The Town of Silverthorne is a home rule municipality in Summit County, Colorado. According to the 2020 Census, the population of the city is 4,402.
History
The town was named for Judge Marshall Silverthorn who served as the judge of the miners' court in Breckenridge. The judge first came to town as a prospector and claimed a section of the Blue River in 1881. After patenting his claim in April 1882, he was disappointed to find the gold to be sparse and the claim a poor bet. The land passed to his daughters on his death in 1887 and was then sold several times to various mining companies. In 1953 Clayton Hill bought the property and subdivided it for homes and stores.
Silverthorne served as a makeshift camp for workers during the construction of the Dillon Reservoir from 1961–1963, and later as a stop along Interstate 70. It was eventually incorporated on April 5, 1967.
The city has expanded several times since incorporation by annexation.
Since 2016, the town of Silverthorne has hosted the Silverthon Games, an annual competition featuring a seasonally-based slate of individual and team events, culminating with the heavily-spectated Hummingbird Circle race.
Geography
Silverthorne is located at , at 8,730 feet above sea level (2661 meters). The town is situated between the Gore Range to the west and the Continental Divide to the east. The two most visible mountains are Buffalo and Red Mountains. Also surrounding the valley are Ptarmigan, Tenderfoot, and Ten Mile Peaks.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (0.94%) is water.
Climate
Silverthorne has a highland-influenced subpolar climate (Köppen (Dfc) with warm summer days, cold nights year round, as well as cold and snowy winter days.
Demographics
Notable people
Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Silverthorne include: Dan Gibbs (1976- ), Colorado state legislator Mike Potekhen (1979- ), race car driver Red Gerard (2000- ), Olympic gold medalist snowboarder.