Baca

Formed April 16, 1889 (54^th county)

Baca County (3,510), Springfield (1,330)                

A Classical Revival tan brick courthouse built in 1917 sits on Main Street between 7^th and 8^th streets.  United States Highways 287/385 are Main Street through the town.  The courthouse was renovated in 1929 and 1935.  Ed Pierson was the architect.  The courthouse was enlarged in 1980.  Baca County was formed on April 16, 1889 from Las Animas County as the 54^th county.  Springfield has been the only county seat.  The county is named for Felipe Baca, a settler of Las Animas County and Territorial Legislator.  Springfield, Missouri is the namesake of the county seat.  The center of the county is 8.6 miles Southeast of Springfield nearer Vilas. 

Baca County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, manager, coroner, and treasurer (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two District Court Judges serve Baca, Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Prowers counties and a Trial Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Baca County (judicial.)  The county is in the southeast corner of Colorado on the borders with Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.  The Cimarron and Two Butte rivers flow through the county.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Prowers County and Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico and Las Animas and Bent counties.  

The area of the county is 2558.5 square miles.  The county is 11 out of 64 in the state.  It ranks 55 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 1.4 persons per square mile making it 59 out of 64 in the state.  Baca County has 63.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 160 crosses east to west from Kansas to Las Animas County.  United States Highways 287/385 are joined through the county from north to south, Prowers County into Oklahoma.  The county is a rectangle with Springfield north and west of the center.  Springfield is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 37.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced BA-KA.