The U.S. State of Colorado is divided into 64 counties. Two of these, the City and County of Denver, which serves as the state capital, and the City and County of Broomfield, have consolidated city and county governments. In addition to Denver and Broomfield, Pitkin County and Weld County operate as home rule counties with their own county charters. The other 60 counties operate under constitutional governments subject to Dillon's Rule. Counties with constitutional governments have only those powers granted to them under Colorado or federal law, any power implied by those express powers, and those powers essential to the county's existence. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since there are no civil townships or other minor civil divisions.

The United States Census Bureau estimates that El Paso County remains the most populous county in Colorado with a population estimate of 757,040, as of July 1, 2025, while Hinsdale County with a population of 753 is now the least populous. Five of the 64 Colorado counties now have more than 500,000 residents, while 12 counties have fewer than 5,000 residents.

Las Animas County, in area, is the most extensive county, while the City and County of Broomfield, in area, is the least extensive. The City and County of Denver is the most densely populated Colorado county, with a 2025 population density of 4,758 residents per square mile of land area (1,838/km2), while Hinsdale County is the least densely populated county, with a 2025 population density of 0.67 resident per square mile of land area (0.26/km2).

Mount Elbert, the highest summit of Colorado and the entire Rocky Mountains at an elevation of , is located in Lake County. The lowest point in Colorado is where the Arikaree River flows out of Yuma County and into Kansas, at elevation. This point, which is the highest low point of any state, is higher than the highest points of 18 states and the District of Columbia. __TOC__

History On November 1, 1861, the new Territory of Colorado created 17 original counties: Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, Costilla, Douglas, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Guadalupe, Huerfano, Jefferson, Lake, Larimer, Park, Pueblo, Summit, and Weld; plus the Cheyenne Reserve. Six days later, the name of Guadelupe County was changed to Conejos County.

On February 9, 1866, the first new county, Las Animas, was created, followed by Saguache in December of that year. Bent County was created in February 1870, followed by Greenwood the following month. On February 2, 1874, Grand County and Elbert County were formed, and on February 10, La Plata, Hinsdale, and Rio Grande counties were created. Greenwood was absorbed into Bent on February 5. The last county to be created under the Colorado Territory name was San Juan County, created three months before statehood.

By the time Colorado became a state on August 1, 1876, it had only 26 counties. In January 1877, Routt and Ouray were formed, followed by Gunnison and Custer counties in March. In February 1879, Chaffee County was created. From February 8–10, 1879, Lake county was renamed Carbonate County. In 1881, Dolores County and Pitkin County were created. In 1883, Montrose, Mesa, Garfield, Eagle, Delta, and San Miguel counties were formed, leaving the total number of counties at 39. The number rose to 40 in 1885 with the creation of Archuleta County on April 14. Washington County and Logan County were both created in 1887. Between February 19 and April 16 in 1889, Morgan, Yuma, Cheyenne, Otero, Rio Blanco, Phillips, Sedgwick, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Prowers, Baca, and Montezuma counties were formed, bringing the total to 55. By 1900, Mineral County and Teller County had been added. On November 15, 1902, Arapahoe County was split into Adams and South Arapahoe Counties, and Denver was reconstituted as a consolidated city-county from portions of both newly formed counties on December 1, 1902. By 1912, Jackson County, Moffat County, and Crowley County had been created. Alamosa was created in 1913. In 2001, Broomfield was reconstituted as a consolidated city-county from parts of Adams, Boulder, Jefferson and Weld counties, bringing the total to 64 counties.

Colorado counties

Select the OpenStreetMap link at the right to view the location of these 64 counties. For Colorado counties by statistical area, see the List of statistical areas in Colorado. For Colorado county seats, see the List of county seats in Colorado. For Colorado county courthouses, see the List of Colorado county courthouses. For Colorado county per capita income, see the List of Colorado counties by per capita income. For Colorado county socioeconomics, see the List of Colorado counties by socioeconomic factors. For Colorado county highest elevation points, see the List of Colorado county high points. For Colorado municipalities by county, see the List of Colorado municipalities by county. For Colorado populated places by county, see the List of Colorado populated places by county. For Colorado county maps, see the State of Colorado Map Viewer.

