Fairplay, Colorado
Fairplay is a town of 1,067 people in Park County, Colorado, founded in 1859.
Why visit Fairplay
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 12 places to eat and 3 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include South Park City and Fairplay Hotel.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 71°F; February lows average 9°F.
Weather in Fairplay
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Fairplay
Fairplay is the statutory town that is the county seat of and the most populous municipality in Park County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 724 at the 2020 United States census. Fairplay is located in South Park at an elevation of 9,953 feet (3,034 m). The town is the sixth-highest incorporated municipality in the State of Colorado.
From the Wikipedia article Fairplay, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks14
South Park City
Museum · National Register of Historic Places
Open air museum in Fairplay, Colorado
May 15-May Mo[-1]: 09:00-17:00; May Mo[-1]-Sep Mo[1]: 09:00-19:00;...
Fairplay Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Hotel in Fairplay, Colorado, United States
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Park County Courthouse and Jail
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Courthouse in Fairplay, Colorado, United States
2 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes12
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship3
South Park Community Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Church building in Colorado, United States of America
History
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 Fair Play, Colorado Territory, post office opened on August 2, 1861, and on November 7, 1867, county voters selected Fair Play as the new seat of Park County, Colorado Territory. The Town of Fair Play was incorporated on November 15, 1872, and changed the spelling of its name to Fairplay on October 1, 1924.
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.
From the History section of Fairplay, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Fairplay
44 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 10°F | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 31°F | 9°F | 0.7 in |
| Mar | 38°F | 16°F | 1.1 in |
| Apr | 44°F | 22°F | 1.4 in |
| May | 54°F | 29°F | 1.8 in |
| Jun | 66°F | 37°F | 1.1 in |
| Jul | 71°F | 42°F | 2.4 in |
| Aug | 68°F | 41°F | 2.2 in |
| Sep | 62°F | 35°F | 1.4 in |
| Oct | 51°F | 26°F | 1.0 in |
| Nov | 39°F | 17°F | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 31°F | 10°F | 0.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Fairplay S Park Rd (0 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
Park County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2015-07-16: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2008-06-27: Nash Ranch Fire (Fire)
- 2005-09-05: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Coastal Storm)
- 2003-04-09: Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Lake County Airport (LXV) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Leadville 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Blue River 16 mi north, about 25 min by car
- Leadville North 17 mi west, about 27 min by car
- Breckenridge 19 mi north, about 31 min by car
- Frisco 25 mi north, about 40 min by car
- Keystone 27 mi north, about 43 min by car
- Buena Vista 28 mi south, about 46 min by car
- Silverthorne 31 mi north, about 50 min by car
- Vail 35 mi northwest, about 56 min by car
- Avon 40 mi northwest, about 1 h 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
- Fairplay Hotel, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SouthParkCity, Ken Gallager, Public domain
- Park County Courthouse, July 2016, Thomson200, CC0
- South Park Community Church, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park Elementry - panoramio (1), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (19), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (16), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio, Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (7), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park Brown Burro - panoramio, Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (13), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park Elementry - panoramio, Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (1), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (2), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (12), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (20), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (24), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (23), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hand Hotel - panoramio, Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (8), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (9), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park Library - panoramio, Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (14), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Park County Courthouse and Jail, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park - panoramio (18), Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0
- South Park Visitor Center - panoramio, Thomson M, CC BY 3.0
- Mount Silverheels - panoramio, Thomson M, CC BY 3.0
- South Park City - panoramio (1), Thomson M, CC BY 3.0
- South Park, Park, Colorado, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 2.0
- South Park City - panoramio, Thomson M, CC BY 3.0
- South Park Lager Beer Brewery, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Summer Saloon, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
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