Ouray Ghost Town

Ouray County, Colorado38.0233, -107.6720

Can you visit?

Private land, lived-in town

Private or unlisted land · Streets public, lots private

Nearest town
9.8 miTelluride, CO
Mild months
May–Oct6 of 12
Elevation
7,790 ft2,375 m
Ouray, Colorado
Photo: Bede735, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ouray sits in Ouray County, Colorado. People call it a ghost town, though 898 residents were counted in 2020. It lies at about 7,790 feet above sea level. The largest census count on record is 1,000 people in 2010.

On the map

20 mi40 miMontroseTellurideRidgwayMountain VillageOuray
  • BLM
  • National Forest
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Ouray. 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 Telluride, CO, about 9.8 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Grand Junction, CO, 88 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Sneffels5.4 mi southwest
  2. Ironton6.3 mi south
  3. Guston7.5 mi south
  4. Tomboy7.5 mi southwest
  5. Red Mountain Town8.4 mi south
  6. Animas Forks8.6 mi southeast
  7. Pandora8.8 mi southwest
  8. Capitol City11 mi east

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

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The town center is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. People still live here, so streets are open while buildings and lots belong to their owners. Ask before you step onto a property. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Uncompahgre National Forest. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

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°3415Jan3618Feb4425Mar5231Apr6339May7446Jun7953Jul7551Aug6945Sep5734Oct4424Nov3516DecJan: 1.9 inFeb: 1.7 inMar: 2.4 inApr: 2.1 inMay: 1.8 inJun: 0.9 inJul: 2.4 inAug: 2.4 inSep: 2.4 inOct: 2.1 inNov: 1.9 inDec: 1.6 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 October, judging by NOAA normals from Ouray. Snow is normal from October to May.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Ouray station (USC00056203), 0.3 miles away. About 23.6 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationOuray County, Colorado
Coordinates38.02330, -107.67200
Elevation7,790 ft (2,375 m)
Census counts2010: 1,000 · 2020: 898
Also known asOuray, Colorado, Ouray, CO
SourcesWikidata Q1759444 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Ouray ghost town?

In Ouray County, Colorado, at 38.0233, -107.6720. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Telluride, CO, about 9.8 miles southwest in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Grand Junction, CO, 88 miles away.

Can you visit Ouray?

Private land, lived-in town. The town center is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. People still live here, so streets are open while buildings and lots belong to their owners. Ask before you step onto a property. Another parcel starts within a quarter mile: Uncompahgre National Forest. Ruins often spread across more than one owner.

When is the best time to visit Ouray?

Mild months here run May to October, judging by NOAA normals from Ouray. Snow is normal from October to May.

Are there other ghost towns near Ouray?

Yes. Sneffels (5.4 mi), Ironton (6.3 mi), Guston (7.5 mi), Tomboy (7.5 mi).

More ghost towns in Colorado

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