Saguache County, Colorado
Saguache County (suh-WATCH /səˈwɑːtʃ/ (Audio file "en-us-Saguache.ogg" not found)) is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado.[lower-alpha 1][1][2] As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,368.[3] The county seat is Saguache.[4]
History
[edit]Saguache County was formed December 29, 1866, in the Territory of Colorado when it was extracted from the northern half of Costilla County. A partition from Lake County on February 9, 1872, added the northwest section of the present-day county.
Geography
[edit]According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,170 square miles (8,200 km2), of which 3,169 square miles (8,210 km2) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2) (0.05%) is water.[5] It is the 7th largest of Colorado's 64 counties.
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Chaffee County - north
- Fremont County - northeast
- Custer County - east
- Huerfano County - southeast
- Rio Grande County - south
- Alamosa County - south
- Mineral County - southwest
- Hinsdale County - southwest
- Gunnison County - northwest
Major highways
[edit]- File:US 285.svg U.S. Highway 285
- File:Colorado 17.svg State Highway 17
- File:Colorado 112.svg State Highway 112
- File:Colorado 114.svg State Highway 114
National protected areas
[edit]- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
- Great Sand Dunes Wilderness
- Gunnison National Forest
- La Garita Wilderness
- Rio Grande National Forest
- Sangre de Cristo Wilderness
Trails and byways
[edit]- Colorado Trail
- Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
- Great Parks Bicycle Route
- Liberty Road historic mail route open to foot, horse, and bicycle travel between Crestone and the ghost towns of Duncan and Liberty crossing the Baca Mountain Tract Rio Grande National Forest.[6]
- Medano Pass Primitive Road
- Montville Nature Trail
- Mosca Pass Trail
- Old Spanish National Historic Trail
- Sand Ramp Trail, a hiking trail within the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve which skirts the east and north of the dune field.[7]
- Western Express Bicycle Route
Demographics
[edit]2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 6,368. Of the residents, 20.0% were under the age of 18 and 24.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 47.0 years. For every 100 females there were 104.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 104.7 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.[8][9][10]
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[11] | Pop 2010[12] | Pop 2020[13] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 3,053 | 3,446 | 3,578 | 51.60% | 56.42% | 56.19% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1 | 11 | 19 | 0.02% | 0.18% | 0.30% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 73 | 68 | 81 | 1.23% | 1.11% | 1.27% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 26 | 47 | 63 | 0.44% | 0.77% | 0.99% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.00% | 0.02% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 14 | 2 | 42 | 0.24% | 0.03% | 0.66% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 72 | 81 | 189 | 1.22% | 1.33% | 2.97% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2,678 | 2,452 | 2,394 | 45.26% | 40.14% | 37.59% |
| Total | 5,917 | 6,108 | 6,368 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
The racial makeup of the county was 66.1% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 3.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 9.2% from some other race, and 20.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 37.6% of the population.[10]
There were 2,835 households in the county, of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 27.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[9]
There were 3,739 housing units, of which 24.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.1% were owner-occupied and 29.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.6%.[9]
2000 census
[edit]As of the 2000 census, there were 5,917 people, 2,300 households, and 1,557 families living in the county.[14] The population density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km2). There were 3,087 housing units at an average density of 1 units per square mile (0.39 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 71.29% White, 0.12% Black or African American, 2.06% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 23.00% from other races, and 3.08% from two or more races. 45.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,300 households, out of which 33.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.70% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.30% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.40% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 26.90% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 101.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,495, and the median income for a family was $29,405. Males had a median income of $25,158 versus $18,862 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,121. About 18.70% of families and 22.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.60% of those under age 18 and 12.50% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
