Como, Colorado

Como, Colorado
unincorporated community
Como Roundhouse is the only narrow-gauge roundhouse still standing in Colorado. Until 1937, it handled repairs on the railroads. In 1938, the remaining tracks were removed.
Como Location of Como, Colorado. Show map of the United States Como Como (Colorado) Show map of Colorado
Coordinates: 39°18′58″N105°53′34″W / 39.3161°N 105.8928°W / 39.3161; -105.8928 (Como, Colorado) [1]
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Park [2]
Government
• Type	unincorporated community
• Body	Park County [2]
Elevation [1]	9,813 ft (2,991 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	439
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−06:00 (MDT)
ZIP code [3]	80432
Area code	719
GNIS place ID	183395

Como is an unincorporated community in Park County in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of zip code 80432 is 439, including surrounding subdivisions in a 15-mile radius. Metropolitan Como proper usually has a population of 12 to 15 residents, within the Como plat. ^[4]

History

Railway depot in Como, c. 1900

It is believed the town was named by miners from Como, Italy, who worked the coal fields of the area. In 1879, the town became the location of a depot of the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad, which was extended over Kenosha Pass to reach the silver mining areas during the Colorado Silver Boom. The Como, Colorado, post office opened on July 23, 1879. ^[5] Later, the town served as a division point for trains going northward over Boreas Pass and southward toward Garos and over Trout Creek Pass at the western end of South Park.

Current status

The town has many historic weathered structures, including the roundhouse, hotel, and depot. It has the air of a ghost town that is still nevertheless populated. Como has a small commercial district consisting of a post office, gallery and hotel. The roundhouse and depot have been renovated by the Denver, South Park & Pacific Historical Society with plans to make them into an area tourist attraction. ^[6]

A view of the dilapidated downtown of Como in August 2022

Geography

The Como School is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Band in Como, c. 1900

Como is located at the northern end of South Park, Como is an historic railroad settlement. It sits approximately one-half mile (1 km) west of U.S. Route 285 and some nine miles (14 km) northeast of the county seat of Fairplay. Como is accessible by a paved County Road 33, which becomes gravel inside the town. Boreas Pass Road runs northwest over Boreas Pass to Breckenridge. The mountains northwest of Como form a dramatic background to the site of the town on the flank of Little Baldy Mountain.

See also

• Geography portal
• History portal
• United States portal
• Colorado portal

• Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
• Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area
• Front Range Urban Corridor
• List of populated places in Colorado
• List of post offices in Colorado

References

1. "Como, Colorado". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved July 26, 2025.
2. "Colorado Counties". Colorado Department of Local Affairs . Retrieved July 26, 2025.
3. "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service . Retrieved July 26, 2025.
4. "2010 Census Population for ZIP Code 80432". zip-coedes.com. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
5. Bauer, William H.; Ozment, James L.; Willard, John H. (1990). Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989. Golden, Colorado: Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation. ISBN   0-918654-42-4.
6. Laura King Van Dusen, "Como High School: An Unplanned Time Capsule of Earlier Days, Artifacts Uncovered from Como's Heyday," Historic Tales from Park County: Parked in the Past (Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2013), ISBN   978-1-62619-161-7, pp. 163-169.

External links

• State of Colorado
  • History Colorado