Hartsel, Colorado

Hartsel is an unincorporated community in Park County, Colorado, United States. Its Post Office has a ZIP Code of 80449.[2] The ZCTA for 80449 had a population of 677 at the 2000 census.[3]

Hartsel, Colorado
Unincorporated community
U.S. Highway 24 passing through Hartsel
Coordinates: 39°01′40″N 105°47′47″W
Country United States
State Colorado
CountiesPark[1]
Founded1880
Elevation
8,864 ft (2,702 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total909
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code[2]
80449

History
Railroad Depot in Hartsel, 1916

Founded in 1880, Hartsel is close to the geographic center of the state, and is often referred to as "The Heart of Colorado". The namesake of the community is Samuel Hartsel,[4] a local cattle rancher who came to Park County in 1860 and left in 1908. He also raised pigs and sheep and grew oats, wheat, barley, rye, and hay on fifteen thousand acres. He developed the Hartsel hot springs and built a sawmill, blacksmith shop, and a trading post to lay the groundwork for the town.[5]

Geography

Hartsel is located at 39°01′40″N 105°47′47″W (39.021318, -105.795765).

According to the United States Census Bureau the town has a total area of 605.10 square miles (973.60 km2), 601.18 square miles (967.29 km2) is land and 3.92 square miles (6.30 km2) is covered with water. Hartsel's elevation is 2,702 meters (8,864 feet).

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Hartsel has a Cold Semi-arid climate (BSk). According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the Plant Hardiness zone is 3b with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of -30.7 °F (-34.8 °C).[6]

Summers are warm with chilly nights in the 30's and 40's and some thunderstorm activity during the months of July and August. Winters are cold and dry with lows below zero.[7][8]

Climate data for Hartsel, Park County, CO. Elevation 8901 ft.
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 35.1
(1.7)		 37.1
(2.8)		 42.6
(5.9)		 49.9
(9.9)		 60.1
(15.6)		 70.6
(21.4)		 76.3
(24.6)		 73.5
(23.1)		 67.2
(19.6)		 56.0
(13.3)		 43.5
(6.4)		 35.1
(1.7)		 54.0
(12.2)
Average low °F (°C) 2.2
(−16.6)		 4.5
(−15.3)		 13.6
(−10.2)		 20.2
(−6.6)		 28.7
(−1.8)		 35.8
(2.1)		 41.2
(5.1)		 40.3
(4.6)		 32.0
(0.0)		 21.7
(−5.7)		 12.5
(−10.8)		 2.9
(−16.2)		 21.4
(−5.9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.35
(8.9)		 0.25
(6.4)		 0.84
(21)		 0.81
(21)		 1.09
(28)		 1.19
(30)		 2.05
(52)		 2.56
(65)		 1.05
(27)		 0.90
(23)		 0.37
(9.4)		 0.40
(10)		 11.86
(301)
Average relative humidity (%) 56.0 52.2 51.0 46.4 44.3 40.5 45.5 52.5 47.0 44.0 48.4 53.1 48.4
Average dew point °F (°C) 5.5
(−14.7)		 6.0
(−14.4)		 12.2
(−11.0)		 16.5
(−8.6)		 24.0
(−4.4)		 29.8
(−1.2)		 37.8
(3.2)		 39.7
(4.3)		 30.2
(−1.0)		 18.8
(−7.3)		 11.0
(−11.7)		 4.7
(−15.2)		 19.8
(−6.8)
Source: PRISM Climate Group[9]

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. Potential natural vegetation Types, Hartsel would have a Wheatgrass / Needlegrass (66) vegetation type and a North Mixed grass prairie (7) vegetation form.[10]

Demographics
Hartsel

As of the census of 2000,[3] the population of ZIP code 80449 was 677 with 284 households. The population density was 1.13 per square mile (1.81 per km2). The racial makeup of the ZIP code was 94.1% White, 0.9% Native American, 2.7% other races, and 2.4% from two or more races.

Robert Lewis Dear

On November 27, 2015, a shooting spree and five-hour standoff with police occurred in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The accused shooter, identified as Robert Lewis Dear, was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. Based on public records, Dear purchased property in Hartsel during the month of October 2014 for $6000.[11] During an interview with CNN, Dear's neighbor Zigmond Post said one of the few interactions he had was when Dear brought him some anti-Obama pamphlets.[12] Dear was a resident of Hartsel for a "short period", and Hartsel community members have been vocal about his residence in Hartsel, stating "he took full advantage of the anonymity afforded by life on the frontier" and "I don't think it's been positive for us."[13]

References
  1. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. "ZIP Code Lookup". United States Postal Service. December 28, 2006. Archived from the original (JavaScript/HTML) on 2010-11-22. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. Dawson, John Frank. Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin. Denver, CO: The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co. p. 26.
  5. Laura King Van Dusen, "Samuel Hartsel: 1860s Pioneer Rancher, One of Colorado's First Cattlemen. Founded Town of Hartsel", Historic Tales from Park County: Parked in the Past (Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2013), ISBN 978-1-62619-161-7, pp. 21-27.
  6. "USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  7. Team, National Weather Service Corporate Image Web. "National Weather Service Climate". w2.weather.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-29.
  8. "HARTSEL, COLORADO - Climate Summary". wrcc.dri.edu. Retrieved 2020-05-29.
  9. "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". www.prism.oregonstate.edu. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  10. "U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)". Data Basin. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  12. Conlon, Kevin (2015-11-29). "Source: Colorado shooting suspect spoke of 'baby parts'". CNN.com. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
  13. Benzel, Lance. "Suspect in Planned Parenthood shootings lived reclusive life in small community of Hartsel | Colorado Springs Gazette, News". Gazette.com. Retrieved 2016-09-28.
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