Salida, Colorado
Salida is a city of 5,861 people in Chaffee County, Colorado, founded in 1880.
Why visit Salida
Townapedia lists 24 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 48 places to eat, 20 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Alexander House, Bode-Stewart House and Salida Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 12°F, and about 37 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Salida
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Salida
Salida ( sə-LY-də; Spanish pronunciation: [saˈliða], 'exit') is the statutory city that is the county seat of and the most populous municipality in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,666 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Salida, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Museums and landmarks24
Alexander House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
House in Salida, Colorado
Bode-Stewart House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
House in Salida, Colorado
Chaffee County Poor Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic building near Salida, Colorado, United States
E.W. Corbin House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
House in Salida, Colorado
F Street Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic bridge in Salida, Colorado, United States
Heister House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in Colorado, United States
Manhattan Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Hotel building in Salida, Colorado
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Valley View School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
School building near Salida, Colorado, United States
12 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes48
Soulcraft Brewing
Bar and pub · 0.6 mi
248 West Rainbow Boulevard, Salida
Su-Th 12:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-21:00
Casa Calaca
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.7 mi
413 West Rainbow Boulevard, Salida
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
36 more on the map.
History
The Arkansas, Colorado, post office opened on June 16, 1880, but was renamed Salida on March 28, 1881. Salida, meaning "exit" in Spanish, was named on account of its location near the point where the Arkansas River flows out of the valley and into Bighorn Sheep Canyon, upstream from the Royal Gorge. The Town of Salida was incorporated on March 23, 1891.
The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad built their 3-foot narrow-gauge railroad up from Texas Creek and built a station at Salida, known at the time as "South Arkansas" in 1880. bypassing the nearby community of Cleora. Rather than risk their settlement withering away from lack of rail service, it is said that the population of Cleora moved to Salida en masse. That same year, the railroad continued from "South Arkansas," following up the Arkansas river, connecting with the rich silver mines of Leadville. Later that year, the Rio Grande connected South Arkansas to Poncha Junction. This small start would connect via Marshall Pass with the western slope and Salt Lake City, Utah, turning the newly re-christened Salida into an important junction in the early history of Colorado. In 1890, the railroad laid an additional third rail through Salida, but only on the line towards Tennessee Pass. As a result, Salida became known as a tourist and railroad enthusiast mecca into the mid-20th century.
From the History section of Salida, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay20
Churches and places of worship8
First United Methodist Church of Salida
Church · Methodist · 0.4 mi
228 East 4th Street
Shopping15
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Healthcare2
Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center Outpatient Pavilion
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
1000 Rush Drive, Salida
Map of Salida
142 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 12°F | 0.3 in | 4.0 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 15°F | 0.3 in | 4.1 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 21°F | 0.7 in | 6.5 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 28°F | 1.1 in | 8.0 in |
| May | 70°F | 35°F | 1.0 in | 2.7 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 43°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 49°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 47°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 39°F | 0.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 29°F | 0.9 in | 2.6 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 20°F | 0.2 in | 4.1 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 13°F | 0.4 in | 4.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Salida (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
Chaffee 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)
- 2003-04-09: Snow (Snowstorm)
- 2002-06-19: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Harriet Alexander Field (SLT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Buena Vista 22 mi north, about 36 min by car
- Cañon City 42 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Park Center 42 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Lincoln Park 43 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Fairplay 48 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Gunnison 50 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Florence 50 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Leadville 52 mi north, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Leadville North 53 mi north, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Center 54 mi south, 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, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Arkansas river salida co, Galt57, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Salida, Colorado (101348774), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Salida Downtown Historic District, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sandusky Block, Salida (2026)-104A8170, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Salida Rotary Amphitheatre (2026)-104A8177, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Salida, Colorado (14203638944), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Salida, Colorado with Sangre de Cristo Range in Background, Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Salida, Colorado (14017120960), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Sand Dunes Trail, Salida, United States (Unsplash), Jared Evans chromogenic, CC0
- Chaffee County Poor Farm, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Valley View School, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Manhattan Hotel, Salida (2026)-104A8144, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Alexander House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bode-Stewart House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Garret and Julia Gray Cottage, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- E.W. Corbin House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Heister House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- F.A. Jackson House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Manhattan Hotel, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Galena Peak, Sangre de Cristo Range, Colorado, Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
- South Arkansas River mouth, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Arkansas hills, Runningonbrains, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ohio-Colorado Smelting and Refining Company Smokestack, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Clear Desert Night Sky (Unsplash), Jared Evans chromogenic, CC0
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