Why visit New Castle
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 13 parks and trails, 8 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 10°F, and about 27 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in New Castle
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About New Castle
The Town of New Castle is a home rule municipality in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 4,923 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article New Castle, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds13
1 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes8
Where to stay1
History
When New Castle was incorporated in 1888, its economy was largely based on mining coal that was needed by the silver-mining industry to fire silver smelters. On February 18, 1896, a methane explosion in the Vulcan Mine killed 49 men and started a coal fire that was still burning as of 2020. The Vulcan reopened and suffered additional explosions on December 12, 1913 (killing 37) and November 4, 1918 (killing 3).
There are at least 25 coal fires burning near the town. They are normally confined underground.
From 2000 - 2014 the population grew 129%, much higher than the average growth in Colorado over the same period (20.8%).
From the History section of New Castle, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Map of New Castle
36 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 10°F | 0.9 in | 6.9 in |
| Feb | 42°F | 15°F | 0.8 in | 5.5 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 22°F | 0.9 in | 1.8 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 28°F | 1.2 in | 1.1 in |
| May | 72°F | 37°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 45°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 52°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 49°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 41°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 30°F | 1.4 in | 0.9 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 20°F | 0.7 in | 2.7 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 11°F | 0.7 in | 7.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Rifle 3Ene (11 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
Garfield County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2020-08-19: Pine Gulch Fire (Fire)
- 2020-08-19: Grizzly Creek Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2007-06-19: Newcastle Fire (Fire)
- 2006-09-01: Red Apple Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Garfield County Regional Airport (RIL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Silt 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- Glenwood Springs 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Rifle 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Carbondale 21 mi southeast, about 34 min by car
- El Jebel 26 mi southeast, about 42 min by car
- Battlement Mesa 27 mi west, about 43 min by car
- Parachute 30 mi west, about 48 min by car
- Eagle 38 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Meeker 38 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Snowmass Village 40 mi southeast, 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- New Castle, Colorado, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.