Elbert County, Colorado

This article is about Elbert County, Colorado. For Elbert County, Georgia, see Elbert County, Georgia.

{{Infobox U.S. county | county = Elbert County | state = Colorado | ex image = St. Mark United Presbyterian Church 04.JPG | ex image size = 220px | ex image cap = [[St. Mark United Presbyterian Church]

[Elbert, Colorado]]. | seal = | founded year = 1874 | founded date = February 2 | seat wl = Kiowa | largest city wl = Elizabeth | city type = town | area_total_sq_mi = 1851 | area_land_sq_mi = 1851 | area_water_sq_mi = 0.2 | area percentage = 0.01% | census yr = 2020 | pop = 26062 | pop_est_as_of = 2023 | population_est = 28806 | density_sq_mi = auto | time zone = Mountain | footnotes = | web = www.elbertcounty-co.gov | named for = Samuel Hitt Elbert | district = 4th }}

Elbert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 26,062. ^[1] The county seat is Kiowa and the largest town is Elizabeth. ^[2] Elbert County is included in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Elbert County was created on February 2, 1874, from the eastern portions of Douglas County. On February 6, 1874, the county was enlarged to include part of northern Greenwood County upon Greenwood's dissolution, and originally extended south and east of its present boundaries to reach to the Kansas state line. The county was named for Samuel Hitt Elbert, ^[3] the Governor of the Territory of Colorado when the county was formed. In 1889, Elbert County was reduced to its modern size when its eastern portions were taken to create Lincoln, Kit Carson, and Cheyenne counties.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,851 square miles (4,790 km²), of which 1,851 square miles (4,790 km²) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) (0.01%) is water. ^[4]

Adjacent counties

• Arapahoe County - north
• Lincoln County - east
• El Paso County - south
• Douglas County - west

Major highways

• Interstate 70
• I-70 BS
• I-70 BS
• U.S. Highway 24
• U.S. Highway 40
• U.S. Highway 287
• State Highway 86

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	1,708		—
1890	1,856		8.7%
1900	3,101		67.1%
1910	5,331		71.9%
1920	6,980		30.9%
1930	6,580		−5.7%
1940	5,460		−17.0%
1950	4,477		−18.0%
1960	3,708		−17.2%
1970	3,903		5.3%
1980	6,850		75.5%
1990	9,646		40.8%
2000	19,872		106.0%
2010	23,086		16.2%
2020	26,062		12.9%
2023 (est.)	28,806	[5]	10.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [6] 1790-1960 [7] 1900-1990 [8] 1990-2000 [9] 2010-2020 [1]

At the 2000 census there were 19,872 people, 6,770 households, and 5,652 families in the county. The population density was 11 people per square mile (4.2 people/km²). There were 7,113 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.22% White, 0.64% Black or African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. 3.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. ^[10] Of the 6,770 households 42.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.10% were married couples living together, 5.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.50% were non-families. 12.20% of households were one person and 3.10% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.19.

The age distribution was 30.20% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 32.80% from 25 to 44, 25.50% from 45 to 64, and 6.00% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.90 males.

The median household income was $62,480 and the median family income was $66,740. Males had a median income of $45,329 versus $29,767 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,960. About 2.50% of families and 4.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.60% of those under age 18 and 4.50% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Towns

• Elizabeth
• Kiowa
• Simla

Census-designated places

• Elbert
• Matheson
• Ponderosa Park

Other unincorporated places

• Agate
• Fondis

Politics

Elbert is a strongly Republican county in Presidential elections. Along with Rio Blanco County and Kit Carson County, it was one of three Colorado counties to be won by Alf Landon in 1936, and stood together with Hinsdale and Washington Counties by supporting Barry Goldwater over Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Elbert County was Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932.

