Debs School · National Register of Historic Places
Piedra’s story
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The archive holds 3 maps from 1924 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
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PiedraCO
In Colorado, this town has 57 residents.
Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Is Piedra a good place to live?
Piedra’s median age is 68.8 years, above both the Colorado town median (38.3 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Among 160 Colorado towns, just one has a higher home-ownership rate than Piedra. 65% of the land in Piedra is conserved, against 6.9% in Colorado’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Debs School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Piedra has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
57 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Piedra: who provides what
Piedra is unincorporated, so Hinsdale County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerLa Plata Electric Assn18.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesHinsdale CountyHinsdale 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 hereHinsdale County Clerk and RecorderHinsdale County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code8114781147 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Piedra.
Outdoors
In Piedra, nearly a third of the land is conserved
3.4 miles of trail. In Piedra, the trail network density is 0.3 miles per square mile.
65.2%conserved
65.2%
conserved · 4,834 of 7,410 acres
3.4 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Piedra is inland flooding, at a very high overall level
Of the losses FEMA expects in Piedra, 76% come from inland flooding and 13% from avalanches. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage here than in 87% of U.S. communities.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingAvalanches
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Piedra’s year
Expect July afternoons of 82° and January nights of 5°, with about 85 inches of snow a winter.
85″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter7–39°
Spring25–58°
Summer43–80°
Fall27–62°
Sep 26
typical first frost
May 31
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Piedra is
The share of adults in Piedra who have obesity: 28%. The town does better than the Colorado average on 4 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 9. Also worth knowing: only 5 of the 160 Colorado towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Piedra. 15% of adults in Piedra binge drink; 14% report frequent mental distress.
| Piedra | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 71% | 79% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
4 better13 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Piedra | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 15.1% | 19% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 9.3% | 11.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.8% | 5.1% |
Pagosa Springs Medical Center
13.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Piedra
14pages on Piedra
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Piedra; the nearest are
Fort Lewis CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Durango40.1 mi$9,958 in-state tuitionSan Juan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Farmington, NM72.1 mi$1,928 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Piedra residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
About Piedra
Census-designated place in Hinsdale County, CO, USA
Piedra is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States. The population of the Piedra CDP was 31 at the United States Census 2020. The Pagosa Springs post office (Zip Code 81147) serves the area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 12 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7,780 ft
Questions about Piedra
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Piedra, CO a good place to live?
Piedra has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.