Marvel, Colorado Post Office, 2019
Marvel’s story
73 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2019 and 2 maps from 1913 on.
- 1953Marvel is settled
MarvelCO
The town, settled in 1953, counts 100 residents.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Population
100
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$310K
Census ACS
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
64.4
years
Land area
0 sq mi
Settled
1953
73 years ago
Is Marvel a good place to live?
8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Marvel, below both the Colorado town median (44%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Of the 160 Colorado towns we compare, none has a higher midpoint age than Marvel. Marvel has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
100 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Marvel.
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Marvel’s year
57″snow a winter
In July, afternoons reach 87°; in January, nights fall to 15°, and about 57 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–42°
Spring33–62°
Summer52–85°
Fall35–64°
Sep 24
typical first frost
Jun 4
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Marvel is
Among adults in Marvel, 22% have been diagnosed with depression. This Colorado town beats the Colorado average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 2. In Marvel, 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours, and 73% had a checkup this year.
| Marvel | Typical Colorado town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 26% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 71% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 25% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
1 better23 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Marvel | CO |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 68.6% | 62.4% |
| More adults with diabetes | 10.7% | 8.6% |
Animas Surgical Hospital
17 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Marvel, mostly inland flooding
47risk score of 100
32% of Marvel’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by avalanches at 31%. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 53% of U.S. communities.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingAvalanchesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Marvel
15pages on Marvel
The big questions
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All 17 attractions →Mesa Verde National Park and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Marvel. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi National ParkMesa Verde National Park463K visitors a year
20 mi Ancient siteCliff Palace
17 mi Scenic railwayDurango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
20 mi National MonumentAztec Ruins National Monument39K visitors a year
39 mi National MonumentHovenweep National Monument27K visitors a year39 mi Ski areaPurgatory Resort92 runs · 1,963 ft verticalSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mesa Verde National Park: Elaine from Sheffield, England, CC BY 2.0 · Cliff Palace: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: pixelFire, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Aztec Ruins National Monument: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hovenweep National Monument: teofilo, CC BY 2.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Marvel: who provides what
Marvel is unincorporated, so La Plata County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerLa Plata Electric Assn18.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEasy Water LLCNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLa Plata CountyLa Plata County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn 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).vote.govWho runs elections hereLa Plata County Clerk and RecorderLa Plata County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8132681326 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Marvel; the nearest are
Fort Lewis CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Durango18.2 mi$9,958 in-state tuitionSan Juan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Farmington, NM23.7 mi$1,928 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Marvel residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
About Marvel
Census-designated place in La Plata County, CO, USA
Marvel is a census-designated place (CDP) and post office on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in southwestern La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The population was 68 at the 2020 census. The CDP is a part of the Durango, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. The Marvel post office has the ZIP Code 81329 (post office boxes).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 6,726 ft
- ZIP code
- 81329
Questions about Marvel
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Marvel, CO a good place to live?
Marvel has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Marvel is in here
Say something about Marvel.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.