Alamosa, Colorado
Alamosa is a city of 9,879 people in Alamosa County, Colorado, founded in 1878.
Why visit Alamosa
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 19 parks and trails, 54 places to eat, 13 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Ski-Hi 6, Husung Hardware and Alamosa County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 0°F, and about 30 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Alamosa
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Alamosa
Alamosa is the home rule city that is the county seat of, and the most populous municipality in, Alamosa County, Colorado United States. Alamosa is located along the Rio Grande. The city population was 9,806 in the 2020 United States census. The city is the commercial center of the San Luis Valley in south-central Colorado, and is the home of Adams State University.
From the Wikipedia article Alamosa, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks8
Husung Hardware
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic building in Alamosa, Colorado, United States
625 Main Street, Alamosa
Alamosa County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
United States historic place
American National Bank Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Bank building in Alamosa, Colorado
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D&RGW 169
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Preserved D&RGW T-12 class locomotive
Denver and Rio Grande Western Number 169
Monument and historic site · 0.9 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds19
7 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes54
Spud Cafe
Cafe · American · 0.7 mi
620 Main Street, Alamosa
Su,Mo,We,Th 10:00-15:00; Fr,Sa 10:00-18:00; Tu off
My Brother's Place Restaurant & Deli
Restaurant · Pizza, Sandwich · 0.7 mi
613 Main Street, Alamosa
We-Sa 11:00-20:00; Su-Tu off
Colorado Grill Alamosa
Restaurant · 0.6 mi
719 Main Street, Alamosa
Tu-Sa 11:00-20:00
Emma's Authentic Southwest Food
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.6 mi
924 Main Street, Alamosa
42 more on the map.
History
The Alamosa, Colorado, post office opened on March 12, 1878, and the Town of Alamosa was incorporated on August 12, 1878. The town was established by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and quickly became an important rail center. Alamosa was the terminus of the D&RG until 1881, when the line was extended to Monte Vista. The railroad had an extensive construction, repair, and shipping facility in Alamosa for many years and headquartered its remaining narrow-gauge service here with trackage reaching many points throughout southwest Colorado and northern New Mexico. Alamosa County was created on March 8, 1913, with Alamosa as its first and only seat.
Alamosa is now a notable tourist town with many nearby attractions, including the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado Gators Reptile Park, and the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad. The town hosts "Summer Fest on the Rio" which occurs the first weekend in June, the Early Iron car show over the Labor Day weekend, and "Weekends on the Rio" on various Sundays throughout the summer The city takes its name from the Spanish adjective Alamosa, meaning "of cottonwood", for the cottonwood forests which grow along the Rio Grande and throughout town.
From the History section of Alamosa, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay13
Churches and places of worship17
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
715 4th Street, Alamosa
First Baptist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 2.0 mi
10922 East Highway 160, Alamosa
Shopping14
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries14
Alamosa Elementary School 3-5
School · 0.9 mi
1709 West 10Th Street Building B, Alamosa
Alamosa Elementary School K-2
School · 0.8 mi
1707 West 10Th Street Building A, Alamosa
Healthcare3
Valley-Wide Health Systems, Inc.
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.7 mi
128 Market Street, Alamosa
Map of Alamosa
152 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°F | 0°F | 0.4 in | 6.9 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 7°F | 0.3 in | 4.2 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 17°F | 0.5 in | 4.3 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 26°F | 0.5 in | 4.5 in |
| May | 69°F | 34°F | 0.7 in | 0.8 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 42°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 48°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 45°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 37°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 25°F | 0.6 in | 2.0 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 13°F | 0.4 in | 3.1 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 2°F | 0.2 in | 4.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Alamosa 1E (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Alamosa County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-05: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Coastal Storm)
- 2003-04-09: Snow (Snowstorm)
- 2002-06-19: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Alamosa East 2 mi east, about 3 min by car
- Sanford 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- La Jara 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- Monte Vista 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- Manassa 21 mi south, about 34 min by car
- Romeo 22 mi south, about 35 min by car
- Center 23 mi northwest, about 37 min by car
- Fort Garland 24 mi east, about 39 min by car
- Del Norte 30 mi northwest, about 48 min by car
- Questa 55 mi south, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Alamosa, Colorado, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Alamosa, Colorado), Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Husung Hardware, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Saint Thomas Episcopal Church (Alamosa, Colorado), Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- American National Bank Building, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First Baptist Church (Alamosa, Colorado), Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Denver and Rio Grande Railroad Locomotive No.169, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Alamosa County Courthouse, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
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