List of counties in Colorado
The U.S. state of Colorado has a total of 64 counties. Two of these counties, the City and County of Denver and the City and County of Broomfield, have consolidated city and county governments.
Colorado's postal abbreviation is CO and its FIPS code is 08.
List
County |
FIPS code[1][a] | County seat[2][3] | Established[4] | Formed from[4] | Meaning of name[4] | Population (2020)[5] | Area[2] | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adams County | 001 | Brighton | 1902-11-15 | Split from Arapahoe County. | Named in honor of Alva Adams, the 5th, 10th, and 14th Governor of the State of Colorado. | 519,572 | 1,182.29 sq mi (3,062 km2) |
|
Alamosa County | 003 | Alamosa | 1913-03-08 | Split from Costilla County and Conejos County. | Named for the cottonwood trees which grow along the Rio Grande and its tributaries. Alamosa is a Spanish word for a cottonwood grove. | 16,376 | 723.21 sq mi (1,873 km2) |
|
Arapahoe County | 005 | Littleton | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. Renamed South Arapahoe County for the five months from November 15, 1902 to April 11, 1903. | Named for predecessor Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory, which in turn was named for the Arapaho Nation of Native Americans. | 655,070 | 804.41 sq mi (2,083 km2) |
|
Archuleta County | 007 | Pagosa Springs | 1885-04-14 | Split from Conejos County. | Named in honor of Colorado State Senator Antonio D. Archuleta and his father, José Manuel Archuleta. | 13,359 | 1,354.53 sq mi (3,508 km2) |
|
Baca County | 009 | Springfield | 1889-04-16 | Split from Las Animas County. | Named in honor of pioneer and Colorado territorial legislator Felipe Baca. | 3,506 | 2,558.48 sq mi (6,626 km2) |
|
Bent County | 011 | Las Animas | 1870-02-11 | Split from Huerfano County and former Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal land. | Named in honor of frontier trader William Bent. | 5,650 | 1,541.07 sq mi (3,991 km2) |
|
Boulder County | 013 | Boulder | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named for the abundance of granite boulders along Boulder Creek. | 330,758 | 740.48 sq mi (1,918 km2) |
|
City and County of Broomfield | 014 | Broomfield | 2001-11-15 | Split from Boulder, Adams, Jefferson, and Weld counties and reorganized as a consolidated city and county. | Named for the broom corn that was formerly grown in the area. | 74,112 | 33.57 sq mi (87 km2) |
|
Chaffee County | 015 | Salida | 1879-02-10 | Split from Carbonate County. | Named in honor of Jerome Bunty Chaffee, one of Colorado's first two U.S. Senators from 1876 to 1879. | 19,476 | 1,014.12 sq mi (2,627 km2) |
|
Cheyenne County | 017 | Cheyenne Wells | 1889-03-25 | Split from Elbert and Bent counties. | Named for the Cheyenne Nation of Native Americans. | 1,748 | 1,781.90 sq mi (4,615 km2) |
|
Clear Creek County | 019 | Georgetown | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named for Clear Creek which originates in the county. | 9,397 | 396.53 sq mi (1,027 km2) |
|
Conejos County | 021 | Conejos | 1861-11-01 | Guadalupe County, one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado, was renamed Conejos County after six days on November 7, 1861. | Named for the cottontail rabbits in the area. Conejos is a Spanish word for rabbits. | 7,461 | 1,290.22 sq mi (3,342 km2) |
|
Costilla County | 023 | San Luis | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named for the Costilla River. Costilla is a Spanish word meaning either little rib or furring timber. | 3,499 | 1,229.38 sq mi (3,184 km2) |
|
Crowley County | 025 | Ordway | 1911-05-29 | Split from Otero County. | Named in honor of Colorado State Senator John H. Crowley. | 5,922 | 800.27 sq mi (2,073 km2) |
|
Custer County | 027 | Westcliffe | 1877-03-09 | Split from Fremont County. | Named in memory of George Armstrong Custer, (1839 - 1876), the U.S. Army colonel defeated and killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. | 4,704 | 739.24 sq mi (1,915 km2) |
|
Delta County | 029 | Delta | 1883-02-11 | Split from Gunnison County. | Named for the town of Delta located at the delta of the Uncompahgre River. | 31,196 | 1,149.44 sq mi (2,977 km2) |
|
City and County of Denver | 031 | Denver | 1902-12-01 | The original Arapahoe County Seat was split from Arapahoe and the newly-created Adams Counties, and reorganized as a consolidated city and county. | Named to curry favor with James W. Denver, Governor of the Territory of Kansas from 1857 to 1859. | 715,522 | 155.66 sq mi (403 km2) |
