Garfield County, Colorado

Garfield County
Garfield County Courthouse in Glenwood Springs
Garfield County Courthouse in Glenwood Springs
Flag of Garfield County
Map of Colorado highlighting Garfield County
Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
Map of the United States highlighting Colorado
Colorado's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°36′N 107°54′W / 39.6°N 107.9°W / 39.6; -107.9
Country United States
State Colorado
FoundedFebruary 10, 1883
Named forJames A. Garfield
SeatGlenwood Springs
Largest cityRifle
Area
 • Total2,956 sq mi (7,660 km2)
 • Land2,948 sq mi (7,640 km2)
 • Water8.3 sq mi (21 km2)  0.3%
Population
 • Total61,685
 • Density21/sq mi (8/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.garfield-county.com

Garfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 61,685. The county seat is Glenwood Springs. The county is named in honor of United States President James A. Garfield. Garfield County is included in the Glenwood Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Edwards-Glenwood Springs, CO Combined Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,956 square miles (7,660 km2), of which 2,948 square miles (7,640 km2) is land and 8.3 square miles (21 km2) (0.3%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Protected areas

Scenic byways

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18904,478
19005,83530.3%
191010,14473.8%
19209,304−8.3%
19309,9757.2%
194010,5605.9%
195011,62510.1%
196012,0173.4%
197014,82123.3%
198022,51451.9%
199029,97433.1%
200043,79146.1%
201056,38928.8%
202061,6859.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

The 2019 Census population estimate for Garfield County is 60,061, a 6.5% increase from the 2010 Census.

  • Population density per square mile: 19.1 (2010)
  • Race Estimations (2019)
    • White alone, not Hispanic or Latino (67.4%)
    • Hispanic or Latino (29.3%)
    • Black or African American alone (1.3%)
    • American Indian and Alaskan Native alone (1.7%)
    • Asian, alone (0.9%)
    • Two or more races (2.0%)
  • Age and Sex Estimations (2019)
    • Persons under 5 years of age (6.8%)
    • Persons under 18 years of age (24.9%)
    • Persons 65 years of age and over (13.8%)
    • Female persons (48.9%)
  • Housing
    • Housing units, 2019: (24,363)
    • Owner occupied housing unit rate, 2014-2018: (66.9%)
    • Persons per household, 2014-2018: (2.73)
  • Education (2014-2018)
    • High school graduate (87.5%)
    • Bachelor's degree or higher (30.0%)
  • Income and Poverty (2014 - 2018)
    • Median household income: ($72, 898)
    • Per capita income: $32,491)
    • Persons in poverty: (8.4%)

Education

Public Schools

Garfield County is served by three main school districts: Roaring Fork School District RE-1, serving Glenwood Springs and Carbondale; Garfield County School District RE-2, serving Rifle, New Castle, and Silt; and Garfield County School District 16, which serves Parachute and Battlement Mesa.

Private Schools

Garfield County is home to two private schools: Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale, and Liberty Classical Academy in New Castle.

Higher Education

The county is home to the Glenwood Springs, Rifle, Carbondale, and Spring Valley campuses of Colorado Mountain College, a community college with campuses across western Colorado. Colorado Mesa University, a public four-year university in neighboring Mesa County, is a common university destination for Garfield County students. CMU is located in Grand Junction, 62 miles west of Rifle and 87 miles from Glenwood Springs.

Politics

Voting participation rates in Garfield County are above the U.S. national average. In the 2018 General Election, 65% of eligible voters participated. In the 2020 presidential election, 84.47% eligible voters participated. The county leans slightly Republican based on vote totals in elections (2008 - 2018 data) with an estimated range of two to one-thousand votes often determining candidate outcomes for the county.

Garfield County has primarily voted for Republican Party candidates in presidential elections throughout its history, with the county only failing to back the Republican candidate ten times from 1884 to 2020. Although the county includes the relatively liberal city of Glenwood Springs, this is outweighed by the extremely conservative city of Rifle, as well as the nearby towns of Silt, Parachute, and Battlement Mesa. Until 2020, the most recent Democratic win was by Bill Clinton in 1992, but Republicans were held to a plurality of the county's votes in half of the six following presidential elections prior to 2020. Notably, Barack Obama lost the county to John McCain by two votes in 2008.

In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the county since Clinton in 1992, with about 50% of the vote. No Democratic presidential candidate has won a majority of the vote in the county since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, although in 2020, Joe Biden was just 26 votes shy of having the majority of the vote in the county.

The county lies in Colorado's 3rd congressional district, represented by local Rifle resident Lauren Boebert.

United States presidential election results for Garfield County, Colorado
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 14,717 47.62% 15,427 49.92% 760 2.46%
2016 13,132 49.61% 11,271 42.58% 2,067 7.81%
2012 12,535 51.36% 11,305 46.32% 568 2.33%
2008 11,359 49.21% 11,357 49.20% 366 1.59%
2004 11,123 53.87% 9,228 44.69% 296 1.43%
2000 9,103 53.22% 6,087 35.59% 1,914 11.19%
1996 6,281 44.43% 5,722 40.47% 2,135 15.10%
1992 4,404 31.51% 5,082 36.36% 4,490 32.13%
1988 6,358 57.21% 4,620 41.57% 136 1.22%
1984 7,111 69.14% 3,076 29.91% 98 0.95%
1980 5,416 58.08% 2,639 28.30% 1,270 13.62%
1976 4,699 59.74% 2,852 36.26% 315 4.00%
1972 4,452 66.27% 2,088 31.08% 178 2.65%
1968 3,157 52.24% 2,273 37.61% 613 10.14%
1964 2,282 41.58% 3,196 58.24% 10 0.18%
1960 3,215 58.04% 2,313 41.76% 11 0.20%
1956 3,332 62.90% 1,953 36.87% 12 0.23%
1952 3,914 68.44% 1,777 31.07% 28 0.49%
1948 2,416 50.10% 2,364 49.03% 42 0.87%
1944 2,588 57.97% 1,865 41.78% 11 0.25%
1940 2,894 57.18% 2,141 42.30% 26 0.51%
1936 1,945 42.95% 2,406 53.14% 177 3.91%
1932 1,734 36.05% 2,946 61.25% 130 2.70%
1928 2,435 60.03% 1,562 38.51% 59 1.45%
1924 1,934 51.27% 917 24.31% 921 24.42%
1920 1,912 54.32% 1,489 42.30% 119 3.38%
1916 1,139 29.86% 2,479 64.98% 197 5.16%
1912 824 21.10% 1,806 46.25% 1,275 32.65%

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

See also

39°36′N 107°54′W / 39.60°N 107.90°W / 39.60; -107.90


This page was last updated at 2023-10-06 15:17 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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