Gilpin

Formed November 1, 1861 (8^th county)

Gilpin County (5,810), Central City (779)

The Gilpin County courthouse was built in 1900 from stone.  The courthouse is on A Street at Eureka Street.  Lamant and Ballard are the designers of this Italianate style courthouse.  A Justice Center was added in Black Hawk in 1995.  Colorado State Highway 119 is three blocks east of the location.  The county was formed on November 1, 1861 as one of the original counties.  It is the 8^th county.  Central City has been the only county seat.  Colonel William Gilpin, Governor of the Colorado Territory, was the source for the county’s name.  Central City is named for its location among a number of mines.  The center of the county is 6.6 miles North-Northeast of Central City nearer Black Hawk. 

Gilpin County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, manager, coroner, and treasurer (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Thirteen District Court Judges serve Gilpin and Jefferson counties and a Trial Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Gilpin County (judicial.)  The county is located in north central Colorado just to the west of Denver, Colorado.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Boulder, Jefferson, Clear Creek, and Grand counties.  

The area of the county is 150.2 square miles.  The county is 63 out of 64 in the state.  It ranks 48 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 38.7 persons per square mile making it 15 out of 64 in the state.  Gilpin County has 15.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  This small county is shaped like a fat knife pointing west.  Central City is located near the south-central border of the county and extends into Clear Creek County.  Central City is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 13.4% is the county population.  The county is pronounced GIL-PIN.  The county is in the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield Metropolitan Statistical Area.