San Juan County, Colorado
| San Juan County, Colorado | |
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The San Juan County courthouse
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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 | January 31, 1876 |
| Named for | Saint John |
| Seat | Silverton |
| Largest town | Silverton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 388 sq mi (1,005 km2) |
| • Land | 387 sq mi (1,002 km2) |
| • Water | 0.8 sq mi (2 km2), 0.2% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 701 |
| • Density | 1.8/sq mi (1/km²) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 |
| Website | www |
San Juan County is one of the 64 counties of the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the population was 699, making it the least populous county in Colorado. The county seat and the only incorporated municipality in the county is Silverton. The county name is the Spanish language name for “Saint John”, the name Spanish explorers gave to a river and the mountain range in the area. With a mean elevation of 11,240 feet (3426 meters), San Juan County is the highest county in the United States.
Mining operators in the San Juan mountain area of Colorado formed the San Juan District Mining Association (SJDMA) in 1903, as a direct result of a Western Federation of Miners proposal to the Telluride Mining Association for the eight-hour day, which had been approved in a referendum by 72 percent of Colorado voters. The new association consolidated the power of thirty-six mining properties in San Miguel, Ouray, and San Juan counties. The SJDMA refused to consider any reduction in hours or increase in wages, helping to provoke a bitter strike.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 388 square miles (1,000 km2), of which 387 square miles (1,000 km2) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2) (0.2%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in Colorado by area. The County is located in the heart of the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, with numerous peaks above 14,000 feet in height. It has the highest mean elevation of any county in the United States, at 11,240 feet (3,426 m). [1]
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