Visitor Information
Durango Information and Directions
The Four Corners region is steeped in an ancient past. Two thousand years ago, the region was home to ancient Pueblo Indians known as the Ancestrial Puebloens (Anasazi).
Mesa Verde National Park located 37 miles west of Durango, is known for its outstanding examples of Anasazi cliff dwellings and artifacts. An important part of the area's history, it was named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations World Heritage 
Committee.
The Ute Indians were the next inhabitants of what would later be La Plata County. Territorial and fierce, the Utes had claimed Western Colorado as their home by the 16th Century, when they were discovered by Spanish explorers traveling from the south. Today, the Southern Ute Tribe continues its traditions in Ignacio, Colorado.
Durango, the cultural center of the Four Corners, was established in 1881 when the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad decided to build a track to Silverton and established Durango as the hub of its rail system to transport ore from the mountains to smelters in Durango.
Many of the original buildings constructed by Durango's pioneers are still in use today. They can be seen in the historic districts of Third Avenue and Main Avenue. Rio Grande Land, located at the far southern end of Main, contains the restored depot built in 1881. The Strater Hotel, built in 1887, and a reflection of the town's prosperity, remains a central attraction in downtown Durango. Durango has many affordable places to stay and dine. For more information, visit the Durango Tourism site.
WholeExpo is held at the Main Exhibit Hall at the La Plata County Fairgrounds in Durango, just a couple of miles from historic, downtown. To get driving directions to Durango and the Fairgrounds, visit Google Map to the Fairgrounds.