Rico is a town in Dolores County, Colorado, United States. It was settled in 1879 as a silver mining center in the Pioneer Mining District; today it functions as a historic and tourism site. The population was 288 at the 2020 census. Its current form of government is that of a home rule municipality. Rico is a name derived from Spanish meaning "rich".

Geography

Rico is located in eastern Dolores County in the valley of the Dolores River. Colorado State Highway 145 passes through the town as it follows the river, leading southwest 48 mi to Cortez and northeast over Lizard Head Pass 27 mi to Telluride. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Rico has an area of 2.0 sqkm, all of it land.

Climate

Rico experiences an alpine subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc) with long, cold, very snowy winters and short, cool summers due to the high altitude and high precipitation year-round due to orographic lift.

Demographics

Transportation

Rico is part of Colorado's Bustang network. It is on the Durango-Grand Junction Outrider line. Rico was a water stop on the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, the storied narrow gauge line running from Ridgway to Durango until the railroad was abandoned in 1952. The water tank used to refill the tenders of the steam locomotives still stands on the west side of the former grade, years since it was last used.