United States presidential election results for Elbert County, Colorado ^[11]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	14,027	73.89%	4,490	23.65%	466	2.45%
2016	11,705	73.25%	3,134	19.61%	1,141	7.14%
2012	10,266	72.41%	3,603	25.41%	309	2.18%
2008	9,108	68.97%	3,819	28.92%	279	2.11%
2004	8,389	73.82%	2,834	24.94%	141	1.24%
2000	6,151	68.61%	2,326	25.95%	488	5.44%
1996	4,125	61.04%	1,894	28.03%	739	10.94%
1992	2,205	43.71%	1,237	24.52%	1,603	31.77%
1988	2,805	63.06%	1,566	35.21%	77	1.73%
1984	2,605	75.27%	802	23.17%	54	1.56%
1980	2,107	67.49%	698	22.36%	317	10.15%
1976	1,279	52.72%	1,068	44.02%	79	3.26%
1972	1,416	73.29%	451	23.34%	65	3.36%
1968	1,043	60.92%	484	28.27%	185	10.81%
1964	924	51.76%	857	48.01%	4	0.22%
1960	1,240	64.32%	686	35.58%	2	0.10%
1956	1,295	64.75%	702	35.10%	3	0.15%
1952	1,579	72.56%	586	26.93%	11	0.51%
1948	1,155	56.37%	873	42.61%	21	1.02%
1944	1,413	69.13%	628	30.72%	3	0.15%
1940	1,756	65.04%	934	34.59%	10	0.37%
1936	1,374	49.50%	1,319	47.51%	83	2.99%
1932	1,277	41.54%	1,649	53.64%	148	4.81%
1928	1,933	71.38%	738	27.25%	37	1.37%
1924	1,428	54.97%	506	19.48%	664	25.56%
1920	1,654	66.35%	673	27.00%	166	6.66%
1916	951	41.37%	1,230	53.50%	118	5.13%
1912	496	24.22%	757	36.96%	795	38.82%
1908	973	52.34%	785	42.23%	101	5.43%
1904	768	59.40%	482	37.28%	43	3.33%
1900	626	48.23%	640	49.31%	32	2.47%
1896	274	26.52%	751	72.70%	8	0.77%
1892	189	45.22%	0	0.00%	229	54.78%
1888	784	56.89%	578	41.94%	16	1.16%
1884	227	54.31%	190	45.45%	1	0.24%
1880	176	46.68%	195	51.72%	6	1.59%

Elbert County is in the 4th Congressional District and the current representative is Republican Greg Lopez.

In senatorial elections, the county has been similarly Republican. In gubernatorial elections, Elbert County has also generally been powerfully Republican, but was nonetheless carried by Democrat Roy Romer by a narrow margin in 1990 ^[12] – when he carried all but four counties statewide – by Dick Lamm in 1982 ^[13] and by Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo in 2010. ^[14]

The official newspaper of record used by the county is the weekly Elbert County News. ^[15] The weekly Ranchland News and monthly Prairie Times also cover local events.

Education

School districts covering sections of the county include: ^[16]

• Agate School District 300
• Big Sandy School District 100J
• Calhan School District RJ-1
• Douglas County School District RE-1
• Elbert School District 200
• Elizabeth School District
• Kiowa School District C-2
• Limon School District RE-4J
• Miami-Yoder School District 60-JT
• Peyton School District 23-JT

See also

• Government portal
• History portal
• United States portal
• Colorado portal

• Bibliography of Colorado
• Geography of Colorado
• History of Colorado
  • Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory
  • Arrappahoe County, Jefferson Territory
  • Arapahoe County, Colorado Territory
  • Greenwood County, Colorado Territory
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Elbert County, Colorado
• Index of Colorado-related articles
• List of Colorado-related lists
  • List of counties in Colorado
  • List of statistical areas in Colorado
• Outline of Colorado
  • Front Range Urban Corridor

External links

• Elbert County Community Homepage

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  116.
4. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
5. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
6. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2014.
9. "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.
10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 14, 2011.
11. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
12. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; 1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results – Colorado
13. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; 1982 Gubernatorial General Election Results – Colorado
14. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; 2010 Gubernatorial General Election Results – Colorado
15. Humanities, National Endowment for the. "Elbert County news" . Retrieved December 8, 2019.
16. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Elbert County, CO" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved November 1, 2024. - Text list