{{short description|County in Colorado, United States}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Use American English|date=January 2026}} {{infobox U.S. county | county = Chaffee County | type = county | official_name = | state = Colorado | ex image = Chaffee County Courthouse (1932-1992).JPG | ex image size = | ex image cap = Old Chaffee County Courthouse | flag = | flag size = | flag border = | flag wl = | seal = | seal size = | seal wl = | logo = | logo size = | nickname = Heart of the Rockies | motto = | coordinates = {{coord|38.74|-106.18|display=it|type:adm2nd_region:US-CO_source:UScensus1990}} | founded date = February 10 | founded year = 1879 | named for = Jerome B. Chaffee | seat wl = Salida | city type = City | largest city wl = Salida | other_cities = Buena Vista<br/>Poncha Springs | leader_title = | leader_name = | area_footnotes = <ref name=COcounties2020>{{cite web|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerwebmain/Files/tab20/tigerweb_tab20_county_co.html|title=State of Colorado Counties – Current/TAB20 – Data as of January 1, 2020|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=January 1, 2020|access-date=July 19, 2025}}</ref> | area_total_sq_mi = 1014.95 | area_land_sq_mi = 1013.41 | area_water_sq_mi = 1.54 | area percentage = 0.15 | population_total = 19476 | population_as_of = 2020 | population_footnotes = <ref name=2020Census>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/chaffeecountycolorado/PST045219|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts |access-date=September 4, 2021|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref> | population_est = 20831 {{gain}} | pop_est_as_of = 2025 | pop_est_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusEst2025">{{cite web|title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=April 10, 2026}}</ref> | population_density_sq_mi = 20.47 | demonym = | time zone = MST | tz note = −07:00 | time zone 2 = MDT | tz note 2 = −06:00 | ZIP codes = | area_code = 719 | district = 7th | district2 = | web = https://chaffeecounty.org/ | footnotes = }}
'''Chaffee County''' is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,476.<ref name="2020Census" /> The county seat is Salida.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref>
==History== Chaffee County has a confusing origin. Between February 8 and 10, 1879, Carbonate County was created by the Colorado legislature out of northern Lake County. On February 10 the two counties were renamed, with the southern part of Lake County becoming Chaffee County, and Carbonate County becoming Lake County. Chaffee County is known as the “Heart of the Rockies”. It was named for Jerome B. Chaffee,<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n73 74]}}</ref> Colorado's first United States Senator.
==Geography== According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|1014.95|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1013.41|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|1.54|sqmi}} (0.15%) is water.<ref name=COcounties2020/> [[File:Salida, Colorado with Sangre de Cristo Range in Background .jpg|thumb|left|Salida, Colorado with Sangre de Cristo Range in background]] {{clear|left}}
===Adjacent counties=== *Lake County - north *Park County - northeast *Fremont County - southeast *Saguache County - south *Gunnison County - west *Pitkin County - northwest
===Major highways=== * 20px U.S. Highway 24 * 20px U.S. Highway 50 * 20px U.S. Highway 285 * 20px State Highway 291 * 20px State Highway 306
===National protected areas=== *Browns Canyon National Monument *Buffalo Peaks Wilderness *Collegiate Peaks Wilderness *San Isabel National Forest
===Recreation area=== *Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
===Trails=== *American Discovery Trail *Colorado Trail *Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
===Bicycle routes=== *Great Parks Bicycle Route *Western Express Bicycle Route
==Demographics== {{US Census population | 1880 = 6512 | 1890 = 6612 | 1900 = 7085 | 1910 = 7622 | 1920 = 7753 | 1930 = 8126 | 1940 = 8109 | 1950 = 7168 | 1960 = 8298 | 1970 = 10162 | 1980 = 13227 | 1990 = 12684 | 2000 = 16242 | 2010 = 17809 | 2020 = 19476 | estyear = 2025 | estimate = 20831 | estref = <ref name="USCensusEst2025"/> {{increase}} | align-fn = center | footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=June 7, 2014|archive-date=June 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623053220/https://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/co190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 7, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="2020Census" /> | align = right }}
===2020 census===
