Saguache

Formed December 29, 1866 (19^th county)

Saguache County (6,372), Saguache (538), Center (1,933)

A tan brick and stone structure is the Saguache County courthouse built in 1910.  It is located four blocks east of United States Highway 285 at 4^th and Christy streets.  Saguache County was formed on December 29, 1866 from Costilla County as the 19^th county with the City of Saguache as the only county seat.  John J. Huddart was the designer for this Neo-Classical structure.  The county and county seat get their name for the Native American word for “blue earth” or “water of blue earth” referring to the Saguache River.  The center of the county is 4.2 miles West-Northwest of Saguache. 

Saguache County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, manager, coroner, and treasurer (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Four District Court Judges serve Saguache, Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, and Rio Grande counties and a Trial Court Judge, clerk, and county attorney serve Saguache County (judicial.)  The county is in the southern part of the state west of Pueblo, Colorado.  The Continental Divide passes through the middle of the county.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Chaffee, Fremont, Custer, Huerfano, Rio Grande, Alamosa, Mineral, Hinsdale, and Gunnison counties.  

The area of the county is 3168.3 square miles.  The county is 7 out of 64 in the state.  It ranks 46 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.0 persons per square mile making it 56 out of 64 in the state.  Saguache County has 42.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 285 crosses the eastern part of the county north to south from Chaffee County to Rio Grande County.  The overall county shape is like a plow.  The City of Saguache is in the eastern half.  Center is on the south-central border and extends into Rio Grande County.  Saguache is the county seat and Center is the largest city.  Saguache is 8.4% of the county population while Center is 30.3% of the county population.  The county and county seat are SA-WACH.