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Meeker, Colorado

16 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1910 and the latest in 1979. It stands in the Meeker census division. It lies in ZIP code area 81641. It stands on Sulphur Creek. The Survey maps it on the Meeker quadrangle. 2,374 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 6,240 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Meeker within Rio Blanco County

On record in Meeker

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 6 records

Population over time

3 figures

Meeker grew from 260 to 2,374 between 1890 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
1890260
20102,475
20202,374-101 (-4%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

12 surveys from 16 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

95 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 95 fires within 5 miles of Meeker between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,271 acres in total. 49 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Natural49
Missing data/not specified/undetermined28
Smoking9
Equipment and vehicle use6
Recreation and ceremony3

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2005Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreColorado State Forest Service-State Headquartersnot named
6 September 2014Naturalunder an acreRio Blanco CountyUNKNOWN
5 September 2020Natural2.0 acresRio Blanco CountyCOUNTY ROAD 8
30 September 2018Equipment and vehicle use4.0 acresNorthwest District, CraigTHIRTEEN
3 September 2009Natural1.0 acresNorthwest District, CraigSAGE HILLS
19 September 2010Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreNorthwest District, CraigHIGHLAND
9 August 2016Naturalunder an acreNorthwest District, CraigJUMP
31 August 2018Natural5.0 acresRio Blanco CountyUNKNOWN

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Rio Blanco County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 11 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 11 workings within 5 miles of Meeker: 7 unknowns, 4 occurrences. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Coal. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
UnknownSand and Gravel, Construction, CoalOccurrenceSedimentary
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionOccurrenceGravel
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionOccurrenceGravel
UnknownSand and Gravel, ConstructionOccurrenceGravel
Unknown Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Unknown Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Unknown Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Unknown Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Unknown Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Unknown Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown

Every working recorded in Rio Blanco County

Storms near this place

60 of 61 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Meeker in 61 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 18 wildfire, 14 debris flow, 7 thunderstorm wind, 7 flash flood. The reports record 1 death and 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 1998LightningMeeker1 killed, 1 hurtno account filed
June 2006Tornado (F1)Meeker$35,000no account filed
September 2025Debris FlowMeeker$30,000Law Enforcement reported water and debris clogging a culvert at Mile Marker 1.3 on Rio Blanco County Route 33. The road was considered impassable and required clearing. Clean up crews responded to the area at 9AM the following day (September 23rd, 2025), with the road cleared by the end of the day. This area is adjacent to the Lee Burn Scar.
June 2002HailMeeker$25,000no account filed
June 2004Flash FloodMeeker$8,000no account filed
September 2025Debris FlowMeeker$5,000Law Enforcement reported mud over State Highway 64 near Mile Marker 65. This area is near the Lee Burn Scar, which received several rounds of heavy rain during this event. CDOT was contacted to clear the roadway.
September 2025Debris FlowMeeker$5,000Law Enforcement reported a debris flow that closed County Road 5 due to heavy rain on the recent Lee Burn Scar.
September 2025Debris FlowMeeker$5,000Law Enforcement reported debris and mud closing both lanes of State Highway 13 at Mile Marker 36. Road had to be cleared before being able to be reopened.
September 2025Debris FlowMeeker$5,000Public reported mudslides near the intersection of Rio Blanco County Route 5 and Rio Blanco County Route 76. LSR reads Debris flow and flooding of Piceance Creek at County Road 76 and County Road 5. This area is within the Lee Burn Scar. Road had to be cleared.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindMeeker$5,000A thunderstorm wind gust tore some siding from houses in Meeker.
July 1996Flash FloodMeeker$2,000no account filed
August 2016Debris FlowMeeker$100Heavy rainfall resulted in a mudslide across County Road 76.
August 2025Debris FlowMeeker-At approximately 5:30 PM MDT, the Boulder Service Hydrologist reported a debris flow south of the Lee Burn Scar flowing over Highway 64 between mile-marker 65 and mile-marker 66. This is in the lower Powell Park area. This region is known for debris flows, but this particular event was enhanced by flow off the adjacent burn scar. However, no damages, injuries, or fatalities were reported.
August 2025Flash FloodMeeker-A video of flash flooding within a local area known as Josephine Basin, west of Meeker, was sent to NWS Grand Junction via Facebook. This flash flooding began within the Lee Burn Scar, and washed down over Rio Blanco County Road 33. This flooding was not reported to have caused significant damage, but did prevent residents living along County Road 33 from getting to or from their homes until the water retreated.
August 2025Debris FlowMeeker-The NWS Incident Meteorologist deployed to the Lee Fire reported this event to NWS Grand Junction. Thunderstorms produced heavy rain over the Lee Burn Scar on the afternoon of August 28th. This in turn resulted in water, mud, and debris flowing over Rio Blanco County Road 5 near mile marker 30, roughly 20 miles west of meeker and on the west side of the Lee Burn Scar. A Flash Flood Warning had been issued for this region with 30 minutes of lead time. No reports of damages, injuries, or fatalities were received. County Road 5 did have to be closed for a short duration to clear the debris.
August 2025Debris FlowMeeker-Heavy rain on the Lee Burn Scar led to debris flows that filled culverts along Highway 13, particularly at the intersection of Rio Blanco County Road 33. This led to flooding of fields and ranches in the Josephine Basin region, just south and west of Meeker. Some debris was also noted along the side of both County Road 33 and Highway 13.
August 2024Debris FlowMeeker-Heavy rain from a thunderstorm caused a mudslide on Highway 64 at mile marker 57, approximately 17 miles west of Meeker.
August 2024Debris FlowMeeker-Colorado Department of Transportation reported Colorado State Highway 64 closed at mile marker 56, between Wray Gulch Road and Indian Valley, due to a mudslide. This was just north of White River City, or 18 miles west of the town of Meeker along Highway 64. The road remained closed for several hours while cleanup was undertaken. This stretch of Highway 64 runs along the base of a steep cliff, leaving it prone to debris and mudflows during intense, heavy rainfall events.
June 2024Debris FlowMeeker-Heavy rain caused a mudslide across Highway 64 at mile marker 65 over Rio Blanco County, 11 miles west-southwest of Meeker.
June 2024HailMeeker-Report received of penny size hail 8 miles south-southwest of Meeker. Video of Highway 13 shows the road covered in hail after the storm moved through.
October 2018Debris FlowMeeker-Mud and rocks were deposited onto Colorado Highway 64 between Meeker and Rangely as a result of heavy rainfall on already saturated soils.
July 2014Flash FloodMeeker-Up to six inches of fast moving water ran across Highway 64 west of Meeker.
July 2013Debris FlowMeeker-Four separate mud slides were reported near mile marker 60 on Highway 64.
July 2011Flash FloodMeeker-Flash flood waters up to a foot deep deposited mud and rocks onto Highway 64 which was closed until crews cleared the road of debris.
January 2010FloodMeeker-An ice jam along the White River caused water to backup in the Meeker area, resulting in areas of minor flooding. Cold overnight temperatures also contributed to the continuation of ice build-up. Areas in the park below the 10th Street bridge were affected, and rising water also threatened several homes in neighborhoods along 8th and 9th Streets.
January 2007FloodMeeker-Lowland flooding occurred in the Meeker area along the White River. Minor flooding was reported in the Stagecoach Trailer Park near the intersection of Highways 13 and 64. Residents from 18 of the 20 trailer homes had to be evacuated. Some agricultural land, including a corral, were also flooded.
September 2007HailMeeker-Hail from penny-size to quarter-size in diameter occurred in Meeker.
September 2007Flash FloodMeeker-Runoff from heavy rain producing thunderstorms caused mud and debris to flow across Highway 64 in 4 different locations 10 to 12 miles west of Meeker. Mud, rocks, trees, and other vegetation were deposited on the roadway, up to 4 feet deep in places. Some of the rocks were 3 to 4 feet in diameter. Many culverts along the highway became plugged with debris. Two semi trucks became stuck in the debris.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindMeeker-no account filed
May 2006Thunderstorm WindMeeker-no account filed
June 2004Thunderstorm WindMeeker-no account filed
July 2003WildfireMeeker-no account filed
July 2003WildfireMeeker-no account filed
August 2003WildfireMeeker-no account filed
September 2002WildfireMeeker-no account filed
September 2002Thunderstorm WindMeeker-no account filed
September 2002FloodMeeker-no account filed
July 2002WildfireMeeker-no account filed
August 2002FloodMeeker-no account filed
August 2002WildfireMeeker-no account filed
June 2001WildfireMeeker-no account filed
July 2001Flash FloodMeeker-no account filed
July 2001FloodMeeker-no account filed
July 2000WildfireMeeker-no account filed
July 2000WildfireMeeker-no account filed
July 2000WildfireMeeker-no account filed
July 2000WildfireMeeker-no account filed
July 2000WildfireMeeker-no account filed
August 2000WildfireMeeker-no account filed
June 2000HailMeeker-no account filed
July 2000WildfireMeeker-no account filed
July 2000WildfireMeeker-no account filed
July 2000WildfireMeeker-no account filed
August 1999Funnel CloudMeeker-no account filed
May 1998WildfireMeeker-no account filed
August 1998WildfireMeeker-no account filed
September 1997Heavy RainMeeker-no account filed
September 1997HailMeeker-no account filed
September 1997Thunderstorm WindMeeker-no account filed
June 1996Thunderstorm WindMeeker-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Rio Blanco County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Buford16.1 miles17
Thornburgh16.4 miles17
White River City16.9 miles11
Rio Blanco20.8 miles18
Angora36.4 miles12
Rangely47.4 miles14

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on MeekerAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2002953The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 173407. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.