Racial / Ethnic Profile of counties in Colorado (2020 Census) Racial / Ethnic Profile of counties in Colorado (2020 Census) Following is a table of counties in Colorado by race/ethnicity. The majority racial/ethnic group is coded per the key below.

Majority minority with no dominant groupMajority WhiteMajority BlackMajority HispanicMajority AsianMajority Native American

+ Racial and ethnic composition of counties in Colorado (2020 Census)(NH = Non-Hispanic) County Locationof County Total Population White alone (NH) % Black orAfrican American alone (NH) % Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) % Asian alone (NH) % Pacific Islander alone (NH) % Other race alone (NH) % Mixed race orMultiracial (NH) % Hispanic or Latino(any race) %Adams519,572239,29546.06%16,0543.09%2,8690.55%22,5834.35%7530.14%2,3690.46%19,0003.66%216,64941.70%Alamosa16,3767,49045.74%2111.29%2151.31%1420.87%190.12%1040.64%4943.02%7,70147.03%Arapahoe655,070368,04756.18%68,15210.40%2,6540.41%41,8556.39%1,6340.25%3,5490.54%33,4505.11%135,72920.72%Archuleta13,35910,17576.17%410.31%1701.27%1010.76%60.04%770.58%6304.72%2,15916.16%Baca3,5062,91683.17%190.54%381.08%80.23%00.00%371.06%1424.05%3469.87%Bent5,6503,31558.67%2554.51%901.59%390.69%00.00%80.14%1833.24%1,76031.15%Boulder330,758245,20374.13%3,1490.95%1,1120.34%16,2914.93%2410.07%1,8200.55%14,7744.47%48,16814.56%Broomfield74,11253,90472.73%9271.25%1970.27%5,0966.88%800.11%3510.47%3,6384.91%9,91913.38%Chaffee19,47616,19583.15%2951.51%1320.68%1330.68%110.06%1000.51%7693.95%1,8419.45%Cheyenne1,7481,47084.10%10.06%50.29%30.17%00.00%30.17%603.43%20611.78%Clear Creek9,3978,14986.72%490.52%410.44%820.87%70.07%380.40%3834.08%6486.90%Conejos7,4613,46546.44%140.19%440.59%210.28%20.03%240.32%1121.50%3,77950.65%Costilla3,4991,23435.27%330.94%340.97%551.57%00.00%130.37%1424.06%1,98856.82%Crowley5,9223,43858.05%5108.61%1512.55%691.17%20.03%50.08%1392.35%1,60827.15%Custer4,7044,21289.54%100.21%420.89%220.47%00.00%450.96%1954.15%1783.78%Delta31,19624,90779.84%1210.39%1210.39%2360.76%90.03%1920.62%1,2814.11%4,32913.88%Denver715,522388,76454.33%61,0988.54%3,7400.52%27,1983.80%1,3950.19%3,7460.52%30,1214.21%199,46027.88%Dolores2,3261,95083.83%180.77%361.55%60.26%40.17%50.21%1315.63%1767.57%Douglas357,978278,77077.87%4,7881.34%9700.27%19,8075.53%2900.08%1,5510.43%17,6924.94%34,1109.53%Eagle55,73136,20264.96%2960.53%1180.21%7121.28%270.05%1870.34%1,3312.39%16,85830.25%Elbert26,06222,18585.12%1230.47%1160.45%1840.71%210.08%1230.47%1,2434.77%2,0677.93%El Paso730,395480,48465.78%40,7595.58%3,8160.52%21,6292.96%2,7500.38%4,5990.63%46,3746.35%129,98417.80%Fremont48,93937,71377.06%1,8093.70%6911.41%3320.68%300.06%2340.48%2,0814.25%6,04912.36%Garfield61,68538,63662.63%2770.45%3000.49%3970.64%340.06%3090.50%2,1683.51%19,56431.72%Gilpin5,8084,95285.26%320.55%360.62%851.46%40.07%370.64%2824.86%3806.54%Grand15,71713,43585.48%590.38%560.36%830.53%170.11%730.46%4612.93%1,5339.75%Gunnison16,91814,25484.25%770.46%700.41%1210.72%70.04%1110.66%6743.98%1,6049.48%Hinsdale78869387.94%81.02%60.76%20.25%10.13%60.76%425.33%303.81%Huerfano6,8204,23162.04%530.78%771.13%240.35%00.00%490.72%2563.75%2,13031.23%Jackson1,3791,16184.19%00.00%120.87%20.15%20.15%50.36%594.28%13810.01%Jefferson582,910435,24574.67%6,6531.14%2,8980.50%17,6943.04%4640.08%2,8160.48%25,6264.40%91,51415.70%Kiowa1,4461,24786.24%30.21%00.00%90.62%10.07%10.07%815.60%1047.19%Kit