|
Dolores County | 033 | Dove Creek | 1881-03-04 | Split from Ouray County. | Named for the Dolores River, which was originally named el Rio de Nuestra Senora de los Dolores, which is Spanish for the River of our Lady of Sorrows. | 2,326 | 1,076.93 sq mi (2,789 km2) |
|
Douglas County | 035 | Castle Rock | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named in honor of Stephen Arnold Douglas, (1813 - 1861), U.S. Senator from Illinois from 1847 to 1861. | 357,978 | 842.30 sq mi (2,182 km2) |
|
Eagle County | 037 | Eagle | 1883-02-11 | Split from Summit County. | Named for the Eagle River which originates in the county. | 55,731 | 1,700.76 sq mi (4,405 km2) |
|
El Paso County | 041 | Colorado Springs | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named for Ute Pass, which connects the Great Plains to South Park and was formerly located within the county. El Paso means the pass in Spanish. | 730,395 | 2,128.60 sq mi (5,513 km2) |
|
Elbert County | 039 | Kiowa | 1874-02-02 | Split from Douglas County. | Named in honor of Samuel Hitt Elbert, the sixth Governor of the Territory of Colorado. | 26,062 | 1,849.08 sq mi (4,789 km2) |
|
Fremont County | 043 | Cañon City | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named in honor of John Charles Frémont (1813 - 1890), the explorer, U.S. Army general, and U.S. Senator from California. | 48,939 | 1,533.09 sq mi (3,971 km2) |
|
Garfield County | 045 | Glenwood Springs | 1883-02-10 | Split from Summit County. | Named in honor of James Abram Garfield (1831 - 1881), the twentieth President of the United States. | 61,685 | 2,958.23 sq mi (7,662 km2) |
|
Gilpin County | 047 | Central City | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named in honor of William Gilpin, the first Governor of the Territory of Colorado. | 5,808 | 150.15 sq mi (389 km2) |
|
Grand County | 049 | Hot Sulphur Springs | 1874-02-02 | Split from Summit County. | Named for the Grand River which originates in the county. The Grand River was renamed the Colorado River in 1921, but the county retains the original name. | 15,717 | 1,868.53 sq mi (4,839 km2) |
|
Gunnison County | 051 | Gunnison | 1877-03-09 | Split from Lake County. | Named in honor of John Williams Gunnison, the U.S. Army captain who explored the region. | 16,918 | 3,259.22 sq mi (8,441 km2) |
|
Hinsdale County | 053 | Lake City | 1874-02-10 | Split from Lake, Conejos, and Costilla counties. | Named in honor of George Aaron Hinsdale, a Lieutenant Governor of the Territory of Colorado. | 788 | 1,123.35 sq mi (2,909 km2) |
|
Huerfano County | 055 | Walsenburg | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named for Huerfano Butte, a solitary volcanic plug. Huérfano is a Spanish word meaning orphan. | 6,820 | 1,592.37 sq mi (4,124 km2) |
|
Jackson County | 057 | Walden | 1909-05-05 | Split from Larimer County. | Named in honor of Andrew Jackson (1767 - 1845), the seventh President of the United States. | 1,379 | 1,619.75 sq mi (4,195 km2) |
|
Jefferson County | 059 | Golden | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named for its extralegal predecessor county, Jefferson County, Jefferson Territory, which in turn was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826), the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States. | 582,910 | 772.85 sq mi (2,002 km2) |
|
Kiowa County | 061 | Eads | 1889-04-11 | Split from Bent County. | Named for the Kiowa Nation of Native Americans. | 1,446 | 1,785.90 sq mi (4,625 km2) |
|
Kit Carson County | 063 | Burlington | 1889-04-11 | Split from Elbert County. | Named in honor of Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson, the famous frontier scout and soldier. | 7,087 | 2,162.43 sq mi (5,601 km2) |
|
La Plata County | 067 | Durango | 1874-02-10 | Split from Lake and Conejos counties. | Named for the many silver deposits in the area. La plata is a Spanish expression for the silver. | 55,638 | 1,700.44 sq mi (4,404 km2) |
|
Lake County | 065 | Leadville | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. Renamed Carbonate County for the two days from February 8–10, 1879. | Named for the Twin Lakes in the county. | 7,436 | 383.55 sq mi (993 km2) |
|
Larimer County | 069 | Fort Collins | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named in honor of William Larimer, a pioneer entrepreneur. | 359,066 | 2,631.75 sq mi (6,816 km2) |
