Florence, Colorado

Florence is a statutory city located in Fremont County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 3,822 at the 2020 United States census. Florence is a part of the Cañon City, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.

The city lies along the Arkansas River in eastern Fremont County. It is near Federal Correctional Complex, Florence, a major U.S. federal prison complex that includes a supermax prison, ADX Florence.

Florence was built as a transportation center, with three railroads including a small railroad depot for the trains that hauled coal from the neighboring towns of Rockvale and Coal Creek. After a small oil discovery north of Canon City at Oil Spring, commercial quantity oil was discovered near Florence in 1862, Florence became the first significant oil center west of the Mississippi.

The Florence, Colorado Territory, post office opened on May 8, 1873, and the Town of Florence was incorporated on September 13, 1887. The city was named after Florence, the daughter of local settler James McCandless. After incorporation, the town grew rapidly.

The Downtown Florence Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

Florence is located in eastern Fremont County, on the south side of the Arkansas River. It is bordered to the west by the town of Williamsburg, and the town of Coal Creek is 3 miles (5 km) to the southwest. Colorado State Highway 115 runs northwest 9 miles (14 km) to Cañon City and northeast 6 miles (10 km) to Penrose, intersecting U.S. Route 50 in each direction. Colorado State Highway 67 leads north 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to US 50 and south 11 miles (18 km) to Wetmore. Pueblo is 33 miles (53 km) to the east via CO 115 and US 50.

At the 2020 United States census, the town had a total area of 2,741 acres (11.091 km²) including 3.7 acres (0.015 km²) of water.

Florence sits in the semi-arid high desert lands of southern Colorado.