Adams

Formed November 15, 1902 (58^th county)

Adams County (519,582), Brighton (40,072), Thornton (141,862)

A Modern style tan brick and concrete courthouse serves Adams County.  It was constructed in 1998 in Brighton.  Anderson Mason Dale is the architect.  The structure is located on Judicial Center Drive.  Interstate Highway 76 is ¼ mile east of the courthouse.  A County Administration Building was added in 2010.  A 1905 courthouse was also built in Brighton, the only county seat.  Adams County was part of Arapahoe County until November 15, 1902 when it was separated into its own county as the 58^th county.  Adams was named for Governor Alva Adams.  Brighton was named for Brighton Beach, New York.  The center of the county is 43.5 miles East-Southeast of Brighton nearer Byers. 

Adams County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, manager, coroner, and treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Thirteen District Court Judges serve Adams and Broomfield counties and Seven Trial Court Judges, clerk, and county attorney serve Adams County (judicial.)  The county is situated in northeast Colorado, just east of Denver, Colorado.  The county is rectangular with the southwest corner cut out for the Denver Airport to be included in Denver County.  The South Platte River flows through the western part of the county.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Weld, Morgan, Washington, Arapahoe, Denver, Jefferson, and Broomfield counties.  Brighton is on the northern border in the west part of the county and extends into Weld County.  Thornton is located in the northwest part of the county and also extends into Weld County.  Brighton is the county seat and Thornton is the largest city.  Brighton is 7.7% of the county population while Thornton is 26.9% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced BRIE-TON. 

The area of the county is 1182.3 square miles.  The county is 39 out of 64 in the state.  It ranks 5 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 439.5 persons per square mile making it 6 out of 64 in the state.  Adams County has 81.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 25 cuts across the far west part of county from north to south, Broomfield County to Denver County.  Interstate Highway 76 crosses northeast to southwest, Weld County to Jefferson County.  United States Highway 6 is joined with Interstate Highway 76 from Weld County, splits away in the county, and exits south into Denver County.  United States Highway 36 enters from Boulder County, west, and exits into Arapahoe County, south.  United States Highway 85 also comes in from Weld County, north, and joins United States Highway 6 to exit into Denver County, south.  United States Highway 87 is joined with Interstate Highway 25 across the county from Broomfield County to Denver County.  United States Highway 287 enters from Broomfield County in the northwest and exits into Denver County in the southwest.  The county is in the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Westminster