Hinsdale County, Colorado

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1123 sqmi, of which 1117 sqmi is land and 5.9 sqmi (0.5%) is water.

Hinsdale County is one of the most remote counties in Colorado and the United States. The county is covered by mountains, including multiple fourteeners, and contains one of the largest roadless areas in the country. The continental divide crosses the county twice. Most of the county is divided among several different national forests and the Weminuche Wilderness area. The county is 96.5% public lands.

Adjacent counties

• Gunnison – north
• Saguache – northeast
• Mineral – east
• Archuleta – southeast
• La Plata – southwest
• San Juan – west
• Ouray – northwest

Major highways

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 788. Of the residents, 16.6% were under the age of 18 and 32.0% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 56.3 years. For every 100 females there were 106.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.0 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 89.6% White, 1.0% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 7.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.8% of the population.

There were 375 households in the county, of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 17.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 1,329 housing units, of which 71.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.0% were owner-occupied and 24.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.3%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 790 people, 359 households, and 246 families living in the county. The population density was 0.7 /mi2. There were 1,304 housing units at an average density of 1.2 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 97.34% White, 1.52% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.38% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. 1.52% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 359 households, out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.2 and the average family size was 2.6.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.5% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 34.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.9 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,279, and the median income for a family was $42,159. Males had a median income of $26,210 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,360. About 4.5% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Republican presidential nominees have carried Hinsdale County since Franklin Delano Roosevelt defeated Alf Landon by eight votes in 1936. Along with Elbert County and Washington County it was one of three Colorado counties to vote for Barry Goldwater over Lyndon Johnson in 1964. In 2020, Joe Biden received the highest vote share for a Democrat since Johnson, and became the third Democrat since 1940 to breach 40% of the vote.

The last Democrat to carry Hinsdale County in a statewide election was John Hickenlooper in the 2010 gubernatorial contest, and the only other case since at least 1980 have been Democratic senator Ben “Nighthorse” Campbell, who was later to shift to the Republican Party, in 1992, alongside popular Governor Roy Romer, who carried all but three counties statewide, in 1990.

Recreation

National forests

• Gunnison National Forest
• Rio Grande National Forest
• San Juan National Forest
• Uncompahgre National Forest

National wilderness areas

• La Garita Wilderness
• Powderhorn Wilderness
• Uncompahgre Wilderness
• Weminuche Wilderness

Trails

• Colorado Trail
• Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
• West Lost Trail Creek National Recreation Trail

Scenic byways

• Alpine Loop National Scenic Back Country Byway
• Silver Thread Scenic Byway

Communities

Town

• Lake City

Census-designated places

• Cathedral
• Piedra

Ghost towns

• Beartown
• Burrows Park
• Capitol City
• Carson
• Henson
• Old Carson

Education

School districts include:

• Hinsdale County School District RE-1
• Archuleta County School District 50-JT

References

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. Gannett, Henry. (1905). "The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States". Govt. Print. Off..
4. (February 12, 2011). "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". [[United States Census Bureau]].
5. Watts, Raymond D.. (May 4, 2007). "Roadless Space of the Conterminous United States". [[Science (journal).
6. Tracy Staedter. (May 3, 2007). "Roadless Space Uneven Across U.S.". Discovery News.
7. "hinsdalecounty.colorado.gov".
8. "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau.
9. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau.
10. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
11. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau.
12. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau.
13. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
14. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
15. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
16. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2010&fips=8&f=1&off=5&elect=0 2010 Gubernatorial General Election Results – Colorado ]
17. Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=1990&fips=8&f=1&off=5&elect=0 1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results – Colorado]
18. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
19. "Ghost Towns of Colorado- Hinsdale County".
20. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Hinsdale County, CO". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].