Granite, Colorado
| Granite, Colorado | |
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| Unincorporated community | |
Granite as viewed from U.S. Route 24, across the Arkansas River.
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 Granite, Colorado
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| Coordinates: 39°02′38″N 106°15′44″W / 39.04389°N 106.26222°WCoordinates: 39°02′38″N 106°15′44″W / 39.04389°N 106.26222°W | |
| Country |
 United States
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| State |
 Colorado
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| Counties | Chaffee |
| Elevation | 9,012 ft (2,747 m) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 81228 |
Granite is an unincorporated community with a U.S. Post Office in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The zip code of Granite is 81228. According to the 2010 census, the population is 116.
Situated between the Mosquito and the Sawatch mountain ranges, Granite is a high mountain town located on the Arkansas River midway between Leadville to the north, and Buena Vista to the south. It is in close proximity to the second and third highest peaks in the contiguous United States, Mount Elbert and Mount Massive.
The town has a rich history from its days during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush, when it began as a mining camp and quickly boomed into a city of 3,000, holding the county seat. Early prospectors, such as Horace Tabor, were attracted to the area.
Granite is located midway between Leadville to the north, and Buena Vista to the south. The Arkansas River, which once saw extensive placer mining during the Colorado Gold Rush, runs through Granite. It is the sixth longest river in the US; the headwater is 17 miles north in the Leadville area. Granite is located between two mountain ranges: Mosquito Range to the east and the Sawatch Range to the west, and it is within approximately 10 miles of two of the highest peaks in the contiguous United States. To the northwest lies Mount Elbert, the highest of the fourteeners in the Sawatch Range and second highest peak in the contiguous United States. Neighboring Mount Massive is the third highest peak. Nearby Independence Pass, at 12,100 feet (3,687 m), is the highest paved crossing of the Continental Divide in the United States. The elevation, 9,012 ft (2,747 m), brings cool summers and cold winters to the area. Winter temperatures frequently drop to -25 and -30 (USDA zone 4). Surrounded by moisture-robbing mountains, the climate is semiarid, though deep winter snows are common.
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