Villa Grove, Colorado

Established in 1870, Villa Grove is a tiny village located on Highway 285 in the northern tip of the San Luis Valley. It’s an unincorporated community situated at 7,986 feet, about 30 minutes south of Salida via Poncha Pass.

Situated in Saguache County, Villa Grove has a post office with a zip code of 81155. There are very few businesses in town. It’s located close to Joyful Journey and Valley View hot springs.

History

Villa Grove Colorado Shed Sangre De Cristo Mountains — isolated shed by Villa Grove and the Sange de Cristo Mountains. Photo: Grant Matthews

The original name of the town was Garibaldi, founded in 1870 by the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. It was the southern terminus for the narrow-gauge line over Poncha Pass between 1870 and 1890. It had been named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, an Italian revolutionary.

In 1872 it was changed to Villa Grove to be less controversial. In 1894 it was combined to Villagrove, and then back to Villa Grove in 1950.