City (pop., 2000: 427,135), capital of Durango state, north-central Mexico. It lies in a fertile valley of the Sierra Madre, about 6,200 ft (1,890 m) above sea level. North of the city is the Cerro del Mercado, a hill of nearly pure iron ore representing one of the world's largest deposits of that mineral. First settled in 1556, Durango was the political and ecclesiastical capital of Nueva Vizcaya, which included Durango and Chihuahua until 1823. The city, long known as a health resort, is an important commercial and mining centre.
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The City of Durango (Kinłání) is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 15,501 in 2005.
In the winter, Durango has easy access to five major ski areas, including Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort, located just 25 minutes north of downtown. Located 35 miles west of Durango is Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its Ancestral Puebloan Cliff Dwellings.
Durango's Primary Attraction is the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, a heritage railway which travels from Durango to the historic mining town of Silverton, Colorado on steam-powered trains with rolling stock dating back to the 1920s and before.
Durango hosted the first-ever Mountain Bike World Championships in 1990.
Also Durango is home to the Snowdown Festival , an event which includes fireworks and a parade. The centerpiece, the parade, usually occurs the last Friday of January or the first Friday of February.
It offers a regional shopping center and La Plata Regional Airport (actually located near Ignacio) is a major regional airport for southwestern Colorado. Durango-La Plata County Airport is serviced by Delta Air Lines, Lynx Aviation (Frontier Airlines), United Express (United Airlines), and US Airways.
There were 5,492 households out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.6% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city, 16.6% of residents are under the age of 18, 26.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 29 years. For every 100 females there are 104.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 103.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $34,892, and the median income for a family is $50,814. Males have a median income of $31,812 versus $25,022 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,352. 17.2% of the population and 7.3% of families live below the poverty line. 11.2% of those younger than 18 and 8.9% of those 65 and older live below the poverty line.