Silverthorne, Colorado

For other uses, see Silverthorn (disambiguation).

Silverthorne, Colorado
Town
Silverthorne seen from Ptarmigan Peak. In the background Buffalo Mountain is on the left, while Red Mountain and Mount Silverthorne are located adjacent to each other to the right.
Silverthorne seen from Ptarmigan Peak. In the background Buffalo Mountain is on the left, while Red Mountain and Mount Silverthorne are located adjacent to each other to the right.
Official logo of Silverthorne, Colorado
Logo
Location of Silverthorne in Summit County, Colorado.
Location of Silverthorne in Summit County, Colorado.
Coordinates: 39°38′18″N 106°04′35″W / 39.63833°N 106.07639°W / 39.63833; -106.07639
Country United States
State Colorado
County[1]Summit County
IncorporatedSeptember 5, 1967[2]
Government
 • TypeHome rule municipality[1]
Area
[3]
 • Total
10.54 km2 (4.07 sq mi)
 • Land10.37 km2 (4.00 sq mi)
 • Water0.17 km2 (0.07 sq mi)
Elevation
[4]
2,680 m (8,790 ft)
Population
 (2020)[5]
 • Total
4,402
 • Density420/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP codes[6]
80497 (Post-office box), 80498
Area code970
FIPS code08-70525
GNIS feature ID2413288[4]
WebsiteTown of Silverthorne

The Town of Silverthorne is a home rule municipality in Summit County, Colorado. According to the 2020 Census, the population of the city is 4,402.[5]

History

The town was named for Judge Marshall Silverthorn who served as the judge of the miners' court in Breckenridge. The judge first came to town as a prospector and claimed a section of the Blue River in 1881. After patenting his claim in April 1882, he was disappointed to find the gold to be sparse and the claim a poor bet. The land passed to his daughters on his death in 1887 and was then sold several times to various mining companies. In 1953 Clayton Hill bought the property and subdivided it for homes and stores.[7]

Silverthorne served as a makeshift camp for workers during the construction of the Dillon Reservoir from 1961 to 1963, and later as a stop along Interstate 70. It was eventually incorporated on April 5, 1967.[2]

The city has expanded several times since incorporation by annexation.

Since 2016, the town of Silverthorne has hosted the Silverthon Games, an annual competition featuring a seasonally-based slate of individual and team events, culminating with the heavily spectated Hummingbird Circle race.[8]

Geography

Silverthorne is situated between the Gore Range to the west and the Continental Divide to the east. The two most visible mountains are Buffalo and Red Mountains. Also surrounding the valley are Ptarmigan, Tenderfoot, and Ten Mile Peaks.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2), of which, 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.94%) is water.

Climate

Silverthorne has a highland-influenced subpolar climate (Köppen (Dfc) with warm summer days, cold nights year round, as well as cold and snowy winter days.

Climate data for Silverthorne (1981–2010, extremes 1910-2018)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 61
(16) 		60
(16) 		63
(17) 		76
(24) 		80
(27) 		87
(31) 		89
(32) 		87
(31) 		84
(29) 		77
(25) 		65
(18) 		61
(16) 		89
(32)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 31.7
(−0.2) 		33.9
(1.1) 		39.6
(4.2) 		47.3
(8.5) 		57.3
(14.1) 		67.9
(19.9) 		74.0
(23.3) 		71.9
(22.2) 		64.9
(18.3) 		53.5
(11.9) 		40.2
(4.6) 		31.5
(−0.3) 		51.1
(10.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 1.8
(−16.8) 		4.0
(−15.6) 		11.7
(−11.3) 		18.8
(−7.3) 		27.3
(−2.6) 		33.7
(0.9) 		39.0
(3.9) 		38.2
(3.4) 		30.7
(−0.7) 		22.0
(−5.6) 		12.6
(−10.8) 		3.8
(−15.7) 		20.3
(−6.5)
Record low °F (°C) −44
(−42) 		−45
(−43) 		−38
(−39) 		−25
(−32) 		−8
(−22) 		11
(−12) 		22
(−6) 		20
(−7) 		4
(−16) 		−17
(−27) 		−30
(−34) 		−46
(−43) 		−46
(−43)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.81
(21) 		0.92
(23) 		1.01
(26) 		1.26
(32) 		1.31
(33) 		1.25
(32) 		1.95
(50) 		1.93
(49) 		1.42
(36) 		0.90
(23) 		0.93
(24) 		0.86
(22) 		14.55
(371)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 14.7
(37) 		15.7
(40) 		16.5
(42) 		15.8
(40) 		5.6
(14) 		0.7
(1.8) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		1.4
(3.6) 		6.6
(17) 		14.1
(36) 		15.0
(38) 		106.1
(269.4)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.04 in) 6.7 6.5 7.5 7.9 7.2 6.4 9.1 10.2 7.5 5.9 6.7 6.6 88.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.4 in) 9.5 8.7 9.4 8.5 3.3 0.4 0 0 0.7 3.7 8.1 8.9 61.2
Source: NWS NOWDATA —data from Dillon 1E 1981-2010

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1970400—
1980989147.3%
19901,76878.8%
20003,19680.8%
20103,88721.6%
20204,40213.2%

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Silverthorne include:

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Active Colorado Municipalities". State of Colorado, Department of Local Affairs. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2007.
  2. ^ a b "Colorado Municipal Incorporations". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. December 1, 2004. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
  3. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Silverthorne, Colorado
  5. ^ a b United States Census Bureau. "Silverthorne town; Colorado". Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  6. ^ "ZIP Code Lookup" (JavaScript/HTML). United States Postal Service. Retrieved January 2, 2008.
  7. ^ <[1]
  8. ^ "Silverthon Historic Results". Silverthon Results. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  9. ^ Gerard, Tieghan (April 24, 2022). "Nine Favorite Things". Half Baked Harvest. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  10. ^ Gerard, Tieghan (September 15, 2016). "Skinny Cajun Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic Cheese Sauce". Half Baked Harvest. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  11. ^ Moskin, Julia (October 30, 2023). "The Star of Half Baked Harvest Inspires Loyalty — and Controversy". The New York Times. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  12. ^ "Dan Gibbs' Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  13. ^ "Mike Potekhen". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
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