| Meeker, Colorado | |
| Settlement Type: | Statutory Town |
| Motto: | The river runs through it. |
| Mapsize: | 250x200px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Rio Blanco (County seat)[1] |
| Government Type: | Statutory Town |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Kent Borchard[2] |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1883 |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1885-11-10[3] |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [4] |
| Area Total Km2: | 9.30 |
| Area Land Km2: | 9.30 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 3.59 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 3.59 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [5] |
| Population Total: | 2374 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Timezone: | MST |
| Utc Offset: | -7 |
| Timezone Dst: | MDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -6 |
| Coordinates: | 40.05°N -107.8944°W |
| Elevation Ft: | 6444 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code[6] |
| Postal Code: | 81641 |
| Area Code: | 970 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 08-49875 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2412977 |
| Website: | Town of Meeker |
| Named For: | Nathan Meeker |
Meeker is a statutory town in and the county seat of Rio Blanco County, Colorado, United States, that is the most populous municipality in the county.[7] The town population was 2,374 at the 2020 United States Census.
The town is largely a ranching community, located in the wide fertile valley of the White River in northwestern Colorado. Relatively isolated from other communities, it sits near the intersection of State Highway 13 and State Highway 64, on the north side of the White River and at the base of a long ridge, known locally as China Wall. The Bureau of Land Management has a regional office in the town. Meeker is the home of the annual Meeker Classic Sheepdog trials.
The town is named for Nathan Meeker,[8] the United States Indian Agent who was killed along with 11 other white citizens by White River Ute Indians in the 1879 Meeker Incident, also known as the Meeker Massacre. The site of the uprising, the former White River Indian Agency, is located along State Highway 64 in the White River valley west of town and is marked by a prominent sign. None of the buildings remain.
After the uprising and the ensuing conflict known as the Ute War, in 1880 the US Congress passed legislation requiring the Ute population to relocate to reservations in Utah. The United States Army established a garrison on the current site of the town, called the Camp at White River. The town was founded in 1883 following the removal of the troops. The White River Museum is located just north of the Rio Blanco County Courthouse and housed in several original wooden structures of the Army garrison.
The town emerged as a regional center for hunting by the turn of the 20th century. Theodore Roosevelt visited the town twice in 1901 and in 1905 on a mountain lion and bear hunting trip and stayed in the historic Hotel Meeker opposite the courthouse. The town is also a favorite summer destination and permanent residence for many prominent Americans, including billionaires Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York, Henry Kravis, former president and COO of Goldman Sachs Jon Winkelried, and comedian Daniel Tosh.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.9sqmi, all of it land. The town is situated on the White River at an elevation of 6,250 feet above sea level.
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Meeker has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Meeker was 103F on July 11, 1900, while the coldest temperature recorded was -43F on January 7, 1913, and January 12, 1963.