Eagle County is a county in Colorado, United States, in the high Rocky Mountains along the Interstate 70 corridor between Denver and Glenwood Springs. It had a population of 55,731 at the 2020 census and covers 1,685 square miles (4,360 km2) of land centred near 39°37′N 106°42′W.
Eagle is the county seat and its postal code is 81631. The county holds 7 incorporated towns and 6 census-designated places, plus a scatter of unincorporated mining-era and resort communities, and runs on Mountain Time. Its FIPS code is 08037.
Towns & Villages in Eagle County
Eagle County’s settlements split between old railroad and mining towns along the Eagle River and newer ski-resort villages built up around Vail and Beaver Creek since the 1960s. Incorporated towns are listed as “Town,” unincorporated resort and rural places as “Unincorp.,” and Census Bureau statistical communities as “CDP.”
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle | Town · seat | — | 81631 |
| Vail | Town | — | 81657 |
| Avon | Town | — | 81620 |
| Gypsum | Town | — | 81637 |
| Minturn | Town | — | 81645 |
| Red Cliff | Town | — | 81649 |
| Basalt | Town | — | 81621 |
| Edwards | CDP | — | 81632 |
| El Jebel | CDP | — | — |
| Dotsero | CDP | — | 81637 |
| Wolcott | CDP | — | 81655 |
| McCoy | CDP | — | 80463 |
| Fulford | CDP | — | — |
| Bond | Unincorp. | — | 80423 |
| Burns | Unincorp. | — | 80426 |
| State Bridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arrowhead Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bachelor Gulch Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beaver Creek Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mid Vail | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Vail | Unincorp. | — | 81657 |
| Eagles Nest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gilman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pando | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Belden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bighorn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carterville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Copper Spur | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Derby Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dowds Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hooks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mitchell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sheephorn | Unincorp. | — | — |
Gilman and Belden are abandoned mining camps above the Eagle River gorge, closed off since a 1980s Superfund cleanup at the old Eagle Mine. Basalt sits mostly in Pitkin County, with only its eastern edge and the Willits neighborhood inside Eagle County. Pando is the site of Camp Hale, the World War II training ground rather than a residential settlement.
ZIP Codes
- 81631 — Eagle
- 81657 & 81658 — Vail (also serves West Vail)
- 81620 — Avon
- 81637 — Gypsum (also serves Dotsero)
- 81645 — Minturn
- 81649 — Red Cliff
- 81621 — Basalt (also serves the county’s share of the town)
- 81632 — Edwards
- 81655 — Wolcott
- 80463 — McCoy
- 80423 — Bond
- 80426 — Burns
Smaller places such as El Jebel, Fulford, Arrowhead Village, Beaver Creek Village and the historic mining camps have no post office of their own and are served by a neighboring town’s ZIP code.
Geography
Eagle County straddles the Gore Range and the Sawatch Range along the upper Eagle River and Colorado River, in the heart of Colorado’s central Rockies. Mount of the Holy Cross, at 14,011 feet, is the county’s highest point; the Colorado River, where it exits the county near Dotsero, is the lowest, at 6,128 feet. Public land dominates the county, including large blocks of White River National Forest.
Eagle County borders Grand County to the northeast, Summit County to the east, Lake County to the south, Pitkin County to the southwest, Garfield County to the west, and Routt County to the northwest.
Demographics
Eagle County had 55,731 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 33 people per square mile. Edwards is the most populous unincorporated community, and Eagle and Gypsum are the largest incorporated towns; Vail, though the county’s best-known name, has a comparatively small year-round population swelled heavily by seasonal workers and visitors. Median household income runs well above the Colorado median of $92,911, driven by the resort economy and high-end second-home ownership around Vail and Beaver Creek.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism and mountain resorts anchor the economy, led by Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek Resort, both operated by Vail Resorts. Vail Health, headquartered in Vail, is the county’s largest hospital system and among its biggest employers. Construction, hospitality, and real estate round out the base, alongside a smaller ranching and agriculture sector in the Gypsum and Bond area. The Eagle County Fair & Rodeo each summer is a longstanding local event outside the ski season.
History
Eagle County was organized on February 11, 1883, carved from Summit County, and takes its name from the Eagle River. Red Cliff served as the original county seat before it moved to the town of Eagle in 1921. During World War II, the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division trained at Camp Hale, in the Pando area near today’s Tennessee Pass, before deploying to the Italian campaign. Mining around Gilman and Red Cliff produced gold, silver, and later zinc into the mid-20th century, and Vail’s 1962 opening as a ski resort reshaped the county’s economy over the following decades.
Getting There
Interstate 70 crosses the county east to west through Vail Pass and Glenwood Canyon, and U.S. Routes 6 and 24 and Colorado Highways 82 and 131 connect the smaller towns.
- Denver — about 120 miles east
- Glenwood Springs — about 30 miles west
- Aspen — about 35 miles south via Highway 82
- Steamboat Springs — about 65 miles north
Eagle County Regional Airport, in Gypsum, offers scheduled commercial jet service and is the main gateway for Vail and Beaver Creek visitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eagle County, Colorado?
It lies in the central Rocky Mountains, along Interstate 70 between Denver and Glenwood Springs.
What is the population of Eagle County?
55,731 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Eagle County?
1,685 square miles (4,360 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Eagle County?
The town of Eagle is the county seat.
How many towns are in Eagle County?
Seven incorporated towns — Eagle, Vail, Avon, Gypsum, Minturn, Red Cliff, and part of Basalt — plus several unincorporated communities and CDPs.
What ZIP codes are in Eagle County?
ZIP codes include 81631 (Eagle), 81657/81658 (Vail), 81620 (Avon), 81637 (Gypsum), 81645 (Minturn), 81649 (Red Cliff), 81621 (Basalt), 81632 (Edwards), 81655 (Wolcott), 80463 (McCoy), 80423 (Bond), and 80426 (Burns).
What ski resorts are in Eagle County?
Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek Resort, both run by Vail Resorts, are the county’s two major ski areas.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Colorado.