Florence has scenic natural surroundings and a historic downtown
Florence is a quaint community of about 6,000 nestled at the bank of the Arkansas River in the Rocky Mountains. Once a booming oil and railroad town, Florence is now home to an old-fashioned downtown that provides glimpses of its heyday. “We’re basically surrounded by mountains. It’s a pretty little town to come to,” says Brian Wilbar, who grew up in Florence and now serves on the board of directors for the Florence Pioneer Museum and Research Center. “The weather is about the best in the country. A lot of people move here to retire, and they love the weather.”
“Antique Capital of Colorado” and Main Street’s historic storefronts
Downtown Florence stretches about five blocks along Main Street, just north of railroad tracks that run the length of the city. “Florence was once a big railroad town. Most buildings on Main Street were built in the 1890s,” Wilbar says. Restaurants with a variety of cuisines have since taken over the area’s historic storefronts, and antique stores abound between them. As the “Antique Capital of Colorado,” with the largest number of antique stores per capita in the state, vintage finds wait to be rediscovered. “Locals have been there a thousand times, but people from all over the state come through,” he says, referring to Main Street’s stretch of antique markets.
A variety of architecture, from Victorian homes to new constructions
Homes in Florence represent a variety of architectural styles and span a wide time period. Victorian and Craftsman homes built starting in the late 1800s through the 1920s, as well as smaller 1950s cottages, range from $125,000 to $375,000. Ranch-style homes from the second half of the 20th century come with spacious backyards and paved patios on lots as large as a third of an acre, costing between $265,000 and $340,000.
New traditional homes from the early 2000s fetch between $330,000 and $525,000. New constructions as recent as 2024 — many clustered around High Meadows Drive in western Florence — fall within the same price range. Some of these more recent builds come with homeowners association fees up to $25 per month. Farm-like properties on 10 acres or more are scattered on the outskirts of town, largely going from $640,000 to $1.2 million.
Water recreation on the Arkansas River and Pioneer Park’s public pool
The Arkansas River snakes along the north side of Florence, bordered by a pebbled riverbank on one side and towering, sandy cliffs on the other. The river’s gentle rapids make it a kayaking and tubing destination, while its trout and wiper populations draw fishers to its banks. Pathfinder Regional Park, on the west side of the city, and Florence River Park, on the east, are two of the area’s popular access points to water.
In the center of town, Pioneer Park hosts the Florence Farmers Market, where local vendors gather every Thursday morning from June to October next to the city’s public outdoor pool. Farther south, the Sumo Golf Village resembles a Scottish or Irish links course because of its high-desert landscape.
Highways lead to Pueblo, Cañon City, Colorado Springs and its airport
The primary stretch of restaurants, antique shops and other businesses in Florence is located on Main Street, which continues outside city boundaries as Colorado state Route 115 and leads about 10 miles west to Canon City and 40 miles north to Colorado Springs. The highway connects to U.S. Route 50, which drivers can use to reach the nearby community of Pueblo. Colorado state Route 67 leads south to USP Florence Admax, known as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies” and one of the highest security prisons in the country. The nearest airport is the Colorado Springs Airport — about 43 miles away — which offers direct flights to at least 12 American cities. Residents of Florence are fairly car-dependent, and no public transit routes serve the area.
B-minus-rated schools with several extracurricular activities
Local children may begin their education with prekindergarten through sixth grade at Fremont Elementary School before attending seventh through 12th grade at Florence JR/SR High School. Both schools earn B-minus grades from Niche. The junior and senior high school offers a Gifted and Talented program with higher-level classes for select students. SkillsUSA, Future Business Leaders of America and the National Honor Society are among the extracurricular clubs and activities students may choose to join.
