Alamosa County, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alamosa County
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Alamosa County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
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 Colorado's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| Founded | March 8, 1913 |
| Named for | Spanish language word for a grove of cottonwood trees |
| Seat | Alamosa |
| Largest city | Alamosa |
| Area | |
| • Total | 723 sq mi (1,870 km2) |
| • Land | 723 sq mi (1,870 km2) |
| • Water | 0.7 sq mi (2 km2) 0.1%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 16,376 |
| • Density | 23/sq mi (9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
Alamosa County is a county in the state of Colorado, USA. It's located in the southern part of Colorado. In 2020, about 16,376 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Alamosa. The name "Alamosa" comes from a Spanish word meaning a group of cottonwood trees.
Contents
History
Alamosa County was created by the Colorado government on March 8, 1913. It was formed from the northwestern part of Costilla County.
Geography
Alamosa County covers about 723 square miles. Most of this area is land, with only a tiny bit (0.1%) being water.
Neighboring Counties
Alamosa County shares borders with these other counties:
- Saguache County, Colorado - to the north
- Huerfano County, Colorado - to the east
- Costilla County, Colorado - to the southeast
- Conejos County, Colorado - to the southwest
- Rio Grande County, Colorado - to the west
Main Roads
These are the most important roads that go through Alamosa County:
U.S. Highway 160
U.S. Highway 285
State Highway 17
State Highway 150
State Highway 368
State Highway 370
State Highway 371
Protected Natural Areas
Alamosa County is home to some amazing natural places:
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
- Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge
- Great Sand Dunes Wilderness
- Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge
- Rio Grande National Forest
- San Luis Lakes State Wildlife Area
- Sangre de Cristo Wilderness
Historic Trails
You can also find these special trails here:
- Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic and Historic Byway
- Old Spanish National Historic Trail
Transportation
The main airport in Alamosa County is the San Luis Valley Regional Airport. From here, you can fly to Denver.
Communities
Alamosa County has different types of communities:
City
Town
Census Designated Place
Other Communities
These are smaller, unincorporated communities:
Sheriff's Office
| Alamosa County Sheriff's Office | |
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| Agency overview | |
| Preceding agency |
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| Employees | 39 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Alamosa County, Colorado, U.S. |
| Population | 16376 |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 1315 17th Street Alamosa, Colorado 81101 |
| Sworn members | 18 |
| Unsworn members | 21 |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | |
| http://alamosacounty.colorado.gov/departments/sheriff | |
The Alamosa County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for Alamosa County. They help keep the community safe. The office has 18 sworn officers who can make arrests, and 21 other staff members who help with daily tasks. The head of the office is the Sheriff, Robert Jackson.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Alamosa para niños
