Editing Fairplay, Colorado

{{short description|Town in Park County, Colorado, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
| name                     = Fairplay, Colorado
| settlement_type          = [[County seat]] and [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|statutory town]]<ref name=COMun>{{cite web|url=https://dola.colorado.gov/lgis/municipalities.jsf|title=Active Colorado Municipalities|publisher=[[Colorado Department of Local Affairs]]|access-date=October 18, 2021}}</ref> 
| nicknames                = The Real South Park<br/>South Park City
| motto                    = "Where History Meets the High Country"
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
| image_skyline            = Image:DSCN3327 fairplayandsouthparkcity e 600.jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = View of Fairplay and South Park looking south from State Highway 9. The historic buildings of South Park City, an open-air museum, are in the foreground.
| image_flag               = 
| flag_size                = 
| image_seal               = 
| seal_size                = 
| image_shield             = 
| shield_size              = 
| image_blank_emblem       = 
| blank_emblem_type        = 
| blank_emblem_size        = 
| image_map                = File:Park County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Fairplay Highlighted 0825610.svg
| map_caption              = Location of the Town of Fairplay in {{nowrap|[[Park County, Colorado]].}}
| pushpin_map              = USA
| pushpin_label            = Fairplay
| pushpin_label_position   = right
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location of the Town of Fairplay in the {{nowrap|[[United States]].}}
<!-- Location ------------------>
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Colorado]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Colorado|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Park County, Colorado|Park]]<ref name=COMun/>
<!-- Politics ----------------->
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|Statutory town]]<ref name=COMun/>
| leader_title             = Mayor
| leader_name              = Frank Just<ref>{{cite web | title = Mayor and Board of Trustees | publisher = Town of Fairplay, Colorado | url = http://www.fairplayco.us/mayorboard.html | access-date = June 10, 2014}}</ref>
| leader_title1            = <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->
| leader_name1             = 
| leader_title2            = 
| leader_name2             = 
| leader_title3            = 
| leader_name3             = 
| leader_title4            = 
| leader_name4             = 
| established_title        = [[Human settlement|Settled]]
| established_date         = 1859
| established_title2       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date2        = November 15, 1872<ref name=MuniIncCO>{{cite web | url = http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html | title = Colorado Municipal Incorporations | publisher = [[Colorado|State of Colorado]], Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives | date = December 1, 2004 | access-date = September 2, 2007}}</ref>
| established_title3       = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated (city)]]
| established_date3        = 
<!-- Area --------------------->
| unit_pref                = US
| total_type               = Total
| area_footnotes           = <ref name=2020_Census>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo/summary-files.html|title=Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], [[United States Department of Commerce]]|date=August 12, 2021|access-date=September 10, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 2.995
| area_land_km2            = 2.971
| area_water_km2           = 0.024
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft             = 9948
<!-- Population ----------------------->
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = <ref name=2020_Census/>
| population_total         = 724
| population_density_sq_mi = 631
| population_metro         = 2,963,821 ([[List of metropolitan statistical areas|19th]])
| population_blank1_title  = [[Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area|CSA]]
| population_blank1        = 3,623,560 ([[List of primary statistical areas|17th]])
| population_blank2_title  = [[Front Range Urban Corridor|Front Range]]
| population_blank2        = 5,055,344
<!-- General information ----------------------->
| timezone1                = [[Mountain Time Zone|MST]]
| utc_offset1              = −07:00
| timezone1_DST            = [[Mountain Time Zone|MDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST          = −06:00
| coordinates              = {{coord|39|13|28|N|105|59|53|W|region:US-CO_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]<ref name=ZIPcode>{{cite web|url=http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp |title=ZIP Code Lookup |format=[[JavaScript]]/[[HTML]] |publisher=[[United States Postal Service]] |access-date=September 14, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101104123722/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp |archive-date=November 4, 2010 }}</ref>
| postal_code              = 80440 & 80456, 80432 ([[PO Box]])
| area_code                = [[Area code 719|719]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 08-25610
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS feature ID]]
| blank1_info              = 2412616<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2412616}}</ref>
| website                  = [http://fairplayco.us fairplayco.us]
}}

'''Fairplay''' is a [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|statutory town]] that is the [[county seat]] and the [[List of municipalities in Colorado|most populous municipality]] of [[Park County, Colorado]], United States.<ref name=COMun/><ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> The town population was 724 at the [[2020 United States census]].<ref name=2020_Census/> Fairplay is located in [[South Park (Park County, Colorado)|South Park]] at an elevation of {{convert|9953|ft|m|0|sp=us}}. The town is the fifth-highest incorporated place in the State of Colorado.<ref name=mesalek>{{cite web | url = http://www.mesalek.com/colo/trivia/elev.html | title = Colorado Highways: Elevation-Related Trivia Items | publisher = Matthew E. Salek | access-date = September 14, 2007}}</ref>  Fairplay is a part of the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]].

