Franceville

Franceville is a ghost town in eastern El Paso County, Colorado, situated roughly five miles from Falcon and about twelve miles east of Colorado Springs. The town grew up on land belonging to Matt France and served as both a coal mining settlement and a railroad post office during the late nineteenth century. At its peak in 1885, around 120 people called it home. The post office ran from November 1881 until May 1894, after which the community faded from the map.

Today Franceville offers little in the way of visible remains, making it a destination mainly for history-minded visitors curious about the region's coal mining and railroad past. Access is straightforward given its location on the plains east of Colorado Springs, and the open terrain is generally approachable for most of the year, though winter cold snaps can make conditions unpleasant.