Yuma

Formed March 15, 1889 (44^th county)

Yuma County (9,990), Wray (2,339), Yuma (3,457)

The Federalist style tan brick courthouse was built in 1903 and remodeled in 1965.  It is located on 3^rd Street at Ash Street.  United States Highway 34 is 3^rd Street through Wray.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  A county committee is credited with the courthouse designs.  An addition was added later.  The county was established on March 15, 1889 using land from Weld County as the 44^th county.  Wray has been the only county seat.  Yuma County got its name from the Town of Yuma which was named for a railroad worker or for the Native American tribe.  The county seat is reported to being named for John Wray.  The center of the county is 18.3 miles West-Southwest of Wray nearer Eckley. 

Yuma County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, manager, coroner, and treasurer (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Four District Court Judges serve Yuma, Kit Carson, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, and Washington counties and a Trial Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Yuma County (judicial.)  The county is located in the far eastern part of the state bordering both Nebraska and Kansas.  The Republican River flows through the county.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Phillips County and Nebraska and Kansas and Kit Carson, Washington, and Logan counties.  

The area of the county is 2369.6 square miles.  The county is 14 out of 64 in the state.  It ranks 38 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 4.2 persons per square mile making it 47 out of 64 in the state.  Yuma County has 60.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 34 crosses east to west in the county from Nebraska to Washington County.  United States Highway 36 also crosses east to west from Kansas to Washington County.  United States Highway 385 goes north to south entering from Phillips County and exiting into Kit Carson County.  The county shape is a tall rectangle with Wray being located in the eastern third of the county.  Yuma is located in the far western part of the county.  Wray is the county seat and Yuma is the largest city.  Wray is 23.4% of the county population while Yuma is 34.6% of the county population.  The county is pronounced YUE-MAH.  The county seat is pronounced RAE.