At an elevation of approximately 10,522 feet (3,207 m), Alma is the highest incorporated municipality in the United States when considering only areas with permanent residents.[citation needed] Its post office is located at the highest elevation of any in the country.[9] Alma, which is considered a town and not a city, does not take the title of "highest incorporated city" from Leadville, Colorado. Using administrative boundaries as a measure, not settled areas, in 2006 Winter Park, Colorado became the highest incorporated town due to its annexation of a ski area.[10] Beyond the official limits of Alma is a residential area which extends to 11,680 feet (3,560 m) above sea level on Mountain View Drive; this area uses Fairplay, Colorado addresses, despite being slightly closer to Alma.
History
Alma in the 1870s
The town was named by a merchant named Mr. James, after his wife.[4] Another tradition states the town was named for the daughter of a resident.[11]
Mines
Alma grew as a town around the Buckskin Gulch, where gold was first discovered in the area. As hard rock mines opened on Mount Bross, Mount Lincoln, and Mount Democrat, the population of the area continued to grow. In the 1870s, Alma's population peaked at around 10,000 people.[12] The area around Alma contains 17,452 mining sites, mostly placer mines.[13]
Approximately two miles from Alma are the remains of the defunct Orphan Boy mine (founded 1861), which produced gold, silver, lead, and zinc over a number of decades.[14]
At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 279 acres (1.129 km2) including 1.5 acres (0.006 km2) of water.[8]
Climate
Alma has what could be called a subalpine climate due to its elevation. Summers are pleasant, with mild days and chilly nights. The wettest months are July and August due to thunderstorm activity. Spring and Autumn are both short, but pleasant overall with cool days and cold nights occasionally reaching below freezing. Winters are cold and snowy, lasting from the end of October to well into April some years. Winter highs are almost always below freezing and lows remaining around zero for 1/3 of the year. Alma's snowpack is usually established during October or November. Alma's high elevation and location helps to limit both extreme minima and maxima. April averages the most snowfall out of any month of the year.[15][16][17]
As of the census[18] of 2000, there were 179 people, 94 households, and 40 families residing in the town. The population density was 523.6 inhabitants per square mile (202.2/km2). There were 147 housing units at an average density of 430.0 per square mile (166.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 92.74% White, 2.23% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 3.35% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 3.35% of the population.
There were 94 households, of which 18.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.2% were married couples living together, 2.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 57.4% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.90 and the average family size was 2.63.
The age distribution was 12.8% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 53.1% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 132.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 140.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,563, and the median income for a family was $59,688. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $26,563 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,165. None of the families and 4.3% of the population were living below the poverty line.
^Laura King Van Dusen, "Early Days at the Orphan Boy: Fire in December 2011 Not Only Fire at Mine; Gold Production Worth $486 Million in 2013 Dollars", Historic Tales from Park County: Parked in the Past (Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press, 2013), ISBN978-1-62619-161-7, pp. 37-43.
United States
Colorado
SH 9
