San Miguel County, Colorado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
San Miguel County
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The San Miguel 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 2, 1883 |
| Named for | San Miguel River |
| Seat | Telluride |
| Largest town | Telluride |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,289 sq mi (3,340 km2) |
| • Land | 1,287 sq mi (3,330 km2) |
| • Water | 2.0 sq mi (5 km2) 0.2%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 8,072 |
| • Density | 6.2622/sq mi (2.4179/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
San Miguel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,072. The county seat is Telluride. The county is named for the San Miguel River.
Contents
History
San Miguel County was given the Spanish language name for "Saint Michael" due to the nearby San Miguel River. On February 27, 1883, Ouray County was split to form San Miguel County. Originally the San Miguel County portion was to retain the name Ouray County with the new portion called Uncompahgre County.
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.
In 1875, the Smuggler gold vein was discovered near Telluride. The Smuggler-Union, Tomboy, and Liberty Bell mines combined produced over a hundred tons of gold by 1920, third in the state of Colorado.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,289 square miles (3,340 km2), of which 1,287 square miles (3,330 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) (0.2%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Montrose County - north
- Ouray County - east
- San Juan County - southeast
- Dolores County - south
- San Juan County, Utah - west
Major highways
State Highway 62
State Highway 141
State Highway 145
National protected areas
- Lizard Head Wilderness
- Mount Sneffels Wilderness
- Old Spanish National Historic Trail
- Telluride National Historic District
- Uncompahgre National Forest
Trails and byways
- Great Parks Bicycle Route
- San Juan Skyway National Scenic Byway
- Unaweep/Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway
- Western Express Bicycle Route
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 2,909 | — | |
| 1900 | 5,379 | 84.9% | |
| 1910 | 4,700 | −12.6% | |
| 1920 | 5,281 | 12.4% | |
| 1930 | 2,184 | −58.6% | |
| 1940 | 3,664 | 67.8% | |
| 1950 | 2,693 | −26.5% | |
| 1960 | 2,944 | 9.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,949 | −33.8% | |
| 1980 | 3,192 | 63.8% | |
| 1990 | 3,653 | 14.4% | |
| 2000 | 6,594 | 80.5% | |
| 2010 | 7,359 | 11.6% | |
| 2020 | 8,072 | 9.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 7,868 | 6.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 |
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Communities
Towns
Census-designated place
Unincorporated Communities
See also
In Spanish: Condado de San Miguel (Colorado) para niños
