Color-banded badlands, railroad stories, ranch life and generations of community tradition meet in this small Eastern Plains town along U.S. 24.
Calhan is the closest town to Paint Mines Interpretive Park, but the colorful formations are only the beginning. The community grew with the Rock Island railroad, became home to generations of ranching and farming families, and still gathers around traditions such as the El Paso County Fair. Today, visitors can pair a Paint Mines hike with local food, a historic depot, a working ranch experience and a glimpse of Eastern Plains life.
Railroad water, prairie homesteads, a name that lost a letter and a fair that became a county tradition all shaped the community visitors see today.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific pushed west toward Colorado Springs in 1888. A shallow local aquifer made this a useful water stop for steam locomotives, helping establish the settlement that became Calhan.
The settlement was named for railroad contractor Michael Calahan. Local histories record that when the post office opened in 1888, an “a” disappeared from the spelling. The shorter Calhan name stayed.
The surviving Rock Island depot was built in 1906 and served the railroad route between Kansas and Colorado Springs. The town acquired the depot for $1 in 1993, and preservation work has kept this piece of Calhan's railroad story visible.
Slovak immigrants were among the homesteaders who settled around Calhan in the 1890s. St. Mary's Eastern Orthodox Church remains part of that historic story, even though MKT Colorado is not currently listing it as a visitor destination.
The community's fair began as the Calhan Fair in 1905 and grew into the El Paso County Fair. For a time, special Rock Island trains carried fairgoers from Colorado Springs to Calhan.
The colorful clays and formations south of Calhan tell a far older story. El Paso County documents evidence of human use going back thousands of years; the area is protected as an archaeological district as well as a county park.
Make Calhan more than a quick stop. This easy day-trip outline combines the landscape people come to photograph with local food, history and a hands-on Eastern Plains experience.
Start early at the colorful hoodoos and gullies. Bring water and sun protection, stay on designated trails and leave pets at home.
Head into town for coffee and something sweet at Booey's Bakery, or make Rooster's part of a later lunch stop.
See the 1906 depot and imagine the era when trains connected Calhan with communities across the plains and Colorado Springs.
With an advance reservation, finish with alpacas, horses, fiber arts or another hands-on ranch experience just south of town.
Approximately 750 acres of colorful clay formations, hoodoos and prairie with about four miles of trails. The park is free, open dawn to dusk and contains evidence of human use stretching back thousands of years.
A surviving 1906 Rock Island depot from the railroad route between Kansas and Colorado Springs. The historic building anchors Calhan's railroad story and is accompanied by preserved rolling stock.
Calhan's county fairgrounds remain a community gathering place for the annual fair, auto racing and seasonal events. The fair traces its roots to the Calhan Fair of 1905.
These Calhan businesses were verified as operating through current official websites or current business sources. Public listings show contact information only; social accounts are not displayed here.
A small-town bakery for cookies, macarons, cupcakes, coffee, espresso drinks and rotating sweet treats — an easy post-Paint-Mines stop.
A longtime Calhan grocery and meat market with produce, pantry staples, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Champs Chicken and the kind of broad selection a small-town store needs.
A Calhan sit-down stop serving burgers, pizza, salads, wings, sandwiches and more, with online ordering through its official website.
A working ranch experience with alpacas, horses and other animals, interactive tours, fiber activities, a farm stand, horseback riding and overnight RV options. Visits are by appointment.
MKT Colorado researched additional Calhan-area names, but businesses or attractions without enough current verification have intentionally been left off this public page.
Calhan's signature annual tradition grew from the Calhan Fair first held in 1905. Today's multi-day county fair brings livestock, entertainment and community activities to the fairgrounds.
Official fair website →The 2026 race calendar continues into fall at the El Paso County Fair & Events Center, with current dates and tickets published by the fairgrounds.
Current event calendar →A seasonal community event at the fairgrounds with the Calhan Christmas Parade of Lights part of the community's holiday tradition. Check the official calendar for current details.
Check current events →Calhan sits on a stretch of U.S. 24 shaped by railroad towns, prairie landscapes and agricultural communities. Ramah and Simla are natural next stops as MKT Colorado continues building their full town pages.