Paonia, Colorado
Paonia is a town of 1,661 people in Delta County, Colorado, founded in 1880.
Why visit Paonia
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 12 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Paradise Theatre and Bross Hotel.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 16°F, and about 41 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Paonia
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Paonia
Paonia is a statutory town in Delta County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,447 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Paonia, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks3
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Bross Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Hotel building in Paonia, Colorado
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes12
Paonia Bread Works
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Sandwich, Breakfast, Pizza
530 Grand Avenue, Paonia
07:00-13:00
nido
Restaurant · Mexican, Tacos · 0.4 mi
201 Grand Avenue, Paonia
Su 15:00-19:00; Mo-Tu 12:00-20:00; Fr 12:00-20:00
TLC Kitchen
Cafe · Ice Cream, Regional · 0.4 mi
The TLC Kitchen & Market is an organic grocery store and cafe located in The Hearth building at The Learning Council.
138 Grand Avenue, Paonia
AP Patio and Catering
Cafe
Menu varies, catering company with a small cafe style patio spot for lunches.
229 1/2 Grand Avenue, Paonia
Mo-Fr 10:00-14:00
Rio Bravo
Restaurant · Mexican
240 Grand Avenue, Paonia
Mo-Sa 11:00-20:00
History
Captain John W. Gunnison of the United States Army became the first European American to explore the area in 1853. Gunnison was on an expedition for the Corps of Topographical Engineers to locate a suitable pass through the Rocky Mountains.
The North Fork Valley was inhabited by the Ute people until 1880, when the Ute Indian Reservation was closed by the federal government following the infamous Meeker Massacre.
Following the closure of the reservation, the site was settled in 1880 by Samuel Wade and William Clark, who had accompanied Enos Hotchkiss to the area. The town was officially incorporated in 1902 and had its first election in July of that year. The peony roots that Samuel Wade brought with him to Colorado in 1881 inspired him to submit the Latin name for peony, Paeonia, as a town name. The post office would not allow the extra vowel, so "Paeonia" became "Paonia". The full name of the flower is Paeonia mascula.
From the History section of Paonia, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship13
Paonia First Christian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of Paonia
47 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 16°F | 1.2 in | 11.4 in |
| Feb | 45°F | 22°F | 1.2 in | 7.2 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 29°F | 1.2 in | 4.8 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 34°F | 1.2 in | 1.7 in |
| May | 73°F | 42°F | 1.3 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 51°F | 0.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 57°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 56°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 48°F | 1.5 in | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 37°F | 1.4 in | 0.8 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 27°F | 1.1 in | 5.2 in |
| Dec | 40°F | 17°F | 1.2 in | 10.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Paonia 1Sw (2 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
Delta County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-05: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Coastal Storm)
- 2004-07-03: Co-Mcgruder Fire-07/03/2004 (Fire)
- 2002-06-19: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
North Fork Valley Airport (WPO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Delta 28 mi west, about 45 min by car
- Montrose 31 mi southwest, about 50 min by car
- Crested Butte 33 mi east, about 53 min by car
- Carbondale 42 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Gunnison 42 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Snowmass Village 42 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Aspen 46 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Battlement Mesa 46 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Rifle 47 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Clifton 49 mi west, 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
- Paonia, Cobun Keegan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Paonia First Christian Church (8669056362), Jeffrey Beall from Colorado, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Paonia First Christian Church, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Backcountry Coffee, Paonia CO (5879585813), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Paonia, Colorado (14187570916), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- The Town of Paonia, Webphd, CC BY 4.0
- Mathews House (Paonia, Colorado), Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Desert Paintbrush (Castilleja chromosa) near Paonia, Colorado, USA, with Mt. Lamborn in background, Kollibri1969, CC0
- Orchard Valley Farms, Paonia, CO (5880176908), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Bross Hotel (Paonia, Colorado) (25833863701), Jeffrey Beall from Colorado, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Miner's Tribute (5879616759), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- For The Fallen Miners (5880181294), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Ken Has Many Talents (15131426831), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- My friend Ken has this add on for an older iPod Touch that turns it into a 2 device wireless hotspot on the Spring network. (5875449839), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Where the Beer is Made (5880146816), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Ahhh Revolution (15111404576), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- One Looooooon Caddy (5875450775), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- On Tap at Revolution Brewing (5876046496), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Curtis Hardware Store, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Conservation Days Event (51270306313), USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
- Mathews House (8669070150), Jeffrey Beall from Colorado, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- North Fork Gunnison River, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bee boxes at an organic farm, Jessica Reeder, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2011 Road Odyssey (5879615579), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Gears and Stuff (5879611669), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Yep, It's Jim Groom (5879608149), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Now That is a COG (5879613121), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- 2011 Road Odyssey (5880172520), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- 2011 Road Odyssey (5880186222), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
- Stop number 5 on today's wine tasting tour. (5879622775), cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0
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