Eagle County, Colorado

{{short description|County in Colorado, United States}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Use American English|date=January 2026}} {{infobox U.S. county | county = Eagle County | state = Colorado | ex image = Eagle County Justice Center.JPG | ex image size = 225px | ex image cap = The Eagle County Justice Center (county courthouse) in Eagle | seal = | logo = Logo of Eagle County, Colorado.png | founded year = 1883 | founded date = February 11 | coordinates = {{coord|39.62|-106.70|display=it|type:adm2nd_region:US-CO_source:UScensus1990}} | seat wl = Eagle | largest city wl = Edwards | city type = community | area_total_sq_mi = 1692 | area_land_sq_mi = 1685 | area_water_sq_mi = 7.3 | area percentage = 0.4% | census yr = 2020 | pop = 55731 | density_sq_mi = 33 | time zone = Mountain | footnotes = | web = www.eaglecounty.us | named for = Eagle River | district = 2nd | district2 = 3rd | flag = Flag of Eagle County, Colorado.svg | flag size = 125px | population_est = 54291 {{loss}} | pop_est_as_of = 2025 | pop_est_footnotes =<ref name="USCensusEst2025"/> }}

'''Eagle County''' is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,731.<ref name="2020Census">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/eaglecountycolorado/PST045219|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 5, 2021}}</ref> The county seat is the Town of Eagle and the most populous community is Edwards.<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/20120712220218/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=July 12, 2012 }}</ref> The county is named for the Eagle River.

Eagle County comprises the Edwards, Colorado, Micropolitan Statistical Area.

==History== Eagle County was created by the Colorado legislature on February 11, 1883, from portions of Summit County. It was named after the Eagle River, which runs through the county. The county seat was originally set in Red Cliff, Colorado, but was moved to the town of Eagle in 1921.

The Ground Hog Mine, near Red Cliff, produced gold and silver in two vertical veins in 1887. One vein, or "chimney", contained gold in crystalline form, cemented by iron, while the other contained wire gold in the form of "ram's horns". One of these ram's horns is now on display in the Harvard Mineralogical Museum.<ref name=Voynick>Voynick, S.M., 1992, Colorado Gold, Missoula: Mountain Press Publishing Company, {{ISBN|0878424555}}</ref>{{rp|59}}

==Geography== The highest elevation in the county is the Mount of the Holy Cross which rises to {{convert|14011|ft|m}} above sea level. The lowest elevation is on the Colorado River at {{convert|6128|ft|m}}.<ref>Google Earth</ref> According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|1692|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1685|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|7.3|sqmi}} (0.4%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

Much of the county is taken up by White River National Forest, and much of the rest is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Interstate 70 crosses the county from east to west.

The Eagle River rises in the southeastern part of the county. It receives Gore Creek at Dowds Junction, and joins the Colorado River in the west. The Fryingpan River and the Roaring Fork River intersect the southwest corner of the county.

===Adjacent counties=== *Grand County – northeast *Summit County – east *Lake County – south *Pitkin County – southwest *Garfield County – west *Routt County – northwest

===Major highways=== *{{jct|state=CO|I|70}} **{{jct|state=CO|BS|70|dab1=Eagle|name1=Eagle}} **{{jct|state=CO|BS|70|dab1=Edwards|name1=Edwards}} *{{jct|state=CO|US|6}} *{{jct|state=CO|US|24}} *{{jct|state=CO|SH|82}} *{{jct|state=CO|SH|131}}

===National protected areas=== *White River National Forest *Eagles Nest Wilderness *Flat Tops Wilderness *Holy Cross Wilderness

===State protected area=== *Sylvan Lake State Park

===Trails=== *Colorado Trail *Continental Divide National Scenic Trail *Two Elk National Recreation Trail *Vail Pass National Recreation Trail

===Scenic byways=== *Colorado River Headwaters National Scenic Byway *Top of the Rockies National Scenic Byway

