Last Chance is located on the high plains of Colorado.
Not quite a ghost town, Last Chance persists on the dusty high plains of eastern Colorado despite abandoned buildings and a steady decline from its U.S. Census count of 23 in 2000. There never was much in this roadside gas stop located just 80 miles east of Denver at highways 36 and 71.
Misconception
Despite being called a ghost town by the website Rocky Mountain Profiles, Last Chance is still considered a "current town" by its home of Washington County, which estimates a county population at two people per acre. The moniker is understandable, however, as Last Chance has been steadily shrinking since U.S. Interstate 70 was built 40 miles south of the town in the 1950s.
History
The rise of auto travel inspired the birth of Last Chance. Rocky Mountain Profiles notes that the town was established in 1925. The town was once known as the last chance for gas and supplies on the long stretch east to Kansas or west to Denver.
Significance Today
Since 2005, the Last Chance area has been the site of a hazardous waste and radioactive materials disposal facility, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
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