Chaffee County, Colorado

County in Colorado, United States

County in Colorado

Chaffee County

County

County of Chaffee

Old Chaffee County Courthouse

Interactive map of Chaffee County

Location within the U.S. state of Colorado

Country|  United States
State|  Colorado
Established| February 10, 1879
Named after| 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

[1]

| 14,421 ft (4,396 m)
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 19,476[2]
• Density| 19/sq mi (7/km2)
Time zone| UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−6 (MDT)
Area code| 970 719
FIPS code| 08015
GNIS feature ID| 198123
Website| www.chaffeecounty.org
Salida, Colorado with Sangre de Cristo Range in background

Chaffee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,476.[2] The county seat is Salida.[3]

## History

[edit]

Chaffee County has a confusing origin. Between February 8 and 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

### Major highways

[edit]

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

### National protected areas

[edit]

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

### Recreation area

[edit]

* Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area

### Trails

[edit]

* American Discovery Trail
* Colorado Trail
* Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

### Bicycle routes

[edit]

* Great Parks Bicycle Route
* Western Express Bicycle Route

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

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%
2020| 19,476| | 9.4%
2024 (est.)| 20,780| [6]| 6.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 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 (6.2 people/km2). There were 8,392 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile (3.1/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.[11] 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.[12]

## Politics

[edit]

Chaffee County was long a Republican stronghold, but has recently trended towards the Democrats. In 2008 Barack Obama lost the county by only 11 votes, and he carried it in 2012 by 16 votes, the first Democrat to win it since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide. In 2016 Donald Trump flipped the county narrowly back into the Republican column, but Joe Biden won the county in 2020, the first candidate from either party to win the county by a full majority since 2004. Kamala Harris won the county by a larger margin in 2024, becoming the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the county while losing the presidential election since 1908.

United States presidential election results for Chaffee County, Colorado[13] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No.  | % | No.  | % | No.  | %
2024 | 6,034  | 41.84%  | 7,992  | 55.41% | 397  | 2.75%
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

[edit]

Chaffee County, Colorado Buffalo Peaks near Buena Vista

### City

[edit]

* Salida

### Towns

[edit]

* Buena Vista
* Poncha Springs

### Census-designated places

[edit]

* Garfield
* Johnson Village
* Maysville
* Nathrop
* Smeltertown

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

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

### Ghost towns

[edit]

* St. Elmo
* Vicksburg
* Winfield

## See also

[edit]

* Government portal
* History portal
* Mountains portal
* United States portal
* Colorado portal

* Bibliography of Colorado
* Geography of Colorado
* History of Colorado
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Chaffee County, Colorado
* Index of Colorado-related articles
* List of Colorado-related lists
* List of counties in Colorado
* Outline of Colorado

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Mount Harvard
2. ^ a b c "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 74.
5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
6. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
11. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
12. ^ Parker, Bob (September 30, 2020). "A story of biblical dimensions: Chaffee County Citizens vs Nestlé". 350 Colorado. 350 Colorado. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
13. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 26, 2017.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chaffee County, Colorado.

* Cultural, Historical and Archeological Resources
* Chaffee County Clerk of Court
* Chaffee County Government website
* Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck
* Colorado Historical Society
* Geologic Map of the Harvard Lakes 7.5ʹ Quadrangle, Park and Chaffee Counties, Colorado United States Geological Survey
* [1]

* v
* t
* e

Places adjacent to Chaffee County, Colorado

| Pitkin County | Lake County | Park County

|
|

|  |
Gunnison County |

Chaffee County, Colorado

|  |
| Saguache County | Fremont County

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Chaffee County, Colorado, United States

County seat: Salida

City|

* Salida

Map of Colorado highlighting Chaffee County

Towns|

* Buena Vista
* Poncha Springs

CDPs|

* Garfield
* Johnson Village
* Maysville
* Nathrop
* Smeltertown

Unincorporated
communities|

* Alpine
* Granite
* Monarch
* St. Elmo
* Winfield

* Colorado portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

State of Colorado

Denver (capital)

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38°44′N 106°11′W﻿ / ﻿38.74°N 106.18°W﻿ / 38.74; -106.18
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