Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Where is Pagosa Springs?

Pagosa Springs sits at 7,079 feet in southwest Colorado at the base of the Continental Divide. Featuring rushing rivers and streams, lakes galore, hiking and biking trails, spectacular fall colors, ancient ruins, deep powder in the winter at nearby Wolf Creek Ski Area, incredible hunting, amazing wildlife, clean air and 3 million acres of National Forest surrounding the area, Pagosa Springs offers plenty of opportunities for our valued visitors, any time of year.

Who can I contact for info?

The Pagosa Springs Area Tourism website at www.visitpagosasprings.com will link you to the Visitor Center, or call their vacation line at (866) 438-4917. Visitor information can also be found at www.ExplorePagosa.com and www.PagosaSUN.com.

Keep up on the news and events with The Pagosa Springs SUN, the community’s weekly newspaper, with daily updates online at www.PagosaSUN.com.

What is it like at that altitude?

Regardless of physical fitness, acute mountain sickness can strike anyone not acclimated to Pagosa’s 7,000-foot elevation. To guard against altitude sickness:

• Drink three to four quarts of water per day.

• Avoid overexertion, while keeping caffeine and alcohol intake moderate for the first few days.

• Seek medical attention if persistent headache, fatigue, poor coordination or shortness of breath occur. 

What is the weather like?

Archuleta County is located in the “Colorado Sunbelt,” just north of the New Mexico border and along the Western slope of the Continental Divide. This combination of high desert plateau and dramatic Rocky Mountains to the north and east creates an unusually mild climate compared with much of the surrounding Southwest. We are favored with some 300 days of sun each year, as well as four distinct seasons. With low wind and warm sunshine, residents can enjoy a variety of year-round recreational activities.

Average Temperatures and Precipitation:

Average Days of Sunshine: 300 per year

Annual Precipitation: 20.21 inches/year

Annual Snowfall: 101.4 inches/year

Month High Low Precipitation

Jan. 37.9°F 1.4°F 1.97”

Feb. 42.6°F 7.0°F 1.42”

Mar. 49.2°F 15.9°F 1.60”

Apr. 59.2°F 23.9°F 1.36”

May 68.3°F 30.2°F 1.20”

Jun. 78.3°F 36.3°F .95”

Jul. 83.1°F 45.2°F 1.88”

Aug. 80.7°F 4.6°F 2.52”

Sep. 74.3°F 36.6°F 1.85”

Oct. 63.7°F 26.3°F 2.29”

Nov. 49.7°F 15.4°F 1.39”

Dec. 39.6°F 5.0°F 1.78”

Is there a medical facility? 

Pagosa Springs Medical Center includes a critical access hospital located at 95 S. Pagosa Blvd. The emergency room is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Phone (970) 731-3700. Dial 911 for emergency services.

There are multiple primary care clinics in the community offering a variety of services.

Important phone numbers:

EMERGENCIES DIAL “911” (Ambulance, EMT, Fire, Police)

Nonemergency ambulance, fire, EMT or Law Enforcement, dial (970) 731-2160

Emergency Medical Services (970) 731-5811

Pagosa Springs Medical Center (970) 731-3700

Pagosa Urgent Care (970) 372-0456

Axis Integrated Healthcare (970) 264-2104

Pagosa Springs Police Department (970) 264-4151, Ext. 228

Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office (970) 264-8430

Pagosa Fire Protection District (970) 731-4191

USFS Pagosa District Ranger (970) 264-2268

Pagosa Springs Town Hall (970) 264-4151

Archuleta County Commissioners (970) 264-8300

The Pagosa Springs SUN (970) 264-2100

Pagosa Springs Post Office (970) 264-5440

Senior Citizens Center (970) 264-2167

Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library (970) 264-2209

Archuleta School District 50 Joint (970) 264-2228

Navajo Lake State Park (970) 883-2208

Airport Flight Base Operations (970) 731-2127

Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation (970) 731-2691

Black Hills Energy (888) 890-5554

La Plata Electric Association (970) 247-5786

The basics Read More »

Thank you for your interest in joining our community. Whatever has attracted you to this area — the scenery, the climate, the recreational activities or a specific job, we know you will find Pagosa Country to be a friendly, pleasant place to live, work and play. 

