text:
Kiowa County, Colorado

Kiowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,446, making it the fifth-least populous county in Colorado. The county seat is Eads. The county was named for the Kiowa Nation of Native Americans.

Sand Creek massacre
On November 29, 1864, more than a decade before Colorado became a state and long before Kiowa County was formed, a massacre of Native Americans—a group of old men, women, and children—occurred on Sand Creek that initially was greeted as a victory in the Colorado War against hostile Indians; within months, Congressional inquiries revealed a different picture, and a national scandal erupted. It happened in what is now Kiowa County and is known as the Sand Creek Massacre.

Territorial Governor John Evans eventually lost his job for his part in setting up the incident, and Colonel John Chivington, commander of the U.S. forces, was castigated by the United States Congress, and the scandal followed him for the rest of his life. Evans would go on to make significant important contributions to the early Denver community, and while Chivington also made some, his reputation remained tainted, while Evans is still honored today.

The location was not positively identified until 1999, and in 2005, the National Park Service established the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. Currently, the facilities include a small visitor's center, two walking trails, signage, and monuments overlooking the massacre site. The massacre site itself is off-limits to visitors.

Railroad and agriculture in the 1880s
In the late 1880s, eastern Colorado attracted a lot of attention by farming interests that did not yet know that long-term agriculture was unsustainable in this arid landscape, and the railroads were snaking west across the plains towards the gold fields of the Rocky Mountains during the Colorado Gold Rush. The Missouri Pacific Railroad crossed into what would soon become Kiowa County, Colorado, from Kansas in 1887.

Several small camps for railroad workers were established just over the border from Kansas, and beginning after the town of Sheridan Lake, new towns and camps were sequentially named, alphabetically, starting with "A" and proceeding westward along the railroad line.

Arden, Brandon, Chivington, Diston, Eads, Fergus, Galatea, Haswell, Inman, Joliet, and Kilburn appeared one after another, some developing into towns, others being only a pipe dream in the eyes of developers. Chivington was intended as a major watering stop for the railroad (a 60-room, $10,000 "crown jewel" hotel was initially built there), but the water was too alkaline to use and the trains instead stopped in Kansas to tank up. The hotel was soon torn down, its materials shipped to other Colorado locations to use in constructing other facilities—a common occurrence in late 19th century Colorado, as boom towns went bust.

Kiowa County was established in 1889, taking its name from the Kiowa Indians who lived in eastern Colorado before the Europeans arrived. Sheridan Lake was the county seat of Kiowa County and was not at first a stop on the railroad line; only after local citizens built a railroad depot and turned it over to the Missouri Pacific did the railroad build a telegraph station and make Sheridan Lake a stop. The county seat moved to rival Eads in 1902.

Kiowa County today
Agriculture in eastern Colorado collapsed in the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s; today mostly dry-land farms and some ranching interests survive. Colorado's Front Range cities and agriculture interests upstream have acquired most of the water rights, and the groundwater aquifers are drying up. Kiowa County faces ever-decreasing water supplies and further economic decline.

It is conceivable that much of the county will eventually revert to its original sparse grassland and prairie conditions of the pre-1880s.

Today Eads, along the old railroad line, is the largest town in the county. It is the Kiowa county seat, serves the surviving farming and ranching interests, and hosts the county's largest high school. Sheridan Lake does have a combined junior-and-senior high, and still surviving in some form are the towns of Towner, Arlington, Brandon, Chivington, and Haswell.

Eads is also the location of the county's chief hospital, Weisbrod Memorial County Hospital.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1786 sqmi, of which 1768 sqmi is land and 18 sqmi (1.0%) is water.

Significant drainage basins in the county are Adobe Creek and Mustang Creek which drain the county's western part, Rush Creek and Big Sandy Creek in the central part and Wildhorse, Buffalo, and White Woman creeks in the eastern part. The draws tend to be intermittent, however Adobe, Rush and Big Sandy creeks have small continuous flows during wetter years. Each of these creeks ultimately drains to the Arkansas River.

The Great Plains Reservoirs south of Eads and along both sides U.S. Highway 287 are a group of four larger reservoirs and several smaller ones that supply irrigation water to local farms and offer hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing in the Queens State Wildlife Area.

Adjacent counties

 * Cheyenne County - north
 * Greeley County, Kansas - east
 * Bent County - south
 * Prowers County - south
 * Otero County - southwest
 * Crowley County - west
 * Lincoln County - northwest

Major highways

 * US 287.svg U.S. Highway 287
 * US 385.svg U.S. Highway 385
 * Colorado 96.svg State Highway 96

National protected area

 * Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site

Bicycle route

 * TransAmerica Trail Bicycle Route

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,622 people, 665 households, and 452 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 /mi2. There were 817 housing units at an average density of 0.457 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 96.12% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 1.11% Native American, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.42% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 3.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 665 households, out of which 28.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were married couples living together, 6.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 29.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.90% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 24.70% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 17.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,494, and the median income for a family was $35,536. Males had a median income of $26,136 versus $18,897 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,382. About 9.60% of families and 12.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.50% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.

Over six percent of the population were Quakers–one of the highest percentages in the country.

Politics
Kiowa is, like all of the High Plains, an overwhelmingly Republican county. The last Democrat to carry it was Lyndon Johnson in 1964, and since 1980, only Michael Dukakis in 1988 –during a major farm crisis brought upon by drought– has topped 30% of the county's vote for the Democratic Party. The past six Democratic candidates for president have not surpassed 22% of the county's vote, and both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden barely reached ten percent.

Towns

 * Eads
 * Haswell
 * Sheridan Lake

Census-designated places

 * Brandon
 * Towner

Other unincorporated places

 * Arlington
 * Chivington

title: Kiowa County, Colorado


text:
Jefferson County, Colorado

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 582,910, making it the fourth-most populous county in Colorado. The county seat is Golden, and the most populous city's Lakewood.

Jefferson County is included in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the state capital of Denver.

In 2010, the center of population of Colorado was located in Jefferson County.

The county's slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", and it is commonly nicknamed Jeffco. The name Jeffco is incorporated in the name of the Jeffco School District, the Jeffco Business Center Metropolitan District No. 1, and several businesses located in Jefferson County. Jeffco is also incorporated in the unofficial monikers of many Jefferson County agencies. The Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport operated by Jefferson County was previously known as the Jeffco Airport.

A major employer in Jefferson County is the large Coors Brewing Company in Golden. Also, the state-supported Colorado School of Mines, a university specializing in mining, geology, chemistry, and engineering is located in Jefferson County.

History
On August 25, 1855, the Kansas Territorial Legislature created Arapahoe County to govern the entire western portion of the territory. The county was named for the Arapaho Nation of Native Americans who lived in the region.

In June 1858, gold was discovered along the South Platte River in Arapahoe County (in present-day Englewood) by William Greeneberry Russell and Sam Bates who had been following up the June 22, 1850, discovery of gold on Ralston Creek in today's Jefferson County by Lewis Ralston, for whom the creek was named. This discovery precipitated the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. The Doniphan Party upon arriving upon Clear Creek discovered markers left over from earlier mining in 1834 by the Estes Party, placed their own alongside and on November 29, 1858, founded the future county's first town of Arapahoe City upon the land southeast of today's West 44th Avenue and McIntyre Street (with West 44th running through the town). On June 16, 1859, its second town, Golden, Colorado, was founded in the valley to the west. Many residents of the mining region felt disconnected from the remote territorial governments of Kansas and Nebraska, so they voted to form their own Territory of Jefferson on October 24, 1859. The following month on November 28, 1859, the Jefferson Territorial Legislature organized 12 counties for the new territory, including Jefferson County. Jefferson County was named for the namesake of the Jefferson Territory, Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the nation's third president. Golden City was elected on January 2, 1860, as the county seat of Jefferson County. Robert Williamson Steele, Governor of the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson from 1859 to 1861, built his home in the county at Mount Vernon and later at Apex. Originally Jefferson County's borders extended to the 40th parallel north, the South Platte River (excluding the town of Highland) to the east, and to Bear Creek to the south.

