Updated post. Previously published.
I've been blogging on Active Rain since 2006, and it just hit me—I’ve never actually answered one of the most common questions I get:
"How do you pronounce Cañon City?"
Simple—it's pronounced Canyon City.
Cañon City is the seat of Fremont County and the largest city in the area, with a population hovering between 16,000 and 17,000. But here’s where it gets a little interesting—why is it spelled that way? Some say it’s a nod to Spanish influence, while others think it might’ve been a misspelling. Since no one was around filming history back then, we may never know for sure. Ask five people, and you’ll probably get five different answers.
Locals and long-timers usually just call it Cañon and drop the “City” altogether.
Now, let’s talk about the neighbors:
- Florence, CO – About 8 miles from Cañon City, with a population of nearly 4,000. It’s known as the "Antique Capital of Colorado" and sits on the Upper Arkansas River. Fun fact: There are around 34 towns in the U.S. named Florence!
- Penrose, CO – Home to about 3,500 people, located 11 miles east of Cañon City. It was named after Spencer Penrose and is best known for its apples…and a rocket factory. (Yep, you read that right.)
- Rockvale, Williamsburg & Coal Creek – Tiny towns, but part of the fabric of Fremont County.
Since the county is pretty small, when someone says they live in Cañon, they could actually mean Florence, Penrose, or one of these little surrounding towns.
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