The Pagosa Springs Real Estate and Relocation Guide has been developed to provide an abundance of pertinent information about the area. 

Our community is surrounded by over 3 million acres of National Forest and wilderness areas. That means you will find a variety of outdoor activities here — hiking, biking, rafting, backcountry exploration, skiing, sledding, cross-country skiing, fishing, hunting and many others. You will also find other activities to keep you busy such as our charming shops, historic sites, museums, Chimney Rock National Monument and a variety of artisans. 

Please indulge in the pleasure of soaking in our geothermally heated waters. The giant spring in town issues forth from a mighty aquifer, providing Pagosa Country with some of the most relaxing and restorative waters anywhere in the world.

There is also an abundance of networking opportunities and special events to enhance the work and living environment for residents and business owners.

Members of our community are actively involved in many volunteer, leadership and business ventures. 

Whether a home-based business or a growth company, Pagosa Springs has the resources available to help you succeed. 

Archuleta School District, along with alternative educational options, offers many diverse programs to all students, including distance-learning opportunities. 

The area’s hospital, Pagosa Springs Medical Center, operates a 24/7 emergency room, lab and diagnostic services, diagnostic imaging and mammography exams, cancer care, a surgical staff, orthopedic surgery, primary care physicians and more. 

Look through these pages and learn for yourself — Pagosa Springs is a great place to live, work, create, move or expand your business, raise a family or retire. 

Welcome to Pagosa Country.

Welcome Read More »

Getting Here From There

Photo: Randi Pierce

Stevens Field Airport

Archuleta County’s Stevens Field, located just 3 miles west of downtown Pagosa Springs, is one of the most scenic airports around.

In addition to beauty, the airport boasts a fully lit asphalt runway that is 100 feet wide and 8,100 feet long. That runway has aircraft weight capacities of 70,000 pounds for dual-wheel gear and 59,000 pounds for single-wheel gear. Flight safety at the high-altitude, general aviation airport is reinforced with a Precision Approach Path Indicator system.

The airport has seen a great deal of improvement over the years. In 2006, workers widened and resurfaced Runway 10/19 and built a new fixed-base operations building at midfield to provide fuel and services to local and visiting aircraft. In 2008, a new 3,000-foot parallel taxiway was constructed. In 2013, Archuleta County acquired additional snow removal equipment solely to be used at the airport. Alongside the other improvements, new hangars have appeared, an Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) has been installed, and the airport identifier became KPSO.

In keeping with its commitment to Archuleta County and Stevens Field, the Federal Aviation Administration also completed and published a GPS instrument approach for pilot use during nighttime and low-visibility landings.

In 2015, nearly $6 million was spent to extend the parallel taxiway and complete other associated projects, further increasing the efficiency of aircraft movement and safety.

Those improvements have not only increased safety, but have also helped solidify the airport’s status as an economic driver for the community. According to an Economic Impact Study completed by the airport’s advisory committee, for every dollar Archuleta County invests in the airport, the county receives a return of $10.86.

The airport property also boasts a private, on-site maintenance shop in one of the hangars.

For more information on the airport, visit www.archuletacounty.org. For specific airport management questions or concerns, call the airport manager at (970) 731-3060.

The AWOS system is available on frequency 127.175, or by phone at (970) 731-0365.

Fixed-Base Operator

For aviation services or to visit Avjet Corporation, the fixed-base operator, travel 3 miles west of town, then approximately 1 mile northwest on Piedra Road (CR 600). Turn right (northeast) on Cloman Boulevard and proceed to 61 Aviation Court. 

The FBO offers a number of amenities, including restrooms, telephone, shower facilities, a flight planning room, pilot snooze room, Internet, vending machines, concierge and catering services, coffee, a lounge area, heated hangar and more. Avjet also provides fuel, Avgas and Jet-A rated fuel.

For more information about these and other airport services, call Avjet at (970) 731-2127.

