Westcliffe, Colorado
23 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1889 and the latest in 1989. It stands in the Westcliffe census division. It lies in ZIP code area 81252. It lies near Chloride Gulch. The Survey maps it on the Westcliffe quadrangle. 435 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 7,867 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Westcliffe
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 8 records
Beckwith Ranchlisted 1998
Hope Lutheran Churchlisted 1978
Kennicott Cabinlisted 1997
National Hotel-Wolff Buildinglisted 1987
Westcliff Schoollisted 1989
Westcliffe Jaillisted 1993- Holdsworth House-Aspenholme-Pines Lodgelisted 2021
- Willows Schoollisted 1993
Population over time
2 figuresWestcliffe fell from 568 to 435 between 2010 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 568 | |
| 2020 | 435 | -133 (-23%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
11 surveys from 23 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.
- 1889 USGS Canon City quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1892 USGS Canon City quadrangle1:125000, 6 printings
- 1892 USGS Canyon City quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1954 USGS Pueblo quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1955 USGS Westcliffe quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1957 USGS Pueblo quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Pueblo quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Pueblo quadrangle1:250000
- 1966 USGS Pueblo quadrangle1:250000
- 1982 USGS Canon City quadrangle1:100000
- 1989 USGS Pueblo quadrangle1:250000
Fires near this place
41 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 41 fires within 5 miles of Westcliffe between 1992 and 2020, burning about 193 acres in total. 9 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 23 |
| Natural | 9 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 4 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Debris and open burning | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | not named |
| 28 September 2010 | Natural | under an acre | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | not named |
| 19 September 2010 | Natural | under an acre | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | not named |
| 15 September 2010 | Natural | under an acre | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | not named |
| 6 August 2007 | Natural | under an acre | Pike and San Isabel National Forest | MILLBALL |
| 31 August 2018 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Wet Mountain Fire Protection District | UNKNOWN |
| 29 August 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wet Mountain Fire Protection District | UNKNOWN |
| 15 August 2010 | Natural | under an acre | 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 54 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 54 workings within 5 miles of Westcliffe: 30 past producers, 10 prospects, 7 producers, 7 occurrences. 7 still produce. What was taken out: Silver, Manganese, Perlite, Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bull Domingo Mine | Lead, Silver, Zinc, Gold, Uranium | Past Producer | 1879, 1880, 1914 | |
| Dakota Maid Prospect | Silver, Gold, Lead | Prospect | Galena, Pyrite, Tetrahedrite | |
| Defender Mine | Silver, Lead, Zinc, Gold | Past Producer | 1882 | |
| Defender Mine | Lead, Silver, Zinc | Past Producer | ||
| Dolly Varden | Zinc, Silver, Lead | Prospect | vein | |
| Geyser Mine | Lead, Silver, Gold, Copper, Zinc | Past Producer | 1878, 1880, 1911 | |
| Herman Passiflora Mine | Silver, Lead, Gold, Iron, Copper | Past Producer | 1895 | |
| Immortal Mine | Silver, Iron, Lead, Copper | Past Producer | 1882 | |
| Jit Prospect | Zinc, Lead, Manganese | Prospect | Chalcopyrite, Galena | |
| Kate Mine | Silver, Copper, Lead, Iron | Past Producer | 1885 |
Storms near this place
53 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Westcliffe in 53 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 34 hail, 6 flash flood, 5 funnel cloud, 3 tornado. 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2011 | Lightning | Westcliffe | 1 killed, 1 hurt | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Wildfire | Westcliffe | $100,000 | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Wildfire | Westcliffe | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Flash Flood | Westcliffe | $20,000 | no account filed |
| August 1993 | Hail | Westcliffe | $500 | Severe thunderstorms rolled through portions of Chaffee and Custer Counties. Hail up to walnut-size damaged windows in Johnson Village (21 miles northwest of Salida) and Westcliffe. |
| May 2024 | Funnel Cloud | Westcliffe | - | Cold air funnel, documented by video moving over Eureka Mountain and Spread Eagle Peak. |
| July 2021 | Flash Flood | Westcliffe | - | Hermit road from Highway 69 to 96 was closed due to flooding in several locations. |
| July 2021 | Flash Flood | Westcliffe | - | Flooding of intersection near 3rd and Edwards avenue. |
| July 2021 | Heavy Rain | Westcliffe | - | Heavy rainfall of 1.92 inches. |
| July 2019 | Funnel Cloud | Westcliffe | - | Spotter reported a funnel cloud near Lake DeWeese. |
| July 2019 | Tornado (EF0) | Westcliffe | - | A tornado touched down near William Avenue in |Westcliffe, CO on the evening of July 22, 2019, traveling in|a southeast to northwest direction. A continuous path of damage |was seen for one-third of a mile before lifting as it crossed |Vista Dr. No further visible damage was seen beyond this point |but witnesses said the tornado touched down again before |nearing Wolf Street and then lifted for a final time. |Much of the damage included canopies, carports, RVs, and gazebos.|No primary residence damage was seen outside of a few missing |shingles, peeled up metal roofing, and a few blown in windows by |flying debris. One carport awning was lifted off the ground nearly|100 feet and then carried nearly 100 yards before it was dropped |onto a nearby roof. No injuries were reported. |
| July 2019 | Flash Flood | Westcliffe | - | Heavy rain closed roadway. |
| May 2012 | Funnel Cloud | Westcliffe | - | A significant funnel cloud occurred south of Westcliffe and extended around 1/2 way to the ground. |
| July 2011 | Flash Flood | Westcliffe | - | Deep water and debris was noted over Highway 69. |
| June 2007 | Tornado (EF0) | Westcliffe | - | A brief tornado occurred over open country of the Wet Mountain Valley. There was no known damage. |
| June 1997 | Tornado (F0) | Westcliffe | - | A tornado briefly occurred in an open field southeast of Westcliffe. There was no known damage. |
| October 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| May 2021 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 2018 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 2014 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| August 2008 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| August 2008 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| August 2008 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| August 2008 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| May 2006 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| June 2004 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| October 2004 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 2001 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Funnel Cloud | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Flash Flood | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| August 1998 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Funnel Cloud | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Hail | Westcliffe | - | 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.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Cliff | 1.0 miles | 23 | |
| Ula (historical) | 2.2 miles | 23 | |
| Tanglewood Acres | 5.8 miles | 20 | |
| Querida | 7.0 miles | 26 | |
| Rosita | 7.3 miles | 24 | |
| Cold Spring | 11.9 miles | 24 | |
| McKenzie Junction | 14.7 miles | 24 | |
| Fairview | 20.0 miles | 23 |
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 Westcliffe | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q521692 | 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 192151. 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.










