Alamosa County, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Alamosa County is one of the 64 counties
of the state of Colorado of the United States
. The county name is the Spanish language
word for a "grove
of cottonwood trees." The county population was 14,966 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat
is Alamosa
.
.
of 2000, there were 14,966 people, 5,467 households, and 3,651 families residing in the county. The population density
was 21 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 6,088 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.19% White
, 0.97% Black
or African American
, 2.34% Native American
, 0.82% Asian
, 0.19% Pacific Islander
, 20.34% from other races
, and 4.16% from two or more races. 41.41% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 5,467 households out of which 35.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.50% were married couples
living together, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.20% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.20% under the age of 18, 15.90% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,447, and the median income for a family was $38,389. Males had a median income of $27,733 versus $22,806 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $15,037. About 15.60% of families and 21.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.40% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.
In 2000, the largest denominational groups were Catholic
s (with 5,716 members) and Evangelical Protestants (with 1,755 members). The largest religious bodies were The Catholic Church (with 5,716 adherents) and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(with 1,155 adherents).
. The only commercial service is to Denver.
Colorado counties
The U.S state of Colorado is divided into 64 counties. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions, such as townships...
of the state of Colorado of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The county name is the Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
word for a "grove
Grove (nature)
A grove is a small group of trees with minimal or no undergrowth, such as a sequoia grove, or a small orchard planted for the cultivation of fruits or nuts...
of cottonwood trees." The county population was 14,966 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Alamosa
Alamosa, Colorado
The city of Alamosa is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 8,682 in 2005...
.
History
Alamosa County was created by the Colorado legislature on March 8, 1913, out of northwestern Costilla CountyCostilla County, Colorado
Costilla County is the ninth least populous of the 64 counties in the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 3,663 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is San Luis, the oldest town in Colorado.- History :...
.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 723.53 square miles (1,873.9 km²), of which 722.74 square miles (1,871.9 km²) (or 99.89%) is land and 0.78 square miles (2 km²) (or 0.11%) is water.Adjacent counties
- Saguache County, ColoradoSaguache County, ColoradoSaguache County is the seventh most extensive of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county name comes from a Ute language word meaning “blue earth” or “water at blue earth”. The county population was 5,917 at U.S. Census 2000...
- north - Huerfano County, ColoradoHuerfano County, ColoradoHuerfano County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named for the Huerfano Butte, a local landmark. The county population was 7,862 at U.S. Census 2000...
- east - Costilla County, ColoradoCostilla County, ColoradoCostilla County is the ninth least populous of the 64 counties in the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 3,663 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is San Luis, the oldest town in Colorado.- History :...
- southeast - Conejos County, ColoradoConejos County, ColoradoConejos County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county population was 8,400 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the unincorporated town of Conejos.-History:...
- southwest - Rio Grande County, ColoradoRio Grande County, ColoradoRio Grande County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named for the Rio Grande , which flows through the county. The county population was 12,413 at U.S. Census 2000...
- west
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 14,966 people, 5,467 households, and 3,651 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 21 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 6,088 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 71.19% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.97% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 2.34% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.82% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.19% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 20.34% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.16% from two or more races. 41.41% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 5,467 households out of which 35.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.50% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.20% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.20% under the age of 18, 15.90% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 99.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,447, and the median income for a family was $38,389. Males had a median income of $27,733 versus $22,806 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $15,037. About 15.60% of families and 21.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.40% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.
In 2000, the largest denominational groups were Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
s (with 5,716 members) and Evangelical Protestants (with 1,755 members). The largest religious bodies were The Catholic Church (with 5,716 adherents) and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traces its current dispensation beginnings to Joseph Smith, Jr. on April 6, 1830 in Western New York. Initial converts were drawn to the church in part because of the newly published Book of Mormon, a self-described chronicle of indigenous American...
(with 1,155 adherents).
Cities and towns
- AlamosaAlamosa, ColoradoThe city of Alamosa is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 8,682 in 2005...
- Alamosa EastAlamosa East, ColoradoAlamosa East is a census-designated place in Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,458 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Alamosa East is located at ....
- HooperHooper, ColoradoHooper is a Statutory Town located in the San Luis Valley in Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The population was 123 at the 2000 census.Nearby points of interest include the Great Sand Dunes National Park, and Crestone, Colorado.-Geography:...
- MoscaMosca, ColoradoMosca is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office in Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. It was named for the nearby Mosca Pass, which was named for the Spanish explorer, Luis de Moscoso de Alvarado...
Other protected areas
- Alamosa National Wildlife RefugeAlamosa National Wildlife RefugeThe Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge is an United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. The site is located in the San Luis Valley along the east side of the Rio Grande approximately southeast of Alamosa primarily in southeastern Alamosa County, although very small parts...
- Great Sand Dunes Wilderness
- Monte Vista National Wildlife RefugeMonte Vista National Wildlife RefugeMonte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. The refuge is located in the San Luis Valley approximately 10 miles west of the town of Alamosa in southeastern Rio Grande and western Alamosa counties, in the watershed of the Rio Grande...
- Rio Grande National ForestRio Grande National ForestRio Grande National Forest is a 1.86 million acre U.S. National Forest located in southwestern Colorado. The forest encompasses the San Luis Valley, which is the world's largest agricultural alpine valley, as well as one of the worlds largest high deserts located around mountains. The...
- San Luis State ParkSan Luis State ParkSan Luis State Park is a state park located in Alamosa County, Colorado, United States. The park is in the town of Mosca, in the shadow of the Great Sand Dunes National Park.-Wildlife:...
- Sangre de Cristo WildernessSangre de Cristo WildernessThe Sangre de Cristo Wilderness is a long and narrow wilderness area covering much of the Sangre de Cristo Range centered about Saguache County and Custer County, Colorado. Smaller areas are located in the counties of Fremont, Alamosa, and Huerfano. All of the wilderness area is located on U.S...
Scenic byway and historic trail
- Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway
- Old Spanish National Historic Trail
License plate code
Alamosa County has used the following county codes on Colorado license plates issued to passenger vehicles in the county: XE-XG and EAA-ABD. http://www.15q.net/coco.htmlTransportation
Alamosa is served by San Luis Valley Regional AirportSan Luis Valley Regional Airport
San Luis Valley Regional Airport , also known as Bergman Field, is a public airport located two miles south of the central business district of Alamosa, a city in Alamosa County, Colorado, USA. The airport covers and has two runways. It is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by...
. The only commercial service is to Denver.
See also
- Colorado census statistical areas
- Colorado countiesColorado countiesThe U.S state of Colorado is divided into 64 counties. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions, such as townships...
- Colorado municipalitiesColorado municipalitiesThe U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Alamosa County, ColoradoNational Register of Historic Places listings in Alamosa County, ColoradoThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Alamosa County, Colorado. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Alamosa County, Colorado, United States...