Montrose, Colorado should not be confused with Montrose County, Colorado.
| Montrose, Colorado | |
| Settlement Type: | Home rule municipality[1] |
| Motto: | "Quality of Life Is Our Commitment " "Stay here, play everywhere" |
| Pushpin Map: | USA |
| Pushpin Label: | Montrose |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in the |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Montrose County[2] |
| Subdivision Type3: | City |
| Subdivision Name3: | Montrose |
| Government Type: | Home rule municipality |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | J. David Reed[3] |
| Leader Title1: | City Manager |
| Leader Name1: | William E. Bell[4] |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | May 1, 1882[5] |
| Unit Pref: | US |
| Area Footnotes: | [6] |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 18.48 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 18.48 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.0 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [7] |
| Population Total: | 20291 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 1098.2 |
| Timezone: | MST |
| Utc Offset: | -7 |
| Timezone Dst: | MDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -6 |
| Coordinates: | 38.4769°N -107.8656°W |
| Elevation Ft: | 5807 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes[8] |
| Postal Code: | 81401, 81402 (PO Box), 81403 |
| Area Code: | 970 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 08-51745 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 203328 |
| Leader Name2: | Marc Catlin[9] |
| Leader Title2: | State Representative |
Montrose is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Montrose County, Colorado, United States.[10] The city population was 20,291 at the 2020 census, within a total area of 18.5 square miles.[6] The main road that leads in and out of Montrose is U.S. Highway 50. The city is located in western Colorado, in the Uncompahgre Valley, and is an economic, labor, and transportation waypoint for the surrounding area.[11] Montrose is the second-largest city in western Colorado, after Grand Junction.
Montrose was incorporated on May 2, 1882, and named after the Marquis of Montrose, immortalized in Sir Walter Scott's novel A Legend of Montrose by Oliver D. "Pappy" Loutzenhizer and Joseph Selig. The Denver & Rio Grande railroad was built west toward Grand Junction and reached Montrose later in 1882, and the town became an important regional shipping center. A branch railroad line served the mineral-rich San Juan Mountains to the south.
In 1909, the U.S. government completed construction of the Gunnison Tunnel, located east of Montrose. It provided irrigation water from the Gunnison River in the Black Canyon to the Uncompahgre Valley, helping turn Montrose into an agricultural hub. The Uncompahgre Project is one of the oldest of those in the area by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.5sqmi; all of it is land.[6]
Montrose is at the south end of the Uncompahgre valley and is built on the Uncompahgre River, which runs to the north, where 60 miles further its waters will join the Colorado River. It is surrounded by, to the north, the widening Uncompahgre Valley and the Grand Mesa, to the east, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, to the south, the San Juan Mountains, and to the west the Uncompahgre Plateau. The valley is arid, and is only arable due to the water from the Gunnison Tunnel and Ridgway Reservoir.
Montrose features a semi-arid Continental climate zone. The town sits on high grasslands in the Uncompahgre Valley of Western Colorado. Snowfall occurs during the winter but is usually short-lived due to the high altitude and abundant sunshine.
As of the 2020 census, there were 20,291 people and 8,175 households residing in the city. The population density was 1102.77sp=usNaNsp=us.[12] The average median age was 45.2 years and the average work commute time was 15.4 minutes, nearly 40% lower than the State of Colorado. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.0% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 25.3% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 86.4 males.
The racial makeup of the city was 78.44% White, 0.57% African American, 1.36% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 1.15% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 8.68% from other races, and 9.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4,491 people or 22.13% of the population.
There were 9,468 housing units at an average density of 514.56sp=usNaNsp=us. There were a total of 8,175 households, with an average family size of 2.90. 57.8% are married, 21.4% never married, 12.6% divorced, 1.2% separated, and 7.0% widowed. The homeownership rate was 68.8%, slightly higher than the Colorado average. The median gross rent was $936 per month, or nearly 30% lower than the State of Colorado and nearly 36% lower than neighboring Telluride.[13]
The median income for a household in the city was $52,534, a 56% increase from the 2010 US Census. The median income for a family was $68,801. About 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
Approximately 27.5% of the population in the city has a Bachelor's Degree or higher, with 27.3% reporting a high school or equivalent degree, and 26.7% with some college but no degree. About 77.7% of those eligible for school enrollment between kindergarten and 12th grade are enrolled, much higher than the Colorado average of 66.5%.
Due to its relative affordability and proximity to many outdoor recreation activities, Montrose is known as a manufacturing hub for outdoor products. Fly-fishing companies Ross Reels, Abel, and Airflo are headquartered in the city.[14] Additionally, Scott Fly Rods relocated to Montrose from Telluride in 1993.[15] Gordon Composites, maker of nearly 90 percent of the high-performance laminate material used in the bow-hunting industry, is located in Montrose.[16] Secret Creek, formerly known as Colorado Yurt Company, maker of handcrafted yurts, tipis, and rugged canvas wall tents, is also located in Montrose.[17]
In November 2017, the City approved a $10 million fund for public infrastructure improvements[18] within the Colorado Outdoors development,[19] and was the recipient of a $2 million grant for a new trail system.[20] The GOCO grant was the largest single grant awarded to the City of Montrose in its history, and connects the newly built, $30 million Montrose Recreation Center[21] to the project, safely under-passing both major highways within the City.
Russell Stover Candies closed its Montrose plant in the spring of 2021, eliminating 400 jobs and offering employees to relocate to plants in Kansas and Texas. The plant was listed as a "primary employer" for the city on its Economic Development Corporation website.[22] [23]
In October 2020, the City of Montrose announced a multi-year, multi-million dollar river restoration project along the Uncompahgre River, including a $785,000 grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board.[24]
In 2024, Shelter Distilling opened after receiving economic incentives from the city.[25] [26]
Recreational facilities include a recreation center and a walking/jogging track. There are three 18-hole golf courses within the city.[27]
Montrose is served by Montrose County School District RE-1J. The district serves more than 6,000 students across 15 schools in Montrose and Olathe.[28]
The region's higher education needs are served by a regional campus of Colorado Mesa University. CMU Montrose offers 14 academic programs, as well as general education courses.[29] In the fall 2023 semester, CMU Montrose served nearly 300 students.[30]
Montrose Regional Airport serves the Montrose area with regional service to Denver. As the nearest major airport to the Telluride Ski Area, Montrose sees heavy seasonal service. Montrose has a local non-profit bus service called All Points Transit. Its three lines run only during weekdays.[31] Montrose is part of Colorado's Bustang intercity bus network; three bus lines serve the town. It is along the Durango-Telluride-Grand Junction Outrider line.[32]
Montrose is the birthplace of American screenwriter and novelist Dalton Trumbo, who scripted films including Roman Holiday, Exodus, Spartacus, and Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.