The Jefferson Territory never received federal sanction, but during his last week in office, President James Buchanan signed an act which organized the Territory of Colorado on February 28, 1861. That November 1, the new Colorado General Assembly organized the 17 original counties of Colorado, including Jefferson County. The reorganized Jefferson County extended to most of its current borders and Golden continued as county seat. In 1908, the southern tip of Jefferson County was transferred to Park County, reducing Jefferson County to its present length of 54 mi. Several annexations by the City & County of Denver and the 2001 consolidation of the City & County of Broomfield removed the east and extreme northeastern corner of the county, respectively.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 774 sqmi, of which 764 sqmi is land and 9.8 sqmi (1.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties
Jefferson County is one of the few counties in the United States to border as many as ten counties.

 * Boulder County – north
 * City and County of Broomfield – northeast
 * Adams County – east
 * City and County of Denver – east
 * Arapahoe County – east
 * Douglas County – east
 * Teller County – south
 * Park County – southwest
 * Clear Creek County – west
 * Gilpin County – northwest

Major highways

 * I-70 (CO).svg Interstate 70
 * US 6.svg U.S. Highway 6
 * US 40.svg U.S. Highway 40
 * US 285.svg U.S. Highway 285
 * Colorado 8.svg State Highway 8
 * Colorado 58.svg State Highway 58
 * Colorado 72.svg State Highway 72
 * Colorado 74.svg State Highway 74
 * Colorado 75.svg State Highway 75
 * Colorado 93.svg State Highway 93
 * Colorado 121.svg State Highway 121
 * Colorado 391.svg State Highway 391
 * Colorado 470.svg State Highway 470
 * Chatfield Ave
 * 44th Ave
 * 44th Ave

Recreational areas

 * Alderfer/Three Sisters Park
 * Apex Park
 * Bear Creek Lake Park
 * Centennial Cone Park
 * Clear Creek Canyon Park
 * Coal Creek Canyon
 * Crown Hill Park
 * Deer Creek Canyon Park
 * Elk Meadow Park
 * Evergreen Lake
 * Fairmount Trail
 * Flying J Ranch Park
 * Hildebrand Ranch Park
 * Hiwan Homestead Museum
 * Lair o' the Bear Park
 * Lewis Meadows Park
 * Lookout Mountain Nature Center
 * Matthews/Winters Park
 * Meyer Ranch Park
 * Mount Falcon Park
 * Mount Galbraith Park
 * Mount Glennon
 * Mount Lindo
 * North Table Mountain Park
 * Pine Valley Ranch Park
 * Ranson/Edwards Homestead Ranch
 * Reynolds Park
 * Sister City Park
 * South Table Mountain Park
 * South Valley Park
 * Standley Lake Regional Park
 * Van Bibber Park
 * Welchester Tree Grant Park
 * White Ranch Park
 * Windy Saddle Park
 * Urban Trails

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 527,056 people, 206,067 households, and 140,537 families residing in the county. The population density was 683 /mi2. There were 212,488 housing units at an average density of 275 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was

 * 90.59% || || White
 * 0.89% || || Black or African American
 * 0.75% || || Native American
 * 2.28% || || Asian
 * 0.08% || || Pacific Islander
 * 3.23% || || from other races
 * colspan="3"| 9.95% of the population were either Hispanic or Latino of any race
 * colspan="3"| 2.18% in two or more races
 * }
 * 0.08% || || Pacific Islander
 * 3.23% || || from other races
 * colspan="3"| 9.95% of the population were either Hispanic or Latino of any race
 * colspan="3"| 2.18% in two or more races
 * }
 * colspan="3"| 2.18% in two or more races
 * }
 * }

There were 206,067 households, out of which 33.40% had children under age 18 living with them, 55.10% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, of those 6.30% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52, and the average family size was 3.03 persons.

In the county, the population ages were spread out:

 * 25.30% || || under age 18
 * 8.10% || || aged 18–24
 * 32.10% || || aged 25–44
 * 24.90% || || aged 45–64
 * 9.60% || || 65 years of age or older
 * colspan="3"| The median age was 37 years.
 * 24.90% || || aged 45–64
 * 9.60% || || 65 years of age or older
 * colspan="3"| The median age was 37 years.
 * 9.60% || || 65 years of age or older
 * colspan="3"| The median age was 37 years.
 * colspan="3"| The median age was 37 years.

 * }

For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $57,339, and the median income for a family was $67,310. Males had a median income of $45,306 versus $32,372 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,066. About 3.40% of families and 5.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.80% of those under age 18, and 5.10% of those age 65 or over.

According to a report in the JAMA, residents of Jefferson County had a 2014 life expectancy of 80.02 years.

Education
The sole school district serving the county is Jefferson County School District R-1.

 * Private schools:
 * Colorado Academy

 * Higher Education:
 * Colorado Christian University
 * Colorado School of Mines
 * Red Rocks Community College
 * Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

Jefferson County Public Library is the county library system.

Government and infrastructure

 * The Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood is in unincorporated Jefferson County.
 * The Rocky Flats Plant produced nuclear weapons in Jefferson County from 1952 until 1989.
 * The Jefferson County Public Library, established in 1952.
 * The Jefferson County Government Center, also known as the "Taj Mahal".
 * The Denver Federal Center, the largest concentration of federal government agencies outside of Washington, D.C., is located in Lakewood.

Government
The Board of County Commissioners operates as the governing body of the county. Established in 1861, the board consists of three commissioners who are elected at-large to four-year terms. The board sets policies that guide county programs and operations which serves residents and businesses. There are several elected officials that oversee a department or aspect of county operations.

Sheriff's office
The Jefferson County Sheriff is an oldest elective office in Jefferson County (along with Clerk and Recorder, Assessor and Treasurer) and among the first popularly elected offices in Colorado, established in 1859 with the first Sheriff, Walter Pollard, elected on January 2, 1860. Its office holders over the course of over 150 years have included some of the most noted law enforcement officers in Colorado history.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office responded to the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, and investigated it together with the F.B.I. The Sheriff's Office received backlash after it was revealed the agency had the perpetrators Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold in and out of custody prior to the shooting. After the shooting Sue Klebold sued the Sheriff's office for failing to prevent their son from carrying out the Columbine High shootings. According to a "notice of intent to sue" filed by Susan and Thomas Klebold, county officials were "reckless, willful and wanton" in the way they handled a 1998 police report about Eric Harris' Internet ravings. This lawsuit was dismissed along with several others pertaining to the shooting.

The current county sheriff is Regina "Reggie" Marinelli. She was in elected 2022 and became the first woman to do so in county history and became the first Democrat to hold the office in nearly a century. She previously worked in the county Sheriff's Office for over 30 years.

Politics
Jefferson County was a Republican stronghold for most of the 20th century. However, it has voted Democratic in every presidential election since 2008, consistent with the general trend in the Denver metropolitan area. In 2020, Joe Biden won the largest percentage for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1916.

State parks

 * Chatfield State Park
 * Golden Gate Canyon State Park
 * Staunton State Park

National forests and wilderness

 * Pike National Forest
 * Roosevelt National Forest
 * Lost Creek Wilderness

National wildlife refuges

 * Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge
 * Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge

Historic trail

 * South Platte Trail

Recreational trails

 * American Discovery Trail
 * Apex National Recreation Trail
 * Big Dry Creek National Recreation Trail
 * Colorado Trail
 * Platte River Greenway National Recreation Trail
 * Two Ponds National Recreation Trail

Scenic byway

 * Lariat Loop Scenic and Historic Byway

Golf course

 * Hiwan Golf Club
 * Indian Tree Golf Club

Cities

 * Arvada (part)
 * Edgewater
 * Golden
 * Lakewood
 * Littleton (part)
 * Westminster (part)
 * Wheat Ridge

Towns

 * Bow Mar (part)
 * Lakeside
 * Morrison
 * Mountain View
 * Superior (part)

Census-designated places

 * Applewood
 * Aspen Park
 * Brook Forest
 * Coal Creek (part)
 * Columbine
 * Dakota Ridge
 * East Pleasant View
 * Evergreen
 * Fairmount
 * Genesee
 * Idledale
 * Indian Hills
 * Ken Caryl
 * Kittredge
 * West Pleasant View

Unincorporated communities

 * Buffalo Creek
 * Conifer
 * Foxton
 * Pine
 * Pine Junction
 * Plastic

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Jefferson County, Colorado


text:
Jackson County, Colorado

Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,379, and it was the fourth least populated in the state. The county is named after the United States President Andrew Jackson. The county seat and only municipality in the county is Walden.