==Demographics== {{US Census population | 1890 = 3725 | 1900 = 3008 | 1910 = 2985 | 1920 = 3385 | 1930 = 3924 | 1940 = 5361 | 1950 = 4488 | 1960 = 4677 | 1970 = 7498 | 1980 = 13320 | 1990 = 21928 | 2000 = 41659 | 2010 = 52197 | 2020 = 55731 | estyear = 2025 | estimate = 54291 | estref = <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> {{decrease}} | 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> 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}}</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> 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 55,731. Of the residents, 22.4% were under the age of 18 and 11.6% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 37.6 years. For every 100 females there were 109.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 109.3 males. 81.5% of residents lived in urban areas and 18.5% 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%3A037&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%3A037&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%3A037&in=state%3A08|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=2025-12-08|df=mdy}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+'''Eagle County, Colorado – Racial and ethnic composition''' {{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.''}} !Race / Ethnicity (''NH = Non-Hispanic'') !Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Eagle County, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?q=P004:+HISPANIC+OR+LATINO,+AND+NOT+HISPANIC+OR+LATINO+BY+RACE+[73]&g=050XX00US08037|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 6, 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) - Eagle County, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2010.P2?q=p2&g=050XX00US08037|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 6, 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) - Eagle County, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALPL2020.P2?q=p2&g=050XX00US08037|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 6, 2026|df=mdy }}</ref> !% 2000 !% 2010 !{{partial|% 2020}} |- |White alone (NH) |30,892 |35,105 |style='background: #ffffe6; |36,202 |74.15% |67.25% |style='background: #ffffe6; |64.96% |- |Black or African American alone (NH) |104 |243 |style='background: #ffffe6; |296 |0.25% |0.47% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.53% |- |Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) |184 |134 |style='background: #ffffe6; |118 |0.44% |0.26% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.21% |- |Asian alone (NH) |337 |517 |style='background: #ffffe6; |712 |0.81% |0.99% |style='background: #ffffe6; |1.28% |- |Pacific Islander alone (NH) |24 |15 |style='background: #ffffe6; |27 |0.06% |0.03% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.05% |- |Other race alone (NH) |38 |86 |style='background: #ffffe6; |187 |0.09% |0.16% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.34% |- |Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) |398 |408 |style='background: #ffffe6; |1,331 |0.96% |0.78% |style='background: #ffffe6; |2.39% |- |Hispanic or Latino (any race) |9,682 |15,689 |style='background: #ffffe6; |16,858 |23.24% |30.06% |style='background: #ffffe6; |30.25% |- |'''Total''' |'''41,659''' |'''52,197''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''55,731''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%''' |}

The racial makeup of the county was 71.0% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 11.9% from some other race, and 14.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 30.2% of the population.<ref name="Census2020PL"/>

There were 20,760 households in the county, of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 19.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

There were 32,967 housing units, of which 37.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.9% were owner-occupied and 35.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.9%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

===2000 census===

As of the census<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 2000, there were 41,659 people, 15,148 households, and 9,013 families living in the county. The population density was {{convert|25|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people}}. There were 22,111 housing units at an average density of {{convert|13|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 85.4% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 10.8% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. 23.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 15,148 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 42.1% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 3.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 121.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 125.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $62,682, and the median income for a family was $68,226. Males had a median income of $37,603 versus $30,579 for females. The per capita income for the county was $32,011. About 3.9% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

==Education== ===Public education=== Eagle County is served by Eagle County School District RE-50J. The district operates eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and three high schools across Eagle County.

===Private/other education=== *Vail Christian High School (Edwards) *Vail Mountain School (Vail)

===Higher education=== Colorado Mountain College, a community college serving much of western Colorado, operates its Vail Valley campus in Edwards.

==Life expectancy==

According to a report in ''JAMA'', residents of Eagle County had a life expectancy from birth of 85.94 years in 2014, the third-longest in the United States.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dwyer-Lindgren|first=Laura|date=May 8, 2017|title=Inequalities in Life Expectancy Among US Counties, 1980 to 2014|url= |journal=JAMA Internal Medicine|doi=10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.0918|pmc=5543324|pmid=28492829|volume=177|issue=7|pages=1003–1011}}</ref> Men live 84.4 years on the average and women live 87.6 years.<ref>"County Profile: Summit County Colorado," http://www.healthdata.org/sites/default/files/files/county_profiles/US/2015/County_Report_Eagle_County_Colorado.pdf, accessed 2 Aug 2017</ref> Two contiguous counties, Summit and Pitkin counties, rank numbers one and two in the nation in life expectancy.

Factors contributing to the high life expectancy of the three Colorado counties are "high education, high income, high access to medical care, the people are physically active, obesity is lower than anywhere else{{snd}}so you're doing it right." said Ali Mokdad, one of the study's co-authors.<ref>Achenbach, Joel, "U.S. life expectancy varies more than 20 years from county to county," ''Washington Post'', May 8, 2017</ref>

==Politics==

A swing county for much of the 20th Century, Eagle County trended Republican by the 1950s, and up through 1988 it was carried by a Democrat only in the national landslide 1964 election. Democrat Bill Clinton carried the county in both 1992 and 1996, before George W. Bush managed to narrowly flip it back Republican in 2000 (all by pluralities). Since then, the county has swung heavily to the Democratic Party. John Kerry in 2004 won the first full Democratic majority since 1964. Barack Obama performed even better in 2008, and Joe Biden improved the Democratic score yet again in 2020.

