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Why visit Ridgway
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 12 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Sherbino Theater, 610 Art Collective and Ridgway Railroad Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 6°F, and about 81 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Ridgway
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ridgway
The Town of Ridgway is a home rule municipality that is the most populous municipality in Ouray County, Colorado, United States. The town is a former railroad stop on the Uncompahgre River in the northern San Juan Mountains. The town population was 1,183 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Ridgway, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks3
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes12
Provisions Cafe & Catering
Restaurant · American, French · 0.4 mi
616 Clinton Street, Ridgway
We-Sa 17:00-20:00; We-Su 08:00-13:00
Colorado Girl Coffee
Cafe · 0.4 mi
620 Clinton Street, Ridgway
Mo-Th 06:30-16:00; Fr 06:30-15:00,16:00-20:00; Sa-Su...
History
Ridgway began as a railroad town, serving the nearby mining towns of Telluride and Ouray.
The town site is at the northern terminus of the Rio Grande Southern Railroad where it meets with Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad running between Montrose and Ouray. Ridgway was located about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the existing town of Dallas. Articles of incorporation were filed on May 22, 1890, and granted on March 4, 1891. This "Gateway to the San Juans" position was recognized over 100 years ago when the Rio Grande Southern established Ridgway as a railhead center servicing the nearby mining towns of Ouray and Telluride. The town was named for Denver and Rio Grande railroad superintendent Robert M. Ridgway, who established the town in 1891.
The Rio Grande Southern filed for abandonment on April 24, 1952, and the Denver and Rio Grande Western abandoned the line between Ridgway and Ouray on March 21, 1953. The line between Ridgway and Montrose was upgraded from narrow gauge to standard gauge and Ridgway continued to be a shipping point until the line to Montrose was abandoned in 1976 as result of a reservoir being built on the Uncompahgre River.
From the History section of Ridgway, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Ridgway
33 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40°F | 6°F | 1.0 in | 13.6 in |
| Feb | 44°F | 12°F | 0.9 in | 12.6 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 20°F | 1.3 in | 13.6 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 26°F | 1.4 in | 7.3 in |
| May | 70°F | 34°F | 1.5 in | 1.4 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 39°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 46°F | 1.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 45°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 36°F | 1.6 in | 0.3 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 26°F | 1.4 in | 4.4 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 16°F | 1.2 in | 11.4 in |
| Dec | 40°F | 8°F | 1.1 in | 16.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ridgway (1 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
Ouray County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-09-01: Wildfires, Flooding, And Mudslides (Fire)
- 2026-06-30: Gold Mountain Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-05: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Coastal Storm)
- 2002-06-19: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Loghill Village 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Ouray 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Telluride 15 mi south, about 25 min by car
- Mountain Village 17 mi south, about 27 min by car
- Placerville 19 mi southwest, about 30 min by car
- Montrose 22 mi north, about 36 min by car
- Silverton 24 mi south, about 39 min by car
- Delta 45 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Paonia 50 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Gunnison 52 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Ridgway,colorado, SoCal L.A., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ridgway, Colorado town hall, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Uncompahgre River at Ridgway, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Ridgway, Colorado and the Uncompahgre Valley, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Ridgway, Colorado, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Fire In The Sky, Mountain Belle, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tetradymite with Tellurobismuthite (46200379944), Pacific Museum of Earth from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
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