Olathe, CO

Olathe is a statutory town in Montrose County's Uncompahgre Valley, about ten miles northwest of Montrose along US 50. The 2020 census counted 2,019 residents. The Uncompahgre River passes along the west side, and the town began as Brown before taking the Olathe name in 1896. Irrigated fields and the high-desert light give Olathe a distinct western Colorado setting. Olathe's best-known local tradition is sweet corn. The Olathe Sweet Corn Festival started as a town event and now draws people to the Montrose area, while the community's schools, farm stands, and river roads keep the crop close to everyday life.

When the corn is in season, its smell and color travel well beyond the farm rows. The old town streets sit between the river and US 50, with Montrose handling bigger errands and Delta up the valley. It is a crop town in the truest sense. Olathe is a small Uncompahgre Valley town where a river, irrigation, and one very recognizable summer crop shape the place.