Huerfano County, Colorado
| Huerfano County, Colorado | |
|---|---|
Huerfano County Courthouse and Jail
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 Location in the U.S. state of Colorado |
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 Colorado's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | November 1, 1861 |
| Named for | Huerfano Butte |
| Seat | Walsenburg |
| Largest city | Walsenburg |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,593 sq mi (4,126 km2) |
| • Land | 1,591 sq mi (4,121 km2) |
| • Water | 2.2 sq mi (6 km2), 0.1% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 6,492 |
| • Density | 4.2/sq mi (2/km²) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 |
| Website | www |
Huerfano County (/ˈwɛərfənoʊ/; Spanish pronunciation: [ˈweɾfano]) is one of the 64 counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,711. The county seat is Walsenburg. The county, whose name comes from the Spanish huérfano meaning "orphan", was named for the Huerfano Butte, a local landmark. The area of Huerfano County boomed early in the 1900s with the discovery of large coal deposits. After large scale World War II coal demand ended in the 1940s Walsenburg and Huerfano saw a steady economical decline through 2015.
Other attractions include historic coal mine sites, majestic mountain hiking and mountain biking.
Huerfano County was one of the original 17 counties created by the Territory of Colorado on November 1, 1861, and was originally larger than its present size. On November 2, 1870, the Colorado General Assembly created Greenwood County from former Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal land and the eastern portion of Huerfano County. There are countless reports of vast New Spain and Native American gold treasures that lay hidden in the hills and mountains of Huerfano County including the Arapahoe Princess Treasure. Two Spanish forts were located in Huerfano County.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,593 square miles (4,130 km2), of which 1,591 square miles (4,120 km2) is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) (0.1%) is water. The price of property saw an increase of more than 10% after a moratorium on commercial marijuana grows was lifted in July 2015.
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