Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Fort Garland, CO: what to set up and who to call
Fort Garland has no town government of its own, so Costilla County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Sierra Grande School District R-30. Tap water in Fort Garland comes from Ft Garland WSD, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 23% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Fort Garland, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Fort Garland.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Public Service Co. of Colorado), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Fort Garland. Its homes paid an average of 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $93 a month (its average across Colorado).
Start or move service: xcelenergy.com · (800) 895-4999
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Ft Garland WSD
Ft Garland WSD supplies almost all of Fort Garland. It draws ground water and serves 477 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2021, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. CO0112500.
4 home internet providers serve Fort Garland
100% of 213 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blanca Telephone Company | Fiber | 100% | 2,500/2,500 |
| Viaero Wireless | Fixed wireless | 100% | 100/5 |
| Ethos Broadband | Fixed wireless | 76% | 400/80 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 63% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Fort Garland’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Fort Garland.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Fort Garland is in Sierra Grande School District R-30.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Fort Garland is unincorporated, so Costilla County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Fort Garland is in ZIP code 81133
ZIP codes where Fort Garland residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Fort Garland | ZIP’s residents in Fort Garland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81133 | Fort Garland, CO | 100% | 46% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Fort Garland
Who supplies Fort Garland’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Ft Garland WSD (EPA ID CO0112500). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan–Dec 2021), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Fort Garland?
Xcel Energy (Public Service Co. of Colorado), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Fort Garland?
Blanca Telephone Company, Viaero Wireless, Ethos Broadband, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Fort Garland?
81133. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Fort Garland in?
Sierra Grande School District R-30.
How do I register to vote in Fort Garland?
In Colorado you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 8 days before). Elections here are run by the Costilla County Clerk and Recorder. Check your registration at sos.state.co.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.