Hotchkiss, Colorado
A post office called Hotchkiss has been in operation since 1882. The town is named after Enos T. Hotchkiss, a local pioneer.
Geography
Hotchkiss is located in eastern Delta County on the north side of the North Fork Gunnison River.
Colorado State Highway 92 passes through the center of town as Bridge Street, leading west 20 miles (32 km) to Delta, the county seat, and southeast 52 miles (84 km) to U.S. Route 50 at Blue Mesa Reservoir. Colorado State Highway 133 starts at the east end of town and leads northeast 66 miles (106 km) over McClure Pass to Carbondale.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Hotchkiss has a total area of 0.93 square miles (2.4 km), all of it land.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 261 | — | |
| 1910 | 600 | 129.9% | |
| 1920 | 572 | −4.7% | |
| 1930 | 541 | −5.4% | |
| 1940 | 653 | 20.7% | |
| 1950 | 715 | 9.5% | |
| 1960 | 626 | −12.4% | |
| 1970 | 507 | −19.0% | |
| 1980 | 849 | 67.5% | |
| 1990 | 744 | −12.4% | |
| 2000 | 968 | 30.1% | |
| 2010 | 944 | −2.5% | |
| 2020 | 875 | −7.3% |
Schools
The Delta County School District Board of Education decided in February 2021 to close separate high schools in Hotchkiss and Paonia, Colorado and build a joint high school, North Fork High School, located in Hotchkiss. Both schools have been losing students as coal mines in the area have closed. Kindergarten to 8th grade education will continue in both communities.
