Chaffee County, Colorado is a scenic area located near the Arkansas River with breathtaking views of the Collegiate Peaks and the Sawatch Range. With such amazing natural beauty, it’s no surprise that many visitors flock to Chaffee County each year. As such, it is important for visitors to know the public transportation options available in the county.
Chaffee County provides three main public transportation options: Ark Valley Transit (AVT), a fixed route bus system serving Salida; Mountain Express, a demand-response transit system serving Salida, Poncha Springs, Nathrop and Buena Vista; and Chaffee Shuttle, an intercounty shuttle service connecting locations in Chaffee County with those in Fremont County. The AVT provides regular bus service on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the Salida area from 8am-5pm, while Mountain Express offers door-to-door service throughout its entire service area Monday through Friday 7am – 4pm by appointment only. Finally, Chaffee Shuttle runs daily from 5:30am – 9:00pm between Fremont County and Chaffee County locations including Salida and Buena Vista.
All of these services are provided by Great River Rides LLC which also operates transit services in Alamosa and Conejos counties. Great River Rides’ mission is to provide dependable and affordable transportation services for all residents living within their service area. With these three efficient public transportation options available in Chaffee County, travelers can easily get around without having to rent a car or make other arrangements.
The typical American commute has been getting longer each year since 2010. The average one-way commute in Chaffee County takes 17.5 minutes. That's shorter than the US average of 26.4 minutes.
How people in Chaffee County get to work:
- 71.8% drive their own car alone
- 7.3% carpool with others
- 10.2% work from home
- 0.3% take mass transit