Mineral County, Colorado

County in Colorado, United States

County in Colorado

Mineral County

County

The Mineral County Courthouse in Creede

Location within the U.S. state of Colorado

Colorado's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 37°41′N 106°56′W﻿ / ﻿37.69°N 106.93°W﻿ / 37.69; -106.93
Country|  United States
State|  Colorado
Founded| March 27, 1893
Seat| Creede
Largest town| Creede
Area

• Total

| 878 sq mi (2,270 km2)
• Land| 876 sq mi (2,270 km2)
• Water| 2.0 sq mi (5 km2)  0.2%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 865
• Density| 1.0/sq mi (0.4/km2)
Time zone| UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district| 3rd
Website| mineralcounty.colorado.gov
Rio Grande below Creede, Mineral County Bristol Head, el. 12,713 feet (3,875 meters).

Mineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 865,[1] making it the third-least populous county in Colorado, behind San Juan County and Hinsdale County. The county seat and only incorporated municipality in the county is Creede.[2] The county was named for the many valuable minerals found in the mountains and streams of the area.

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 878 square miles (2,270 km2), of which 876 square miles (2,270 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.2%) is water.[3]

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Saguache County \- northeast
* Rio Grande County \- east
* Archuleta County \- south
* Hinsdale County \- west

### Major highways

[edit]

* U.S. Highway 160
* State Highway 149

### National protected areas

[edit]

* Rio Grande National Forest
* San Juan National Forest
* La Garita Wilderness
* Weminuche Wilderness

### Trails and byways

[edit]

* Colorado Trail
* Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
* Lake Fork National Recreation Trail
* Silver Thread Scenic Byway

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1900| 1,913| | —
1910| 1,239| | −35.2%
1920| 779| | −37.1%
1930| 640| | −17.8%
1940| 975| | 52.3%
1950| 698| | −28.4%
1960| 424| | −39.3%
1970| 786| | 85.4%
1980| 804| | 2.3%
1990| 558| | −30.6%
2000| 831| | 48.9%
2010| 712| | −14.3%
2020| 865| | 21.5%
2024 (est.)| 933| [4]| 7.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[1]

At the 2000 census, there were 831 people in 377 households, including 251 families, in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile (0.39 people/km2). There were 1,119 housing units at an average density of 1 units per square mile (0.39 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.87% White, 0.84% Native American, 0.12% from other races, and 2.17% from two or more races. 2.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 377 households 22.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 5.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.40% were non-families. 28.10% of households were one person and 9.80% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.70.

The age distribution was 20.50% under the age of 18, 4.70% from 18 to 24, 24.80% from 25 to 44, 32.70% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% 65 or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 104.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.10 males.

The median household income was $34,844 and the median family income was $40,833. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $19,375 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,475. About 9.30% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.70% of those under age 18 and 10.60% of those age 65 or over.

Mineral County has an extremely high proportion of land under federal ownership, with 95%[9] of the county under the management of the federal government (It houses an office of, and is surrounded by, the Rio Grande National Forest).[citation needed]

### 2015

[edit]

As of 2015 the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Mineral County, Colorado are:[10]

Largest ancestries (2015) | Percent

|

English | 22.5%
German | 19.9%
Irish | 13.9%
"American" | 7.5%

## Politics

[edit]

Like neighboring Hinsdale County, Mineral County leans Republican. It has only voted for Democrats twice since 1968 (although heavy third-party swing had a major role to play in each). Up through 1968, it was a Democratic-leaning swing county.