Carson7,0875,30674.87%210.30%240.34%300.42%50.07%320.45%2603.67%1,40919.88%Lake7,4364,29357.73%310.42%460.62%630.85%80.11%450.61%2883.87%2,66235.80%La Plata55,63842,39276.19%1820.33%2,8095.05%3810.68%330.06%3770.68%2,4564.41%7,00812.60%Larimer359,066282,58178.70%3,4480.96%1,4950.42%8,3652.33%2650.07%1,8190.51%16,4314.58%44,66212.44%Las Animas14,5557,96554.72%1831.26%1451.00%1080.74%120.08%870.60%4232.91%5,63238.69%Lincoln5,6754,25274.93%2754.85%611.07%400.70%220.39%210.37%1953.44%80914.26%Logan21,52816,33775.89%7533.50%1610.75%1190.55%170.08%520.24%5782.68%3,51116.31%Mesa155,703120,74977.55%1,0200.66%9330.60%1,6131.04%1880.12%8890.57%7,0334.52%23,27814.95%Mineral86577589.60%00.00%40.46%30.35%00.00%00.00%364.16%475.43%Moffat13,29210,31377.59%770.58%980.74%520.39%20.02%600.45%5664.26%2,12415.98%Montezuma25,84918,03569.77%720.28%3,16612.25%1280.50%240.09%1070.41%1,2084.67%3,10912.03%Montrose42,67931,12672.93%1590.37%2620.61%3340.78%260.06%1830.43%1,5623.66%9,02721.15%Morgan29,11116,54656.84%9353.21%1100.38%1530.53%110.04%770.26%7132.45%10,56636.30%Otero18,69010,01353.57%1340.72%1120.60%980.52%280.15%1030.55%5002.68%7,70241.21%Ouray4,8744,30888.39%160.33%160.33%280.57%20.04%240.49%1883.86%2925.99%Park17,39014,90285.69%890.51%1180.68%990.57%90.05%940.54%8444.85%1,2357.10%Phillips4,5303,24671.66%100.22%120.26%220.49%10.02%50.11%791.74%1,15525.50%Pitkin17,35814,43383.15%940.54%360.21%2801.61%70.04%820.47%5343.08%1,89210.90%Prowers11,9996,68655.72%830.69%1180.98%310.26%60.05%500.42%3452.88%4,68039.00%Pueblo168,16285,52750.86%2,9951.78%1,2460.74%1,5620.93%1380.08%9440.56%5,8293.47%69,92141.58%Rio Blanco6,5295,50984.38%290.44%510.78%220.34%20.03%290.44%2654.06%6229.53%Rio Grande11,5396,26154.26%510.44%1371.19%360.31%40.03%560.49%3853.34%4,60939.94%Routt24,82921,24285.55%1530.62%670.27%1690.68%350.14%920.37%8713.51%2,2008.86%Saguache6,3683,57856.19%190.30%811.27%630.99%20.03%420.66%1892.97%2,39437.59%San Juan70557581.56%10.14%60.85%20.28%00.00%10.14%304.26%9012.77%San Miguel8,0726,75783.71%200.25%470.58%550.68%00.00%440.55%2673.31%88210.93%Sedgwick2,4041,93480.45%30.12%100.42%120.50%00.00%80.33%743.08%36315.10%Summit31,05523,78276.58%2320.75%670.22%4071.31%200.06%1500.48%1,0623.42%5,33517.18%Teller24,71021,01785.05%1320.53%1220.49%2010.81%120.05%1480.60%1,3625.51%1,7166.94%Washington4,8174,05784.22%240.50%80.17%150.31%100.21%200.42%1673.47%51610.71%Weld328,981205,88162.58%4,1541.26%1,3270.40%5,6821.73%3030.09%1,3050.40%11,8673.61%98,46229.93%Yuma9,9886,94869.56%210.21%160.16%260.26%20.02%270.27%1771.77%2,77127.74%

County population