History
Most of Jackson County is a high relatively broad intermontane basin known as North Park, which covers 1613 sqmi. This basin opens north into Wyoming and is rimmed on the west by the Park Range and Sierra Madre Range, on the south by the Rabbit Ears Range and the Never Summer Mountains, and on the east by the Medicine Bow Mountains. Elevations range from 7,800 to 12953 ft above sea level and is home to the head waters of the North Platte River. The term park is derived from parc, the French word for game preserve. At one time North Park was filled with herds of deer, antelope and buffalo. There were so many buffalo in the area the Ute Tribe gave North Park the name "Bull Pen." Now deer, elk, and cattle vie for the same area.

In November 1861, Colorado set up 17 counties for the state, including Larimer County. This was where Jackson County would be carved out of in 1909. Before then, both Grand and Larimer Counties claimed the North Park area. In the beginning, no one paid much attention to North Park because it was hunting grounds of the Ute and Arapaho Indians. They fiercely defended these lands and the white settlers were often afraid to venture in. When valuable minerals were discovered in North Park, Grand County claimed it as part of their county because they wanted the revenue it would provide. The residents didn't care much because the county seat for Grand County was closer than the one in Larimer County, and all official business needed to be done at the county seat. But Larimer also claimed this county and it was contested all the way to the Colorado Supreme Court. In 1886 the court decided in favor of Larimer. This did not make the North Park residents very happy and they pushed for their own county until Jackson was formed.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1621 sqmi, of which 1614 sqmi is land and 7.2 sqmi (0.9%) is water.

Jackson County contains the 71000 acre Colorado State Forest.

Adjacent counties

 * Albany County, Wyoming - northeast
 * Larimer County - east
 * Grand County - south
 * Routt County - west
 * Carbon County, Wyoming - northwest

Major highways

 * US 40.svg U.S. Highway 40
 * Colorado 14.svg State Highway 14
 * Colorado 125.svg State Highway 125
 * Colorado 127.svg State Highway 127

Airport
Jackson County Airport

Jackson County Airport Info

Transportation
Bustang's Outrider Service to Muddy Pass

OATS (Older Americans Transport Service)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,577 people, 661 households, and 442 families living in the county. The population density was 1 /mi2. There were 1,145 housing units at an average density of 1 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 96.20% White, 0.25% Black or African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 1.46% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. 6.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 661 households, out of which 29.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.90% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.00% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 5.40% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 29.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 101.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,821, and the median income for a family was $37,361. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $18,417 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,826. About 10.30% of families and 14.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.50% of those under age 18 and 9.00% of those age 65 or over.

State forest and park

 * Colorado State Forest
 * State Forest State Park

National wildlife refuge

 * Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge

National forest and wilderness

 * Routt National Forest
 * Mount Zirkel Wilderness
 * Never Summer Wilderness
 * Platte River Wilderness

National trail

 * Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

Bicycle routes

 * Great Parks Bicycle Route
 * TransAmerica Trail Bicycle Route

Scenic byway

 * Cache la Poudre-North Park Scenic Byway

Town

 * Walden

Unincorporated communities

 * Coalmont
 * Cowdrey
 * Gould
 * Rand

Former towns

 * Pearl

title: Jackson County, Colorado


text:
Huerfano County, Colorado

Huerfano County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,820. The county seat is Walsenburg. The county, whose name comes from the Spanish huérfano meaning "orphan", was named for the Huerfano Butte, a local landmark. The area of Huerfano County boomed early in the 1900s with the discovery of large coal deposits. After large scale World War II coal demand ended in the 1940s Walsenburg and Huerfano saw a steady economic decline through 2015.

Historical
Huerfano County was one of the original 17 counties created by the Territory of Colorado on November 1, 1861, and was originally larger than its present size. On November 2, 1870, the Colorado General Assembly created Greenwood County from former Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal land and the eastern portion of Huerfano County. There are countless reports of vast New Spain and Native American gold treasures that lay hidden in the hills and mountains of Huerfano County including the Arapahoe Princess Treasure. Two Spanish forts were located in Huerfano County.

Colorado Coalfield War
Huerfano County and neighboring Las Animas County were the central locations of the 1913-1914 United Mine Workers of America strike against the Rockefeller-owned Colorado Fuel and Iron company, which is now referred to as the Colorado Coalfield War.

Walsenburg and other stops on the Colorado and Southern Railway proved strategically important for both strikers and the Colorado National Guard, resulting in multiple gun-battles in around towns with stops.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1593 sqmi, of which 1591 sqmi is land and 2.2 sqmi (0.1%) is water. The price of property saw an increase of more than 10% after a moratorium on commercial marijuana grows was lifted in July 2015.

Adjacent counties

 * Pueblo County - northeast
 * Las Animas County - southeast
 * Costilla County - southwest
 * Alamosa County - west
 * Custer County - northwest
 * Saguache County - northwest

Major highways

 * I-25 (CO).svg Interstate 25
 * US 160.svg U.S. Highway 160
 * Colorado 10.svg State Highway 10
 * Colorado 12.svg State Highway 12
 * Colorado 69.svg State Highway 69
 * Colorado 69.svg State Highway 69

Protected areas

 * Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness
 * Lathrop State Park
 * San Isabel National Forest
 * Sangre de Cristo Wilderness
 * Spanish Peaks Wilderness

Scenic byway

 * Highway of Legends Scenic Byway

Attractions and recreation
The county's tourism board brands the county as "Southern Colorado's Spanish Peaks Country." Visitors are attracted to the Spanish Peaks and the many mountain-related activities they offer, such as mountain climbing, hiking, hunting, and sightseeing. In addition, the western part of the county offers the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Range, a range that includes several fourteeners.

The towns of La Veta and Cuchara offer art galleries and lodging.

A new county park — the Cuchara Mountain Park — opened in 2017, repurposing property that used to be the now-defunct Cuchara Ski Resort.

Huerfano County is a geologist's paradise. Over 500 dikes surround the Spanish Peaks. Many other geological formations, such as the Dakota Formation, are visible in the county.

Lathrop State Park offers hiking, camping, picnicking, and fishing. Adjacent to the park, the city of Walsenburg offers a public, nine-hole golf course.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,862 people, 3,082 households, and 1,920 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 /mi2. There were 4,599 housing units at an average density of 3 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 80.96% White, 2.75% Black or African American, 2.70% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 9.41% from other races, and 3.71% from two or more races. 35.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,082 households, out of which 25.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.40% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.70% were non-families. 32.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.90% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 27.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 118.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 122.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $25,775, and the median income for a family was $32,664. Males had a median income of $24,209 versus $21,048 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,242. About 14.10% of families and 18.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.70% of those under age 18 and 11.90% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
A Democratic stronghold for much of the 20th century, Huerfano has become a competitive swing county in recent elections. After only backing Al Gore by 29 votes in 2000, the county voted for the winner of each presidential race between 2004 and 2016 before narrowly staying in the Donald Trump column in 2020.

City

 * Walsenburg

Town

 * La Veta

Census-designated place

 * Gardner

Unincorporated communities

 * Badito
 * Cuchara
 * Farisita
 * Farista
 * Navajo Ranch
 * Red Wing

Ghost towns

 * Calumet
 * Alamo

title: Huerfano County, Colorado


text:
Hinsdale County, Colorado

Hinsdale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 788, making it the second-least populous county in Colorado. With a population density of only 0.71 PD/sqmi, it is also the least-densely populated county in Colorado. The county seat and only incorporated municipality in the county is Lake City. The county is named for George A. Hinsdale, a prominent pioneer and former Lieut. Governor of Colorado Territory.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1123 sqmi, of which 1117 sqmi is land and 5.9 sqmi (0.5%) is water.

Hinsdale County is one of the most remote counties in Colorado and the United States. The county is covered by mountains, including multiple fourteeners, and contains one of the largest roadless areas in the country. The continental divide crosses the county twice. Most of the county is divided among several different national forests and the Weminuche Wilderness area.

Adjacent counties

 * Gunnison – north
 * Saguache – northeast
 * Mineral – east
 * Archuleta – southeast
 * La Plata – southwest
 * San Juan – west
 * Ouray – northwest

Major highways

 * Colorado 149.svg State Highway 149

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 790 people, 359 households, and 246 families living in the county. The population density was 0.7 /mi2. There were 1,304 housing units at an average density of 1.2 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.34% White, 1.52% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. 1.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 359 households, out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 2.6.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.5% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 34.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,279, and the median income for a family was $42,159. Males had a median income of $26,210 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,360. About 4.5% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Republican presidential nominees have carried Hinsdale County since Franklin Delano Roosevelt defeated Alf Landon by eight votes in 1936. Along with Elbert County and Washington County it was one of three Colorado counties to vote for Barry Goldwater over Lyndon Johnson in 1964. In 2020, Joe Biden received the highest vote share for a Democrat since Johnson, and became the third Democrat since 1940 to breach 40% of the vote.

