance", a name sometimes still used by local teams or businesses. Defiance was established in 1883, a camp of tents, saloons, and brothels with an increasing amount of cabins and lodging establishments. It was populated with the expected crowd of gamblers, gunslingers, and prostitutes. Town Founder Isaac Cooper's wife Sarah was having a hard time adjusting to the frontier life and, in an attempt to make her environment somewhat more comfortable, persuaded the founders to change the name to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, after her beloved hometown of Glenwood, Iowa.