Rocky Ford, Colorado
14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1891 and the latest in 1981. It stands in the Rocky Ford census division. It lies in ZIP code area 81067. The Survey maps it on the Rocky Ford quadrangle. 3,876 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 4,180 feet above sea level.
On record in Rocky Ford
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 5 records
Adobe Stables, Arkansas Valley Fairgroundslisted 2007
Art Buildinglisted 1996
Carnegie Public Librarylisted 1995
Rocky Ford Post Officelisted 2008- Valley View-Hillcrest Cemeterylisted 2024
Population over time
3 figuresRocky Ford fell from 4,286 to 3,876 between 2000 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.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4,286 | |
| 2010 | 3,957 | -329 (-8%) |
| 2020 | 3,876 | -81 (-2%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 14 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1891 USGS Catlin quadrangle1:125000
- 1893 USGS Catlin quadrangle1:125000, 5 printings
- 1954 USGS Lamar quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1955 USGS Rocky Ford quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Lamar quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1981 USGS Las Animas quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
247 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 247 fires within 5 miles of Rocky Ford between 1995 and 2020, burning about 3,156 acres in total. 4 started naturally. 1 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 184 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 16 |
| Smoking | 14 |
| Debris and open burning | 14 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 8 |
| Natural | 4 |
| Fireworks | 3 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 September 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Rocky Ford Fire Department | N/A |
| 28 September 2017 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Rocky Ford Fire Department | UNKNOWN |
| 26 September 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Rocky Ford Fire Department | UNKNOWN |
| 24 September 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | not named |
| 18 September 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Rocky Ford Fire Department | UNKNOWN |
| 1 September 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | not named |
| 31 August 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Rocky Ford Fire Department | UNKNOWN |
| 31 August 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 15 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 15 workings within 5 miles of Rocky Ford: 9 unknowns, 4 occurrences, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Stone, Dimension. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | Stone, Dimension | Occurrence | ||
| Unk | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Unk | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Unk | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Hancock Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Korinek Trout Farm Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown |
Storms near this place
54 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Rocky Ford in 54 storm reports between 1995 and 2024: 38 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 5 heavy rain, 2 flash flood. The reports record 1 death. 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2005 | Lightning | Rocky Ford | 1 killed | A 36-year old man was struck and killed by lightning while work outside on a farm. |
| August 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rocky Ford | $50,000 | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Lightning | Rocky Ford | $4,000 | A lightning strike caused a haystack to catch fire. |
| July 2024 | Flash Flood | Rocky Ford | - | Flooded intersection at Highway 50 and Steen Ave, in La Junta, began at 8:55pm MDT. Road closed due to high water. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rocky Ford | - | Two power poles blow over. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rocky Ford | - | Otero county sheriffs office reported numerous trees down across the county. |
| July 2022 | Heavy Rain | Rocky Ford | - | Heavy rainfall of 2.50 inches. |
| July 2022 | Heavy Rain | Rocky Ford | - | Heavy rainfall of 2.54 inches. |
| July 2022 | Heavy Rain | Rocky Ford | - | Heavy rainfall of 2.05 inches. |
| July 2022 | Heavy Rain | Rocky Ford | - | Heavy rainfall of 1.98 inches. |
| July 2022 | Heavy Rain | Rocky Ford | - | Heavy rainfall of 1.51 inches. |
| May 2021 | Tornado (EFU) | Rocky Ford | - | Public reported tornado on the ground, that lasted 5 minutes. |
| June 2019 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | Storm chaser reported nickel hail. |
| August 2019 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | A report from CoCoRaHS relayed one inch hail was the largest stone found but that it also hailed for 20 straight minutes. |
| May 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rocky Ford | - | One foot diameter branches ripped off a tree. |
| June 2013 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | Hail ranged in size from quarters to golf balls. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rocky Ford | - | Strong thunderstorm winds caused 8 inch diameter tree limbs to go down. |
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | Rocky Ford | - | Very heavy rain fell in a few hours time from just south of Manzanola to about five miles northwest of Rocky Ford near U.S. Highway 50. The resulting flood closed highway 50 for six hours Saturday morning. Widespread flooding occurred from county roads 11 to 16. Many road washouts were reported and damage occurred to two irrigation canals. A residence was destroyed by two foot deep flood waters. The railroad just south of highway 50 was undermined when the trestle abutments washed away. No firm damage amounts were available as of late September. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| August 2017 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| August 2015 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| August 2015 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| July 2014 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| September 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
| June 1995 | Hail | Rocky Ford | - | no account filed |
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.
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 Rocky Ford | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2073339 | The 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 195481. 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.





