Coordinates: 39°59′N 108°12′W / 39.98°N 108.20°W / 39.98; -108.20

Rio Blanco County, Colorado

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Rio Blanco County, Colorado
County
Entering the county from the south on State Highway 13.
Entering the county from the south on State Highway 13.
Map of Colorado highlighting Rio Blanco County
Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
Coordinates: Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
CountryFile:Flag of the United States.svg United States
StateFile:Flag of Colorado.svg Colorado
FoundedMarch 25, 1889
Named afterWhite River
SeatMeeker
Largest townMeeker
Area
 • Total
3,223 sq mi (8,350 km2)
 • Land3,221 sq mi (8,340 km2)
 • Water1.9 sq mi (4.9 km2)  0.06%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
6,529
 • Estimate 
(2024)[1]
6,607 Increase
 • Density2.027/sq mi (0.7826/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.rbc.us

Rio Blanco County (Spanish: Condado del Río Blanco) is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,529.[2] The county seat is Meeker.[3] The name of the county is the Spanish name for the White River which runs through it.

History

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Rio Blanco County was created on March 25, 1889, when it was split from Garfield County. The town of Meeker became the county seat.[4]

On May 17, 1973, Rio Blanco County became one of two counties in Colorado to have a peaceful nuclear explosion as a part of Operation Plowshare. There were three nearly simultaneous explosions targeted at producing unconventional natural gas, all detonated as Project Rio Blanco.[5] The other county is Garfield County under Project Rulison.

Geography

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,223 square miles (8,350 km2), of which 3,221 square miles (8,340 km2) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2) (0.06%) is water.[6]

Adjacent counties

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Major highways

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National protected areas

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Scenic byways

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State parks and wildlife areas

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18901,200—
19001,69040.8%
19102,33238.0%
19203,13534.4%
19302,980−4.9%
19402,943−1.2%
19504,71960.3%
19605,1509.1%
19704,842−6.0%
19806,25529.2%
19905,972−4.5%
20005,9860.2%
20106,66611.4%
20206,529−2.1%
2024 (est.)6,607[7]1.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10]
1990-2000[11] 2010-2020[2]

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 6,529. Of the residents, 25.1% were under the age of 18 and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 38.1 years. For every 100 females there were 103.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.6 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.[12][13][14]

The racial makeup of the county was 87.3% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.0% from some other race, and 6.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 9.5% of the population.[14]

There were 2,592 households in the county, of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 21.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[13]

There were 3,274 housing units, of which 20.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.3% were owner-occupied and 30.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 20.4%.[13]

2000 census

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At the 2000 census there were 5,986 people, 2,306 households, and 1,646 families living in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km2). There were 2,855 housing units at an average density of 1 units per square mile (0.39 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.01% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 2.02% from other races, and 1.74% from two or more races. 4.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[15] Of the 2,306 households 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.10% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 24.80% of households were one person and 8.70% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.98.

The age distribution was 26.50% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.20% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 101.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.60 males.

The median household income was $37,711 and the median family income was $44,425. Males had a median income of $38,125 versus $19,940 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,344. About 6.70% of families and 9.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.60% of those under age 18 and 10.40% of those age 65 or over.

Education

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Rio Blanco County is home to Meeker School District RE-1 and Rangely School District RE-4,[citation needed] as well as Rangely Christian Academy, a private K-8 school.[16]

The county is home to Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely, as well as an extension of Colorado State University in Meeker.[17]

Politics

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Rio Blanco is an overwhelmingly Republican county in Presidential elections. It was along with Clark County, Idaho and Kane County, Utah one of only three counties west of the Continental Divide to vote for Alf Landon over Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1936. In that election Rio Blanco was Landon's strongest county in the eleven western states, marginally shading normal Republican “banner county” Kane. Since that time only two Democrats – Harry S. Truman in 1948 and Lyndon Johnson who narrowly carried the county in 1964 – have obtained over forty percent of the county's vote. In fact, since 1968 only one Democratic presidential candidate, Michael Dukakis in 1988, and him only very marginally, has topped thirty percent of Rio Blanco County's ballots. In 2024, the county saw a swing to the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris (against both the state and national trends) but Donald Trump was still able to attain over 80% of the vote.

United States presidential election results for Rio Blanco County, Colorado[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
№  % №  % №  %
1892 127 36.29% 0 0.00% 223 63.71%
1896 52 10.26% 454 89.55% 1 0.20%
1900 276 40.89% 391 57.93% 8 1.19%
1904 552 58.11% 391 41.16% 7 0.74%
1908 384 43.99% 466 53.38% 23 2.63%
1912 372 33.24% 538 48.08% 209 18.68%
1916 468 39.46% 702 59.19% 16 1.35%
1920 793 62.24% 455 35.71% 26 2.04%
1924 766 60.84% 407 32.33% 86 6.83%
1928 860 65.50% 429 32.67% 24 1.83%
1932 687 44.47% 826 53.46% 32 2.07%
1936 830 55.78% 587 39.45% 71 4.77%
1940 1,021 65.49% 530 34.00% 8 0.51%
1944 881 65.89% 451 33.73% 5 0.37%
1948 981 56.03% 752 42.95% 18 1.03%
1952 1,612 71.42% 633 28.05% 12 0.53%
1956 1,593 71.47% 635 28.49% 1 0.04%
1960 1,391 63.57% 794 36.29% 3 0.14%
1964 1,015 47.17% 1,134 52.70% 3 0.14%
1968 1,294 64.60% 502 25.06% 207 10.33%
1972 1,586 77.25% 414 20.17% 53 2.58%
1976 1,439 67.24% 627 29.30% 74 3.46%
1980 1,971 74.46% 462 17.45% 214 8.08%
1984 2,131 80.81% 484 18.35% 22 0.83%
1988 1,821 68.41% 803 30.17% 38 1.43%
1992 1,231 43.19% 778 27.30% 841 29.51%
1996 1,697 62.50% 731 26.92% 287 10.57%
2000 2,185 76.53% 543 19.02% 127 4.45%
2004 2,403 80.02% 566 18.85% 34 1.13%
2008 2,437 77.44% 655 20.81% 55 1.75%
2012 2,724 80.85% 568 16.86% 77 2.29%
2016 2,791 80.90% 436 12.64% 223 6.46%
2020 3,061 82.93% 561 15.20% 69 1.87%
2024 2,988 80.93% 637 17.25% 67 1.81%

In other statewide elections, Rio Blanco County also leans Republican, although it was carried by Democrat Roy Romer in 1990[19] – when he carried all but four counties statewide – and by Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo in 2010.[20] Rio Blanco County was also carried by Democratic Senatorial candidate “Nighthorse” Campbell in 1992,[21] although since then no Democratic candidate for this office has surpassed thirty percent since.

Communities

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Towns

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Unincorporated communities

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See also

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References

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  19. ^ Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; 1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results – Colorado Archived January 6, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; 2010 Gubernatorial General Election Results – Colorado Archived January 6, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; 1992 Senatorial General Election Results – Colorado
  22. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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