==History==
A historic gold mining settlement, the town was founded in 1859 during the early days of the [[Pike's Peak Gold Rush]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Real South Park Colorado |url=https://www.colorado.com/articles/real-south-park-colorado |access-date=October 18, 2022 |website=Colorado.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Noel |first=Thomas |date=August 24, 2022 |title=Fairplay |url=https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/fairplay |access-date=October 18, 2022 |website=coloradoencyclopedia.org |language=en-US}}</ref> The town was named by settlers who were upset by the generous mining claims given to the earliest prospectors and promised a more equitable system for its residents.<ref name=fossett1880>{{cite book|title=Colorado, its gold and silver mines: farms and stock ranges, and health and pleasure resorts : tourist's guide to the Rocky Mountains|first=Frank|last=Fossett|publisher=C.G. Crawford, printer and stationer|year=1880|url=https://archive.org/details/coloradoitsgold00fossgoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/coloradoitsgold00fossgoog/page/n139 123]|isbn=9780405049736}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n122 123]}}</ref> The town of Fairplay was incorporated in 1872.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.city-data.com/city/Fairplay-Colorado.html|title=Fairplay, Colorado
|publisher=City-Data.com|access-date=July 12, 2012}}</ref>
[[File:Fairplay, Colorado - c. late 1800s.jpg|thumb|left|Front Street, late 1800s]]
[[File:Postcard of the town of Fairplay in the late 1800s - DPLA - a9a14d84171804fac9c2d6b2ed193adf.jpg|alt=Looking over the town of Fairplay in late 1800s.|left|thumb|Looking over the town of Fairplay in late 1800s.]]

It is the largest community in the grassland basin of Colorado known as [[South Park (Park County, Colorado)|South Park]], sitting on the west edge of the basin at the junction of [[U.S. Highway 285 (Colorado)|U.S. Highway 285]] and [[Colorado State Highway 9|State Highway 9]]. It is on a hillside just east of the [[Middle Fork South Platte River]], near where Highway 9 ascends the river valley northward to [[Alma, Colorado|Alma]] and [[Hoosier Pass (Continental Divide)|Hoosier Pass]]. It is a quiet town, and the roads surrounding it have a low volume of traffic. Although it was founded during the initial [[placer mining]] boom, the mines in the area continued to produce gold and silver [[ore]] for many decades up through the middle of the 20th century.

The town consists of modern retail businesses along the highway, as well as a historic town on the bluff above the river along Front Street. The northern extension of Front Street along the river has been preserved and has become the site of relocated historic structures as an open-air museum called [[South Park City]], intended to recreate the early days of the Colorado Gold Rush. Most of the residences in town are located on the hillside west of US Highway 285 and east of State Highway 9, in the vicinity of the schools and Park County Courthouse. The majority of the streets in town were finally paved in 2005.

==Geography==
As of the [[2020 United States census]], the town had a total area of {{convert|2.995|km2|acre|order=flip}} including {{convert|0.024|km2|acre|order=flip}} of water.<ref name=2020_Census/>

===Climate===
Fairplay has a [[subarctic climate|subarctic]] or [[Montane ecosystems|subalpine]] climate ([[Köppen climate classification|Koppen]]: Dfc) given its elevation, with short cool summers, and long, windy and cold winters. Temperature ranges between day and night are large, due to the high elevation, low cloud cover, and dryness of the air.
{{Weather box
|location = Fairplay, 1991–2020 normals, 2003-2019 snowfall; 9995ft (3046m)
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high F = 55
|Feb record high F = 57
|Mar record high F = 60
|Apr record high F = 63
|May record high F = 74
|Jun record high F = 83
|Jul record high F = 84
|Aug record high F = 80
|Sep record high F = 77
|Oct record high F = 72
|Nov record high F = 62
|Dec record high F = 53
|year record high F =

|Jan avg record high F = 47
|Feb avg record high F = 46
|Mar avg record high F = 53
|Apr avg record high F = 59
|May avg record high F = 68
|Jun avg record high F = 78
|Jul avg record high F = 80
|Aug avg record high F = 76
|Sep avg record high F = 73
|Oct avg record high F = 66
|Nov avg record high F = 55
|Dec avg record high F = 47
|year avg record high F = 84

|Jan high F = 30.8
|Feb high F = 30.9
|Mar high F = 38.1
|Apr high F = 44.5
|May high F = 54.5
|Jun high F = 65.8
|Jul high F = 71.0
|Aug high F = 68.3
|Sep high F = 62.1
|Oct high F = 50.9
|Nov high F = 39.1
|Dec high F = 30.7
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 20.2
|Feb mean F = 20.1
|Mar mean F = 26.9
|Apr mean F = 33.2
|May mean F = 41.8
|Jun mean F = 51.2
|Jul mean F = 56.7
|Aug mean F = 54.6
|Sep mean F = 48.4
|Oct mean F = 38.4
|Nov mean F = 28.0
|Dec mean F = 20.2
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 9.7
|Feb low F = 9.3
|Mar low F = 15.6
|Apr low F = 21.9
|May low F = 29.1
|Jun low F = 36.6
|Jul low F = 42.4
|Aug low F = 41.0
|Sep low F = 34.7
|Oct low F = 25.9
|Nov low F = 16.8
|Dec low F = 9.7
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F=  -7
|Feb avg record low F=  -11
|Mar avg record low F=  -2
|Apr avg record low F =  8
|May avg record low F =  15
|Jun avg record low F =  29
|Jul avg record low F =  37
|Aug avg record low F =  34
|Sep avg record low F =  26
|Oct avg record low F =  9
|Nov avg record low F =  -2
|Dec avg record low F =  −11
|year avg record low F = −14

