Gunnison

Gunnison sits at 7,703 feet elevation where the Gunnison River meets the Tomichi River in a Colorado mountain valley. The town spreads along the river flats and is surrounded by hills that frame the horizon on all sides.

The town takes its name from John W. Gunnison, a United States Army officer who traveled through the region in 1853 surveying routes for a railroad. During the 1918 influenza pandemic, the community closed all entry points for two months and refused any movement in or out.

Western Colorado University started in 1901 as a teacher training school and later grew into a full liberal arts college. The campus shapes the town's character and brings students into the community each academic year, adding energy to the town during fall and spring.

The Gunnison Watershed RE1J School District runs several educational facilities from elementary through high school levels serving the local population. The elevation makes the air thinner than at sea level, which can make physical activity more demanding and may require a short adjustment period.

The area around town regularly reports as one of the coldest inhabited spots in the continental United States, with winter temperatures often dropping below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 29 Celsius). Locals sometimes jokingly refer to the area as the cold pole of America and adjust their daily routines to the extreme chill.

Location: Gunnison County

Elevation above the sea: 2,347 m

Website: http://cityofgunnison-co.gov

GPS coordinates: 38.54444,-106.92833

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:05