|
Las Animas County | 071 | Trinidad | 1866-02-09 | Split from Huerfano County. | Named for the Purgatoire River, which was originally named el Rio de las Animas Perdidas, which is Spanish for the River of the Souls in Purgatory. | 14,555 | 4,773.27 sq mi (12,363 km2) |
|
Lincoln County | 073 | Hugo | 1889-04-11 | Split from Elbert and Bent counties. | Named in honor of Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865), the sixteenth President of the United States. | 5,675 | 2,585.21 sq mi (6,696 km2) |
|
Logan County | 075 | Sterling | 1887-02-25 | Split from Weld County. | Named in honor of John Alexander Logan (1826 - 1886), a U.S. Army general and U.S. Senator from Illinois. | 21,528 | 1,845.31 sq mi (4,779 km2) |
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Mesa County | 077 | Grand Junction | 1883-02-14 | Split from Gunnison County. | Named for the mesa formations which are widespread through the area. | 155,703 | 3,345.69 sq mi (8,665 km2) |
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Mineral County | 079 | Creede | 1893-03-27 | Split from Hinsdale, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties. | Named from the plentiful mineral deposits found in the area. | 865 | 878.16 sq mi (2,274 km2) |
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Moffat County | 081 | Craig | 1911-02-27 | Split from Routt County. | Named in honor of railroad pioneer David H. Moffat. | 13,292 | 4,755.86 sq mi (12,318 km2) |
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Montezuma County | 083 | Cortez | 1889-04-16 | Split from La Plata County. | Named in honor of Aztec leader Moctezuma II. Ruins in the area were once thought to be Aztec. | 25,849 | 2,035.80 sq mi (5,273 km2) |
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Montrose County | 085 | Montrose | 1883-02-11 | Split from Gunnison County. | Named for the town of Montrose, which in turn was probably named from the novel A Legend of Montrose, published in 1819 by Walter Scott. | 42,679 | 2,246.43 sq mi (5,818 km2) |
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Morgan County | 087 | Fort Morgan | 1889-02-19 | Split from Weld County. | Named for old Fort Morgan, which in turn was named in honor of U.S. Army Colonel Christopher A. Morgan. | 29,111 | 1,293.83 sq mi (3,351 km2) |
|
Otero County | 089 | La Junta | 1889-03-25 | Split from Bent County. | Named in honor of Miguel A. Otero of the prominent Otero family of the Southwest. | 18,690 | 1,267.66 sq mi (3,283 km2) |
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Ouray County | 091 | Ouray | 1877-01-18 | Split from Hinsdale and Lake counties. Renamed Uncompaghre County for four days from 1883-02-27, to 1883-03-02. | Named in honor of Ouray, a Ute Native American leader. | 4,874 | 542.30 sq mi (1,405 km2) |
|
Park County | 093 | Fairplay | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named for South Park which occupies most of the county. | 17,390 | 2,209.36 sq mi (5,722 km2) |
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Phillips County | 095 | Holyoke | 1889-03-27 | Split from Logan County. | Named in honor of R.O. Phillips, secretary of the Lincoln Land Company, which sold farmsteads in the area. | 4,530 | 688.30 sq mi (1,783 km2) |
|
Pitkin County | 097 | Aspen | 1881-02-23 | Split from Gunnison County. | Named in honor of Frederick Walker Pitkin, the second Governor of the State of Colorado. | 17,358 | 970.37 sq mi (2,513 km2) |
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Prowers County | 099 | Lamar | 1889-04-11 | Split from Bent County. | Named in honor of John W. Prowers, a pioneer of the Arkansas River valley. | 11,999 | 1,645.37 sq mi (4,261 km2) |
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Pueblo County | 101 | Pueblo | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named for historic town of Pueblo. Pueblo is a Spanish word meaning village or people. | 168,162 | 2,396.77 sq mi (6,208 km2) |
|
Rio Blanco County | 103 | Meeker | 1889-03-25 | Split from Garfield County. | Named for the White River, which was originally named Rio Blanco in Spanish. | 6,529 | 3,226.24 sq mi (8,356 km2) |
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Rio Grande County | 105 | Del Norte | 1874-02-10 | Split from Costilla County and Conejos County counties. | Named for the Rio Grande, which flows through the area. | 11,539 | 913.10 sq mi (2,365 km2) |