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 19,476. Of the residents, 15.4% were under the age of 18 and 26.7% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 49.3 years. For every 100 females there were 111.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 112.1 males. 56.4% of residents lived in urban areas and 43.6% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME%2CP2_002N%2CP2_003N&for=county%3A015&in=state%3A08|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=2025-12-08|df=mdy}}</ref><ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME%2CDP1_0021P%2CDP1_0024P%2CDP1_0025C%2CDP1_0049C%2CDP1_0045C%2CDP1_0069C%2CDP1_0073C%2CDP1_0125P%2CDP1_0126P%2CDP1_0129P%2CDP1_0138P%2CDP1_0139P%2CDP1_0141P%2CDP1_0142P%2CDP1_0143P%2CDP1_0145P%2CDP1_0146P%2CDP1_0147C%2CDP1_0148C%2CDP1_0149C%2CDP1_0156C%2CDP1_0157C%2CDP1_0158C%2CDP1_0159P%2CDP1_0160P&for=county%3A015&in=state%3A08|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=2025-12-08|df=mdy}}</ref><ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME%2CP1_001N%2CP1_003N%2CP1_004N%2CP1_005N%2CP1_006N%2CP1_007N%2CP1_008N%2CP1_009N%2CP2_001N%2CP2_002N%2CH1_001N%2CH1_002N&for=county%3A015&in=state%3A08|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=2025-12-08|df=mdy}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+'''Chaffee County, Colorado – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small> !Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small> !Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Chaffee County, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?q=P004:+HISPANIC+OR+LATINO,+AND+NOT+HISPANIC+OR+LATINO+BY+RACE+[73]&g=050XX00US08015|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 5, 2026|df=mdy }}</ref> !Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Chaffee County, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?q=p2&g=050XX00US08015|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 5, 2026|df=mdy }}</ref> !{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Chaffee County, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=p2&g=050XX00US08015|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 5, 2026|df=mdy }}</ref> !% 2000 !% 2010 !{{partial|% 2020}} |- |White alone (NH) |14,174 |15,417 |style='background: #ffffe6; |16,195 |87.27% |86.57% |style='background: #ffffe6; |83.15% |- |Black or African American alone (NH) |257 |267 |style='background: #ffffe6; |295 |1.58% |1.50% |style='background: #ffffe6; |1.51% |- |Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) |151 |143 |style='background: #ffffe6; |132 |0.93% |0.80% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.68% |- |Asian alone (NH) |65 |104 |style='background: #ffffe6; |133 |0.40% |0.58% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.68% |- |Pacific Islander alone (NH) |3 |8 |style='background: #ffffe6; |11 |0.02% |0.04% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.06% |- |Other race alone (NH) |17 |12 |style='background: #ffffe6; |100 |0.10% |0.07% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.51% |- |Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) |182 |180 |style='background: #ffffe6; |769 |1.12% |1.01% |style='background: #ffffe6; |3.95% |- |Hispanic or Latino (any race) |1,393 |1,678 |style='background: #ffffe6; |1,841 |8.58% |9.42% |style='background: #ffffe6; |9.45% |- |'''Total''' |'''16,242''' |'''17,809''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''19,476''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%''' |}
The racial makeup of the county was 85.7% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.0% from some other race, and 7.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 9.5% of the population.<ref name="Census2020PL"/>
There were 8,411 households in the county, of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>
There were 10,921 housing units, of which 23.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.9% were owner-occupied and 26.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>
===2000 census===
At the 2000 census there were 16,242 people, 6,584 households, and 4,365 families living in the county. The population density was {{convert|16|/sqmi|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people|abbr=out}}. There were 8,392 housing units at an average density of {{convert|8|/sqmi|/km2|abbr=out}}. The racial makeup of the county was 90.94% White, 1.58% Black or African American, 1.09% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.21% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. 8.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref name="GR8">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> Of the 6,584 households 25.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.70% were non-families. 28.40% of households were one person and 11.20% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.77.
The age distribution was 19.70% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 27.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.20 males.
The median household income was $34,368 and the median family income was $42,043. Males had a median income of $30,770 versus $22,219 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,430. About 7.40% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.30% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.
