Townapedia
Palmer Lake, CO, Town Hall IMG 5182
Palmer Lake, CO, Town Hall IMG 5182 · Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Palmer Lake, Colorado, general view
Palmer Lake, Colorado, general view · Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Palmer Lake no. 2
Palmer Lake no. 2 · Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
Inez Johnson Lewis School
Inez Johnson Lewis School · Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
ISS034-E-43217 - View of Earth
ISS034-E-43217 - View of Earth · Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B...., Public domain
ISS034-E-43218 - View of Earth
ISS034-E-43218 - View of Earth · Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B...., Public domain

Palmer Lake, Colorado

Palmer Lake is a town of 2,623 people in El Paso County, Colorado.

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Population2,623 -9.1% since 2019
Elevation7,297 ft 2,224 m
Land area3.1 sq mi
ZIP codes80132, 80133
Nearest airportUnited States Air Force Academy Airfield (AFF) 11 mi

Why visit Palmer Lake

Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 6 places to eat and 6 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include Ben Lomand Mountain, Chautauqua Mountain, Inez Johnson Lewis School and Palmer Lake Regional Recreation Area.

July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 16°F, and about 121 inches of snow fall in a normal year.

About Palmer Lake

Palmer Lake is a statutory town in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,636 at the 2020 census. Palmer Lake was founded by General William Jackson Palmer in 1871 and was incorporated in 1889.

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

Things to do6

Ben Lomand Mountain

Scenic view · 0.6 mi

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Chautauqua Mountain

Scenic view · 1.3 mi

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Elephant Rock

Scenic view · 0.9 mi

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Monument Rock

Scenic view · 1.8 mi

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Raspberry Mountain

Scenic view · 1.9 mi

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Sundance Mountain

Scenic view · 1.3 mi

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Museums and landmarks3

Inez Johnson Lewis School

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi

School building in Colorado, United States of America

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

#BeLikeTim: Tim Watkins Memorial Trail

Monument and historic site · 1.6 mi

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William J. Crawford Memorial

Monument and historic site · 0.8 mi

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Parks, trails and playgrounds4

Palmer Lake Regional Recreation Area

Park · 0.7 mi

199 County Line Road, Palmer Lake

sunrise-sunset

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Glen Park

Park · 0.7 mi

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Palmer Reservoir Trailhead

Hiking and trails · 0.9 mi

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Santa Fe Open Space

Park

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Restaurants and cafes6

Bella Panini

Restaurant · Italian · 0.7 mi

4 State Highway 105, Palmer Lake

Open in Google Maps · +1-719-481-3244

O'Malley's Restaurant & Pub

Diner · American · 0.8 mi

104 State Highway 105, Palmer Lake

Open in Google Maps · +1-719-488-0321

Speed Trap Bistro

Restaurant · Regional · 0.7 mi

84 State Highway 105, Palmer Lake

Open in Google Maps · +1-719-488-2007

Charrito's House #2

Restaurant · Mexican · 0.8 mi

292 State Highway 105, Palmer Lake

Tu-Su 10:00-20:00

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Rock House Ice Cream

Restaurant · 0.7 mi

Open in Google Maps · +1-719-488-6917

Lake & Lantern Café

Cafe · 0.7 mi

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History

The earliest known area inhabitants were Native American tribes - the Mountain Ute, Arapahoe, Kiowa, and Cheyenne. The earliest recorded non-Native activity in the area was the Army's Major Stephen Long Expedition of 1820, which discovered the Colorado State Flower, the white and lavender columbine, somewhere between Monument and Palmer Lake. Many homesteaded ranches and farms straddled the El Paso-Douglas County line as early as the 1860s. David McShane is credited with being one of the first homesteaders, 1865, in the Town of Monument. Henry Limbach and his family were also early arrivals and had much to do with planning and developing of Monument which prospered as the commercial hub for the area on arrival of the railroad.

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

Shopping1

  • Wild Bill’s Finders Keepers

    Shop · 0.7 mi

    75 State Highway 105, Palmer Lake

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Schools, colleges and libraries11

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Map of Palmer Lake

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

Climate by month

20°40°60°80°January: 0.9 in of rainFebruary: 0.7 in of rainMarch: 1.6 in of rainApril: 3.2 in of rainMay: 2.4 in of rainJune: 3.0 in of rainJuly: 2.7 in of rainAugust: 3.0 in of rainSeptember: 1.6 in of rainOctober: 1.3 in of rainNovember: 1.1 in of rainDecember: 1.1 in of rainJanuary: 41°FFebruary: 43°FMarch: 50°FApril: 57°FMay: 68°FJune: 79°FJuly: 82°FAugust: 80°FSeptember: 72°FOctober: 60°FNovember: 48°FDecember: 41°FJanuary: 16°FFebruary: 18°FMarch: 23°FApril: 29°FMay: 39°FJune: 47°FJuly: 54°FAugust: 52°FSeptember: 44°FOctober: 33°FNovember: 22°FDecember: 17°FJFMAMJJASOND
Average high Average low Rain
Monthly table
MonthHighLowRainSnow
Jan41°F16°F0.9 in14.4 in
Feb43°F18°F0.7 in10.9 in
Mar50°F23°F1.6 in24.2 in
Apr57°F29°F3.2 in23.7 in
May68°F39°F2.4 in3.3 in
Jun79°F47°F3.0 in0.0 in
Jul82°F54°F2.7 in0.0 in
Aug80°F52°F3.0 in0.0 in
Sep72°F44°F1.6 in1.7 in
Oct60°F33°F1.3 in11.1 in
Nov48°F22°F1.1 in18.4 in
Dec41°F17°F1.1 in13.4 in

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

People and cost of living

$125,357median household income
$485,700median home value
$1,911median monthly rent
51.9median age
44.0%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
90.1%of homes are owner-occupied
21.8 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1812%18 to 3419%35 to 6446%65 and over23%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

El Paso County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.

  • 2023-08-25: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Flood)
  • 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
  • 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
  • 2015-07-16: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
  • 2013-09-14: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
  • 2013-09-12: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

United States Air Force Academy Airfield (AFF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.

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.