The Town of Parachute is a home rule municipality in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,390 at the 2020 census. The town is the birthplace of Willard Libby, recipient of the 1960 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Etymology

The town's name comes from Parachute Creek which runs through the township, before it merges with the Colorado River. The Ute people originally called the creek Pahchouc (meaning twins), with early settlers mispronouncing the word as parachute. In 1908 the town was renamed Grand Valley, but in the 1980s was changed back to Parachute.

Geography

Parachute is on the northwest side of the Colorado River where it is joined by Parachute Creek. Interstate 70 passes through the town, with access from Exit 75. I-70 leads east 42 mi to Glenwood Springs, the county seat, and southwest 44 mi to Grand Junction. Parachute is bordered to the southeast across the Colorado River by the unincorporated community of Battlement Mesa. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.32 km2, of which 4.16 km2 is land and 0.16 km2, or 3.70%, is water.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Parachute has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

Education

Parachute is served by Garfield County School District 16. The town is home to an elementary, middle, and high school:

Infrastructure

Transportation

Parachute is part of Bustang's West Line that connects Grand Junction to Denver.