Why visit Del Norte
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 1 place to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Patriot Bible University and Lookout Mountain.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average 7°F, and about 39 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Del Norte
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Del Norte
Del Norte is the statutory town that is the county seat of Rio Grande County, Colorado, United States. The town's name is most commonly pronounced /ˈdɛl nɔɹt/. The town population was 1,458 at the 2020 United States census.
From the Wikipedia article Del Norte, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Patriot Bible University
School · 0.6 mi
Unaccredited Christian correspondence school
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes1
History
Del Norte is named from the river Rio Grande del Norte, or "great river of the north". There is abundant evidence in the area in the form of arrowheads and campsites of ancient peoples living around Del Norte thousands of years ago, such as the Folsom people. Afterwards, the Utes were known to live around Del Norte and the rest of the San Luis Valley, going back hundreds of years prior to Euro-American contact. They lived here temporarily in the warmer months because of the abundance of wild game, plants, water, and timber in the area – winters were often too cold and harsh for them to settle permanently. Spanish and Mexican peoples were the first non-natives to explore the nearby land, coming from Santa Fe and other parts of New Mexico. They were interested in surveying the 'Rio del Norte', or 'River of the North' – hence the origin of the town's name. This was the original name of the Rio Grande headwaters prior to numerous name changes over the years.
From the History section of Del Norte, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Del Norte
21 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°F | 7°F | 0.4 in | 5.3 in |
| Feb | 40°F | 13°F | 0.4 in | 5.7 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 21°F | 0.7 in | 8.2 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 27°F | 0.8 in | 5.0 in |
| May | 68°F | 36°F | 0.8 in | 1.3 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 44°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 50°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 48°F | 1.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 40°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 30°F | 0.8 in | 2.5 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 18°F | 0.5 in | 4.8 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 9°F | 0.5 in | 5.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Del Norte 3Ene Hcn (3 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
Rio Grande County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-06-21: West Fork Fire Complex (Fire)
- 2005-09-05: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Coastal Storm)
- 2002-06-19: Million Fire (Fire)
- 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, 32 miles away.
- Gerrard 12 mi west, about 20 min by car
- Monte Vista 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Center 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- South Fork 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Alamosa 30 mi southeast, about 48 min by car
- Saguache 30 mi north, about 49 min by car
- Alamosa East 31 mi southeast, about 50 min by car
- La Jara 35 mi southeast, about 57 min by car
- Sanford 38 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Pagosa Springs 46 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 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
- Del Norte Riverfront Project riverwalk, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Del Norte Riverfront Project general view, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Bridge at 12667 US Highway 160 Del Norte, Colorado 1, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- DN LookoutMtn 011720, C caudill1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DN DMtnSunset Pronghorn 012220, C caudill1, CC BY-SA 4.0
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