Chaffee County, Colorado

Chaffee County
Chaffee County
	— County —
County of Chaffee
	Old Chaffee County Courthouse
	[[File:Script error: No such module "Mapframe".\|250px\|none\|alt=\|Interactive map of Chaffee County]]Interactive map of Chaffee County
	Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Established	February 10, 1879
Named for	Jerome B. Chaffee
County seat	Salida
Largest city	Salida
	Area
• Total	1,015 sq mi (2,630 km2)
• Land	1,013 sq mi (2,620 km2)
• Water	1.6 sq mi (4 km2) 0.2%
Highest elevation	14,421 ft (4,396 m)
Population	19,476
• Density	19/sq mi (7/km2)
Time zone	Mountain (UTC−7)
• Summer (DST)	MDT (UTC−6)
Area code	970 719
FIPS code	08015
GNIS feature ID	198123
Website	www.chaffeecounty.org

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Chaffee County is one of the 64 counties of the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,476.^[2] The county seat is Salida.^[3]

History[]

Chaffee County has a confusing origin. Between February 8 and February 10, 1879, Carbonate County was created by the Colorado legislature out of northern Lake County. On February 10 the two counties were renamed, with the southern part of Lake County becoming Chaffee County, and Carbonate County becoming Lake County. Chaffee County is known as the “Heart of the Rockies”. It was named for Jerome B. Chaffee,^[4] Colorado's first United States Senator.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,015 square miles (2,630 km²), of which 1,013 square miles (2,620 km²) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) (0.2%) is water.^[5]

Adjacent counties[]

Lake County - north
Park County - northeast
Fremont County - southeast
Saguache County - south
Gunnison County - west
Pitkin County - northwest

Major Highways[]

U.S. Highway 24
U.S. Highway 50
U.S. Highway 285
State Highway 291
State Highway 306

National protected areas[]

Browns Canyon National Monument
Buffalo Peaks Wilderness
Collegiate Peaks Wilderness
San Isabel National Forest

Recreation area[]

Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

Trails[]

American Discovery Trail
Colorado Trail
Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

Bicycle routes[]

Great Parks Bicycle Route
Western Express Bicycle Route

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	6,512	—
1890	6,612	1.5%
1900	7,085	7.2%
1910	7,622	7.6%
1920	7,753	1.7%
1930	8,126	4.8%
1940	8,109	−0.2%
1950	7,168	−11.6%
1960	8,298	15.8%
1970	10,162	22.5%
1980	13,227	30.2%
1990	12,684	−4.1%
2000	16,242	28.1%
2010	17,809	9.6%
U.S. Decennial Census^[6] 1790-1960^[7] 1900-1990^[8] 1990-2000^[9] 2010-2020^[2]

At the 2000 census there were 16,242 people, 6,584 households, and 4,365 families living in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile (6/km²). There were 8,392 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.94% White, 1.58% Black or African American, 1.09% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.21% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. 8.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[10] Of the 6,584 households 25.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.70% were non-families. 28.40% of households were one person and 11.20% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.77.

The age distribution was 19.70% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 27.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.20 males.

The median household income was $34,368 and the median family income was $42,043. Males had a median income of $30,770 versus $22,219 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,430. About 7.40% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.30% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.

Chaffee County is also home to a source of water that Arrowhead water uses for some water bottles. The source is Ruby Mountain Springs.

Politics[]

Chaffee County is a bellwether county, having supported the winner of 8 out of the last 11 presidential elections. The most recent election where Chaffee County supported the presidential loser was in 2008, when John McCain won the county despite Barack Obama winning decisively nationally and statewide.

United States presidential election results for Chaffee County, Colorado^[11]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	6,222	45.36%	7,160	52.19%	336	2.45%
2016	5,391	47.92%	4,888	43.45%	971	8.63%
2012	5,070	48.46%	5,086	48.61%	306	2.92%
2008	4,873	49.12%	4,862	49.01%	186	1.87%
2004	4,875	55.59%	3,766	42.94%	129	1.47%
2000	4,300	56.50%	2,768	36.37%	542	7.12%
1996	3,052	46.85%	2,768	42.49%	695	10.67%
1992	2,419	38.51%	2,284	36.36%	1,579	25.14%
1988	3,080	53.90%	2,548	44.59%	86	1.51%
1984	3,680	66.31%	1,779	32.05%	91	1.64%
1980	3,327	60.73%	1,583	28.90%	568	10.37%
1976	2,925	56.66%	2,064	39.98%	173	3.35%
1972	2,859	66.63%	1,354	31.55%	78	1.82%
1968	2,121	51.07%	1,667	40.14%	365	8.79%
1964	1,476	37.36%	2,463	62.34%	12	0.30%
1960	2,094	52.14%	1,918	47.76%	4	0.10%
1956	2,284	63.67%	1,303	36.33%	0	0.00%
1952	2,171	56.70%	1,643	42.91%	15	0.39%
1948	2,065	57.68%	1,476	41.23%	39	1.09%
1944	1,675	48.83%	1,731	50.47%	24	0.70%
1940	1,933	46.91%	2,153	52.24%	35	0.85%
1936	1,069	29.18%	2,447	66.78%	148	4.04%
1932	1,061	29.24%	2,393	65.96%	174	4.80%
1928	1,880	59.49%	1,230	38.92%	50	1.58%
1924	1,336	43.40%	612	19.88%	1,130	36.71%
1920	1,501	52.91%	1,233	43.46%	103	3.63%
1916	864	24.59%	2,546	72.47%	103	2.93%
1912	723	21.30%	1,641	48.34%	1,031	30.37%
1908	1,233	38.23%	1,679	52.06%	313	9.71%
1904	1,611	46.90%	1,601	46.61%	223	6.49%
1900	1,033	34.41%	1,890	62.96%	79	2.63%
1896	141	5.10%	2,606	94.35%	15	0.54%
1892	678	40.12%	0	0.00%	1,012	59.88%
1888	1,277	56.21%	941	41.42%	54	2.38%
1884	1,142	53.46%	986	46.16%	8	0.37%
1880	1,135	48.50%	1,188	50.77%	17	0.73%

Communities[]

City[]

Salida

Towns[]

Buena Vista
Poncha Springs

Census-designated places[]

Garfield
Johnson Village
Maysville
Smeltertown

Unincorporated communities[]

Alpine
Americus
Belleview
Browns Canon
Centerville
Cleora
Futurity
Granite
Hamilton
Nathrop
Newett
Princeton
Riverside
Rockdale
St. Elmo
Stonewall
Turret

Ghost towns[]

St. Elmo
Vicksburg
Winfield

References[]

^ Mount Harvard
^ ^a ^b ^c "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/chaffeecountycolorado/PST045219.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx.
^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off.. pp. 74. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ.
^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu.
^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/co190090.txt.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov.
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/.

External links[]

Template:Chaffee County, Colorado

Coordinates: 38°44′N 106°11′W / 38.74, -106.18

[1] Mount Harvard

[2020Census-2] "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/chaffeecountycolorado/PST045219.

[GR6-3] "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx.

[4] Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off.. pp. 74. https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ.

[GR1-5] "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html.

[6] "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html.

[7] "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu.

[8] "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/co190090.txt.

[9] "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf.

[GR8-10] "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov.

[11] Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/.

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	Geography
	North America
	Colorado
	Mountains