The last Democrat to carry Hinsdale County in a statewide election was John Hickenlooper in the 2010 gubernatorial contest, and the only other case since at least 1980 have been Democratic senator Ben “Nighthorse” Campbell, who was later to shift to the Republican Party, in 1992, alongside popular Governor Roy Romer, who carried all but three counties statewide, in 1990.

Hinsdale County is situated in Colorado House of Representatives, House District 58. The Current Representative is Marc Catlin, who has represented the county since 2022.

National forests

 * Gunnison National Forest
 * Rio Grande National Forest
 * San Juan National Forest
 * Uncompahgre National Forest

National wilderness areas

 * La Garita Wilderness
 * Powderhorn Wilderness
 * Uncompahgre Wilderness
 * Weminuche Wilderness

Trails

 * Colorado Trail
 * Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
 * West Lost Trail Creek National Recreation Trail

Scenic byways

 * Alpine Loop National Scenic Back Country Byway
 * Silver Thread Scenic Byway

Town

 * Lake City

Census-designated places

 * Cathedral
 * Piedra

Ghost towns

 * Beartown
 * Burrows Park
 * Capitol City
 * Carson
 * Henson
 * Old Carson

Education
School districts include:
 * Hinsdale County School District RE-1
 * Archuleta County School District 50-JT

title: Hinsdale County, Colorado


text:
Gunnison County, Colorado

Gunnison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,918. The county seat is Gunnison. The county was named for John W. Gunnison, a United States Army officer and captain in the Army Topographical Engineers, who surveyed for the transcontinental railroad in 1853.

History
Archeological studies have dated the Ute people's appearance in the Uncompahgre region of Colorado as early as 1150 A.D. Possibilities exist that they are descendants of an earlier people living in the area as far back as 1500 B.C. They were a nomadic people moving about the Western Slope of Colorado in the various parts of the year. In the early to mid-1600s the Spaniards of New Mexico introduced the horse which changed their patterns of hunting taking them across the divide to the eastern slopes and into conflict with the Plains Indians which soon became their bitter enemies.

The first recorded expedition of Western Colorado wilderness was led by Don Juan Rivera in 1765. In 1776, two Spanish priests, Fathers Escalante and Domínguez, led a party into the area around Montrose and Paonia.

The 1830s brought the mountainmen into the area to trap beaver. An old cabin located on Cochetopa Creek discovered by Sidney Jocknick was most likely built between 1830 and 1840 and a crude fort was discovered on a tributary of Tomichi Creek bore signs of a conflict.

In 1853, Capt. John W. Gunnison surveyed the area for the transcontinental railroad route.

In 1858, gold was discovered near Denver bringing the white man across the divide into the western slope in search of the precious metal. In 1859 a party settled on Texas Gulch in Union Park.

Placer gold was found at Washington Gulch in 1861 as part of the Colorado Gold Rush.

In 1861, the Territory of Colorado was organized. The territorial governor was made ex officio Superintentant of Indian Affairs. A conference on October 1, 1863, established a boundary line for a reservation. This treaty averted a possible dangerous situation by giving the Utes some cattle and sheep, a blacksmith and 20,000 dollars a year in goods and provisions. The government failed to fulfill any these obligations straining the relations further. The treaty of 1868 recognized Chief Ouray as the sole spokesman for seven tribes of the Ute People. He held this power over his people through diplomacy and understanding.

The Los Pinos Agency was developed through the Treaties of 1868 and 1873. The first agent was 2nd Lieutenant Calvin T. Speer. In 1871, a cow camp was started near the present site of Gunnison with James P. Kelley in charge. In this year, Jabez Nelson Trask, a Harvard grad, relieved Speer as agent upon orders from Governor Edward M. McCook. In 1872 Trask was replaced by Charles Adams.

In 1875, orders from Washington to move the agency to the Uncomphgre Valley were completed in November.

In 1876, Colorado entered the Union and Gunnison County was formed. 1879 was a year of expansion due to the miners, speculators and adventurers seeking wealth. The cattle industry was established by 1880. The short growing season was not conducive to farming and the ranchers had to level fields and construct irrigation ditches to water the fields for hay.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3260 sqmi, of which 3239 sqmi is land and 21 sqmi (0.6%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county by area in Colorado. The county seat is Gunnison, Colorado which is located in a wide valley at the confluence of Tomichi Creek and Gunnison River. The county rests in the Gunnison Basin formed by the Continental Divide to the east, Collegiate Peaks Wilderness rises in the northeast, Maroon Bells–Snowmass Wilderness and the White River National Forest to the north, the West Elk Wilderness rises in the west of the county with Delta and Montrose Counties on its western slopes. The Uncompahgre Wilderness rises in the southwest of the county and the Powderhorn Wilderness east of there and Saquache County being south of Gunnison county eastward over to Marshall Pass southeast of the county.

Taylor Park Reservoir is a man-made lake created by the Taylor Dam constructed in 1934 with appropriations of 2,725,000 dollars.

Adjacent counties

 * Pitkin County, Colorado — north
 * Chaffee County, Colorado — east
 * Saguache County, Colorado — southeast
 * Hinsdale County, Colorado — south
 * Ouray County, Colorado — southwest
 * Delta County, Colorado — west
 * Montrose County, Colorado — west
 * Mesa County, Colorado — northwest

Major highways

 * US 50.svg U.S. Highway 50
 * Colorado 92.svg State Highway 92
 * Colorado 114.svg State Highway 114
 * Colorado 133.svg State Highway 133
 * Colorado 135.svg State Highway 135
 * Colorado 149.svg State Highway 149

2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,956 people, 5,649 households, and 2,965 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 /mi2. There were 9,135 housing units at an average density of 3 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 95.08% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 0.70% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. 5.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,649 households, out of which 24.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.20% were married couples living together, 5.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.50% were non-families. 27.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the county, the age demographic is distributed, with 17.90% under the age of 18, 21.10% from 18 to 24, 32.90% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 6.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 118.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,916, and the median income for a family was $51,950. Males had a median income of $30,885 versus $25,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,407. About 6.00% of families and 15.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.40% of those under age 18 and 7.20% of those age 65 or over.

2010
The total population for Gunnison County in the year 2010 was 15,324. There were 8,306 males and 7,018 females. The median age was 35.7 years old. Of the races, 14,152 were white, 92.4 percent; 1,255 were Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 8.2 percent; 510 claimed other race, 3.3 percent; 208 were American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4 percent; 100 were Asian, 0.7 percent.

Total households were 6,516, 100.0 percent; Family households (families) 3,454, 53.0 percent, ("Family households" were based on a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. Same-sex married couples were not included.)

Occupied housing units consisted of 6,516 units, being 100.0 percent, with 3,900 or 59.9 percent being owner-occupied housing units; 2,616 or 40.1 percent being renters.

There were estimated 9,155 employed persons and 459 unemployed. 4,601 people drove to work alone and 1,027 car-pooled; 1,297 people walked to work and 1,052 took other means. Management, business, science, and arts occupations included 2,895 persons; Service occupations included 1,828 persons; Sales and office occupations included 2,192 persons; Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations included 1,635 persons; Production, transportation, and material moving occupations included 605 persons. 6,635 people were private wage and salary workers; 1,865 people were government workers; 655 people were self-employed and 49,356 dollars was the median household income and 67,333 dollars was the mean household income.

K-12 Education
Gunnison County is served by Gunnison Watershed School District RE-1J, which operates schools in Gunnison, Crested Butte, and Marble.

Higher Education
Notably, Gunnison County is home to Western Colorado University, located in the city of Gunnison. WCU is a public four-year university with an enrollment of roughly 3,500 students in the 2022-2023 academic year.

