CITY OF OURAY

What CITY OF OURAY does

City of Ouray is a municipal government entity incorporated on October 2, 1876, two months after Colorado achieved statehood, serving residents, visitors, and businesses within its municipal boundaries in southwest Colorado's San Juan Mountains. The City provides core municipal services including water utility distribution and billing, public safety through its police department, public works (streets, snow removal, backflow prevention), parks and recreation, community development and code enforcement, administrative services, clerk services, and tourism promotion. It brands itself as the "Switzerland of America" and the "Outdoor Recreation Capital of Colorado," offering access to over 60 outdoor activities and operating as a tourism-driven economy.

The City's underlying technology stack is standard municipal government infrastructure: a revize-powered website at cityofouray.com, Xpress Bill Pay for online utility payments, BSI Online for the backflow prevention compliance program launched July 2025, Constant Contact for email newsletters, and a Localist-powered event calendar consolidated through a joint regional platform with the Town of Ridgway. The City maintains a WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility certification reviewed by Allyant and offers website auto-translation across 80+ languages.

Revenue is generated through tax collection (sales tax, lodging occupancy tax, excise taxes), recurring utility fees (water service), one-time permit and license fees (business registrations, building permits, right-of-way permits), and transaction-based parks and recreation fees. Pricing is unit-based and small-dollar, including a $75 water turn on/off fee, $16.95 backflow filing fee, and $150-$500 snow removal violation fines. The City is governed by an elected City Council and administered by a City Administrator, with no parent company or private ownership structure; it operates as a public entity within Colorado's governmental framework.

Name

CITY OF OURAY

Legal name

City of Ouray

Website

https://cityofouray.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The City of Ouray is a municipal government in southwest Colorado, incorporated in 1876, providing water utilities, public safety, public works, parks and recreation, permitting, and tourism promotion to its residents, local businesses, and visitors within the San Juan Mountains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIACAF

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYBPAIACAG

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYBPAIACAH

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public utilities administration
• Public safety services
• Parks and recreation
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Ouray

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tax Revenue: The city collects various taxes including sales tax, lodging occupancy tax (LOT) from businesses, and other excise taxes to fund municipal operations and services.
2. Utility Fees: Revenue from water, utilities, and related billing services for residents and businesses.
3. Permits and Licenses: Fees collected for business registrations, building permits, right-of-way permits, and other municipal licenses and permits.
4. Parks and Recreation Fees: Revenue from park reservations and recreational activities.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The City of Ouray is a municipal government providing essential local government services to residents, businesses, and visitors in Ouray, Colorado. Its core offerings include water and wastewater utilities, public works (streets, snow removal, right-of-way management), police and code enforcement, parks and recreation programs, tourism and visitor information, utility billing, building permits, and backflow prevention administration.

Product overview

City of Ouray provides municipal government services to residents and visitors, encompassing essential utilities (water distribution and management), public works (streets, snow removal, backflow prevention), public safety (police services), parks and recreation facilities, community development (building services, planning, code enforcement), administrative services (utility billing, finance, human resources), clerk services, and tourism promotion. The city operates as a service-oriented municipal government rather than a commercial product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water and Wastewater Utility Services

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Town of RidgwaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Joint events calendar initiative with a 50/50 cost-sharing agreement. The partnership combines the Ridgway FUSE, City of Ouray, Ridgway Area Chamber of Commerce, and Alpenglow Arts Alliance calendars into a single regional platform. Both municipalities approved funding in their 2026 budgets.
• Mountain Air Music, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026The City of Ouray's 150th Committee partnered with Mountain Air Music, Inc., a local nonprofit, to organize the anniversary concert featuring Big Head Todd and the Monsters. This partnership was central to organizing the milestone celebration event.
• Keenan's PlumbingminorOthersRegional certified backflow tester listed by the City of Ouray for property owners requiring annual backflow device testing per CDPHE regulations.
• San Juan Backflow ServicesminorOthersRegional certified backflow tester listed by the City of Ouray for property owners requiring annual backflow device testing.
• Cameron MillsminorOthersRegional certified backflow tester listed by the City of Ouray for property owners requiring annual backflow device testing.
• F & F FireminorOthersRegional certified backflow tester listed by the City of Ouray for property owners requiring annual backflow device testing.
• West Plumbing LLCminorOthersRegional certified backflow tester listed by the City of Ouray for property owners requiring annual backflow device testing.
• Alpine BankminorOthersCorporate sponsor for Ouray's 150th Anniversary celebration concert featuring Big Head Todd and the Monsters.
• Twin Peaks Lodge and Hot SpringsminorOthersCorporate sponsor for Ouray's 150th Anniversary celebration concert featuring Big Head Todd and the Monsters.
• Western Colorado Community FoundationminorOthersCommunity foundation sponsor for Ouray's 150th Anniversary celebration concert featuring Big Head Todd and the Monsters.
• All Points Transit (OurWAY)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional shuttle service provider operating the OurWAY regional transit service connecting Ouray with surrounding communities.
• Ouray Hot Springs Pool & Fitness CenterminorOthersHot springs recreational facility linked through the Parks and Recreation department for community activities and wellness services.
• Ouray Ice ParkminorOthersWorld-renowned ice climbing park featured through Parks and Recreation as a major winter recreation destination.
• Ouray Via FerrataminorOthersClimbing route featured through Parks and Recreation as a popular outdoor activity for visitors and residents.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Town of Estes Park, Colorado: Tourist-serving Colorado mountain town adjacent to a national park with similar municipal service scope (utilities, public works, community development, lodging-tax-driven revenue).
• Town of Mountain Village, Colorado: Mountain resort municipality adjacent to Telluride that runs utilities, public works, transit, planning, and tourism-related services. Comparable to Ouray in scale, regulatory structure, and reliance on resort-driven revenue.
• City of Salida, Colorado: Small Colorado mountain town offering a similar municipal service portfolio (utilities, public works, community development, tourism) in a comparable outdoor-recreation-driven economy.
• Town of Pagosa Springs, Colorado: Small Colorado mountain municipality providing water utilities, public works, parks, and tourism support with similar scale and hot-springs/recreation economy.
• Town of Breckenridge, Colorado: Colorado mountain municipality providing utilities, public works, parks and recreation, and tourism marketing. Matches Ouray on service structure and recreation-anchored revenue model at a larger scale.
• Town of Crested Butte, Colorado: Small Colorado mountain municipality with comparable service scope (utilities, public works, parks, permits) and similarly tourism-heavy revenue model.
• Town of Telluride, Colorado: A small mountain municipality in southwest Colorado that delivers water utilities, public safety, public works, permits/licensing, and tourism promotion. Directly comparable to Ouray on scale, service scope, and tourism-dependent economy.
• Town of Ridgway, Colorado: Adjacent municipality in Ouray County and Ouray's stated partner on the joint events calendar with a 50/50 cost-sharing model. Near-identical in size, services, and demographic profile.
• Town of Silverton, Colorado: Small San Juan Mountains municipality with similar tourism-anchored economy, municipal water services, and historic mining-town profile. Closest geographic peer to Ouray.
• City of Durango, Colorado: Larger southwest Colorado municipality providing water utilities, public works, parks/rec, and tourism support. Compares on service mix and tourism orientation, though at a larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@VisitOurayColorado
• Facebookfacebook.com/CityOfOuray
• Instagraminstagram.com/cityofouray
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-of-ouray

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CITY OF OURAY