Alamosa (Colorado)

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Alamosa
Nickname : Hub of the San Luis Valley
Alamosa, Colorado, 2012
Alamosa, Colorado, 2012
Location in county and in Colorado
Alamosa County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Alamosa Highlighted.svg
Basic data
Foundation : 1878
State : United States
State : Colorado
County : Alamosa County
Coordinates : 37 ° 28 ′  N , 105 ° 52 ′  W Coordinates: 37 ° 28 ′  N , 105 ° 52 ′  W
Time zone : Mountain ( UTC − 7 / −6 )
Residents : 8,780 (as of 2010)
Population density : 852.4 inhabitants per km 2
Area : 10.3 km 2  (approx. 4 mi 2 ) of
which 10.3 km 2  (approx. 4 mi 2 ) is land
Height : 2299 m
Postcodes : 81101, 81102
Area code : +1 719
FIPS : 08-01090
GNIS ID : 0203624
Website : www.cityofalamosa.org
Mayor : Farris J. Bervig

Alamosa is a small town in the southern part of the US state Colorado and is also the county seat of Alamosa County . The settlement is run as a Home Rule Municipality and is the economic center of the San Luis Valley . The place was elevated to a city in May 1878 and was officially registered on August 12 of the same year. Alamosa is the most populous settlement in the county and counted 8,682 inhabitants in 2005 according to the census updates.

history

Alamosa was founded in May 1878 by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and quickly became a major center for the railroad. In Alamosa it had facilities for construction and maintenance, as well as cargo handling and headquarters of the remaining narrow-gauge network of the railway company in southwest Colorado and northern New Mexico for many years . The Adams State College , a four-year public university, was founded in 1921 and offers various courses. including economics and education. The ASC's speed skating team is internationally known.

Alamosa is now a well-known destination for tourists who mainly visit the nearby Great Sand Dunes National Park . The city's name is derived from the Alamosa River on which it lies. The term "Alamosa" is of Spanish origin and refers to the poplars growing on the banks of the river ("cottonwoods" in English).

There are several supermarkets and restaurants, a regional hospital and two polyclinics in the city .

geography

Alamosa's geographic coordinates are 37 ° 28 ′ 8 ″  N , 105 ° 52 ′ 25 ″  W and are located at the intersection of US Highways 160 and 285 , and Colorado State Highway 17 .

According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of ​​10.3 km 2 , all of which is land.

Alamosa is located in the San Luis Valley, the highest agricultural area in the United States. This is probably the most extensive mountain valley in the world, whose dry climate is characterized by long, cold winters and short, cool summers. The farmers therefore concentrate on varieties that grow well in cold climates. The valley has its highest point about 37 km from Alamosa in the Sangre de Cristo Range at an altitude of about 4300 m above sea level, the area around Alamosa is about 2300 m above sea level.

Demographics

At the time of the United States Census 2000, Alamosa was inhabited by 7,960 people. The population density was 770.3 people per km 2 . There were 3215 housing units, an average of 311.1 per km 2 . The population of Alamosa was 68.53% White , 1.41% Black or African American , 2.20% Native American , 0.95% Asian , 0.26% Pacific Islander , 22.36% stated other races belong to and 4.28% named two or more races. 46.80% of the population declared to be Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The residents of Alamosa distributed to 2974 households out of which 32.0% were living in children under 18 years. 40.5% of households were married, 14.6% had a female head of household without a husband, and 40.5% were not families. 33.7% of households were made up of individuals and someone lived in 11.0% of all households aged 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.04.

The urban population was distributed among 24.4% minors, 21.8% 18–24 year olds, 24.8% 25–44 year olds, 18.1% 45–64 year olds and 10.9% aged 65 and over or more. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 women there were 91.4 men. For every 100 women over the age of 18, there were 89.1 men.

The median household income in Alamosa was 25,453 US dollars and the median family income reached the amount of 33,017 US dollars. The median income for men was $ 27,100 compared to $ 22,671 for women. The per capita income in Alamosa was $ 15,405. 25.0% of the population and 18.1% of families had an income below the poverty line , including 30.4% of minors and 17.0% of those aged 65 and over.

traffic

Two road bridges and one railway bridge lead over the Rio Grande . This makes Alamosa a transport hub in front of the border with the US state of New Mexico .

Aside from private transport, Alamosa is served by the San Luis and Rio Grande Railroad . Great Lakes Airlines operates three flights a day between Denver and Alamosa.

sons and daughters of the town

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Colorado Municipal Incorporations ( HTML ) State of Colorado , Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved March 28, 2008.
  2. ↑ US Census Bureau, Population Division: Annual Estimates of the Population for All Incorporated Places in Colorado (2005 Population Estimates) ( Memento of October 15, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ http://www.cityofalamosa.org/
  4. ^ Gannett, Henry: The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States 1905, p. 19.