{{PresHead|place=Eagle County, Colorado|source1=<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>|source2=<ref>The leading "other" candidate, Independent Ross Perot, received 3,821 votes, while Libertarian candidate Andre Marrou received 61 votes, and New Alliance candidate Lenora Fulani received 18 votes.</ref>}}  {{PresRow|1884|Republican|306|190|1|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1888|Republican|604|400|3|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1892|Populist|275|0|666|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1896|Democratic|53|1,149|7|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1900|Democratic|412|943|23|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1904|Republican|802|625|50|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1908|Democratic|521|828|53|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1912|Democratic|387|727|384|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1916|Democratic|397|1,136|43|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1920|Republican|854|649|46|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1924|Republican|722|431|472|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1928|Republican|1,014|570|21|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1932|Democratic|712|1,348|46|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1936|Democratic|776|1,541|30|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1940|Democratic|1,077|1,474|13|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1944|Democratic|922|952|5|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1948|Democratic|738|1,008|85|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1952|Republican|1,242|1,058|13|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1956|Republican|1,154|852|6|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1960|Republican|989|880|2|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1964|Democratic|644|1,299|2|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1968|Republican|1,049|927|160|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1972|Republican|1,920|1,306|75|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1976|Republican|2,963|1,502|152|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1980|Republican|3,061|1,608|1,147|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1984|Republican|4,500|2,032|101|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1988|Republican|4,366|3,314|129|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1992|Democratic|3,100|3,870|3,900|Colorado}} {{PresRow|1996|Democratic|4,637|5,094|1,610|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2000|Republican|7,165|6,772|1,251|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2004|Democratic|8,533|9,744|234|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2008|Democratic|8,181|13,191|286|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2012|Democratic|9,411|12,792|465|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2016|Democratic|8,990|14,099|2,134|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2020|Democratic|9,892|18,588|660|Colorado}} {{PresRow|2024|Democratic|10,148|16,943|714|Colorado}} {{PresFoot}} {{U.S. SenHead|place=Eagle County, Colorado|Seat=2|source=}}  {{U.S. SenRow|2020|Democratic|10,350|17,902|496|Colorado}} {{U.S. SenFoot}} {{U.S. SenHead|place=Eagle County, Colorado|Seat=3|source=}}  {{U.S. SenRow|2022|Democratic|7,776|13,960|457|Colorado}} {{U.S. SenFoot}} {{C.O. GovHead|place=Eagle County|Seat=|source=}}  {{C.O. GovRow|2022|Democratic|6,661|15,230|331}} {{C.O. GovFoot}}

==Communities==

===Towns=== *Avon *Basalt (part; extends into Pitkin County) *Eagle *Gypsum *Minturn *Red Cliff *Vail

===Census-designated places=== *Dotsero *Edwards *El Jebel *Fulford *McCoy *Wolcott

===Other unincorporated places=== *Beaver Creek *Bond *Burns *Cordillera *Eagle-Vail *Sheephorn *State Bridge *Sweetwater

===Ghost towns=== *Belden *Gilman *Holy Cross City *Mitchell *Pando {{clear}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{sister project links|auto=yes}} *[https://www.colorado.gov/ State of Colorado] **[https://www.historycolorado.org/ History Colorado] *[http://www.eaglecounty.us/ Eagle County Government website] *[https://www.blackdiamondscars.com/ Eagle County Transportation Service], Vail Taxi *[http://www.visitvailvalley.com Vail Valley Partnership – The Chamber and Tourism Bureau] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102713/http://www.stanwyck.com/cogenweb/cocounties.html Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck] {{Eagle County, Colorado|collapse_state=expanded}} {{Geographic Location |Centre = Eagle County, Colorado |North = |Northeast = Grand County |East = Summit County |Southeast = |South = Lake County |Southwest = Pitkin County |West = Garfield County |Northwest = Routt County }} {{Colorado}} {{authority control}}

Category:Eagle County, Colorado Category:Colorado counties Category:1883 establishments in Colorado Category:Colorado Western Slope Category:Micropolitan statistical areas of Colorado Category:Populated places in the United States established in 1883 Category:Roaring Fork Valley Category:Rocky Mountains of Colorado