Segundo is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. The population of the Segundo CDP was 100 at the United States Census 2020. The Trinidad post office (Zip Code 81082) serves the area.

History

Segundo was founded by Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I) as a company town to house its workers for a local coal mine. The town was the second mining community developed by CF&I in 1904 behind Primero and was referenced in the town's name, with segundo meaning "second" in Spanish. CF&I offered adequate housing for the time, and promoted upward mobility through its sponsorship of a YMCA center, an elementary school, small businesses, and a company store. Segundo was a prosperous town until the 1920s, when the population began to decline due to constant health issues related to air pollution and outdated housing that lacked indoor plumbing. Declines in demand for metallurgical coke led to workers being laid off and, following a major fire in 1929, CF&I ceased their operations in Segundo. The town's population plummeted to the point that it almost became a ghost town.

Geography

Segundo is located 14 mi west of Trinidad along Colorado State Highway 12 in the valley of the Purgatoire River. The Segundo CDP has an area of 1.797 km2, all land.

Demographics

The United States Census Bureau initially defined the for the