Capitol City Ghost Town

Hinsdale County, Colorado38.0072, -107.4670

Can you visit?

Public land, open access

Gunnison Field Office · Open to visitors

Nearest town
19 miRidgway, CO
Mild months
May–Sep5 of 12
Elevation
9,710 ft2,960 m
Capitol City, Colorado
Photo: robert thigpen from diboll, texas, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Capitol City is a ghost town in Hinsdale County, Colorado. It lies at about 9,710 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miMontroseTellurideRidgwayMountain VillageCapitol City
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Capitol City. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Ridgway, CO, about 19 miles northwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Grand Junction, CO, 96 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Henson5 mi east
  2. Animas Forks7.6 mi southwest
  3. Eureka10 mi southwest
  4. Ouray11 mi west
  5. Middleton12 mi southwest
  6. Ironton13 mi southwest
  7. Guston14 mi southwest
  8. Howardsville14 mi southwest

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

BLM land: Gunnison Field Office

PAD-US places this spot on Gunnison Field Office, land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°341Jan388Feb4617Mar5325Apr6533May7440Jun7747Jul7445Aug6938Sep6028Oct4615Nov343DecJan: 0.8 inFeb: 0.7 inMar: 0.8 inApr: 1.0 inMay: 1.1 inJun: 0.7 inJul: 2.1 inAug: 2.5 inSep: 1.6 inOct: 1.3 inNov: 0.9 inDec: 1.0 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run May to September, judging by NOAA normals from Lake City.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Lake City station (USC00054734), 8.4 miles away. The town sits about 1,000 feet higher than the station, so expect it to run cooler. About 14.5 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationHinsdale County, Colorado
Coordinates38.00720, -107.46700
Elevation9,710 ft (2,960 m)
Also known asCapitol City, Colorado
SourcesWikidata Q5035855 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Capitol City ghost town?

In Hinsdale County, Colorado, at 38.0072, -107.4670. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Ridgway, CO, about 19 miles northwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Grand Junction, CO, 96 miles away.

Can you visit Capitol City?

Public land, open access. PAD-US places this spot on Gunnison Field Office, land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.

When is the best time to visit Capitol City?

Mild months here run May to September, judging by NOAA normals from Lake City.

Are there other ghost towns near Capitol City?

Yes. Henson (5 mi), Animas Forks (7.6 mi), Eureka (10 mi), Ouray (11 mi).

More ghost towns in Colorado

All 141 ghost towns in Colorado · Ghost towns near Grand Junction