'Summit County' is the 20th most populous of the
64 counties of the
State of Colorado of the
United States. The county population was 25,399 at
U.S. Census 2000.
[ Annual County Population Estimates and Estimated Components of Change: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (CO-EST2006-alldata) ] The
county seat is
Breckenridge. The
Silverthorne Micropolitan Statistical Area comprises Summit County.
History
Summit County was organized as one of the seventeen original Colorado counties by the First Territorial Legislature on November 1, 1861. It was named for the many mountain summits in the county. Until February 2, 1874, its boundaries included the area now comprising Summit County,
Grand County,
Routt County,
Moffat County,
Garfield County,
Eagle County, and
Rio Blanco County.
In
1874, the northern half of the original Summitt County was split off to form
Grand County; with the creation of
Garfield and
Eagle counties in
1883, Summitt County arrived at its present boundaries.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,604
km² (619
mi²). 1,575 km² (608 mi²) of it is land and 29 km² (11 mi²) of it (1.79%) is water.
Adjacent Counties
★
Grand County, Colorado - north
★
Clear Creek County, Colorado - east
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Park County, Colorado - southeast
★
Lake County, Colorado - southwest
★
Eagle County, Colorado - west
Demographics

Snowmelt runoff fills
Lake Dillon in Summit County, Colorado.
As of the
census² of 2000, there were 23,548 people, 9,120 households, and 4,769 families residing in the county. The
population density was 15/km² (39/mi²). There were 24,201 housing units at an average density of 15/km² (40/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.84%
White, 0.68%
Black or
African American, 0.48%
Native American, 0.87%
Asian, 0.07%
Pacific Islander, 3.96% from
other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. 9.79% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 9,120 households out of which 24.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.00% were
married couples living together, 4.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.70% were non-families. 21.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the county the population was spread out with 17.40% under the age of 18, 15.70% from 18 to 24, 44.30% from 25 to 44, 19.40% from 45 to 64, and 3.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 139.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 144.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $56,587, and the median income for a family was $66,914. Males had a median income of $33,741 versus $27,017 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $28,676. About 3.10% of families and 9.00% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 4.30% of those under age 18 and 3.40% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
★
Blue River
★
Breckenridge
★
Dillon
★
Frisco
★
Heeney
★
Keystone
★
Montezuma
★
Silverthorne
National forest and wilderness
★
White River National Forest
★
Eagles Nest Wilderness
Trails
★
American Discovery Trail
★
Colorado Trail
★
Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
★
Vail Pass National Recreation Trail
★
Wheeler Ten Mile National Recreation Trail
Bicycle routes
★
Great Parks Bicycle Route
★
TransAmerica Trail Bicycle Route
National scenic byway
★
Top of the Rockies National Scenic Byway
Additional info
Summit County is located high in the Colorado Rockies. It is known as Colorado's playground because of the numerous outdoor actives that the area provides. The county is home to 4 major ski areas:
Keystone,
Copper Mountain,
Breckenridge, and
Arapahoe Basin. The county also has two reservoirs, namely Dillon and Green Mountain that are also popular. The easiest way to get to Summit County is by
Interstate 70, which connects it with
Denver 70 miles to the east. The ski areas in Summit County are on the western side of the
Continental Divide, and are reached from Denver via the
Eisenhower Tunnel.
See also
★
Colorado census statistical areas
★
Colorado counties
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Colorado municipalities
★
Silverthorne Micropolitan Statistical Area
External links
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Summit County website
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Summit County information at City-Data.com
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Summit County Land Sales Statistics
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Summit County and Keystone Colorado Lodging
References