State parks

 * Paonia State Park

National recreation areas

 * Curecanti National Recreation Area

National forests

 * Gunnison National Forest
 * White River National Forest

National wilderness areas

 * Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
 * Fossil Ridge Wilderness
 * Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness
 * Powderhorn Wilderness
 * Raggeds Wilderness
 * Uncompahgre Wilderness
 * West Elk Wilderness

Trails

 * American Discovery Trail
 * Colorado Trail
 * Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
 * Old Spanish National Historic Trail

Bicycle routes

 * Great Parks Bicycle Route
 * Western Express Bicycle Route

Scenic byways

 * West Elk Loop Scenic Byway
 * Silver Thread Scenic Byway

Politics
For most of the 20th century, except 1964, Gunnison County was a Republican stronghold. Despite the nationwide swing against him, this was one of the few counties that swung towards Gerald Ford in 1976. However, beginning in the late 1980s, it began trending more Democratic, as Bill Clinton won the county both times in 1992 and 1996. The county gave a 43.2% plurality to George W. Bush in the 2000 election, and has voted for the Democratic candidate in every election since.

Gunnison County is situated in Colorado House of Representatives, House District 58. The Current Representative is Marc Catlin, who has represented the county since 2022.

City

 * Gunnison

Towns

 * Crested Butte
 * Marble
 * Mount Crested Butte
 * Pitkin

Census Designated Place

 * Somerset

Unincorporated communities

 * Almont
 * Doyleville
 * Ohio City
 * Parlin
 * Powderhorn
 * Sapinero
 * Tincup

Ghost towns

 * Aberdeen
 * Baldwin
 * Crystal
 * Iola
 * Pittsburg
 * Vulcan

In popular culture
In 2007, the science fiction horror film Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem was set in and around the town of Gunnison.

title: Gunnison County, Colorado


text:
Grand County, Colorado

Grand County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,717. The county seat is Hot Sulphur Springs.

History
When Grand County was created on February 2, 1874, it was carved out of Summit County and contained land to the western and northern borders of the state, which is in present-day Moffat County and Routt County. It was named after Grand Lake and the Grand River, an old name for the upper Colorado River, which has its headwaters in the county. On January 29, 1877, Routt County was created and Grand County shrunk down to its current western boundary. When valuable minerals were found in North Park, Grand County claimed the area as part of its county, a claim Larimer County also held. It took a decision by the Colorado Supreme Court in 1886 to declare North Park part of Larimer County, setting Grand County's northern boundary.

In 2004, Marvin John Heemeyer, a local businessman from Granby, used a modified bulldozer to destroy parts of the town of Granby. This was after the government ruined his business. His attack ended when one of the bulldozer tracks became inoperable and he committed suicide.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1870 sqmi, of which 1846 sqmi is land and 23 sqmi (1.2%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Larimer County - northeast
 * Gilpin County - east
 * Boulder County - east
 * Clear Creek County - southeast
 * Summit County - south
 * Eagle County - southwest
 * Jackson County - north
 * Routt County - west

Major highways

 * US 34.svg U.S. Highway 34
 * US 40.svg U.S. Highway 40
 * Colorado 9.svg State Highway 9
 * Colorado 125.svg State Highway 125
 * Colorado 134.svg State Highway 134

National protected areas

 * Arapaho National Forest
 * Arapaho National Recreation Area
 * Byers Peak Wilderness
 * Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
 * Indian Peaks Wilderness
 * Never Summer Wilderness
 * Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness
 * Rocky Mountain National Park
 * Routt National Forest
 * Sarvis Creek Wilderness
 * Vasquez Peak Wilderness

Bicycle routes

 * Great Parks Bicycle Route
 * TransAmerica Trail Bicycle Route

Scenic byways

 * Colorado River Headwaters National Scenic Byway
 * Trail Ridge Road/Beaver Meadow National Scenic Byway

Demographics
At the 2000 census, there were 12,442 people in 5,075 households, including 3,217 families, in the county. The population density was 7 /mi2. There were 10,894 housing units at an average density of 6 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 95.15% White, 0.48% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.00% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. 4.36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 23.8% were of German, 12.6% Irish, 10.0% English and 7.3% American ancestry. Of the 5,075 households 28.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.70% were married couples living together, 5.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.60% were non-families. 24.80% of households were one person and 4.80% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.85.

The age distribution was 21.80% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 34.70% from 25 to 44, 26.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.80% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 112.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.70 males.

The median household income was $47,759 and the median family income was $55,217. Males had a median income of $34,861 versus $26,445 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,198. About 5.40% of families and 7.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.90% of those under age 18 and 6.10% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Unlike many counties dominated by a ski town, Grand County leans Republican. However, the town of Winter Park, where the Winter Park Ski Resort is located, is solidly Democratic.

Towns

 * Fraser
 * Granby
 * Grand Lake
 * Hot Sulphur Springs
 * Kremmling
 * Winter Park

Census-designated places

 * Parshall
 * Tabernash

Other

 * Radium

title: Grand County, Colorado


text:
Gilpin County, Colorado

Gilpin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado, smallest in land area behind only the City and County of Broomfield. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,808. The county seat is Central City. The county was formed in 1861, while Colorado was still a territory, and was named after Colonel William Gilpin, the first territorial governor.

Gilpin County is part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 150 sqmi, of which 150 sqmi is land and 0.4 sqmi (0.2%) is water. It is the second-smallest county by area in Colorado.

Adjacent counties

 * Boulder – north
 * Jefferson – east
 * Clear Creek – south
 * Grand – west

Major highways

 * Colorado 46.svg State Highway 46
 * Colorado 72.svg State Highway 72
 * Colorado 119.svg State Highway 119
 * Central City Parkway

National protected areas

 * Arapaho National Forest
 * James Peak Wilderness
 * Roosevelt National Forest

State protected area

 * Golden Gate Canyon State Park

Scenic trail and byway

 * Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
 * Peak to Peak Scenic and Historic Byway

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 4,757 people, 2,043 households, and 1,264 families in the county. The population density was 32 /mi2. There were 2,929 housing units at an average density of 20 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 94.37% White, 0.53% Black or African American, 0.82% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 1.53% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. 4.25% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 2,043 households 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 5.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.10% were non-families. 26.80% of households were one person and 3.70% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.81.

The age distribution was 21.10% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 37.40% from 25 to 44, 30.00% from 45 to 64, and 5.70% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 112.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.10 males.

The median household income was $51,942 and the median family income was $61,859. Males had a median income of $38,560 versus $30,820 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,148. About 1.00% of families and 4.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.40% of those under age 18 and 6.10% of those age 65 or over.

Cities

 * Black Hawk
 * Central City

Census-designated places

 * Coal Creek (also in Boulder and Jefferson counties)
 * Rollinsville

Other

 * Nevadaville
 * Russell Gulch

Historic district

 * Central City/Black Hawk Historic District

title: Gilpin County, Colorado


text:
Garfield County, Colorado

Garfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 61,685. The county seat is Glenwood Springs. The county is named in honor of United States President James A. Garfield. Garfield County is included in the Glenwood Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Edwards-Glenwood Springs, CO Combined Statistical Area.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2956 sqmi, of which 2948 sqmi is land and 8.3 sqmi (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Rio Blanco County - north
 * Routt County - northeast
 * Eagle County - east
 * Pitkin County - southeast
 * Mesa County - south
 * Grand County, Utah - southwest
 * Uintah County, Utah - northwest

Major highways

 * I-70 (CO).svg Interstate 70
 * US 6.svg U.S. Highway 6
 * Colorado 13.svg State Highway 13
 * Colorado 82.svg State Highway 82
 * Colorado 133.svg State Highway 133
 * Colorado 139.svg State Highway 139
 * Colorado 325.svg State Highway 325
 * Colorado 139.svg State Highway 139
 * Colorado 325.svg State Highway 325

Protected areas

 * Flat Tops Wilderness
 * Grand Mesa National Forest
 * Harvey Gap State Park
 * Rifle Falls State Park
 * Rifle Gap State Park
 * Routt National Forest
 * White River National Forest

Scenic byways

 * Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway National Scenic Byway
 * Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway
 * West Elk Loop Scenic Byway

Demographics
The 2019 Census population estimate for Garfield County is 60,061, a 6.5% increase from the 2010 Census.

