JP Photography: Pueblo West, An Oasis on The Prairie

Memorial Park in Pueblo West, Colorado.

Pueblo West or P-Dub (as it is affectionately known) is a growing community on the high plains of southern Colorado, situated 30 miles east of Canon City, 30-40 miles south of Colorado Springs and 10 miles west of Pueblo.

Pueblo West is not governed by a sitting mayor or city council but it is instead governed as


Road work is being done on Patteville Blvd in Pueblo West.

Metropolitan District. The Metro District is responsible for providing its residents with basic services like fire protection, water and wastewater management, and parks and recreation. The Metro District is also responsible for the repair and maintenance of roads in the community.

Some of the many recreational amenities provided to the residents of Pueblo West include seven public parks, a public pool, 16 miles of equestrian and pedestrian trails, an access point to Lake Pueblo State Park, and adult and children’s recreation league sports. Lovell Park is the largest park in Pueblo West and is located off of East Hans Peak Avenue. Lovell Park contains the Waggin' Tails Dog Park, the Parks and Rec Office, baseball and soccer fields, basketball courts, a swimming pool and pavilions for events.

Prairie Winds Elementary is one of five
elementaries in Pueblo West.

Pueblo West has five elementary schools, two middle schools, one high school and a charter school. Swallows Charter Academy is the lone charter school in Pueblo West and serves children in kindergarten through the twelfth grade. Aside from Swallows Charter Academy the other schools in Pueblo West fall under School District 70.

Builders work on single family home on acreage in Pueblo West.

Over the last couple of years the housing market has been on the rise in Pueblo West. According to data provided by TeamSelle.com the median price tag for a home in Pueblo West is $265,000. As of June 22, 2017, the average time a house was available on the market was 40 days. In May of this year there were only 59 houses available for purchase and since January 239 have been sold. The Committee of Architecture approved the building applications for 141 single-family homes, six multi-family homes and nine commercial structures in 2016.

Maggie's Farm is a marijuana shop located next to a Asian Garden a Chinese restaurant in Pueblo West.

Pueblo West is no different from anywhere else in the US in the fact that corporate stores like Wal Mart, Safeway, McDonalds and Taco Bell, to name a few are present but there are more small business owners and stores in Pueblo West than there are chain stores. When marijuana became legal in Colorado numerous stores opened up in Pueblo West, it is not uncommon to find a “pot shop” in shopping center next door to any other type of store or eating establishment.

According to their website the Mission Statement of the Pueblo West Metro District is:

“Pueblo West promotes and preserves the quality of life by providing exceptional services, economic growth, and community development in a manner that

strengthens public trust and confidence in the Metropolitan District.”

While not everyone may agree with every thing the Metro District is doing or has done, in general they appear to be hitting their mark to make Pueblo West an oasis on the prairie.