|Jan record low F = −20
|Feb record low F = −28
|Mar record low F = −11
|Apr record low F = -5
|May record low F = 2
|Jun record low F = 23
|Jul record low F = 33
|Aug record low F = 30
|Sep record low F = 18
|Oct record low F = -14
|Nov record low F = -13
|Dec record low F = −19
|year record low F =

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.65
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.66
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.10
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.35
|May precipitation inch = 1.78
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.13
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.40
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.22
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.44
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.01
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.63
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.73
|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = 7.9
|Feb snow inch = 10.1
|Mar snow inch = 13.4
|Apr snow inch = 12.7
|May snow inch = 8.2
|Jun snow inch = 0.3
|Jul snow inch = trace
|Aug snow inch = trace
|Sep snow inch = 1.0
|Oct snow inch = 6.9
|Nov snow inch = 7.6
|Dec snow inch = 11.9
|year snow inch =

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA1>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00052816&format=pdf
|title = Fairplay S Park RD, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals 
|access-date = November 4, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = XMACIS (snowfall, records & monthly max/mins)<ref name = XMACIS>
{{cite web
|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = xmACIS
|access-date = November 4, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population|align=right
|1890= 301
|1900= 319
|1910= 265
|1920= 183
|1930= 221
|1940= 739
|1950= 476
|1960= 404
|1970= 419
|1980= 421
|1990= 387
|2000= 610
|2010= 679
|2020= 724
|footnote=[[United States census|U.S. Decennial Census]]
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 610 people, 259 households, and 169 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|576|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 337 housing units at an average density of {{convert|318|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 93% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.3% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.0% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.3% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 2.8% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.5% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 4.9% of the population.

There were 259 households, out of which 32% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34% were non-families. 26% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.8.

Approximately 24% of the town under the age of 18, 8% from 18 to 24, 37% from 25 to 44, 25% from 45 to 64, and 5% 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 110 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,385, and the median income for a family was $51,980. Males had a median income of $34,290 versus $26,430 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $21,740.  About 6.6% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

==Arts and culture==
[[File:NMHFM-361.gif|thumb|left|Fairplay dredge, 1940s, the largest [[gold dredge]] in Colorado]]

=== Burro Days ===
The Burro Days festival is held on the last weekend of July.<ref>{{cite web|title=Burro Days|url=http://www.burrodays.com/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060707035310/http://www.burrodays.com/index.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 7, 2006|access-date=June 2, 2011}}</ref>  The event celebrates the town's mining heritage. The main feature of the festival is a 29-mile (46.7&nbsp;km) burro race over rough terrain and approximately 3,000-ft (914 m) elevation gain from downtown Fairplay to the 13,185-ft (4019 m) summit of [[Mosquito Pass]]. Teams consist of one person and one [[Donkey|burro]].  The race takes about five hours to complete; first prize is $1,000. Previously, the first prize included an ounce of gold. There are several other [[burro racing|burro races]] in Colorado; the most notable takes place in [[Leadville, Colorado|Leadville]].

The Fairplay event is the World Championship of Burro Racing, an [[ultra-marathon]] and the longest burro race in the state.<ref>{{cite web|title=Western Pack Burro Ass-ociation|url=http://www.packburroracing.com/#RULES|access-date=June 2, 2011}}</ref>  For many years (in the 1960s and early 1970s) the Burro race took place from Leadville to Fairplay, or vice versa, crossing over Mosquito Pass. This followed the route that Father [[John Lewis Dyer]] of the [[Methodist Episcopal Church]] used for [[Circuit rider (religious)|circuit riding]] and for carrying mail. With time, the rivalry between the two cities ended this cooperative endeavor.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
Fairplay is part of Colorado's [[Bustang]] intercity bus network. It is on the Gunnison-Denver Outrider line.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bustang Schedule |url=https://ridebustang.com/schedules/ |website=RideBustang |publisher=CDOT}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Sheldon Jackson]], Presbyterian missionary who established what is now the South Park Community Presbyterian Church in Fairplay

{{wide image|Fairplay_180_degrees.jpg|1192px|View of Fairplay and South Park.}}

==See also==
{{portal|Colorado }}
*[[List of municipalities in Colorado]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|auto=yes}}
* {{official website|http://www.fairplayco.us}}
* [http://dtdapps.coloradodot.info/staticdata/Downloads/CityMaps/Fairplay.pdf CDOT map of the Town of Fairplay]
* [http://southparkchamber.com/ South Park Chamber of Commerce]

{{Park County, Colorado}}
{{Colorado county seats}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Park County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Towns in Colorado]]
[[Category:County seats in Colorado]]