La Plata County Airport

The Durango-La Plata County Airport offers daily service with multiple airlines. The airport offers a full range of services within the terminal to make your visit comfortable. The airport has short- and long-term parking, full rental car services and shuttle/taxis.

The airport is located 60 miles from Pagosa Springs at the intersection of Airport Road and County Road 309A, approximately 1 mile from County Road 309. 

For more information about flights and ancillary services, visit www.flydurango.com. 

Mileage from Pagosa

Durango, Colo. 61 miles

Cortez, Colo. 104 miles

Denver, Colo. 277 miles

Colorado Springs, Colo. 242 miles

Farmington, N.M. 101 miles

Santa Fe, N.M. 160 miles

Albuquerque, N.M. 212 miles

Phoenix, Ariz. 514 miles

Oklahoma City, Okla. 699 miles

Dallas, Texas 813 miles

Getting Here From There Read More »

Real Estate & Home Guide

Photo: REYNOLDS ASH + ASSOCIATES

Owning property in Pagosa Springs may inspire you to think outside the box 

Strong real estate sales across Pagosa Country have recently led to some unique and creative development projects proposed by property owners.

Those projects range from creating new business in the community to others helping to add to the inventory of much-needed workforce housing.

The Pagosa River Domes project includes 14 individual geodesic lodging domes to be constructed overlooking the San Juan River just east of town along U.S. 160.

The project was approved by the Pagosa Springs Town Council in July. One of the domes will be ADA accessible.

The project will also include a 1,500 square foot hospitality building equipped with a diner and also a railroad car for dining. Each dome will be approximately 426 square feet, built on wooden decks. Domes will have access to the Riverwalk trail when a trail extension is completed.

Exterior lighting for local projects is required to be night-sky compliant allowing for neighbors to be able to gaze at the stars free from light pollution. City dwellers are in awe of the breathtaking night sky views in Pagosa Country.

A first-of-its-kind project for Pagosa Country consisting of six duplexes or 12 container homes has been proposed for Majestic Drive. Across the United States, container housing is gaining in popularity. There is even a series on HGTV featuring unique modern homes built from shipping containers. 

Another popular HGTV show features tiny homes. This year, the Pagosa Springs Town Council approved plans for Legacy Village, a tiny home village off of Alpha Drive near Walmart. The proposed village includes 50 or less tiny home lots, community gardens, fire pits with seating, grill and seating areas, a hammock area, hiking trail, storage and laundry areas and a must-have for most locals will be a dog park. 

New rental cabins have also received approval for 151 South 5th St. in downtown Pagosa Springs. A unique feature of this property will be geothermal-heated parking and sidewalks, which means no shoveling snow. This property will also connect to the existing downtown Riverwalk trail. 

The Pagosa Springs Planning Commission gave the green light to a density bonus request for the Pagosa Inn and Suites Residential Apartment Conversion, which would allow for converting a lodging facility into 98 rental apartments if approved by town council.

Some people have purchased unique Pagosa Country properties and added their own personal touches. One of the more popular homes listed on Airbnb is the Wonder Haus, which is a “passive solar home” with a star-gazing observation tower. 

The Wonder Haus has been featured on the Netflix series “World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals” and prides itself on being “intentionally unconventional.”

The Gazette in Colorado Springs featured the vacation property and noted that “Conde Nast named it one of the best Airbnb stays in Colorado. The clothing retailer Anthropologie called about getting photos there for its fall catalog.”

The home’s designer and builder, Jim Milstein, informed The Pagosa Springs SUN, after the Gazette’s article was reprinted locally, that “Asterisk is the house’s true name. It is so called because its floor plan of six barrel vaults radiating from a common center resembles an asterisk.”

He also pointed The SUN to an NPR feature, which reads, “Listener Jim Milstein of Pagosa Springs, Colo., built a stone tower. When he strums the steel guard rails inside, the parts of the cylindrical structure vibrate, making the whole thing a musical instrument.”

Living in Pagosa Country’s picturesque mountain setting inspires many to think outside of the box and create new beginnings. Moving to the region might just inspire you to do the same.

Retail Therapy

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