Elbert County, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Elbert County is the 21st most populous of the 64 counties
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 population was 19,872 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 Kiowa
Kiowa, Colorado
The Town of Kiowa is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat of Elbert County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 581 at the U.S...

. Despite its location on the eastern plains, Elbert County is part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area
Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area
thumb|300px|Map of the 12-county Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical AreaThe Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO Combined Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Combined Statistical Area located in the Denver region of the state of Colorado...

.

History

Elbert County was created on February 2, 1874, from the eastern portions of Douglas County
Douglas County, Colorado
Douglas County is the eighth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado, in the United States. The county is located midway between Colorado's two largest cities: Denver and Colorado Springs...

. On February 6, 1874, the county was enlarged to include part of northern Greenwood County
Greenwood County, Colorado Territory
Greenwood County was a county of the Territory of Colorado that existed for four years from 1870 to 1874.-History: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...

  upon Greenwood's dissolution, and originally extended south and east of its present boundaries to reach to the Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...

 state line. The county was named for Samuel Hitt Elbert
Samuel Hitt Elbert
Samuel Hitt Elbert served as Governor of the Territory of Colorado and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Colorado ....

, the Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...

 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
Lincoln County, Colorado
Lincoln County is the tenth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 6,087 at U.S. Census 2000...

, Kit Carson
Kit Carson County, Colorado
Kit Carson County is the 18th most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 8,011 at U.S. Census 2000. The county was named for Kit Carson...

, and Cheyenne
Cheyenne County, Colorado
Cheyenne County is the fifth least densely populated of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 2,231 at U.S. Census 2000...

 counties.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1850.89 square miles (4,793.8 km²), of which 1850.78 square miles (4,793.5 km²) (or 99.99%) is land and 0.11 square mile (0.2848986921 km²) (or 0.01%) is water.

Adjacent counties

  • Arapahoe County
    Arapahoe County, Colorado
    As of the census of 2000, there were 487,967 people, 190,909 households, and 125,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 608 people per square mile . There were 196,835 housing units at an average density of 245 per square mile...

    , Colorado
    Colorado
    Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

     - (north)
  • Lincoln County
    Lincoln County, Colorado
    Lincoln County is the tenth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 6,087 at U.S. Census 2000...

    , Colorado
    Colorado
    Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

     - (east)
  • El Paso County
    El Paso County, Colorado
    El Paso County is the most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States, now more populous than Denver County. The United States Census Bureau concluded that the county population was 622,371 in 2010. In recent years, the population had come closer to that of Denver...

    , Colorado
    Colorado
    Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

     - (south)
  • Douglas County
    Douglas County, Colorado
    Douglas County is the eighth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado, in the United States. The county is located midway between Colorado's two largest cities: Denver and Colorado Springs...

    , Colorado
    Colorado
    Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

     - (west)

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 19,872 people, 6,770 households, and 5,652 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 11 people per square mile (4/km²). There were 7,113 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.22% 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...

, 0.64% 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...

, 0.63% 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...

, 0.37% 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...

, 0.09% 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...

, 1.28% 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 1.76% from two or more races. 3.85% 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 6,770 households out of which 42.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.10% 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, 5.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.50% were non-families. 12.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the county the population was spread out with 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% who were 65 years of age 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 income for a household in the county was $62,480, and the median income for a family was $66,740. Males had a median income of $45,329 versus $29,767 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 $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.

Newspapers

Elbert County has one daily newspaper that is published in the Town of Elizabeth, the Meadowlark Herald , though the official newspapers used by the County are the Ranchland News (published in Simla) , and the Elbert County News . The online news New Plains also covers Elbert County news.

Cities, towns and communities

  • Agate
    Agate, Colorado
    Agate is an unincorporated town and U.S. Post Office in Elbert County, Colorado, United States. The ZIP Code of the Agate Post Office is 80101.-History:...

  • Elizabeth
    Elizabeth, Colorado
    The Town of Elizabeth is a Statutory Town that is the most populous town in Elbert County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,434 at the U.S. Census 2000.-History:...

  • Elbert
    Elbert, Colorado
    Elbert is a census-designated place and the location of a U.S. Post Office in Elbert County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 230.The community is named for a past Colorado territorial governor and state Supreme Court Justice Samuel Hitt Elbert...

  • Fondis
  • Kiowa
    Kiowa, Colorado
    The Town of Kiowa is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat of Elbert County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 581 at the U.S...

  • Matheson
    Matheson, Colorado
    Matheson is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office in Elbert County, Colorado, United States. The Matheson Post Office has the ZIP Code 80830.Established in the mid 1880's by Duncan Matheson a native of Scotland.Mr...

  • Ponderosa Park
    Ponderosa Park, Colorado
    Ponderosa Park is a census-designated place in Elbert County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ponderosa Park is located at ....

  • Simla
    Simla, Colorado
    The Town of Simla is a Statutory Town in Elbert County, Colorado, United States. The population was estimated to be 728 in 2007.-History:Simla was founded in 1909, by a man with the name of Altman. Simla was named because the daughter of a railroad official was reading a book about India when she...


See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Elbert County, Colorado
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