Rio Grande County is a county in Colorado, United States, set in the San Luis Valley below the San Juan Mountains. It had a population of 11,539 at the 2020 census and covers 912 square miles (2,360 km2) centred near 37°37′N 106°23′W.
Del Norte is the county seat, and its postal code is 81132. The county has three incorporated towns and cities, two census-designated places, and a scatter of small unincorporated communities. It sits in the Mountain time zone and carries FIPS code 08105.
Towns & Villages in Rio Grande County
Nineteen named places appear across county records and older gazetteers, from the incorporated towns of Del Norte, Monte Vista, and South Fork down to small unincorporated crossroads left over from the county’s mining and homestead era. CDP means census-designated place (unincorporated but tracked by the Census Bureau); Unincorp. means an unincorporated locale with no current population count.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine | CDP | — | — |
| Ansel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Baxterville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Center | City | 1,929* | 81125 |
| Del Norte | City · seat | 1,458 | 81132 |
| Dunul | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Evansville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gerrard | CDP | — | — |
| Hanna | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Homelake | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jasper | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maxeyville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Monte Vista | City | 4,247 | 81144 |
| Sevenmile Plaza | CDP | — | — |
| South Fork | Town | 510 | 81154 |
| Sugar Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Torres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vastine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Zinzer | Unincorp. | — | — |
*Center is a county-line straddler: the Census Bureau counted 1,929 residents there in 2020, but only 44 of them live on the Rio Grande County side of the line, with the remaining 1,885 in neighboring Saguache County. Most of the town’s built-up area, and its town government, sit in Saguache County.
ZIP Codes
- 81132 — Del Norte
- 81144 — Monte Vista (also serves Homelake)
- 81154 — South Fork
- 81125 — Center (shared with the Saguache County side of town)
The county’s smaller unincorporated places have no ZIP code of their own and use the nearest post town above.
Geography
Rio Grande County lies in the middle of the San Luis Valley, a broad, high-elevation basin flanked by the San Juan Mountains to the west and the Sangre de Cristo range visible across the valley to the east. The Rio Grande itself, which gives the county its name, flows east through the valley floor past Del Norte before turning south toward New Mexico. Elevations run from roughly 7,600 feet on the valley floor near Monte Vista to well above 13,000 feet at the range’s high peaks in the county’s western reaches.
Rio Grande County borders Saguache County to the north, Alamosa County to the east, Conejos County to the south, Archuleta County to the southwest, and Mineral County to the west.
Demographics
The county’s 2020 population of 11,539 works out to roughly 12.7 people per square mile, reflecting the wide open ranchland and forest that make up most of its area. Monte Vista, with 4,247 residents, is the largest community, followed by Del Norte at 1,458. Median household income in Rio Grande County runs well below the Colorado median of $92,911 — the county’s ranching- and agriculture-based economy pays less than the Front Range metro areas that pull the statewide figure up.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture anchors the local economy, especially potatoes, barley, and hay grown on the valley’s irrigated farmland, alongside cattle ranching on the higher ground. The U.S. Forest Service is a major local employer: the Rio Grande National Forest’s headquarters moved from Monte Vista to Del Norte in the years after 2019, and the surrounding national forest land drives a tourism and recreation trade built on fishing, hunting, and the ski area at Wolf Creek Pass near South Fork. Every March, tens of thousands of Sandhill Cranes stop in the valley on their northward migration, and the Monte Vista Crane Festival draws birdwatchers from across the region.
History
Rio Grande County was organized on February 10, 1874, and takes its name from the river that runs through it — Rio Grande, Spanish for “big river.” Del Norte began as a mining-supply town, serving as a base camp for prospectors headed into the mining districts around Summitville, Creede, and Lake City, and was incorporated in 1895. When the mining boom faded, ranching and irrigated farming kept the valley’s towns going, a pattern that still shapes the county’s economy today.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 160 crosses the county east–west through Del Norte and South Fork, while U.S. Highway 285 runs north–south through Monte Vista and Center.
- Alamosa — 15 miles east
- Pagosa Springs — 55 miles southwest
- Creede — 22 miles northwest
- Salida — 90 miles northeast
San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS) in Alamosa is the nearest commercial airport, with regional flights to Denver.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rio Grande County?
It is in south-central Colorado, in the San Luis Valley between the San Juan Mountains and the Sangre de Cristo range.
What is the population of Rio Grande County?
11,539 people, according to the 2020 census.
How big is Rio Grande County?
912 square miles (2,360 km2).
What is the county seat of Rio Grande County?
Del Norte.
How many towns are in Rio Grande County?
Three incorporated municipalities — Del Norte, Monte Vista, and South Fork — plus two census-designated places and a number of small unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Rio Grande County?
81132 (Del Norte), 81144 (Monte Vista), 81154 (South Fork), and 81125 (Center).
What is Rio Grande County known for?
The spring Sandhill Crane migration through the San Luis Valley, the Monte Vista Crane Festival, and access to Wolf Creek Pass and the Rio Grande National Forest.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Colorado.