Otero County, Colorado

County in Colorado, United States

Not to be confused with Otero County, New Mexico.

County in Colorado

Otero County

County

Otero County Courthouse in La Junta

Location within the U.S. state of Colorado

Colorado's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 37°54′N 103°43′W﻿ / ﻿37.9°N 103.71°W﻿ / 37.9; -103.71
Country|  United States
State|  Colorado
Founded| March 25, 1889
Named after| Miguel Antonio Otero
Seat| La Junta
Largest city| La Junta
Area

• Total

| 1,270 sq mi (3,300 km2)
• Land| 1,262 sq mi (3,270 km2)
• Water| 7.7 sq mi (20 km2)  0.6%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 18,690

• Estimate

(2024)

| 17,991
• Density| 15/sq mi (5.7/km2)
Time zone| UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district| 3rd
Website| oterocounty.colorado.gov
Otero Museum and Fine Arts League in La Junta Cattle feedlot in Otero County west of Rocky Ford

Otero County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,690.[1] The county seat is La Junta.[2] The county was named for Miguel Antonio Otero, one of the founders of the town of La Junta and a member of a prominent Hispanic family.

## Geography

[edit]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,270 square miles (3,300 km2), of which 1,262 square miles (3,270 km2) is land and 7.7 square miles (20 km2) (0.6%) is water.[3]

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Crowley County \- north
* Kiowa County \- northeast
* Bent County \- east
* Las Animas County \- south
* Pueblo County \- west

### Major highways

[edit]

* U.S. Highway 50
* U.S. Highway 350
* State Highway 10
* State Highway 71
* State Highway 109
* State Highway 167
* State Highway 207
* State Highway 266

### National protected areas

[edit]

* Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
* Comanche National Grassland
* Santa Fe National Historic Trail

### Trails and byways

[edit]

* American Discovery Trail
* Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1890| 4,192| | —
1900| 11,522| | 174.9%
1910| 20,201| | 75.3%
1920| 22,623| | 12.0%
1930| 24,390| | 7.8%
1940| 23,571| | −3.4%
1950| 25,275| | 7.2%
1960| 24,128| | −4.5%
1970| 23,523| | −2.5%
1980| 22,567| | −4.1%
1990| 20,185| | −10.6%
2000| 20,311| | 0.6%
2010| 18,831| | −7.3%
2020| 18,690| | −0.7%
2024 (est.)| 17,991| [4]| −3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]
1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7]
1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[1]

At the 2000 census there were 20,311 people, 7,920 households, and 5,472 families living in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile (6.2 people/km2). There were 8,813 housing units at an average density of 7 units per square mile (2.7 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 79.02% White, 0.76% Black or African American, 1.43% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 15.06% from other races, and 2.96% from two or more races. 37.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[9] Of the 7,920 households 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.70% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 27.80% of households were one person and 12.90% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.04.

The age distribution was 26.90% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.50 males.

The median household income was $29,738 and the median family income was $35,906. Males had a median income of $26,996 versus $21,001 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,113. About 14.20% of families and 18.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.90% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

## Politics

[edit]

Otero is a strongly Republican county, although less so than the counties of the Colorado High Plains. It was last won for the Democratic Party by Bill Clinton in 1996. Before that, Otero tended to be a Republican-leaning county at the Presidential level, although it did vote for Wilson twice, FDR in 1932 and 1936, Truman in 1948 and Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

