Parachute, Colorado
Parachute is a town of 1,422 people in Garfield County, Colorado, founded in April 1, 1908.
Why visit Parachute
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 4 parks and trails, 5 places to eat and 2 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Wasson-McKay Place and Battlement Mesa Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 11°F, and about 60 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Parachute
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Parachute
Parachute is a home rule municipality in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,390 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Parachute, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Wasson-McKay Place
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
House in Parachute, Colorado
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes5
Where to stay2
History
The town's name comes from Parachute Creek, which runs through the township before it merges with the Colorado River. The Ute people originally called the creek Pahchouc (meaning twins), with early settlers mispronouncing the word as parachute. In 1908, the town was renamed Grand Valley but in the 1980s was changed back to Parachute.
From the History section of Parachute, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Grand Valley Center For Family Learning
School · 0.5 mi
100 East Second Street, Parachute
Map of Parachute
25 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 11°F | 1.0 in | 12.5 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 17°F | 1.1 in | 11.5 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 26°F | 1.1 in | 7.5 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 32°F | 1.5 in | 4.1 in |
| May | 71°F | 40°F | 1.4 in | 1.1 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 48°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 54°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 53°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 45°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 32°F | 1.6 in | 2.2 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 22°F | 1.3 in | 7.8 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 12°F | 1.0 in | 12.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Collbran 1Wsw (15 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, 18 miles away.
- Battlement Mesa 3 mi east, about 4 min by car
- Rifle 16 mi northeast, about 26 min by car
- Silt 23 mi east, about 36 min by car
- Palisade 28 mi southwest, about 46 min by car
- New Castle 30 mi east, about 48 min by car
- Fruitvale 33 mi southwest, about 54 min by car
- Clifton 34 mi southwest, about 54 min by car
- Grand Junction 37 mi southwest, about 59 min by car
- Orchard Mesa 38 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Glenwood Springs 39 mi east, 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
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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
- Parachute, Colorado, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
- Parachute, CO rest stop - panoramio, hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Parachute, CO 81635, USA - panoramio, bahniuk, CC BY 3.0
- Parachute Colorado, SunDawn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wasson-McKay Place (8669248112), Jeffrey Beall from Colorado, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wasson-McKay Place, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
- Battlement Mesa is a large prominent mesa in western Colorado in the United States. It sits along the Garfield-Mesa county line, between the Colorado River to the north and Plateau Creek to the..., Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- Hyundai Genesis 3.8 (US) - Flickr - skinnylawyer (1), skinnylawyer from Los Angeles, California, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Mount Logan from California Zephyr, Loco Steve, CC BY 2.0
- Battlement Mesa Schoolhouse, Don Thompson, Public domain
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