List of counties in Colorado
Counties
Table:
County

FIPS code[1][2]

County seat[3][4]

Established[5]

Formed from[5]

Etymology[5]

Population[6]

Area[3]

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.

441,603

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.

15,445

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.

572,003

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.

12,084

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.

3,788

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.

6,499

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.

294,567

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.

55,889

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.

17,809

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.

1,836

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.

9,088

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.

8,256

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.

3,524

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.

5,823

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.

4,255

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.

30,952

1,149.44 sq mi
(2,977 km2)

City and County of Denver

031

Denver
1902-11-15
The original Arapahoe County Seat was split from Arapahoe County 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.

600,158

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.

2,064

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.

285,465

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.

52,197

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.

622,263

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.

23,086

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.

46,824

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.

56,389

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.

5,441

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.

14,843

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.

15,324

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.

843

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. Huerfano is a Spanish word meaning orphan.

6,711

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.

1,394

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.

534,543

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.

1,398

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.

8,270

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.

51,334

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.

7,310

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.

299,630

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.

15,507

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.

5,467

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.

22,709

1,845.31 sq mi
(4,779 km2)

Mesa County

077

Grand Junction
1883-02-14
Split from Gunnison County.
Named for the mesa formations which are widespread through the area.

146,723

3,345.69 sq mi
(8,665 km2)

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.

712

878.16 sq mi
(2,274 km2)

Moffat County

081

Craig
1911-02-27
Split from Routt County.
Named in honor of railroad pioneer David H. Moffat.

13,795

4,755.86 sq mi
(12,318 km2)

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.

25,535

2,035.80 sq mi
(5,273 km2)

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.

41,276

2,246.43 sq mi
(5,818 km2)

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.

28,159

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.

18,831

1,267.66 sq mi
(3,283 km2)

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.

4,436

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.

16,206

2,209.36 sq mi
(5,722 km2)

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.

4,442

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.

17,148

970.37 sq mi
(2,513 km2)

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.

12,551

1,645.37 sq mi
(4,261 km2)

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.

159,063

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.

6,666

3,226.24 sq mi
(8,356 km2)

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.

11,982

913.10 sq mi
(2,365 km2)

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.

23,509

2,362.11 sq mi
(6,118 km2)

Saguache County

109

Saguache
1866-12-29
Split from Lake and Costilla counties.
Name comes from a Ute language noun meaning "sand dunes".[7][8]

6,108

3,168.32 sq mi
(8,206 km2)

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.

699

388.99 sq mi
(1,007 km2)

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.

7,359

1,290.76 sq mi
(3,343 km2)

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).

2,379

548.83 sq mi
(1,421 km2)

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.

27,994

618.92 sq mi
(1,603 km2)

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.

23,350

558.58 sq mi
(1,447 km2)

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.

4,814

2,522.90 sq mi
(6,534 km2)

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.

252,825

4,013.84 sq mi
(10,396 km2)

Yuma County

125

Wray
1889-03-15
Split from Washington County.
Named for the Quechan (Yuma) Nation of Native Americans.

10,043

2,369.61 sq mi
(6,137 km2)

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