Chaffee County is also home to a source of water that Arrowhead water uses for some water bottles. The source is Ruby Mountain Springs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Parker |first1=Bob |title=A story of biblical dimensions: Chaffee County Citizens vs Nestlé |url=https://350colorado.org/a-story-of-biblical-dimensions-chaffee-county-citizens-vs-nestle/ |website=350 Colorado |publisher=350 Colorado |access-date=2 December 2024 |date=30 September 2020}}</ref> {{clear}}
==Politics== Chaffee County was long a Republican stronghold, but has recently trended towards the Democrats. In 2008 Barack Obama lost the county by only 11 votes, and he carried it in 2012 by 16 votes, the first Democrat to win it since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide. In 2016 Donald Trump flipped the county narrowly back into the Republican column, but Joe Biden won the county in 2020, the first candidate from either party to win the county by a full majority since 2004. Kamala Harris won the county by a larger margin in 2024, becoming the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the county while losing the presidential election since 1908. {{PresHead|place=Chaffee County, Colorado|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=May 26, 2017}}</ref>}} <!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} --> {{PresRow|1880|Democratic|1,135|1,188|17|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1884|Republican|1,142|986|8|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1888|Republican|1,277|941|54|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1892|Populist|678|0|1,012|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1896|Democratic|141|2,606|15|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1900|Democratic|1,033|1,890|79|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1904|Republican|1,611|1,601|223|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1908|Democratic|1,233|1,679|313|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1912|Democratic|723|1,641|1,031|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1916|Democratic|864|2,546|103|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1920|Republican|1,501|1,233|103|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1924|Republican|1,336|612|1,130|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1928|Republican|1,880|1,230|50|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,061|2,393|174|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1936|Democratic|1,069|2,447|148|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1940|Democratic|1,933|2,153|35|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,675|1,731|24|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1948|Republican|2,065|1,476|39|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1952|Republican|2,171|1,643|15|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1956|Republican|2,284|1,303|0|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1960|Republican|2,094|1,918|4|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,476|2,463|12|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1968|Republican|2,121|1,667|365|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1972|Republican|2,859|1,354|78|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1976|Republican|2,925|2,064|173|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1980|Republican|3,327|1,583|568|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1984|Republican|3,680|1,779|91|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1988|Republican|3,080|2,548|86|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1992|Republican|2,419|2,284|1,579|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1996|Republican|3,052|2,768|695|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2000|Republican|4,300|2,768|542|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2004|Republican|4,875|3,766|129|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2008|Republican|4,873|4,862|186|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2012|Democratic|5,070|5,086|306|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2016|Republican|5,391|4,888|971|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2020|Democratic|6,222|7,160|336|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2024|Democratic|6,034|7,992|397|Colorado}} {{PresFoot}} {{U.S. SenHead|place=Chaffee County, Colorado|Seat=2|source=}} <!-- U.S. SenRow should be {{U.S. SenRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} --> {{U.S. SenRow|2020|Democratic|6,344|6,948|286|Colorado}} {{U.S. SenFoot}} {{U.S. SenHead|place=Chaffee County, Colorado|Seat=3|source=}} <!-- U.S. SenRow should be {{U.S. SenRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} --> {{U.S. SenRow|2022|Democratic|4,854|6,607|339|Colorado}} {{U.S. SenFoot}} {{C.O. GovHead|place=Chaffee County|Seat=|source=}} <!-- C.O. GovRow should be {{C.O. GovRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} --> {{C.O. GovRow|2022|Democratic|4,646|6,807|296}} {{C.O. GovFoot}}
==Communities== thumb|upright=1.2|Chaffee County, Colorado [[File:Buffalo Peaks outside of Buena Vista.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Buffalo Peaks near Buena Vista]]
===City=== *Salida
===Towns=== *Buena Vista *Poncha Springs
===Census-designated places=== *Garfield *Johnson Village *Maysville * Nathrop *Smeltertown
===Unincorporated communities=== {{div col|colwidth=22em}} *Alpine *Belleview *Browns Canon *Centerville *Cleora *Futurity *Granite *Hamilton *Newett *Princeton *Riverside *Rockdale *St. Elmo *Stonewall *Turret {{div col end}}
===Ghost towns===
*St. Elmo *Vicksburg *Winfield {{clear}}
==See also== {{portal|Government|History|Mountains|United States|Colorado}} *Bibliography of Colorado *Geography of Colorado *History of Colorado **National Register of Historic Places listings in Chaffee County, Colorado *Index of Colorado-related articles *List of Colorado-related lists **List of counties in Colorado *Outline of Colorado {{clear}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{sister project links|auto=yes}} *[https://www.colorado.gov/ State of Colorado] **[https://www.historycolorado.org/ History Colorado] *[http://garna.org/pdfs/Pages%2094-end%20Management%20Plan_Final.pdf Cultural, Historical and Archeological Resources] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20100720183144/http://countyclerkofcourt.us/Chaffee Chaffee County Clerk of Court] *[http://www.chaffeecounty.org Chaffee County Government website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102713/http://www.stanwyck.com/cogenweb/cocounties.html Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck] *[https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo44949 Geologic Map of the Harvard Lakes 7.5ʹ Quadrangle, Park and Chaffee Counties, Colorado] United States Geological Survey {{Chaffee County, Colorado|collapse_state=expanded}} {{Geographic Location |Centre = Chaffee County, Colorado |North = Lake County |Northeast = Park County |East = |Southeast = Fremont County |South = Saguache County |Southwest = |West = Gunnison County |Northwest = Pitkin County }} {{Colorado}} {{authority control}}
Category:Chaffee County, Colorado Category:Colorado counties Category:Arkansas Valley of Colorado Category:1879 establishments in Colorado Category:Populated places in the United States established in 1879 Category:Rocky Mountains of Colorado