DURANGO, a city of south-western Colorado, U.S.A., 6,525ft. above sea-level; the county seat of La Plata county. It is on Federal highways 450 and 55o, and is served by the Den ver and Rio Grande Western and the Rio Grande Southern rail ways. The population was 4,116 in 1920, and was 5,400 in 1930 by the Federal census. Durango is the trading centre of a wide area, rich in coal, oils, metals and timber. Its manufacturing industries include a smelter and iron works. The Durango nation al forest (3,00o,000ac.) is um. m. N. ; and 6om. W. is the Mesa Verde national park, containing the most notable prehistoric cliff dwellings in the United States. At Hesperus (8m. W.) is the Fort Lewis School of Agriculture, a branch of the State agricul tural college. The city was settled about 1880, and was incorpo rated in 1882.