Editing Parachute, Colorado

{{short description|Town in Colorado, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
 | official_name            = Parachute, Colorado
 | other_name               = 
 | native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
 | nickname                 = 
 | settlement_type          = [[Town]]
 | motto                    = "Western Gateway to the Rockies"<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.parachutecolorado.com/ |title=Town of Parachute official website |access-date=January 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903122113/http://www.parachutecolorado.com/ |archive-date=September 3, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<!-- images and maps  ----------->
 | image_skyline            = Parachute Colorado.jpg
 | imagesize                = 
 | image_caption            = Parachute in 2023
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 | image_map                = File:Garfield County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Parachute Highlighted 0857400.svg
 | mapsize                  = 250px
 | map_caption              = Location of Parachute in Garfield County, Colorado.
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<!-- 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        = [[Garfield County, Colorado|Garfield County]]<ref name=COMun>{{cite web | url = http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/local_governments/municipalities.html | title = Active Colorado Municipalities | publisher = [[Colorado|State of Colorado]], Department of Local Affairs | accessdate = September 1, 2007 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20091212060308/http://www.dola.state.co.us/dlg/local_governments/municipalities.html | archivedate = December 12, 2009 }}</ref>
 | subdivision_type3        = 
 | subdivision_name3        = 
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 | subdivision_name4        = 
<!-- Politics ----------------->
 | government_footnotes     = 
 | government_type          = [[Colorado municipalities#Home rule municipality|Home rule municipality]]<ref name=COMun/>
 | leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
 | leader_name              = 
 | leader_title1            = 
 | leader_name1             = 
 | leader_title2            = 
 | leader_name2             = 
 | established_title        = <!-- Settled -->
 | established_date         = 
 | established_title2       = [[municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
 | established_date2        = 1908-04-01, as the Town&nbsp;of&nbsp;Grand&nbsp;Valley<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 | accessdate = December 2, 2007}}</ref>
 | established_title3       = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
 | established_date3        = 
<!-- Area    --------------------->
 | area_magnitude           = 
 | unit_pref                = Imperial
 | area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_08.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 1, 2020}}</ref>
 | area_total_km2           = 4.85
 | area_land_km2            = 4.68
 | area_water_km2           = 0.17
 | area_total_sq_mi         = 1.87
 | area_land_sq_mi          = 1.81
 | area_water_sq_mi         = 0.07
<!-- Population   ----------------------->
 | population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
 | population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Parachute_town,_Colorado?g=160XX00US0857400 |title=Parachute town; Colorado |author=United States Census Bureau|date= |website= |publisher= |access-date=April 24, 2023 |quote=}}</ref>
 | population_note          = 
 | population_total         = 1390
 | population_density_km2   = auto
 | population_density_sq_mi = auto
<!-- General information  --------------->
 | timezone                 = [[Mountain Time Zone|Mountain (MST)]]
 | utc_offset               = -7
 | timezone_DST             = [[Mountain Time Zone|MDT]]
 | utc_offset_DST           = -6
 | coordinates              = {{coord|39|27|06|N|108|03|06|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
 | elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
 | elevation_ft             = 5089
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
 | postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s<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]] | accessdate = December 2, 2007 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080101160345/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp | archivedate = January 1, 2008 }}</ref>
 | postal_code              = 81635, 81636 ([[PO Box]])
 | area_code                = [[Area code 970|970]]
 | blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
 | blank_info               = 08-57400
 | blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
 | blank1_info              = 2413110<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2413110}}</ref>
 | website                  = {{URL|www.parachutecolorado.com}}
 | footnotes                = 
}}

The '''Town of Parachute''' is a [[Colorado municipalities#Home rule municipality|home rule municipality]] in [[Garfield County, Colorado|Garfield County]], [[Colorado]], United States. The population was 1,390 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020" />

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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parachute, Colorado |url=https://www.uncovercolorado.com/towns/parachute/ |website=Uncover Colorado |access-date=February 6, 2022}}</ref>

==Geography==
Parachute is on the northwest side of the [[Colorado River]] where it is joined by [[Parachute Creek]]. [[Interstate 70 in Colorado|Interstate 70]] passes through the town, with access from Exit 75. I-70 leads east {{convert|42|mi}} to [[Glenwood Springs, Colorado|Glenwood Springs]], the [[county seat]], and southwest {{convert|44|mi}} to [[Grand Junction, Colorado|Grand Junction]]. Parachute is bordered to the southeast across the Colorado River by the unincorporated community of [[Battlement Mesa, Colorado|Battlement Mesa]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|4.32|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|4.16|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.16|km2|order=flip}}, or 3.70%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US0857400| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Parachute town, Colorado| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| accessdate=November 16, 2016}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Climate==
This [[climate|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.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=113650&cityname=Parachute%2C+Colorado%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Parachute, Colorado]</ref>
<div style="width:65%">
{{Weather box
|location = Parachute
|single line = Yes
|metric first = Yes
|Jan high F = 38
|Feb high F = 46
|Mar high F = 56
|Apr high F = 64
|May high F = 76
|Jun high F = 88
|Jul high F = 94
|Aug high F = 93
|Sep high F = 82
|Oct high F = 66
|Nov high F = 51
|Dec high F = 41
|year high F = 66
|Jan low F = 11
|Feb low F = 19
|Mar low F = 29
|Apr low F = 33
|May low F = 43
|Jun low F = 50
|Jul low F = 58
|Aug low F = 57
|Sep low F = 48
|Oct low F = 35
|Nov low F = 27
|Dec low F = 18
|year low F = 36
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.7
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.7
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.8
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.7
|May precipitation inch = 1.2
|Jun precipitation inch = 1
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.5
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.9
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.4
|Oct precipitation inch = 2
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.7
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.2
|year precipitation inch = 15.8
|source 1 = Weatherbase <ref name=Weatherbase>
{{cite web
|url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=113650&cityname=Parachute-Colorado
|publisher=Weatherbase
|title=Weatherbase.com
|year=2013
}}
Retrieved on August 7, 2013.
</ref>
|date=August 2013
}}
</div style>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1910= 268
|1920= 228
|1930= 209
|1940= 230
|1950= 296
|1960= 245
|1970= 270
|1980= 338
|1990= 658
|2000= 1006
|2010= 1085
|2020= 1390
|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]]|accessdate=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 1,006 people, 381 households, and 233 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|851.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 415 housing units at an average density of {{convert|351.1|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 86.88% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.80% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.59% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.40% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.70% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 5.67% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.98% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 19.78% of the population.

There were 381 households, out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.42.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 34.2% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 15.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $31,208, and the median income for a family was $34,423. Males had a median income of $31,118 versus $21,875 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $14,114. About 7.7% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 22.5% of those age 65 or over.-->{{clear|left}}

==Education==
Parachute is served by Garfield County School District 16. The town is home to an elementary, middle, and high school:
*Bea Underwood Elementary School
*Grand Valley Middle School
*Grand Valley High School

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
Parachute is part of [[Bustang]]'s West Line that connects Grand Junction to Denver.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bustang Schedules |url=https://ridebustang.com/schedules/#west |website=RideBustang |publisher=CDOT}}</ref>

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

==References==
{{reflist|22em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Parachute, Colorado}}
* {{Official website|https://www.parachute.gov/}}
* [http://dtdapps.coloradodot.info/staticdata/Downloads/CityMaps/PARACHUTE.pdf CDOT map of the Town of Parachute]

{{Garfield County, Colorado}}
{{Colorado|collapsed}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Garfield County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Towns in Colorado]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1908]]
[[Category:1908 establishments in Colorado]]