The Old Spanish Trail trade route passed through the area of Dove Creek from 1829 into the 1850s.

[8] There are several area prehistoric and historic sites listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties:[9] Dove Creek is located in western Dolores County on US 491 (formerly US 666) at the crossing of Dove Creek, the town's namesake.

The plateau is dotted with numerous ruins of the Anasazi and other ancient people who took advantage of good soils and terrain, even with limited water resources.

A regional landmark is the large concrete bean elevator located on the west edge of town, near the Dolores County Industrial Park.

The Dolores County Industrial Park is located west of Dove Creek and is the site of a plant which began construction in 2007, which produces food-grade vegetable oil from sunflowers, safflower, and canola grown in the Dove Creek area, and will ultimately produce biodiesel.

New housing developments have been permitted and platted in the Dove Creek area, anticipating growth due to efforts like this.

On the eastern edge of the town is the headquarters and facility of Adobe Milling, a company marketing various locally-grown beans and other traditional Southwestern foods.

Most businesses in town support agricultural operations; some provide transportation services for highway users.

The Dove Creek Press is an 824-circulation weekly newspaper,[13] locally owned and operated by Kathleen "Kat" Keesling since January 2017.