Creative Industries

Creativity is alive and well in Routt County. Creative Industries are an important component of the local economy, accounting for 431 jobs and sales of $47.5 million (2014 CCI Creative Vitality Suite). The 2019 NCAR Arts Vibrancy Index ranks Steamboat Springs #3 in Arts Vibrancy for small to mid-sized communities in the U.S., and #4 in the country on independent artists per capita.

Selected as a 2016 finalist for Colorado Creative District designation and named a Creative District in 2017, Steamboat’s arts scene is rocking. In addition to music, performance, and the visual arts, the community has rich cultural resources reflected in the arts and conveyed through heritage tourism and the programs and exhibits of the Tread of Pioneers Museum. On a given First Friday Artwalk, you’ll experience new murals popping up in downtown alleys, music in the air, neighbors greeting neighbors, people spilling out of galleries, and the delectable aromas of the culinary arts from downtown’s amazing variety of restaurants. For more information on the creative industries in Routt County, visit Steamboat Creates.