[10] Salida, meaning "exit" in Spanish, was named on account of its location near the point where the Arkansas River flows out of the valley and into Bighorn Sheep Canyon, upstream from the Royal Gorge.

[4] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.77 square miles (7.2 km2), and the Arkansas River, which runs through the town, is the major source of water for local agriculture.

The Sawatch Range runs north and south and is located roughly 10 miles (16 km) west of Salida.

Salida and surrounding Chaffee County are served by the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center, located on the north side of town on Rush Drive.

[18] Salida is also home to the Shavano Chapter of the Columbine Poets of Colorado, which is affiliated with the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS).