Sedgwick County, Colorado

Sedgwick County
County
Sedgwick County Courthouse, Julesburg
Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
Colorado's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°53′N102°21′W / 40.88°N 102.35°W / 40.88; -102.35
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Founded	April 9, 1889
Named for	John Sedgwick
Seat	Julesburg
Largest town	Julesburg
Area
• Total	549 sq mi (1,420 km2)
• Land	548 sq mi (1,420 km2)
• Water	1.4 sq mi (4 km2)  0.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,404
• Estimate  (2023)	2,299
• Density	4.4/sq mi (1.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	4th
Website	sedgwickcounty.colorado.gov

Sedgwick County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,404. ^[1] The county seat is Julesburg. ^[2] The county was named for Fort Sedgwick, a military post along the Platte Trail, which was named for General John Sedgwick. It is located at the state border with Nebraska.

History

Sedgwick County was named after John Sedgwick, who was a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 549 square miles (1,420 km²), of which 548 square miles (1,420 km²) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) (0.2%) is water. ^[3]

Adjacent counties

• Deuel County, Nebraska – north
• Perkins County, Nebraska – east
• Phillips County – south
• Logan County – west
• Cheyenne County, Nebraska – northwest

Major highways

• Interstate 76
• U.S. Highway 138
• U.S. Highway 385
• State Highway 11
• State Highway 23
• State Highway 59

Trails and byways

• American Discovery Trail
• First transcontinental railroad
• Pony Express National Historic Trail
• South Platte River Trail Scenic and Historic Byway
• South Platte Trail

Upper Crossing of the California Trail

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	1,293		—
1900	971		−24.9%
1910	3,061		215.2%
1920	4,207		37.4%
1930	5,580		32.6%
1940	5,294		−5.1%
1950	5,095		−3.8%
1960	4,242		−16.7%
1970	3,405		−19.7%
1980	3,266		−4.1%
1990	2,690		−17.6%
2000	2,747		2.1%
2010	2,379		−13.4%
2020	2,404		1.1%
2023 (est.)	2,299	[4]	−4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [5] 1790-1960 [6] 1900–1990 [7] 1990-2000 [8] 2010–2020 [1]

At the 2000 census there were 2,747 people in 1,165 households, including 802 families, in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile (1.9 people/km²). There were 1,387 housing units at an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.50% White, 0.51% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5.97% from other races, and 2.04% from two or more races. 11.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. ^[9] Of the 1,165 households 26.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were married couples living together, 6.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 29.40% of households were one person and 13.60% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.83.

The age distribution was 22.80% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 23.50% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 22.10% 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males.

The median household income was $28,278 and the median family income was $33,953. Males had a median income of $25,463 versus $16,392 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,125. About 7.80% of families and 10.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.70% of those under age 18 and 4.20% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Sedgwick County has been strongly Republican for most of its history. It was the only Colorado county to vote for Charles Evans Hughes in 1916 and one of only two carried by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, while only three Democratic presidential candidates – William Jennings Bryan in the “free silver” 1896 election plus Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson in the 1932, 1936 and 1964 landslide wins – have ever carried the county, which has voted for the same candidate as the state of South Dakota in every election since its formation.

United States presidential election results for Sedgwick County, Colorado ^[10]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,048	77.17%	283	20.84%	27	1.99%
2020	1,121	77.52%	301	20.82%	24	1.66%
2016	1,015	74.41%	267	19.57%	82	6.01%
2012	881	65.84%	419	31.32%	38	2.84%
2008	857	63.43%	468	34.64%	26	1.92%
2004	971	71.40%	374	27.50%	15	1.10%
2000	877	67.31%	384	29.47%	42	3.22%
1996	715	52.69%	519	38.25%	123	9.06%
1992	447	39.01%	397	34.64%	302	26.35%
1988	921	59.61%	611	39.55%	13	0.84%
1984	1,146	72.39%	429	27.10%	8	0.51%
1980	1,151	67.39%	438	25.64%	119	6.97%
1976	902	53.06%	773	45.47%	25	1.47%
1972	1,129	67.85%	485	29.15%	50	3.00%
1968	1,007	60.92%	546	33.03%	100	6.05%
1964	895	48.67%	942	51.22%	2	0.11%
1960	1,230	61.41%	769	38.39%	4	0.20%
1956	1,334	63.55%	760	36.21%	5	0.24%
1952	1,528	68.74%	686	30.86%	9	0.40%
1948	1,020	54.63%	834	44.67%	13	0.70%
1944	1,228	68.26%	568	31.57%	3	0.17%
1940	1,448	59.86%	959	39.64%	12	0.50%
1936	977	40.57%	1,358	56.40%	73	3.03%
1932	884	39.10%	1,288	56.97%	89	3.94%
1928	1,247	67.51%	580	31.40%	20	1.08%
1924	779	51.97%	372	24.82%	348	23.22%
1920	819	65.31%	372	29.67%	63	5.02%
1916	529	46.86%	519	45.97%	81	7.17%
1912	328	29.68%	338	30.59%	439	39.73%
1908	544	64.30%	278	32.86%	24	2.84%
1904	347	69.82%	131	26.36%	19	3.82%
1900	256	58.18%	163	37.05%	21	4.77%
1896	130	36.62%	216	60.85%	9	2.54%
1892	198	35.29%	0	0.00%	363	64.71%

Communities

Towns

• Julesburg
• Ovid
• Sedgwick

See also

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

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

References

1. "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. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
5. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
6. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
7. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 11, 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 11, 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

• Official website
• Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck
• Colorado Historical Society

40°53′N102°21′W / 40.88°N 102.35°W / 40.88; -102.35