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is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous town of San Miguel County in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Colorado. The town is a former silver mining camp on the San Miguel River in the western San Juan Mountains. A Telluride Historic District which includes some or all of Telluride is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and further is one of Colorado's 20 National Historic Landmarks. The town population was 2,221 at U.S. Census 2000.
Telluride sits in a box canyon. Steep forested mountains and cliffs surround it. Bridal Veil Falls is at the head of the canyon. Numerous weathered ruins of old mining operations dot the hillsides. A free gondola connects the town with its companion town Mountain Village, Colorado at the base of the ski area.
Telluride and the surrounding area have featured prominently in pop culture. The town of Telluride has served as the backdrop for several television commercials, is home to an international film festival, and has been the subject of songs such as "Smugglers Blues" by Glenn Frey, an essay by Edward Abbey, and eponymous songs by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Kate Wolf, and Tim McGraw, and later recorded by Josh Gracin. Telluride is also known for its ski resort and slopes during the winter as well as an extensive festival schedule during the summer.
Only one road reaches Telluride year round, but there are also two off-road routes. Telluride sits in an isolated spot in the Four Corners region of Colorado where the New Mexico, Utah and Arizona borders come together. From the west, Colorado Route 145 is the most common way into Telluride, however there are two alternate passes to enter the town as well. Imogene Pass is the more forgiving of the two passes, though it still requires 4x4 experience and should not be taken lightly. Black Bear Pass is noted to be Colorado’s most dangerous pass. It is only passable in one direction because of a treacherous stair step section. Telluride is situated at an elevation of 8,750 feet.
On the eastern side of town, or the falls side, Bridal Veil Falls and the Generator House which sits at the top of the falls overlook the Victorian town of Telluride. The power plant house is owned by Eric Jacobson, who restored the house and the generator inside, which now provides about 25 percent of Telluride with its electricity. The house was originally used to power the Smuggler-Union Mine and requires an aerial tramway for Jacobson and his family to get home. It is the second-oldest operating AC generator in the United States, the first being the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant near Ophir, Colorado.
The town is served by air transportation via Telluride Regional Airport, the highest commercial airport in the United States. The airport is considered challenging by pilots because of frequent adverse weather conditions, high altitude, and the extremely rugged mountain terrain which surrounds the airport on nearly all sides.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²). A small creek flows through the town.