Conejos is a county in Colorado, United States, in the San Luis Valley along the New Mexico border. It had a population of 7,461 at the 2020 census and covers 1,291 square miles (3,340 km2) centred near 37°13′N 106°11′W.
Conejos is the county seat (an unincorporated community), and its postal code is 81129. The county has 5 incorporated towns and roughly 20 unincorporated communities, no civil townships, and sits in the Mountain time zone.
Towns & Villages in Conejos County
Conejos County has 5 incorporated towns and about two dozen unincorporated communities and hamlets scattered across the San Luis Valley floor and the Rio Grande’s tributary canyons. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no formal municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Jara | Town | — | 81140 |
| Manassa | Town | — | 81141 |
| Antonito | Town | — | 81120 |
| Sanford | Town | — | 81151 |
| Romeo | Town | — | 81148 |
| Conejos | Unincorp. · seat | 118 | 81129 |
| Bountiful | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Capulin | Unincorp. | — | 81124 |
| Cumbres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fox Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Guadalupe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| La Isla | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Las Mesitas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lasauses | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lobatos | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Los Cerritos | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mogote | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morgan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ortiz | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Osier | Unincorp. (ghost town) | — | — |
| Paisaje | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Platoro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Richfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| San Antonio | Unincorp. | — | — |
Canon and Centro, from the old list, are localized field names within the valley rather than distinct standalone communities and are not carried forward here for lack of independent verification.
ZIP Codes
- 81140 — La Jara (also serves the surrounding valley farmland)
- 81120 — Antonito (also serves Osier and the Cumbres Pass area)
- 81151 — Sanford
- 81141 — Manassa
- 81148 — Romeo
- 81124 — Capulin
- 81129 — Conejos
Smaller unincorporated places such as Guadalupe, Mogote and Las Mesitas share a ZIP with their nearest post-office town rather than carrying one of their own.
Geography
Conejos County sits in the southern San Luis Valley, a high desert basin flanked by the San Juan Mountains to the west and the Sangre de Cristo range to the east. The Conejos River, a major tributary of the Rio Grande, drains the western mountains through Platoro Reservoir before crossing the valley floor near Antonito and La Jara. Elevations range from about 7,500 feet on the valley floor to over 13,000 feet along the western high country. Much of the western third of the county lies within the Rio Grande National Forest and the South San Juan Wilderness, a rugged block of forested peaks with limited road access beyond Platoro and the Conejos River canyon.
The county borders Rio Grande County to the north, Alamosa County to the northeast, Costilla County to the east, and Archuleta County to the west, with Taos County and Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, along its southern line.
Demographics
Conejos County had a population of 7,461 at the 2020 census. Manassa is the county’s largest incorporated town. The county is 100% rural, and its 2020 population was 50.7% Hispanic or Latino, making it Colorado’s largest Hispanic-majority county. Median household income runs well below the Colorado median of $92,911. Population density is roughly 5.8 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors the local economy: potato, barley and alfalfa fields cover much of the valley floor, alongside cattle ranching in the foothills. Adams State University in neighboring Alamosa draws students and staff from the county, and the Conejos Peak Ranger District of the Rio Grande National Forest employs foresters and firefighters out of La Jara. Manassa hosts the annual Pioneer Days rodeo each July, and the county is the birthplace of boxer Jack Dempsey, celebrated with a small museum in Manassa.
History
Conejos County was created by the Colorado territorial legislature on November 1, 1861, one of the original 17 counties, and was briefly named Guadalupe County before being renamed Conejos within the week — Spanish for “rabbits.” It originally covered a much larger swath of the San Luis Valley and reached its present boundaries in 1885 after later counties were carved from it. Conejos itself, founded in 1854, is among the oldest continuously occupied towns in Colorado.
Getting There
U.S. Route 285 and State Highway 15 cross the county, linking its towns to the rest of the San Luis Valley.
- Alamosa — 15 miles northeast
- Monte Vista — 20 miles north
- Chama, New Mexico — 35 miles south
- Pagosa Springs — 60 miles west
San Luis Valley Regional Airport in Alamosa is the nearest commercial airport, with connecting flights to Denver.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Conejos County?
It is in the southern San Luis Valley of south-central Colorado, along the New Mexico border.
What is the population of Conejos County?
7,461 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Conejos County?
1,291 square miles (3,340 km2), of which 3.6 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Conejos County?
Conejos, an unincorporated community.
How many towns are in Conejos County?
Five incorporated towns — Antonito, La Jara, Manassa, Romeo and Sanford — plus about two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Conejos County?
81120, 81124, 81129, 81140, 81141, 81148 and 81151.
Why is Conejos County known as Colorado’s most Hispanic county?
Its 2020 population was 50.7% Hispanic or Latino, the highest share of any Colorado county, reflecting settlement dating to the 1850s Hispano land grants along the Conejos River.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Colorado.