United States presidential election results for Mineral County, Colorado[11][12] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No.  | % | No.  | % | No.  | %
2024 | 417  | 55.38% | 317  | 42.10%  | 19  | 2.52%
2020 | 427  | 56.48% | 317  | 41.93%  | 12  | 1.59%
2016 | 344  | 52.76% | 237  | 36.35%  | 71  | 10.89%
2012 | 344  | 52.92% | 291  | 44.77%  | 15  | 2.31%
2008 | 334  | 53.61% | 270  | 43.34%  | 19  | 3.05%
2004 | 383  | 61.87% | 227  | 36.67%  | 9  | 1.45%
2000 | 294  | 60.49% | 168  | 34.57%  | 24  | 4.94%
1996 | 179  | 40.04%  | 192  | 42.95% | 76  | 17.00%
1992 | 159  | 35.41%  | 171  | 38.08% | 119  | 26.50%
1988 | 217  | 55.08% | 174  | 44.16%  | 3  | 0.76%
1984 | 333  | 72.55% | 117  | 25.49%  | 9  | 1.96%
1980 | 271  | 60.22% | 125  | 27.78%  | 54  | 12.00%
1976 | 235  | 55.56% | 167  | 39.48%  | 21  | 4.96%
1972 | 247  | 70.98% | 96  | 27.59%  | 5  | 1.44%
1968 | 116  | 43.77%  | 126  | 47.55% | 23  | 8.68%
1964 | 89  | 30.17%  | 204  | 69.15% | 2  | 0.68%
1960 | 146  | 47.87%  | 158  | 51.80% | 1  | 0.33%
1956 | 168  | 62.69% | 99  | 36.94%  | 1  | 0.37%
1952 | 209  | 67.86% | 98  | 31.82%  | 1  | 0.32%
1948 | 144  | 42.99%  | 190  | 56.72% | 1  | 0.30%
1944 | 170  | 52.80% | 150  | 46.58%  | 2  | 0.62%
1940 | 229  | 45.08%  | 273  | 53.74% | 6  | 1.18%
1936 | 126  | 30.22%  | 285  | 68.35% | 6  | 1.44%
1932 | 112  | 29.55%  | 210  | 55.41% | 57  | 15.04%
1928 | 144  | 41.14%  | 187  | 53.43% | 19  | 5.43%
1924 | 150  | 46.01% | 101  | 30.98%  | 75  | 23.01%
1920 | 183  | 49.33% | 146  | 39.35%  | 42  | 11.32%
1916 | 135  | 29.16%  | 278  | 60.04% | 50  | 10.80%
1912 | 186  | 28.93%  | 286  | 44.48% | 171  | 26.59%
1908 | 218  | 29.99%  | 488  | 67.13% | 21  | 2.89%
1904 | 306  | 33.59%  | 575  | 63.12% | 30  | 3.29%
1900 | 208  | 22.73%  | 700  | 76.50% | 7  | 0.77%
1896 | 11  | 1.34%  | 808  | 98.30% | 3  | 0.36%

## Communities

[edit]

### Town

[edit]

* Creede

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Spar City
* Wagon Wheel Gap

### Ghost towns

[edit]

* Bachelor City
* Wason, Colorado
* Weaver

Native silver from the Bulldog Mountain Mine, Creede District. Size 4.5 x 2.6 x 0.25 cm.

## 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 Mineral County, Colorado
* Index of Colorado-related articles
* List of Colorado-related lists
* List of counties in Colorado
* Outline of Colorado

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
4. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
5. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
6. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
7. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 31, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
8. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
9. ^ "Home | Mineral County". mineralcounty.colorado.gov. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
10. ^ "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
11. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
12. ^ "Election Night Reporting".

## Further reading

[edit]

* Foley, N.K. et al. (1993). Mineralogy, mineral chemistry, and paragenesis of gold, silver, and base-metal ores of the North Amethyst vein system, San Juan Mountains, Mineral County, Colorado [U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1537]. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mineral County, Colorado.

* Official website
* Creede and Mineral County information
* Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck
* Colorado Historical Society

* v
* t
* e

Places adjacent to Mineral County, Colorado

|  |  | Saguache County

|
|

|  |
Hinsdale County |

Mineral County, Colorado

| Rio Grande County
|  |
| Archuleta County |

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Mineral County, Colorado, United States

County seat: Creede

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Map of Colorado highlighting Mineral County

Unincorporated
community|

* Spar City

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* Wason

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37°41′N 106°56′W﻿ / ﻿37.69°N 106.93°W﻿ / 37.69; -106.93
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