About the Region

Pueblo, located in southeast Colorado along the Great Plains, borders the Rocky Mountains. The Arkansas River is positioned directly to the northeast of the city. The town of Pueblo has a long and colorful history dating back to 1842, being first called Fort Pueblo, and acting as a transportation junction in the early west. Prior to that, it was a meeting and trading point for the Ute and Comanche Indians, signaling the coming together of the mountains and the plains.

Today the city of Pueblo lies at the crossroads of two major highways - Interstate 25 and U.S. Highway 50, which makes it an extremely accessible setting from the freeway. It is 110 miles south of Denver and is at the southern edge of the Colorado's major growth corridor along the Front Range.

The city of Pueblo, with a comfortably small population of 102,121, is also known as "America's Home of Heroes". In 1993 the United States Congress honored the city with this title and in September 2000 Pueblo hosted the National Medal of Honor Convention. Pueblo is the only city in the United States with four Medal of Honor recipients. In the years 1994, 1995 and 1997, a number of Medal of Honor Recipients from all over the country were invited to Pueblo to speak to community members and area school students, exhibiting an impressive display of patriotism. Since these invitations, local school students have lobbied the Colorado State Legislature, proposing the creation of specialized Medal of Honor license plates, which, since the proposal, have since been issued to all Medal of Honor recipients in the state of Colorado. Also, plans are being developed in the city of Pueblo for the construction of a 19,000 square foot, $3 million "Hall of Heroes" museum. After it is constructed, the museum will act as a working museum site and also as a comprehensive field trip location for students.

Cañon City, located in Fremont County, lies just 45 miles outside of the city of Pueblo. Established in 1859, originally as a commercial base for gold miners in the Rocky Mountains, Cañon City was incorporated into Fremont County in 1872 and has since become a popular tourist destination for visitors from around the state. In 2000, the population of Cañon City was at 15,431 compared to the smaller, quaint populace of Florence at 3,653. Now home to exceptional white water rafting tours along the Arkansas River, the areas of Florence and Cañon City, with close proximity to the Royal Gorge, have become increasingly popular within the last decade.

Climate of the Region

Pueblo's temperate climate, with an annual average temperature of 68 degrees and an average daily low of 37, makes it a very attractive community to settle in for both businesses, families and seniors alike. Many seniors appreciate the mild temperatures, which do not allow snow to stay on the ground for long.

Transportation of the Region

Within the areas of Pueblo, Cañon City and Florence is a range of transportation options including public transportation bus lines, as well as more specialized alternatives like taxi and limousine services. In Pueblo alone, there are 12 bus lines. Also near the towns of Florence and Canon City is the Fremont County Airport providing access to the rest of the country for residents and visitors of the region.

Attractions of the Cañon City and Pueblo Regions

Pueblo residents enjoy a variety of special events, local attractions and recreational activities only moments from home. Two of the biggest destinations in the region include Pueblo State Reservoir and the nearby Royal Gorge area. Pueblo State Reservoir, just west of Pueblo, encompasses over 60 miles of shoreline, 9,600 total acres of park area and 400 campsites. Enjoyed year-round by many Colorado natives, Lake Pueblo's southern Colorado scenery is striking and includes within its borders a 5-story waterslide on the site's Rock Canyon Swim Beach. The area also offers many hiking and biking trails that wind throughout the park's brilliant landscape. The Royal Gorge area, situated two hours south of Denver, has developed into much more than just the breathtaking 1,260-foot suspension bridge it's famous for. Now a 360-acre theme park, Royal Gorge National Park includes aerial-tram car rides, a petting zoo at an elevation of 6800 feet, a mountain man encampment, the Silver Rock Railroad and the Royal Rush Skycoaster.

The city of Pueblo's is also distinctive for its River Walk development, Sangre De Christo Arts and Conference Center, The Pueblo Symphony and many local historic museums. Sporting events in the area include Pike's Peak National Raceway and Pueblo Greyhound Park. Specialty shopping areas and a variety of dining spots also make the Pueblo area very appealing to residents of all ages.

Just southwest of Colorado Springs, the Cañon City and Florence area offer mountain biking, world-class rafting and unique destination rock-climbing set among a breathtaking Royal Gorge. Another special attraction is the historic Royal Gorge Route Railroad. This unique railway offers seasonal murder-mystery and gourmet lunch/dinner rides.

Below is a list of the 5 counties and several select cities included in the Pueblo and Canon City Directory and book:

Crowley – With a total population of approximately 5,500, Crowley County is a fairly small county within the southeast corner of Colorado. Inside the boundaries of Crowley County lie the cities of Crowley, Olney Springs, Ordway and Sugar City.

Fremont – Almost directly in the center of the Centennial State, is the county of Fremont. As of the 2000 census, the population of Fremont County was over 46,000. The county itself encompasses eight cities some of which include Canon City, Florence and Williamsburg.

Huerfano – With only 7,862 as a total population, the county of Huerfano is one of the smaller counties in Colorado. The county also includes the cities of La Veta and Walsenburg.

Otero – As La Junta as its county seat, Otero County has an approximate population of 20,300 and is comprised of six individual cities including Cheraw, Fowler and Rocky Ford.

Pueblo – By far the largest of all the counties in the southeast portion of Colorado, Pueblo County has a population of over 141,000 and includes nine cities within its borders, some of which are Avondale, Pueblo and Salt Creek.

Cities:

La Junta – Positioned along the Arkansas River just south of Pueblo, the city of La Junta has a population of roughly 7,500 and is home to two historically renowned sites in American heritage including Bent's Fort and the Koshare Indian Museum. Also within La Junta's vicinity is the Picketwire Center for Performing Arts.

Pueblo West – As the western portion of the city of Pueblo, Pueblo West has a population of over 16,000 and encompasses many more metropolitan-type features than its smaller neighboring cities.

Senior Services in the Area

The city of Pueblo offers an ample selection of senior services from senior housing, support services to entertainment. The area also includes the Colorado Veteran's Nursing Home in Florence. Visit our Local Links web page to learn more about Pueblo & Cañon City Region and use our Search Senior Services link to search our database to learn more about the variety of senior services in the area.

About the Region Pueblo
MB-February 2006, 3-22-06KH