Lincoln County, Colorado

Lincoln County
Lincoln County
County
	Lincoln County Courthouse in Hugo
	Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
	Colorado's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 38°59′N 103°31′W / 38.98°N 103.52°W
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Founded	April 11, 1889
Named for	Abraham Lincoln
Seat	Hugo
Largest town	Limon
Area
• Total	2,586 sq mi (6,700 km2)
• Land	2,578 sq mi (6,680 km2)
• Water	8.8 sq mi (23 km2) 0.3%
Population (2020)
• Total	5,675
• Density	2.2/sq mi (0.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	4th
Website	lincolncounty.colorado.gov

Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,675.^[1] The county seat is Hugo.^[2] The county obtains its name in memory of the United States President Abraham Lincoln.^[3] County was formed from portions of Bent and Elbert counties in 1889 from a restructuring of Colorado counties.^[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,586 square miles (6,700 km²), of which 2,578 square miles (6,680 km²) is land and 8.8 square miles (23 km²) (0.3%) is water.^[5]

The main watersheds include the Arikaree and Republican Rivers in the northern part of the county and the Big Sandy, Rush, and Horse Creeks in the southern part of the county. Big Sandy and Rush Creeks ultimately drain into the Arkansas River.^[6]

Adjacent counties

Washington County - north
Kit Carson County - east
Cheyenne County - east
Crowley County - south
Kiowa County - south
Elbert County - west
El Paso County - west
Arapahoe County - northwest
Pueblo County - southwest

Major highways

Government

Lincoln County's government is based in the county courthouse in Hugo which is the office of the board of three elected commissioners and a county administrator, as well as the county sheriff, county clerk and recorder, county assessor, county treasurer, county coroner, and the county court (the trial court of limited jurisdiction for county affairs). Lincoln County is part of the 18th Colorado Judicial District — the state trial court of general jurisdiction — with judicial matters conducted in the Littleton and Centennial courthouses in Arapahoe County. Lincoln County's government operation also includes a department of social services, land use office, road and bridge department, human services department, public health department, mobile library services, probation department, county landfill, county fairgrounds, and county extension service.

United States presidential election results for Lincoln County, Colorado^[7]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	2,135	80.54%	470	17.73%	46	1.74%
2016	1,892	77.67%	409	16.79%	135	5.54%
2012	1,687	73.76%	552	24.14%	48	2.10%
2008	1,717	74.52%	546	23.70%	41	1.78%
2004	1,819	77.83%	503	21.52%	15	0.64%
2000	1,630	74.12%	510	23.19%	59	2.68%
1996	1,272	57.74%	729	33.09%	202	9.17%
1992	1,079	46.79%	640	27.75%	587	25.46%
1988	1,356	60.29%	874	38.86%	19	0.84%
1984	1,661	72.91%	587	25.77%	30	1.32%
1980	1,535	64.74%	602	25.39%	234	9.87%
1976	1,276	53.46%	1,059	44.37%	52	2.18%
1972	1,678	70.03%	685	28.59%	33	1.38%
1968	1,407	57.08%	809	32.82%	249	10.10%
1964	1,104	45.26%	1,327	54.41%	8	0.33%
1960	1,498	58.93%	1,041	40.95%	3	0.12%
1956	1,603	61.25%	1,012	38.67%	2	0.08%
1952	1,843	66.46%	927	33.43%	3	0.11%
1948	1,271	50.52%	1,231	48.93%	14	0.56%
1944	1,689	59.49%	1,147	40.40%	3	0.11%
1940	1,780	59.57%	1,185	39.66%	23	0.77%
1936	1,420	44.89%	1,660	52.48%	83	2.62%
1932	1,453	41.09%	1,979	55.97%	104	2.94%
1928	2,110	69.11%	888	29.09%	55	1.80%
1924	1,642	54.70%	634	21.12%	726	24.18%
1920	1,815	61.26%	1,013	34.19%	135	4.56%
1916	1,129	37.81%	1,702	57.00%	155	5.19%
1912	534	23.41%	796	34.90%	951	41.69%
1908	794	56.23%	576	40.79%	42	2.97%
1904	323	69.91%	132	28.57%	7	1.52%
1900	255	66.93%	124	32.55%	2	0.52%
1896	123	36.72%	210	62.69%	2	0.60%
1892	113	64.57%	0	0.00%	62	35.43%

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	689		—
1900	926		34.4%
1910	5,917		539.0%
1920	8,273		39.8%
1930	7,850		−5.1%
1940	5,882		−25.1%
1950	5,909		0.5%
1960	5,310		−10.1%
1970	4,836		−8.9%
1980	4,663		−3.6%
1990	4,529		−2.9%
2000	6,087		34.4%
2010	5,467		−10.2%
2020	5,675		3.8%
2023 (est.)	5,480	^[8]	−3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census^[9] 1790-1960^[10] 1900-1990^[11] 1990-2000^[12] 2010-2020^[1]

At the 2000 census there were 6,087 people in 2,058 households, including 1,389 families, in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km²). There were 2,406 housing units at an average density of 1 units per square mile (0.39 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.30% White, 4.96% Black or African American, 0.94% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.65% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. 8.53% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[13] Of the 2,058 households 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.50% were non-families. 29.00% of households were one person and 13.00% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.04.

The age distribution was 23.90% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 33.00% from 25 to 44, 21.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.30% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 130.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 140.70 males.

The median household income was $31,914 and the median family income was $39,738. Males had a median income of $25,742 versus $22,188 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,510. About 8.10% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.40% of those under age 18 and 11.50% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

Historic trail

Smoky Hill Trail

The name "Smoky Hill" comes from the appearance of the misty or smoky hills that the westward travelers viewed on their journey from Kansas and Nebraska Territories and Missouri toward the Colorado Gold Rush starting in 1858. Gold, had been discovered in the Cherry Creek, near Denver. The image of the misty hills and valleys along the route west gave the name to the trail for these travelers — the Smoky Hill Trail. Parts of the trail can still be seen as a two-track road on the Eastern Plains in what was once Kansas Territory but now is Colorado.

The section of the Smoky Hill Trail which passes through much of the High Plains has become known as the "starvation trail." This section of the trail proved to be the most difficult, due to a lack of water, yet the Plains Indians of the day considered this region as prime hunting ground.^[14]