United States presidential election results for Otero County, Colorado[10] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No.  | % | No.  | % | No.  | %
2024 | 5,520  | 61.84% | 3,164  | 35.45%  | 242  | 2.71%
2020 | 5,756  | 60.11% | 3,605  | 37.65%  | 215  | 2.25%
2016 | 4,928  | 58.31% | 2,943  | 34.82%  | 581  | 6.87%
2012 | 4,382  | 53.49% | 3,647  | 44.52%  | 163  | 1.99%
2008 | 4,393  | 54.47% | 3,547  | 43.98%  | 125  | 1.55%
2004 | 4,947  | 60.48% | 3,164  | 38.68%  | 69  | 0.84%
2000 | 4,082  | 55.83% | 2,963  | 40.52%  | 267  | 3.65%
1996 | 3,356  | 45.13%  | 3,386  | 45.53% | 695  | 9.35%
1992 | 3,120  | 37.53%  | 3,485  | 41.92% | 1,708  | 20.55%
1988 | 4,265  | 51.39% | 3,910  | 47.11%  | 124  | 1.49%
1984 | 5,373  | 62.37% | 3,005  | 34.88%  | 237  | 2.75%
1980 | 4,801  | 54.55% | 3,294  | 37.43%  | 706  | 8.02%
1976 | 4,597  | 51.54% | 4,118  | 46.17%  | 205  | 2.30%
1972 | 6,016  | 65.75% | 2,929  | 32.01%  | 205  | 2.24%
1968 | 4,690  | 49.66% | 3,891  | 41.20%  | 864  | 9.15%
1964 | 3,605  | 37.41%  | 5,999  | 62.26% | 32  | 0.33%
1960 | 6,015  | 58.80% | 4,199  | 41.05%  | 15  | 0.15%
1956 | 5,964  | 61.53% | 3,722  | 38.40%  | 7  | 0.07%
1952 | 6,552  | 63.57% | 3,721  | 36.10%  | 34  | 0.33%
1948 | 4,311  | 33.08%  | 8,640  | 66.30% | 81  | 0.62%
1944 | 5,002  | 56.74% | 3,791  | 43.00%  | 23  | 0.26%
1940 | 5,459  | 54.11% | 4,567  | 45.27%  | 62  | 0.61%
1936 | 3,859  | 39.49%  | 5,775  | 59.10% | 138  | 1.41%
1932 | 3,974  | 42.79%  | 5,107  | 54.99% | 206  | 2.22%
1928 | 5,788  | 74.88% | 1,876  | 24.27%  | 66  | 0.85%
1924 | 4,694  | 59.19% | 1,938  | 24.44%  | 1,298  | 16.37%
1920 | 3,846  | 55.93% | 2,727  | 39.66%  | 303  | 4.41%
1916 | 2,678  | 38.68%  | 3,963  | 57.24% | 283  | 4.09%
1912 | 1,293  | 20.98%  | 2,885  | 46.80% | 1,986  | 32.22%
1908 | 3,232  | 44.47%  | 3,542  | 48.73% | 494  | 6.80%
1904 | 2,975  | 53.98% | 2,225  | 40.37%  | 311  | 5.64%
1900 | 1,913  | 43.73%  | 2,266  | 51.79% | 196  | 4.48%
1896 | 524  | 19.13%  | 2,167  | 79.12% | 48  | 1.75%
1892 | 324  | 18.23%  | 0  | 0.00%  | 1,453  | 81.77%

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* La Junta
* Rocky Ford

### Towns

[edit]

* Cheraw
* Fowler
* Manzanola
* Swink

### Census-designated places

[edit]

* La Junta Gardens
* North La Junta

## See also

[edit]

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

* Bibliography of Colorado
* Geography of Colorado
* History of Colorado
* G.W. Swink, pioneer county commissioner
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Otero 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. 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 10, 2014.
6. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
7. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 10, 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 March 27, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
9. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
10. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 26, 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* Otero County Homepage
* Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck

* v
* t
* e

Places adjacent to Otero County, Colorado

|  | Crowley County | Kiowa County

|
|

|  |
Pueblo County |

Otero County, Colorado

| Bent County
|  |
| Las Animas County |

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Otero County, Colorado, United States

County seat: La Junta

Cities|

* La Junta
* Rocky Ford

Map of Colorado highlighting Otero County

Towns|

* Cheraw
* Fowler
* Manzanola
* Swink

CDPs|

* La Junta Gardens
* North La Junta

Unincorporated
communities|

* Timpas
* Vroman

Ghost town|

* Bloom

Trading posts|

* Bent's Old Fort
* Milk Fort

* Colorado portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

State of Colorado

Denver (capital)

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37°54′N 103°43′W﻿ / ﻿37.90°N 103.71°W﻿ / 37.90; -103.71
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