Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0Living in Nucla, CO: what to set up and who to call
Power in Nucla comes from San Miguel Power Assn, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. The ER is a drive from Nucla: the closest is Montrose Regional Health, 39.6 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Nucla, 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 Nucla.
Power comes from San Miguel Power Assn
San Miguel Power Assn (San Miguel Power Assn, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Nucla. Its homes paid an average of 16.8¢ per kWh in 2025, about $135 a month (its average across Colorado).
Start or move service: smpa.com · (877) 864-7311
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Town of Nucla water system
The Town of Nucla water system supplies almost all of Nucla. It buys treated surface water (EPA lists Mustang Water Authority as seller) and serves 875 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 5,327 systems serving 501–1,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan–Dec 2025, was 1.1 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 1.6 ppb. That’s higher than 55% of similar systems’ latest results.
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. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. CO0143559.
2 home internet providers serve Nucla
100% of 368 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nucla-Naturita Telephone Company | DSL, Fixed wireless, Fiber | 100% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Clearnetworx | Fiber | 99% | 1,000/1,000 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Nucla’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Nucla.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Nucla is in West End School District RE-2.
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.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Nucla is in ZIP code 81424
ZIP codes where Nucla residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Nucla | ZIP’s residents in Nucla |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81424 | Nucla, CO | 100% | 58% |
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 Nucla
Who supplies Nucla’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Town of Nucla water system (EPA ID CO0143559). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.1 ppb (Jan–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Nucla?
San Miguel Power Assn (San Miguel Power Assn, Inc), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 16.8¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Nucla?
Nucla-Naturita Telephone Company, Clearnetworx (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Nucla?
81424. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Nucla in?
West End School District RE-2.
How do I register to vote in Nucla?
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 Montrose 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.