 * Population density per square mile: 19.1 (2010)
 * Race Estimations (2019)
 * White alone, not Hispanic or Latino (67.4%)
 * Hispanic or Latino (29.3%)
 * Black or African American alone (1.3%)
 * American Indian and Alaskan Native alone (1.7%)
 * Asian, alone (0.9%)
 * Two or more races (2.0%)
 * Age and Sex Estimations (2019)
 * Persons under 5 years of age (6.8%)
 * Persons under 18 years of age (24.9%)
 * Persons 65 years of age and over (13.8%)
 * Female persons (48.9%)
 * Housing
 * Housing units, 2019: (24,363)
 * Owner occupied housing unit rate, 2014-2018: (66.9%)
 * Persons per household, 2014-2018: (2.73)
 * Education (2014-2018)
 * High school graduate (87.5%)
 * Bachelor's degree or higher (30.0%)
 * Income and Poverty (2014 - 2018)
 * Median household income: ($72, 898)
 * Per capita income: $32,491)
 * Persons in poverty: (8.4%)

Education
Garfield County is served by three public school districts:
 * Roaring Fork School District RE-1, serving Glenwood Springs and Carbondale
 * Garfield County School District RE-2, serving Rifle, New Castle, and Silt
 * Garfield County School District 16, serving Parachute and Battlement Mesa

The county is also home to private schools, including Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale, St. Stephen Catholic School in Glenwood Springs, and Liberty Classical Academy in New Castle.

Higher Education
The county is home to multiple campuses of Colorado Mountain College, a community college serving much of western Colorado. CMC operates a flagship residential campus at Spring Valley, just south of Glenwood Springs. Additional branch campuses in Garfield County are located in Glenwood Springs, Rifle, and Carbondale.

Politics
Voting participation rates in Garfield County are above the U.S. national average. In the 2018 general election, 65% of eligible voters participated. In the 2020 presidential election, 84.47% eligible voters participated. The county leans slightly Republican based on vote totals in elections from 2008 to 2018, with an estimated range of 2 to 1,000 votes often determining candidate outcomes for the county.

Garfield County has primarily voted for Republican Party candidates in presidential elections throughout its history, with the county only failing to back the Republican candidate ten times from 1884 to 2020. Although the county includes the relatively liberal cities of Carbondale and Glenwood Springs, this is somewhat outweighed by the nearby towns of Rifle, Silt, Parachute, and Battlement Mesa. Until 2020, the most recent Democratic win was by Bill Clinton in 1992, but Republicans were held to a plurality of the county's votes in half of the six following presidential elections prior to 2020. Notably, Barack Obama lost the county to John McCain by two votes in 2008.

In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the county since Clinton in 1992, with about 50% of the vote. No Democratic presidential candidate has won a majority of the vote in the county since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, although in 2020, Biden was just 26 votes shy of having the majority of the vote in the county. The county's leftward trend continued significantly in 2022, during which it backed the Democratic candidates and eventual winners in every statewide race.

The county lies in Colorado's 3rd congressional district, represented by local Rifle resident Lauren Boebert.

Cities

 * Glenwood Springs
 * Rifle

Towns

 * Carbonate (ghost town)
 * Carbondale
 * New Castle
 * Parachute
 * Silt

Census-designated places

 * Battlement Mesa
 * Catherine
 * Cattle Creek
 * Chacra
 * Mulford
 * No Name

title: Garfield County, Colorado


text:
Fremont County, Colorado

Fremont County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,939. The county seat is Cañon City. The county is named for 19th-century explorer and presidential candidate John C. Frémont.

Fremont County comprises the Cañon City, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Pueblo-Cañon City, CO Combined Statistical Area.

Rural Fremont County is the location of 15 prisons; most of these are operated by the state. ADX Florence, the only federal Supermax prison in the United States, is in an unincorporated area in Fremont County, south of Florence, and is part of the Federal Correctional Complex, Florence. As of March 2015, Fremont County leads the nation among all counties as the one with the largest proportion of persons incarcerated. Prisoners are counted as part of the county population in the census, and 20% of residents are held in the prisons in the county.

History
Fremont County was founded in 1861, in central Colorado. It is named for John C. Frémont.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1534 sqmi, of which 1533 sqmi is land and 0.9 sqmi (0.06%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Teller County - north
 * El Paso County - northeast
 * Pueblo County - southeast
 * Custer County - south
 * Saguache County - southwest
 * Chaffee County - northwest
 * Park County - northwest

Major highways

 * US 50.svg U.S. Highway 50
 * Colorado 9.svg State Highway 9
 * Colorado 67.svg State Highway 67
 * Colorado 69.svg State Highway 69
 * Colorado 115.svg State Highway 115
 * Colorado 120.svg State Highway 120

National protected areas

 * Pike National Forest
 * San Isabel National Forest
 * Sangre de Cristo Wilderness

State protected area

 * Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

National scenic byway

 * Gold Belt Tour National Scenic and Historic Byway

Bicycle routes

 * American Discovery Trail
 * TransAmerica Trail Bicycle Route
 * Western Express Bicycle Route

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,145 people, 15,232 households, and 10,494 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 /mi2. There were 17,145 housing units at an average density of 11 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 89.52% White, 5.34% Black or African American, 1.53% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.22% from other races, and 1.82% from two or more races. 10.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,232 households, out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.60% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 33.40% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 133.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 143.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,150, and the median income for a family was $42,303. Males had a median income of $30,428 versus $23,112 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,420. About 8.30% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.80% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.

Sister cities

 * 🇯🇵 Kahoku, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
 * 🇷🇺 Valday, Russia

Government
Fremont County is governed by a board of county commissioners, one for each of the three separate districts in the county.
 * Kevin Grantham, District 1
 * Debbie Bell, District 2
 * Dwayne McFall, District 3

The daily operations of the county are controlled centrally from the County Administration Building, located in Cañon City. It houses the offices of both elected and appointed officials, including:
 * Stacey Seifert, assessor
 * Justin D Grantham, clerk and recorder
 * Randy Keller, coroner
 * Kathy Elliott, treasurer/public trustee
 * Allen Cooper, sheriff
 * John Kratz, surveyor
 * Tony Carochi, county manager

Corrections and prisons
Colorado Department of Corrections operates several prisons in the county. The department operates the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility in Cañon City. In addition several correctional facilities near Cañon City are located in unincorporated areas in the county. Colorado State Penitentiary, the location of the state death row and execution chamber, is in Fremont County. Other state prisons in Fremont County include Arrowhead Correctional Center, Centennial Correctional Facility, Fremont Correctional Facility, Four Mile Correctional Center, and Skyline Correctional Center.

The Colorado Women's Correctional Facility, near Cañon City in an unincorporated area, was decommissioned on June 4, 2009.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Federal Correctional Complex, Florence in Fremont County, which consists of several separate Federal prisons, including the only supermax facility in the federal system, home to many convicted terrorists and other notorious criminals.

Cities

 * Cañon City (County seat)
 * Florence

Towns

 * Brookside
 * Coal Creek
 * Rockvale
 * Williamsburg

Census-designated places

 * Coaldale
 * Cotopaxi
 * Howard
 * Lincoln Park
 * Park Center
 * Penrose

Other unincorporated communities

 * Hillside
 * Parkdale
 * Portland
 * Swissvale
 * Texas Creek
 * Wellsville

Ghost towns

 * Adelaide
 * Calcite
 * Chandler
 * Siloam
 * Whitehorn
 * Yorkville

title: Fremont County, Colorado


text:
Elbert County, Colorado

Elbert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,062. The county seat is Kiowa and the largest town is Elizabeth.

Elbert County is included in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Elbert County was created on February 2, 1874, from the eastern portions of Douglas County. On February 6, 1874, the county was enlarged to include part of northern Greenwood County upon Greenwood's dissolution, and originally extended south and east of its present boundaries to reach to the Kansas state line. The county was named for Samuel Hitt Elbert, the Governor of the Territory of Colorado when the county was formed. In 1889, Elbert County was reduced to its modern size when its eastern portions were taken to create Lincoln, Kit Carson, and Cheyenne counties.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1851 sqmi, of which 1851 sqmi is land and 0.2 sqmi (0.01%) is water.

Adjacent counties

 * Arapahoe County - north
 * Lincoln County - east
 * El Paso County - south
 * Douglas County - west

Major highways

 * I-70 (CO).svg Interstate 70
 * US 24.svg U.S. Highway 24
 * US 40.svg U.S. Highway 40
 * US 287.svg U.S. Highway 287
 * Colorado 86.svg State Highway 86
 * US 287.svg U.S. Highway 287
 * Colorado 86.svg State Highway 86

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 19,872 people, 6,770 households, and 5,652 families in the county. The population density was 11 /sqmi. There were 7,113 housing units at an average density of 4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 95.22% White, 0.64% Black or African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. 3.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 6,770 households 42.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.10% were married couples living together, 5.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.50% were non-families. 12.20% of households were one person and 3.10% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.19.