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Routt County | 107 | Steamboat Springs | 1877-01-29 | Split from Grand County. | Named in honor of John Long Routt, the first Governor of the State of Colorado. | 24,829 | 2,362.11 sq mi (6,118 km2) |
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Saguache County | 109 | Saguache | 1866-12-29 | Split from Lake and Costilla counties. | Name comes from a Ute language noun meaning "sand dunes".[b][6] | 6,368 | 3,168.32 sq mi (8,206 km2) |
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San Juan County | 111 | Silverton | 1876-01-31 | Split from Lake County. | Named for the San Juan River and San Juan Mountains, which in turn were named for Saint John the Evangelist. | 705 | 388.99 sq mi (1,007 km2) |
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San Miguel County | 113 | Telluride | 1883-03-02 | Split from San Juan County. | Named for the San Miguel River and San Miguel Mountains, which in turn were named for Saint Michael the Archangel. | 8,072 | 1,290.76 sq mi (3,343 km2) |
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Sedgwick County | 115 | Julesburg | 1889-04-09 | Split from Logan County. | Named for Fort Sedgwick, which, in turn, was named for U.S. Army General John Sedgwick (1813 - 1864). | 2,404 | 548.83 sq mi (1,421 km2) |
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Summit County | 117 | Breckenridge | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named for the many high mountain summits in the area. | 31,055 | 618.92 sq mi (1,603 km2) |
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Teller County | 119 | Cripple Creek | 1899-03-23 | Split from El Paso and Fremont counties. | Named in honor of Henry Moore Teller, a U.S. Senator from Colorado and United States Secretary of the Interior. | 24,710 | 558.58 sq mi (1,447 km2) |
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Washington County | 121 | Akron | 1887-02-09 | Split from Weld County. | Named in honor of George Washington (1732 - 1799), the first President of the United States. | 4,817 | 2,522.90 sq mi (6,534 km2) |
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Weld County | 123 | Greeley | 1861-11-01 | Created as one of the 17 original counties of the Territory of Colorado. | Named in honor of Lewis Ledyard Weld, the first Secretary of the Territory of Colorado. | 328,981 | 4,013.84 sq mi (10,396 km2) |
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Yuma County | 125 | Wray | 1889-03-15 | Split from Washington County. | Named for the Quechan (Yuma) Nation of Native Americans. | 9,988 | 2,369.61 sq mi (6,137 km2) |
List Of Counties In Colorado Media
The location of the State of Colorado in the United States of America.
Notes
- ↑ The ANSI INCITS 31:2009 county code is the five-digit code which uniquely identifies counties and county equivalents in the United States. The three-digit number is unique to each individual county within a state, but to be unique within the entire United States, it must be prefixed by the two-digit ANSI INCITS 31:2009 state code. This means that, for example, while Adams County, Colorado is 001, Belknap County, New Hampshire and Alachua County, Florida are also 001. To uniquely identify Adams County, Colorado, one must use the state code of 08 plus the county code of 001; therefore, the unique nationwide identifier for Adams County, Colorado is 08001. The links in the column INCITS are to the Census Bureau Info page for that county.
- ↑ The name "Saguache" is pronounced /səˈwætʃ/. This name comes from the Ute language noun "sawup" /səˈwʌp/ meaning "sand dunes". The Spanish language version of this name is usually spelled "Saguache", while the English language version is usually spelled "Sawatch".
References
- ↑ "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 National Association of Counties. "NACo - Find a county". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
- ↑ "Colorado County Seats". State of Colorado, Department of Public Health and Environment. 2007-01-30. Retrieved 2007-01-30.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Colorado Government History". State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives. 2001-04-18. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ↑ "Census QuickFacts: Colorado". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
- ↑ Merkl, Dameon (February 26, 2013), "What's in a Colorado name pronunciation?", The Denver Post, retrieved March 7, 2013