Town in Colorado, United States
| Ophir, Colorado | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Ophir, Colorado, around 1900 | |
 Location of Ophir in San Miguel County, Colorado. | |
| Coordinates: 37°51′25″N 107°49′52″W / 37.85694°N 107.83111°W / 37.85694; -107.83111 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | San Miguel |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home rule municipality |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.23 sq mi (0.61 km) |
| • Land | 0.23 sq mi (0.61 km) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km) |
| Elevation | 9,725 ft (2,964 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 197 |
| • Density | 860/sq mi (320/km) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code | 81426 (PO Box) |
| Area code | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-55870 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413085 |
| Website | Official website |
Ophir is a home rule municipality town governed by a general assembly and is located in San Miguel County, Colorado, United States. It is located two miles from the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, the world's first hydroelectric plant to supply alternating current electricity for an industrial purpose (mining). The population was 197 at the 2020 census.
History
A post office called Ophir was established in 1878. The town was named after Ophir, a place mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
Geography
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.2 square miles (0.52 km), all land.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 130 | — | |
| 1890 | 113 | −13.1% | |
| 1900 | 127 | 12.4% | |
| 1910 | 124 | −2.4% | |
| 1940 | 2 | — | |
| 1950 | 2 | 0.0% | |
| 1970 | 6 | — | |
| 1980 | 38 | 533.3% | |
| 1990 | 69 | 81.6% | |
| 2000 | 113 | 63.8% | |
| 2010 | 159 | 40.7% | |
| 2020 | 197 | 23.9% |
Climate
Climate type is dominated by the winter season, a long, bitterly cold period with short, clear days, relatively little precipitation mostly in the form of snow, and low humidity. The Köppen Climate Classification sub-type for this climate is "Dfc" (Continental Subarctic Climate).
| Climate data for Ophir, Colorado | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 64 (18) |
60 (16) |
68 (20) |
71 (22) |
82 (28) |
96 (36) |
93 (34) |
92 (33) |
88 (31) |
78 (26) |
68 (20) |
65 (18) |
96 (36) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34 (1) |
37 (3) |
41 (5) |
47 (8) |
57 (14) |
68 (20) |
73 (23) |
71 (22) |
64 (18) |
54 (12) |
42 (6) |
33 (1) |
51.8 (11.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −4 (−20) |
0 (−18) |
8 (−13) |
18 (−8) |
28 (−2) |
33 (1) |
39 (4) |
39 (4) |
31 (−1) |
22 (−6) |
9 (−13) |
−2 (−19) |
18.4 (−7.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −38 (−39) |
−38 (−39) |
−25 (−32) |
−18 (−28) |
0 (−18) |
10 (−12) |
20 (−7) |
0 (−18) |
5 (−15) |
−12 (−24) |
−23 (−31) |
−35 (−37) |
−38 (−39) |
| Average rainfall inches (mm) | 1.77 (45) |
2.24 (57) |
2.38 (60) |
1.92 (49) |
1.73 (44) |
1.20 (30) |
2.59 (66) |
3.28 (83) |
3.23 (82) |
2.37 (60) |
1.82 (46) |
2.04 (52) |
26.57 (674) |
| Source: Weather.com | |||||||||||||
Points of interest
See also
References
- ^ "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2007.
- "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ophir, Colorado
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Ophir town, Colorado". Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on November 4, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2007.
- "Post offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- Dawson, John Frank. Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin. Denver, CO: The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co. p. 38.
- Climate Summary for Ophir, Colorado
- "weather.com". Retrieved September 17, 2020.
External links
Media related to Ophir, Colorado at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
- CDOT map of the Town of Ophir
- The last passenger train on the Ophir Trestle, September 2, 1951. Accessed May 30, 2020
| Municipalities and communities of San Miguel County, Colorado, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: Telluride | ||
| Towns |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||