The age distribution was 30.20% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 32.80% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 6.00% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.90 males.

The median household income was $62,480 and the median family income was $66,740. Males had a median income of $45,329 versus $29,767 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,960. About 2.50% of families and 4.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.60% of those under age 18 and 4.50% of those age 65 or over.

Towns

 * Elizabeth
 * Kiowa
 * Simla

Census-designated places

 * Elbert
 * Matheson
 * Ponderosa Park

Other unincorporated places

 * Agate
 * Fondis

Politics
Elbert is a strongly Republican county in Presidential elections. Along with Rio Blanco County and Kit Carson County, it was one of three Colorado counties to be won by Alf Landon in 1936, and stood together with Hinsdale and Washington Counties by supporting Barry Goldwater over Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Elbert County was Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932.

Elbert County is in the 4th Congressional District and the current representative is Republican Ken Buck from Windsor.

In senatorial elections, the county has been similarly Republican. In gubernatorial elections, Elbert County has also generally been powerfully Republican, but was nonetheless carried by Democrat Roy Romer by a narrow margin in 1990 – when he carried all but four counties statewide – by Dick Lamm in 1982 and by Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo in 2010.

The official newspaper of record used by the county is the weekly Elbert County News. The weekly Ranchland News and monthly Prairie Times also cover local events.

title: Elbert County, Colorado


text:
El Paso County, Colorado

El Paso County is the most populous county located in the American state of Colorado. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 730,395, surpassing the City and County of Denver. The county seat is Colorado Springs, the second most populous city in Colorado. El Paso County is included in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
In July 1858, gold was discovered along the South Platte River in Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory. This discovery precipitated the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. Many residents of the mining region felt disconnected from the remote territorial governments of Kansas and Nebraska, so they voted to form their own Territory of Jefferson on October 24, 1859. The following month, the Jefferson Territorial Legislature organized 12 counties for the new territory including El Paso County. El Paso County was named for the Spanish language name for Ute Pass north of Pikes Peak. Colorado City served as the county seat of El Paso County.

The Jefferson Territory never received federal sanction, but on February 28, 1861, U.S. President James Buchanan signed an act organizing the Territory of Colorado. El Paso County was one of the original 17 counties created by the Colorado legislature on November 1, 1861. Part of its western territory was broken off to create Teller County in 1899. Originally based in Old Colorado City (now part of Colorado Springs, not today's Colorado City between Pueblo and Walsenburg), El Paso County's county seat was moved to Colorado Springs in 1873.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2130 sqmi, of which 2127 sqmi are land and 2.7 sqmi (0.1%) are covered by water.

Adjacent counties

 * Douglas County - north
 * Elbert County - northeast
 * Lincoln County - east
 * Crowley County - southeast
 * Pueblo County - south
 * Fremont County - southwest
 * Teller County - west

Major highways

 * I-25 (CO).svg Interstate 25
 * (Nevada Avenue)
 * US 24.svg U.S. Highway 24
 * US 85.svg U.S. Highway 85
 * Colorado 16.svg State Highway 16 (Mesa Ridge Parkway)
 * Colorado 21.svg State Highway 21 (Powers Boulevard)
 * Colorado 83.svg State Highway 83 (In El Paso County, CO SH-83 begins with the intersection of CO SH-21)
 * Colorado 94.svg State Highway 94
 * Colorado 105.svg State Highway 105
 * Colorado 115.svg State Highway 115

National protected area

 * Pike National Forest

State protected area

 * Cheyenne Mountain State Park

Historic sites

 * Pikes Peak National Historic Landmark
 * USAFA Cadet Area National Historic District
 * Old Colorado City (National Register of Historic Districts)
 * Manitou Springs (National Register of Historic Districts)

Trails

 * American Discovery Trail
 * Barr National Recreation Trail
 * Bear Creek Cañon Park
 * Bear Creek Regional Park and Nature Center
 * Calhan Paint Mines
 * Fountain Creek Nature Center
 * The Incline
 * New Santa Fe Trail
 * Pikes Peak Greenway
 * White House Ranch National Recreation Trail

2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 730,395 people, 272,683 households, and 185,830 families residing in the county. The population density was 343.5 /mi2. There were 287,459 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 82.6% White, 6.9% Black or African American, 1.4% Native American, 3.4% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, and 5.4% from two or more races. About 18.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

K-12 Education
El Paso County is home to 17 public school districts, in addition to several private schools. In the 2023–2024 school year, Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 in Colorado Springs was ranked the #1 public school district in Colorado. Academy School District 20 (Colorado Springs) and Lewis-Palmer School District 38 (Monument) were ranked #8 and #10, respectively.

Higher Education
El Paso County is home to several colleges and universities. The United States Air Force Academy is located immediately north of Colorado Springs, serving as both a university and a functional U.S. Air Force base. Also in the county are the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs, Colorado College, Pikes Peak State College, Colorado Technical University, and IntelliTec College, all located in Colorado Springs.

Government
El Paso County is located in Colorado's 5th congressional district, except for the far eastern extremities, which are located in the 4th. The county is governed by a board of county commissioners. Its current members are Holly Williams in district 1, Carrie Geitner in district 2, Stan VanderWerf in district 3, Longinos Gonzales Jr in district 4, and Cami Bremer in district 5.

In 2004, the voters of Colorado Springs and El Paso County established the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) and adopted a 1% sales tax dedicated to improving the region's transportation infrastructure. Together with state funding for COSMIX (2007 completion) and the I-25 interchange with Highway 16 (2008 completion), significant progress has been made since 2003 in addressing the transportation needs of the area. In 2012, the county voted to legalize marijuana. On March 12, 2019, the county commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to become a Second Amendment sanctuary.

The Colorado Department of Corrections has its headquarters in an unincorporated area in the county.

Top employers
According to the City's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the county are:

Libraries
The Pikes Peak Library District provides library services through its 15 branches and bookmobiles to the residents of El Paso County, with the exception of Widefield School District 3. The mission of the District is "Providing resources and opportunities that impact individual lives and build community. Seek. Engage. Transform."

Politics
El Paso is quite conservative for a large urban county, although it has become less so since the 2010s. Its conservative bent predates the influence of its large military and Evangelical Christian populations. Since its creation in 1871, El Paso County has typically voted for the Republican presidential candidate in presidential elections; the last Democratic nominee to win the county was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Even then, Barry Goldwater got nearly 46% of the county's vote. It has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1920, except for the Democratic landslides of 1936 and 1964.

Dick Lamm in 1982 remains the last Democrat to win the county in a gubernatorial election. Eight years later, the county was one of only four in the state to back governor Roy Romer's opponent John Andrews. Jared Polis in 2022 came within 4% of winning the county. The last Democrat to win the county in a Senate election was Gary Hart in 1974.

Military installations
El Paso County is home to Army, Air Force and Space Force bases. These military installations border Colorado Springs to the north, south, and east, aside from Schriever Space Force Base, which is located about 10 miles east of Peterson Space Force Base.

Fort Carson
Fort Carson, "The Mountain Post", is located just south of Colorado Springs at the base of the Rocky Mountains. It was established in 1942, following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The city of Colorado Springs purchased land south of the city and donated it to the War Department. Construction began immediately and the first building, the camp headquarters, was completed January 31, 1942. Camp Carson was named in honor of the legendary Army scout Gen. Christopher "Kit" Carson, who explored much of the West in the 1800s. Camp Carson became Fort Carson in 1954. An additional training area was purchased in September 1983 and is called Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS).

Currently, Fort Carson is the home of 4th Infantry Division and several other units, including 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), the Colorado National Guard Regional Training Institute and PCMS, which is a maneuver training site for Fort Carson located near Trinidad, Colorado. The installation totals about 137,000 acres and PCMS is roughly 236,000 acres. Fort Carson has around 3,000 family housing units and 66 soldier barracks with 8,132 rooms. Services on the installation include four elementary schools, one middle school, a commissary, an exchange, and Evans Army Community Hospital, as well as Army Community Service facilities to include child development centers and youth centers and family morale, welfare, and recreation facilities to include a bowling alley, golf course, and numerous parks.

