Pueblo County ( or ) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the U.S. state of

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,162. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

Pueblo In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...

. The county was named for the historic city of

which took its name from the

Spanish language Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a global language with more than 500 million native speakers, mainly in the ...

word meaning "town" or "village". Pueblo County comprises the Pueblo, CO

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water.

Adjacent counties

* El Paso County - north * Lincoln County - northeast * Crowley County - east * Otero County - east *

Las Animas County Las Animas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,555. The county seat is Trinidad. The county takes its name from the Mexican Spanish name of the Purgatoire River, originally ...

- south * Huerfano County - southwest * Custer County - west * Fremont County - northwest

Major Highways

Interstate 25 Interstate 25 (I-25) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexi ...

U.S. Highway 50 * US 85

U.S. Highway 85 * Colorado 10

State Highway 10 * Colorado 45

State Highway 45 * Colorado 47

State Highway 47 * Colorado 78

State Highway 78 * Colorado 96

State Highway 96 * Colorado 120

State Highway 120 * Colorado 165

State Highway 165 * Colorado 167

State Highway 167

National protected areas

San Isabel National Forest San Isabel National Forest is located in central Colorado. The forest contains 19 of the state's 53 fourteeners, peaks over high, including Mount Elbert, the highest point in Colorado. It is one of eleven national forests in the state of Colo ...

Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness The Greenhorn Mountain Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located northwest of Walsenburg, Colorado in the San Isabel and Pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow wa ...

Trails and byways

* American Discovery Trail *Frontier Pathways National Scenic and Historic Byway * TransAmerica Trail Bicycle Route *

Western Express Bicycle Route List of cycleways — for all types of cycleways, bike path, bike route, or bikeway's transportation infrastructure and/or designated route, listed by continents and their countries. Greenways and/or rail trails can include a cycleway−bike pa ...

Demographics

As of the Census 2007 statistical update, there were 154,712 people, 59,956 households, and 40,084 families living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 59 people per square mile (23/km²). There were 67,314 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 79.47%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 1.90%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.59% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 12.93% from other races, and 3.38% from two or more races. 37.97% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. 11.6% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 8.8% Italian, 6.7%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, 6.6%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

and 6.5% Irish ancestry. There were 59,956 households, out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.10% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 13.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.60% were non-families. 26.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.04. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $41,283, and the median income for a family was $50,143. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $21,656. About 11.20% of families and 14.90% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 19.70% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The Board of Pueblo County Commissioners is elected by voters to represent three individual districts within Pueblo County. The board serves as the administrative and policy-setting authority for Pueblo County. Pueblo County is part of Colorado's 3rd congressional district and is represented by U.S. House member Lauren Boebert. At the state level the following representatives have boundaries that cover parts of Pueblo County:

Nick Hinrichsen Nick Hinrichsen is an American politician currently serving in the Colorado Senate from Colorado's 3rd district. He was appointed to the seat after incumbent Democrat Leroy Garcia resigned to become special assistant to the Assistant Secretary ...

representing Senate District 3,

Cleave Simpson Cleave Simpson, Jr. is an American politician from Alamosa, Colorado. A Republican, Simpson represents Colorado State Senate District 6, which includes all or parts of Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Costilla, Dolores, La Plata, Mineral, Mont ...

representing Senate District 35,

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...

Majority Caucus Chair Daneya Esgar representing District 46, Stephanie Luck representing District 47, and Donald Valdez representing District 62.

Law enforcement

The sheriff's office is responsible for law enforcement and fire protection for unincorporated area in the county. the department had 362 sworn members.

Politics

Pueblo County is historically a Democratic stronghold; however, in the 2016 presidential election, the county voted for Republican nominee

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

. It was brought back into the Democratic fold in the years which followed, voting for

Jared Polis Jared Schutz Polis (; born May 12, 1975) is an American politician, entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist, serving as the 43rd governor of Colorado since January 2019. He served one term on the Colorado State Board of Education from 20 ...

in the 2018 gubernatorial election and giving Joe Biden a plurality in the

2020 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2020 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *5 January: ** ...

, although Biden's margin of victory of 1.7 percent was much reduced from Barack Obama's 14 percent margin in 2012.

Communities

City

Towns

* Boone * Rye

Census-designated places

* Avondale * Beulah Valley * Blende * Colorado City * Pueblo West * Salt Creek * Vineland

Education

School districts serving the county include:SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Pueblo County, CO
"

. Retrieved on July 2, 2017. * Pueblo School District 60 * Pueblo County School District 70 * Edison School District 54-JT * Fowler School District R-4J Pueblo County has thirteen

high schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

Recreation

* Rosemount Museum * Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center *

Buell Children's Museum The Buell Children's Museum is a children's museum in Pueblo, Colorado, United States that offers hands-on exhibits focusing on the arts, science and history. The Museum is accredited as a part of The Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center ...

El Pueblo History Museum El Pueblo History Museum is a local history museum in Pueblo, Colorado, United States. The museum presents the history of Pueblo, together with the cultural and ethnic groups of the region. The historical site includes an 1840s-style adobe trading ...

Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum The Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum is a non-profit aviation museum located in Southern Colorado. It was founded in the mid-1970s by former Pueblo City Manager Fred Weisbrod. The museum is made up of two hangars that were built in 2005 and 2011. ...

* Steelworks Museum *

Lake Pueblo State Park Lake Pueblo State Park is a state park located in Pueblo County, Colorado. It includes of shoreline and of land. Activities it offers include two full-service marinas, recreational fishing, hiking, camping and swimming at a special swim beach. ...

* Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center *

Pueblo Zoo Pueblo Zoo is a zoo located in Pueblo, Colorado in the United States. The zoo is open year-round and is home to over 420 animals of more than 140 species. The Pueblo Zoological Society manages the zoo, which is accredited by the Association of Z ...

Pueblo City Park Carousel The Pueblo City Park Carousel is a historic carousel in Pueblo, Colorado, United States. Built in 1911, it is a Parker #72 /Stein & Goldstein carousel. Its horses are believed to have been carved circa 1907. In 1983, it was listed on the Nation ...

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United ...

kayak course *

Historic Arkansas Riverwalk The Historic Arkansas Riverwalk is a riverwalk in the US city of Pueblo, Colorado, along the Arkansas River. The riverwalk was constructed as part of an effort to attract tourists and trade to the city. Its construction was inspired by the San An ...

* Union Avenue Historic Commercial District * Pueblo City-County Library District

References

External links

*
Pueblo County Geographic Information Systems website
*
Colorado Historical Society
{{Coord, 38.15, -104.51, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-CO_source:UScensus1990 Colorado counties 1861 establishments in Colorado Territory Eastern Plains Populated places established in 1861