Walden, Colorado

Walden, Colorado
Town
Main Street in Walden, July 2010
Location of Walden in Jackson County, Colorado.
Coordinates: 40°43′54″N 106°16′53″W
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County[1]	Jackson County - seat[2]
Established	1889
Incorporated	December 2, 1890[3]
Named for	Marcus Aurelius Walden (former postmaster)
Government
• Type	Statutory Town[1]
Area [4]
• Total	0.34 sq mi (0.87 km^2)
• Land	0.34 sq mi (0.87 km^2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km^2)
Elevation [5]	8,098 ft (2,468 m)
Population  (2020)[6]
• Total	606
• Density	1,800/sq mi (700/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP codes[7]	80430, 80480
Area code	970
FIPS code	08-82130
GNIS feature ID	2413440[5]
Website	www.townofwaldenco.com

Walden is the Statutory Town that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Jackson County, Colorado, United States.^[1][8] It is situated in the center of a large open valley called North Park. People from Walden and the surrounding area refer to themselves as "North Parkers".^{[citation needed]} The town population was 606 at the 2020 census.^[6] The town sits at an elevation of 8,099 feet (2,469 meters). It was established in 1889 and was incorporated December 2, 1890.^[3] Mark A. Walden, an early postmaster, gave the community his name.^[9]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²), all of it land. The town has declared itself the Moose viewing capital of Colorado.^[10]

Climate

Due to its elevation, Walden has a semi-arid climate (BSk), closely bordering on a subalpine climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc). The hottest temperature recorded in Walden was 94 °F (34 °C) on July 6, 1989, August 1, 2000 and July 15, 2002, while the coldest temperature recorded was −48 °F (−44 °C) on January 12, 1963, February 2, 2011 and January 6, 2017.^[11]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	64		—
1900	141		120.3%
1910	162		14.9%
1920	260		60.5%
1930	284		9.2%
1940	668		135.2%
1950	696		4.2%
1960	809		16.2%
1970	907		12.1%
1980	947		4.4%
1990	890		−6.0%
2000	734		−17.5%
2010	608		−17.2%
2020	606		−0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

Climate data for Walden, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	56 (13)	54 (12)	70 (21)	74 (23)	84 (29)	92 (33)	94 (34)	94 (34)	89 (32)	78 (26)	66 (19)	58 (14)	94 (34)
Mean maximum °F (°C)	43.6 (6.4)	45.9 (7.7)	56.5 (13.6)	66.2 (19.0)	75.4 (24.1)	82.1 (27.8)	86.9 (30.5)	85.0 (29.4)	80.2 (26.8)	70.8 (21.6)	57.1 (13.9)	46.4 (8.0)	86.9 (30.5)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	26.7 (−2.9)	29.6 (−1.3)	38.6 (3.7)	47.4 (8.6)	58.1 (14.5)	68.8 (20.4)	76.1 (24.5)	74.1 (23.4)	66.4 (19.1)	52.9 (11.6)	38.3 (3.5)	27.7 (−2.4)	50.4 (10.2)
Daily mean °F (°C)	14.3 (−9.8)	17.0 (−8.3)	25.8 (−3.4)	33.7 (0.9)	42.9 (6.1)	51.7 (10.9)	57.3 (14.1)	55.2 (12.9)	47.9 (8.8)	36.8 (2.7)	25.1 (−3.8)	15.4 (−9.2)	35.3 (1.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	1.9 (−16.7)	4.4 (−15.3)	13.1 (−10.5)	20.0 (−6.7)	27.6 (−2.4)	34.5 (1.4)	38.4 (3.6)	36.3 (2.4)	29.4 (−1.4)	20.7 (−6.3)	11.8 (−11.2)	3.2 (−16.0)	20.1 (−6.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C)	−22.2 (−30.1)	−19.7 (−28.7)	−8.4 (−22.4)	4.9 (−15.1)	15.5 (−9.2)	27.5 (−2.5)	32.4 (0.2)	28.9 (−1.7)	17.4 (−8.1)	2.1 (−16.6)	−10.4 (−23.6)	−21.2 (−29.6)	−28.9 (−33.8)
Record low °F (°C)	−48 (−44)	−48 (−44)	−34 (−37)	−16 (−27)	2 (−17)	17 (−8)	21 (−6)	19 (−7)	5 (−15)	−28 (−33)	−32 (−36)	−39 (−39)	−48 (−44)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	0.58 (15)	0.64 (16)	0.72 (18)	1.14 (29)	1.53 (39)	1.21 (31)	1.34 (34)	1.27 (32)	1.34 (34)	0.98 (25)	0.75 (19)	0.62 (16)	12.12 (308)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	9.3 (24)	9.0 (23)	7.7 (20)	10.1 (26)	3.8 (9.7)	0.5 (1.3)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	1.0 (2.5)	6.0 (15)	9.5 (24)	10.2 (26)	67.1 (171.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	7.9	8.1	7.3	9.4	10.3	7.7	9.9	10.6	8.3	7.3	7.8	8.3	102.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	8.3	8.5	6.2	6.7	2.6	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.7	3.6	7.3	8.8	53.0
Source 1: NOAA[12]
Source 2: National Weather Service[11]

Transportation

• State Highway 14
• State Highway 125

OATS (Older Americans Transport Service) provides seniors with transportation to Laramie, Wyoming or Steamboat Springs, CO and to Denver International Airport.

See also

Walden Town Hall

• List of municipalities in Colorado

References

1. "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2007.
2. "Colorado County Seats". State of Colorado, Department of Public Health and Environment. Retrieved December 31, 2007.
3. "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
4. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
5. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Walden, Colorado
6. United States Census Bureau. "Walden town; Colorado". Retrieved April 23, 2023.
7. "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on November 22, 2010. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
8. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
9. Dawson, John Frank (1954). 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. 51.
10. "'No chain stores, but moose on every corner': as Colorado herds thrive, clashes with people rise". The Guardian. June 27, 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
11. "NOAA Online Weather Data". National Weather Service. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
12. "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved September 9, 2022.

External links

• Official website
• Walden/North Park Chamber of Commerce
• CDOT map of the Town of Walden