Baca County is a county in Colorado, United States, in the southeast corner of the state, bordering Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. It had a population of 3,506 at the 2020 census and covers 2,557 square miles (6,620 km2) centred near 37°19′N 102°34′W.
Springfield is the county seat and its postal code is 81073. The county has six incorporated towns and a scatter of unincorporated communities and ghost townsites, observes the Mountain time zone, and was organized in 1889.
Towns & Villages in Baca County
Baca County has six incorporated towns — Campo, Pritchett, Springfield, Two Buttes, Vilas and Walsh — plus a number of unincorporated settlements and rural crossroads scattered across the county’s grasslands. The table below lists every place carried over from the county’s records, with type and, where verifiable, ZIP code.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield | City · seat | — | 81073 |
| Walsh | Town | — | 81090 |
| Pritchett | Town | — | 81064 |
| Campo | Town | — | 81029 |
| Vilas | Town | — | 81087 |
| Two Buttes | Town | — | 81084 |
| Atlanta | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bartlett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buckeye Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carrizo Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Deora | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Edler | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Frick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Graft | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kirkwell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Liberty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lycan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Murray Place | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stonington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Utleyville | Unincorp. | — | — |
The old list carried “Prichett” as a separate entry from “Pritchett” — a duplicate spelling of the same town, dropped here. Most of the unincorporated names above are rural crossroads or former rail sidings from the county’s homestead era rather than active population centers; several (Frick, Graft, Kirkwell, Lycan) survive today mainly as named locations on county maps rather than settled places.
ZIP Codes
- 81073 — Springfield
- 81090 — Walsh
- 81064 — Pritchett
- 81029 — Campo
- 81087 — Vilas (PO Box delivery)
- 81084 — Two Buttes
The unincorporated communities have no ZIP code of their own and are served by the nearest town’s post office.
Geography
Baca County sits at the southeastern tip of Colorado’s High Plains, a mostly flat to gently rolling shortgrass-prairie landscape cut by the Cimarron and North Fork Cimarron rivers. Of its 2,557 square miles, 2,555 are land and 2.4 square miles (0.09%) are water. The county’s southeastern portion is heavily dust-bowl country: roughly 220,000 acres of the Comanche National Grassland, purchased by the federal government after the 1930s Dust Bowl to restore eroded farmland, lie within the county.
Baca County borders Prowers County to the north, Las Animas County to the west, Cimarron County, Oklahoma to the south, Union County, New Mexico to the southwest, and Stanton, Morton and Stevens counties, Kansas, to the east.
Demographics
Baca County had 3,506 residents at the 2020 census, a population density of about 1.4 people per square mile — among the sparsest in Colorado. Springfield and Walsh are the two largest towns. The county’s economy has historically run below the state’s income level; the most recent county-specific figure on record (2000 census) put median household income at $28,099, well under the Colorado median of $92,911 in the 2023 American Community Survey.
Economy & Local Life
Dryland and irrigated wheat, sorghum and corn farming, along with cattle ranching, anchor Baca County’s economy, supplemented by oil and gas leases on the shortgrass plains. The Comanche National Grassland, managed by the U.S. Forest Service, draws hunters and birdwatchers and supports grazing permits for local ranchers. Springfield serves as the county’s retail and government hub, with the county courthouse and the area’s only hospital.
History
Baca County was organized on April 16, 1889, and named for Felipe Baca, a territorial legislator and one of the first Hispanic settlers of southern Colorado. Homesteaders broke the native shortgrass sod for wheat farming in the early 20th century, and the county was among the hardest-hit areas of the 1930s Dust Bowl, with severe topsoil loss driving many families off the land. The federal government’s subsequent land purchases created what is now the Comanche National Grassland, restoring native grass cover across a large share of the county.
Getting There
U.S. Route 287/385 runs north–south through Springfield, and State Highway 160 crosses the county east–west, meeting at Springfield.
- Lamar, Colorado — about 45 miles north
- Guymon, Oklahoma — about 60 miles south
- Liberal, Kansas — about 65 miles east
- Trinidad, Colorado — about 90 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Southeast Colorado Regional Airport in Springfield (general aviation); the nearest airport with scheduled commercial service is in Amarillo, Texas or Colorado Springs, both roughly 150 miles away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Baca County, Colorado?
It is in the far southeastern corner of Colorado, bordering Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
What is the population of Baca County?
Baca County had a population of 3,506 at the 2020 census.
How big is Baca County?
The county covers 2,557 square miles (6,620 km2), of which 2.4 square miles are water.
What is the county seat of Baca County?
Springfield is the county seat.
How many towns are in Baca County?
The county has six incorporated towns: Campo, Pritchett, Springfield, Two Buttes, Vilas and Walsh, plus several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Baca County?
Springfield 81073, Walsh 81090, Pritchett 81064, Campo 81029, Vilas 81087 and Two Buttes 81084.
What is Baca County known for?
Its role in the 1930s Dust Bowl and the Comanche National Grassland that was created afterward to restore the land.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Colorado.