Townapedia
Monte Vista Downtown Historic District
Monte Vista Downtown Historic District · Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
First Methodist Episcopal Church (Monte Vista, Colorado)
First Methodist Episcopal Church (Monte Vista, Colorado) · Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
US Post Office and Federal Building-Monte Vista Main
US Post Office and Federal Building-Monte Vista Main · Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
Old Catholic Church - Monte Vista, Colorado, 2016
Old Catholic Church - Monte Vista, Colorado, 2016 · Smithat88, CC BY-SA 4.0
Carnegie Library (Monte Vista, Colorado)
Carnegie Library (Monte Vista, Colorado) · Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
Monte Vista Library
Monte Vista Library · Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0

Monte Vista, Colorado

Monte Vista is a city of 4,141 people in Rio Grande County, Colorado.

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Population4,141 -0.4% since 2019
Elevation7,664 ft 2,336 m
Land area2.6 sq mi
ZIP code81144
Nearest airportSan Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS) 19 mi

Why visit Monte Vista

Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 3 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.

Highlights include Vali 3 Theater, El Monte Hotel and Monte Vista Downtown Historic District.

July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average -2°F, and about 35 inches of snow fall in a normal year.

About Monte Vista

The City of Monte Vista is the home rule municipality that is the most populous municipality in Rio Grande County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 4,247 at the 2020 Census.

From the Wikipedia article Monte Vista, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do1

Vali 3 Theater

Cinema and theater

139 Adams Street, Monte Vista

Open in Google Maps

Museums and landmarks3

El Monte Hotel

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

Hotel building in Monte Vista, Colorado

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Monte Vista Downtown Historic District

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

Historic district in Monte Vista, Colorado

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Monte Vista Library

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

Former library in Monte Vista, Colorado, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Parks, trails and playgrounds4

Faith Hinkley Veteran's Memorial park

Park

South Broadway Street, Monte Vista

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Tony Perea Memorial Park

Park

Donated by the Monte Vista High School Class of 2008

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Chapman Park

Park · 0.7 mi

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Chapman Park Playground

Playground · 0.6 mi

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Restaurants and cafes3

Baldo's

Restaurant · Mexican · 0.4 mi

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Sonic

Fast food · Burger · 1.0 mi

1820 Grand Avenue, Monte Vista

Mo-Th 06:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 06:00-24:00; Su 06:00-23:00

Open in Google Maps · +1 719-852-2620

DQ Grill & Chill

Fast food · Ice Cream, Burger, Chicken

705 1st Avenue, Monte Vista

Open in Google Maps · +1 719-852-2180

History

Monte Vista was laid out in 1884. The site had previously served as a watering stop for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. Monte Vista is the Spanish translation of "mountain view."

From the History section of Monte Vista, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay3

Churches and places of worship5

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Shopping2

Gas and EV charging3

Schools, colleges and libraries13

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Healthcare1

Map of Monte Vista

38 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Climate by month

0°20°40°60°80°January: 0.4 in of rainFebruary: 0.3 in of rainMarch: 0.7 in of rainApril: 0.7 in of rainMay: 0.8 in of rainJune: 0.5 in of rainJuly: 1.5 in of rainAugust: 1.6 in of rainSeptember: 1.1 in of rainOctober: 0.8 in of rainNovember: 0.4 in of rainDecember: 0.4 in of rainJanuary: 33°FFebruary: 40°FMarch: 52°FApril: 59°FMay: 67°FJune: 77°FJuly: 80°FAugust: 78°FSeptember: 72°FOctober: 62°FNovember: 48°FDecember: 34°FJanuary: -2°FFebruary: 5°FMarch: 16°FApril: 22°FMay: 31°FJune: 38°FJuly: 45°FAugust: 43°FSeptember: 35°FOctober: 23°FNovember: 12°FDecember: 0°FJFMAMJJASOND
Average high Average low Rain
Monthly table
MonthHighLowRainSnow
Jan33°F-2°F0.4 in6.0 in
Feb40°F5°F0.3 in4.5 in
Mar52°F16°F0.7 in6.5 in
Apr59°F22°F0.7 in4.8 in
May67°F31°F0.8 in1.2 in
Jun77°F38°F0.5 in0.0 in
Jul80°F45°F1.5 in0.0 in
Aug78°F43°F1.6 in0.0 in
Sep72°F35°F1.1 in0.0 in
Oct62°F23°F0.8 in2.8 in
Nov48°F12°F0.4 in3.9 in
Dec34°F0°F0.4 in5.7 in

U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Monte Vista 2W (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.

People and cost of living

$61,684median household income
$224,500median home value
$699median monthly rent
36.9median age
37.2%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
60.3%of homes are owner-occupied
16.0 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1825%18 to 3420%35 to 6442%65 and over13%

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, 19 miles away.

  • Center 12 mi north, about 20 min by car
  • Del Norte 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
  • Alamosa 17 mi southeast, about 27 min by car
  • Alamosa East 18 mi east, about 30 min by car
  • La Jara 24 mi southeast, about 38 min by car
  • Gerrard 24 mi west, about 39 min by car
  • Sanford 26 mi southeast, about 42 min by car
  • South Fork 28 mi west, about 45 min by car
  • Manassa 30 mi southeast, about 49 min by car
  • Pagosa Springs 52 mi southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.