Parachute Colorado Map

About Parachute, Colorado

Parachute is a locality in Garfield County, Colorado, United States. It has a population of approximately 1,422. The population density is 255.5 people per km². Parachute is located at 39.4519°N, 108.0529°W. It observes the Mountain Time (America/Denver) timezone. ZIP code: 81635.

Parachute, Colorado, rests in a valley carved by the Colorado River, a ribbon of silver cutting through ochre and sagebrush country. It lies 15.5 miles west-southwest of Rifle, CO (from Rifle, CO: bearing 248°T), and is situated 1.7 miles west-northwest of Battlement Mesa. The land here is a study in stark contrasts: broad, sun-baked plains stretching towards distant, snow-dusted peaks that hold their wintry mantle even into the warm months. The air, thin and dry at this altitude, carries the scent of dust and the faint, sweet perfume of desert blooms in summer, or the crisp bite of frost in autumn. Cottonwood trees, their leaves a vibrant gold in September, line the riverbanks, offering a fleeting, verdant counterpoint to the more austere, enduring character of the surrounding mesas. The physical character of Parachute is one of openness, of a horizon that feels both vast and intimately close, a place where the sky seems to press down with a clear, unwavering light. The history of Parachute is written in the dry earth and the enduring spirit of its people, a legacy shaped by the region's Old West mining bones and its present-day agricultural and energy endeavors. For decades, the Colorado River has been the lifeblood, not only for irrigation that allows for pockets of green in this arid expanse but also for the recreation that draws travelers seeking the clarity of its waters and the promise of trout. The economy, once more heavily reliant on the boom-and-bust cycles of mining and more recently on the oil and gas industry, now seeks a more balanced footing, with agriculture, particularly the cultivation of certain crops suited to the high desert climate, playing a significant role. There's a quiet resilience to Parachute, a sense that the land dictates the pace, and the community has learned to move with its subtle, powerful rhythms, a place where the past is never entirely out of sight.

About This Parachute Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Parachute, Colorado — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 39.451922, -108.052853. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Parachute and Garfield County.

Detailed location data for Parachute includes the ZIP code (81635), telephone area code (719), county seat of Garfield County (Glenwood Springs), and school district assignment (Garfield County School District 16). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Parachute is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.