Durango

Durango is the La Plata County seat and the largest community in southwest Colorado. The San Juan National Forest Supervisor's Office is located there. Fort Lewis College, a four-year liberal arts institution with about 4,500 enrolled students is also located there. Recent years in Durango and La Plata County have been marked by growth (36 percent population growth in 10 years), which is attributed to amenity migration, tourism, oil and gas development, retiree immigration. These population trends coincide with a high proportion of national forest lands in the county and a rate of growth much higher than the national average.
Durango has become a popular year-round recreational destination and launch point for access to an array of outdoor activities, including sightseeing, skiing, hiking, camping, fishing, rafting, kayaking, and cycling, to name few. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is one of the city's most popular attractions drawing hundreds of thousands of sightseers. Mesa Verde National Park is within easy driving, and the San Juan Skyway provides a scenic driving tour of the region.

Durango is generally considered the most socially and economically diverse community in southwest Colorado. Bodo Industrial Park is the largest in southwest Colorado and recently met its physical limits. Growth has spilled over into the Durango Tech Center, just west of downtown and attempts are occurring to find new areas for professional and industrial expansion.