Delta County, Colorado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Delta County
U.S. county
Egyptian Theatre (Delta, Colorado)
Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
Colorado's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Founded	February 11, 1883
Named for	City of Delta, Colorado
Seat	Delta
Largest city	Delta
Area
• Total	1,149 sq mi (2,980 km2)
• Land	1,142 sq mi (2,960 km2)
• Water	6.5 sq mi (17 km2)  0.6%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	31,196
• Estimate  (2023)	31,746
• Density	27/sq mi (10/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	3rd

Hay stack and automobiles of peach pickers, Delta County, 1940.

Pioneer Town in Cedaredge, 2008

Delta County is a beautiful county in the western part of Colorado, a state in the United States. It's known for its stunning landscapes and friendly communities. In 2020, about 31,196 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Delta.

A Look Back in Time

Delta County was officially formed on February 11, 1883. It was created from parts of Gunnison County. The county got its name from a special piece of land called a delta. This delta is very fertile and is located where the Uncompahgre River flows into the Gunnison River.

Where is Delta County?

Delta County is a large area, covering about 1,149 square miles. Most of this area is land, with only a small part being water.

Nearby Counties

Delta County shares its borders with a few other counties:

• Mesa County is to the northwest.
• Gunnison County is to the east.
• Montrose County is to the south.

Main Roads

Several important roads run through Delta County, helping people travel around:

• U.S. Highway 50
• State Highway 65
• State Highway 92
• State Highway 133
• State Highway 348

Protected Natural Areas

Delta County is home to many beautiful natural places that are protected. These include:

• Dominguez Canyon Wilderness
• Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area (part)
• Grand Mesa National Forest
• Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area (part)
• Gunnison Gorge Wilderness
• Gunnison National Forest

State Parks and Trails

You can also find state parks and scenic trails here:

• Crawford State Park
• Sweitzer Lake State Park
• American Discovery Trail
• Crag Crest National Recreation Trail
• Old Spanish National Historic Trail
• Grand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway
• West Elk Loop Scenic Byway

Who Lives Here?

The number of people living in Delta County has changed over the years.

In 2000, there were 27,834 people living in the county. About 29% of the homes had children under 18. The average age of people in Delta County was 42 years old.

Towns and Cities

Delta County has one main city and several towns and smaller communities.

City

• Delta

Towns

• Cedaredge
• Crawford
• Hotchkiss
• Orchard City
• Paonia

Other Communities

• Lazear (a Census Designated Place)
• Austin (unincorporated)
• Cory (unincorporated)
• Eckert (unincorporated)

Local News

For local news, people in Delta County can read the Delta County Independent and the Merchant Herald newspapers.

Schools in Delta County

The schools in Delta County are part of the Delta County Joint School District 50-J.

Elementary Schools

• Cedaredge Elementary School
• Garnet Mesa Elementary School (Delta)
• Hotchkiss K-8 School
• Lincoln Elementary School (Delta)
• Paonia K-8 School

Middle Schools

• Cedaredge Middle School
• Delta Middle School
• Hotchkiss K-8 School
• Paonia K-8 School

High Schools

• Cedaredge High School
• Delta High School
• North Fork High School (Hotchkiss)

College and Training

For those looking for more education, the Technical College of the Rockies is located in the city of Delta. It offers training and certificates for different jobs.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Delta (Colorado) para niños