[edit]Like many Colorado counties with a strong Hispanic presence, Saguache leans Democratic in Presidential elections. The last Republican to carry the county was Ronald Reagan in 1984.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 509 | 57.19% | 371 | 41.69% | 10 | 1.12% |
| 1884 | 543 | 54.08% | 454 | 45.22% | 7 | 0.70% |
| 1888 | 592 | 57.76% | 428 | 41.76% | 5 | 0.49% |
| "text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Populist |1892 | 326 | 36.51% | 0 | 0.00% | 567 | 63.49% |
| 1896 | 176 | 13.17% | 1,155 | 86.45% | 5 | 0.37% |
| 1900 | 731 | 39.84% | 1,085 | 59.13% | 19 | 1.04% |
| 1904 | 922 | 56.19% | 697 | 42.47% | 22 | 1.34% |
| 1908 | 811 | 49.06% | 817 | 49.43% | 25 | 1.51% |
| 1912 | 730 | 36.37% | 859 | 42.80% | 418 | 20.83% |
| 1916 | 681 | 34.22% | 1,254 | 63.02% | 55 | 2.76% |
| 1920 | 1,195 | 60.32% | 717 | 36.19% | 69 | 3.48% |
| 1924 | 1,205 | 58.33% | 591 | 28.61% | 270 | 13.07% |
| 1928 | 1,491 | 62.62% | 854 | 35.87% | 36 | 1.51% |
| 1932 | 931 | 37.88% | 1,427 | 58.06% | 100 | 4.07% |
| 1936 | 1,071 | 43.79% | 1,321 | 54.01% | 54 | 2.21% |
| 1940 | 1,462 | 55.57% | 1,142 | 43.41% | 27 | 1.03% |
| 1944 | 1,204 | 62.13% | 729 | 37.62% | 5 | 0.26% |
| 1948 | 914 | 47.19% | 1,009 | 52.09% | 14 | 0.72% |
| 1952 | 1,344 | 65.08% | 714 | 34.58% | 7 | 0.34% |
| 1956 | 1,149 | 58.03% | 823 | 41.57% | 8 | 0.40% |
| 1960 | 956 | 49.05% | 984 | 50.49% | 9 | 0.46% |
| 1964 | 622 | 36.06% | 1,099 | 63.71% | 4 | 0.23% |
| 1968 | 824 | 52.45% | 648 | 41.25% | 99 | 6.30% |
| 1972 | 1,062 | 63.18% | 578 | 34.38% | 41 | 2.44% |
| 1976 | 1,094 | 49.50% | 1,059 | 47.92% | 57 | 2.58% |
| 1980 | 1,124 | 52.65% | 893 | 41.83% | 118 | 5.53% |
| 1984 | 1,201 | 57.63% | 867 | 41.60% | 16 | 0.77% |
| 1988 | 945 | 46.94% | 1,033 | 51.32% | 35 | 1.74% |
| 1992 | 675 | 31.05% | 1,011 | 46.50% | 488 | 22.45% |
| 1996 | 712 | 36.48% | 969 | 49.64% | 271 | 13.88% |
| 2000 | 1,078 | 42.63% | 1,145 | 45.27% | 306 | 12.10% |
| 2004 | 1,163 | 41.49% | 1,594 | 56.87% | 46 | 1.64% |
| 2008 | 956 | 34.76% | 1,730 | 62.91% | 64 | 2.33% |
| 2012 | 964 | 32.88% | 1,865 | 63.61% | 103 | 3.51% |
| 2016 | 1,147 | 40.46% | 1,417 | 49.98% | 271 | 9.56% |
| 2020 | 1,413 | 41.69% | 1,884 | 55.59% | 92 | 2.71% |
| 2024 | 1,577 | 46.37% | 1,704 | 50.10% | 120 | 3.53% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot Template:U.S. SenHead Template:U.S. SenRow Template:U.S. SenFoot Template:C.O. GovHead Template:C.O. GovRow Template:C.O. GovFoot
Communities
[edit]Towns
[edit]Unincorporated communities
[edit]National Register of Historic Places
[edit]Saguache County has nine locations listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ↑ The name "Saguache" is pronounced /səˈwætʃ/. This name comes from the Ute language noun "sawup" /səˈwʌp/ meaning "sand dunes". The Spanish language version of this name is usually spelled "Saguache", while the English language version is usually spelled "Sawatch".
References
[edit]- ↑ Merkl, Dameon (February 26, 2013), "What's in a Colorado name pronunciation?", The Denver Post, retrieved March 7, 2013
- ↑ Benson, Maxine (1994). 1001 Colorado Place Names. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-0632-7.
- ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ↑ "Forest Service issues management plan for Baca Mountain Tract:" Creation of Great Sand Dunes National Park gave 14,000-acre parcel to Forest Service." article by Matt Hildner in The Pueblo Chieftain November 14, 2009, Updated May 11, 2010, accessed August 30, 2010
- ↑ Hiking and Backpacking accessed July 16, 2010
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
- ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Saguache County, Colorado". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ↑ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Saguache County, Colorado". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ↑ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Saguache County, Colorado". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 7, 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 14, 2011.
- ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
Further reading
[edit]- Lindsey, D.A. et al. (1985). Mineral resources of the Black Canyon and South Piney Creek Wilderness Study Areas, Saguache County, Colorado [U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1716-A]. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
External links
[edit]- State of Colorado
- Official website
- Crestone and Saguache County Visitor's Agency website
- Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck
- Template:OSM relation
Template:Saguache County, Colorado Template:Geographic Location Template:Colorado
- Use mdy dates from January 2026
- Use American English from January 2026
- Pages linking to missing files
- Pages with empty sister project links
- Official website not in Wikidata
- Saguache County, Colorado
- Colorado counties
- 1866 establishments in Colorado Territory
- Colorado placenames of Native American origin
- Colorado Western Slope
- Populated places in the United States established in 1866
- San Luis Valley of Colorado
- Rocky Mountains of Colorado