Fort Carson's economic impact on Colorado Springs and the surrounding communities was approximately $2.3 billion during fiscal year 2014. Fort Carson has about 24,300 soldiers on the installation, with 44,700 family members. The installation also has around 8,000 veterans and 3,300 civilians.

Peterson Space Force Base

The Space Force has critical aspects of their service based at Colorado Springs, which carry on missile defense operations and development. The Space Force bases a large section of its national missile defense operations here, with Peterson Space Force Base set to operate large sections of the program. The base is also home to Space Force's Space Operations Command, and to NORAD headquarters. Peterson SFB is currently the headquarters of the operations-half of Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Strategic Command.

Peterson is also headquarters for the United States Northern Command, one of the Unified Combatant Commands, which directs all branches of the U.S. military operations in their area of responsibility, which includes the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, and Mexico. In the event of national emergencies, the President or Secretary of Defense can call upon the command for any required military assistance. Service members from every branch of the US military are stationed at the command.

Peterson SFB is the current, possibly temporary home for US Space Command, another Unified Combatant Command, whose area of operations is global operations occurring 50 miles or greater above the Earth.

Schriever Space Force Base (formerly Schriever AFB and Falcon AFB)
Schriever Space Force Base is home to several Space Force mission Deltas, responsible for the operation and support of 175 Department of Defense satellites and installation support to 16 major tenant units, with a workforce of more than 7,700 personnel. It is the location of the Global Positioning System (GPS) master control station and GPS Operations Center and the US Naval Observatory Alternate Master Clock, used to synchronize GPS satellite time. Schriever is also developing parts of national missile defense and runs parts of the annual wargames used by the nation's military. The base indirectly contributes an estimated $1 billion to the local Colorado Springs, CO area annually.

United States Air Force Academy

Bordering the northwestern side of the city are the grounds of the United States Air Force Academy, where cadets train to become officers in the Air Force and Space Force. The campus is famous for its unique chapel, and draws visitors year round. Most of the Air Force Academy's sports programs participate in the Mountain West Conference.

Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station (formerly Air Force Station)
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), headquartered on Peterson SFB, has a presence in Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station. When it was built at the height of the Cold War, NORAD caused some anxiety for the residents in and around Colorado Springs, who believed the installation would be a primary target during a nuclear attack. Although NORAD still operates today, it is primarily given the task of the tracking of ICBMs, and the military has recently decided to place Cheyenne Mountain's NORAD/NORTHCOM operations on warm standby and move operations to nearby Peterson Air Force Base.

Cities

 * Colorado Springs
 * Fountain
 * Manitou Springs

Towns

 * Calhan
 * Green Mountain Falls
 * Monument
 * Palmer Lake
 * Ramah

Census-designated places

 * Air Force Academy
 * Black Forest
 * Cascade-Chipita Park
 * Cimarron Hills
 * Ellicott
 * Fort Carson
 * Gleneagle
 * Peyton
 * Rock Creek Park
 * Security-Widefield
 * Stratmoor
 * Woodmoor

Other unincorporated communities

 * Crystola
 * Eastonville
 * Falcon
 * La Foret
 * Rush
 * Truckton
 * Yoder

title: El Paso County, Colorado


text:
Eagle County, Colorado

Eagle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,731. The county seat is the Town of Eagle and the most populous community is Edwards. The county is named for the Eagle River.

Eagle County comprises the Edwards, Colorado, Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Eagle County was created by the Colorado legislature on February 11, 1883, from portions of Summit County. It was named after the Eagle River, which runs through the county. The county seat was originally set in Red Cliff, Colorado, but was moved to the town of Eagle in 1921.

The Ground Hog Mine, near Red Cliff, produced gold and silver in two vertical veins in 1887. One vein, or "chimney", contained gold in crystalline form, cemented by iron, while the other contained wire gold in the form of "ram's horns". One of these ram's horns is now on display in the Harvard Mineralogical Museum.

Geography
The highest elevation in the county is the Mount of the Holy Cross which rises to 14011 ft above sea level. The lowest elevation is on the Colorado River at 6128 ft. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1692 sqmi, of which 1685 sqmi is land and 7.3 sqmi (0.4%) is water.

Much of the county is taken up by White River National Forest, and much of the rest is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Interstate 70 crosses the county from east to west.

The Eagle River rises in the southeastern part of the county. It receives Gore Creek at Dowds Junction, and joins the Colorado River in the west. The Fryingpan River and the Roaring Fork River intersect the southwest corner of the county.

Adjacent counties

 * Grand County – northeast
 * Summit County – east
 * Lake County – south
 * Pitkin County – southwest
 * Garfield County – west
 * Routt County – northwest

Major highways

 * I-70 (CO).svg Interstate 70
 * US 6.svg U.S. Highway 6
 * US 24.svg U.S. Highway 24
 * Colorado 82.svg State Highway 82
 * Colorado 131.svg State Highway 131
 * US 24.svg U.S. Highway 24
 * Colorado 82.svg State Highway 82
 * Colorado 131.svg State Highway 131

National protected areas

 * White River National Forest
 * Eagles Nest Wilderness
 * Flat Tops Wilderness
 * Holy Cross Wilderness

State protected area

 * Sylvan Lake State Park

Trails

 * Colorado Trail
 * Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
 * Two Elk National Recreation Trail
 * Vail Pass National Recreation Trail

Scenic byways

 * Colorado River Headwaters National Scenic Byway
 * Top of the Rockies National Scenic Byway

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 41,659 people, 15,148 households, and 9,013 families living in the county. The population density was 25 /mi2. There were 22,111 housing units at an average density of 13 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 85.4% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 10.8% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. 23.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,148 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 42.1% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 3.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 121.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 125.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $62,682, and the median income for a family was $68,226. Males had a median income of $37,603 versus $30,579 for females. The per capita income for the county was $32,011. About 3.9% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Public education
Eagle County is served by Eagle County School District RE-50J. The district operates eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and three high schools across Eagle County.

Private/other education

 * Vail Christian High School (Edwards)
 * Vail Mountain School (Vail)
 * Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy (Minturn)

Higher education
Colorado Mountain College, a community college serving much of western Colorado, operates its Vail Valley campus in Edwards.

Life expectancy
According to a report in JAMA, residents of Eagle County had a life expectancy from birth of 85.94 years in 2014, the third-longest in the United States. Men live 84.4 years on the average and women live 87.6 years. Two contiguous counties, Summit and Pitkin counties, rank numbers one and two in the nation in life expectancy.

Factors contributing to the high life expectancy of the three Colorado counties are "high education, high income, high access to medical care, the people are physically active, obesity is lower than anywhere else – so you're doing it right." said Ali Mokdad, one of the study's co-authors.

Towns

 * Avon
 * Basalt (part; extends into Pitkin County)
 * Eagle
 * Gypsum
 * Minturn
 * Red Cliff
 * Vail

Census-designated places

 * Dotsero
 * Edwards
 * El Jebel
 * Fulford
 * McCoy
 * Wolcott

Other unincorporated places

 * Beaver Creek
 * Bond
 * Burns
 * Eagle-Vail
 * Sheephorn
 * Sweetwater

Ghost towns

 * Gilman
 * Holy Cross City

title: Eagle County, Colorado


text:
Talk:Douglas County, Colorado

Untitled
The "History" section states that the Colorado Territory was established in November of 1861, but it was actually February of 1861 (see https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/colorado-territory). I was going to correct it, but then that makes the entire next sentence false. Douglas was still alive when they named the county? Help? 06/26/2020 User:K.Grey

Wondering how to edit this U.S. County Entry? The WikiProject U.S. Counties standards might help. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ram-Man (talk • contribs) 19:01, 30 September 2002 (UTC)

"it was the only one of the top 15 not in the vicinity of New York or Washington." untrue. Los Alamos Co, NM has always been ranked in the top 10 for the last 20 or so years. (http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2010/12/20/the-10-top-earning-counties-in-america/) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.185.88.121 (talk) 18:21, 20 December 2010 (UTC)

Can someone update the forest fire results? -- Zoe

Fastest growing county in the U.S.?
Here's an interesting fact: "Douglas County, Colorado, had the highest percent increase in population between 1990 and 2000."

Maybe it should say this rather than "one of the fastest growing areas..." as it does now.

from http://www.censusscope.org/us/map_popchange_90-00.html

- CoreyK

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title: Talk:Douglas County, Colorado