Southern Ute, CO

Southern Ute is a tiny community of 67 people in southwestern Colorado, about 15 miles southwest of Durango via US Highway 160. The town sits on high desert terrain near 6,000 feet elevation, where winters are snowy and summers are warm and dry. Long-distance travelers use US 160 as a major east-west route across southern Colorado, while locals drive to Durango for services and the regional airport. The modest post office doubles as an informal community center for residents spread across the surrounding ranch lands.