Custer County is a county in Colorado, United States, in the Wet Mountain Valley between the Sangre de Cristo and Wet Mountain ranges. It had a population of 4,704 at the 2020 census and covers 740 square miles (1,917 km2) centred near 38\u00b005\u2032N 105\u00b022\u2032W.<\/p>\n
Westcliffe is the county seat, and its postal code is 81252. The county has 2 incorporated towns and 7 unincorporated communities, sits in the Mountain time zone, and carries FIPS code 08027.<\/p>\n
Custer County has 9 named places on record: 2 incorporated towns and 7 unincorporated communities (CDP\/Unincorp.). Nearly all of the county’s population lives in or around the twin towns of Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, a mile apart in the Wet Mountain Valley.<\/p>\n
| Place<\/th>\n | Type<\/th>\n | Pop.<\/th>\n | ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westcliffe<\/td>\n | Town · seat<\/td>\n | 536<\/td>\n | 81252<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Silver Cliff<\/td>\n | Town<\/td>\n | 688<\/td>\n | 81252<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Wetmore<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 81253<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Cold Spring<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 81252<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Fairview<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 81252<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Greenwood<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 81252<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| McKenzie Junction<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 81252<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| San Isabel<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 81252<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Tanglewood Acres<\/td>\n | Unincorp.<\/td>\n | —<\/td>\n | 81252<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n The old county list also carried “Rosita and Querida” — both are genuine 1870s silver-mining camps southwest of Silver Cliff, now abandoned ghost towns with no residents; they are noted here in the history section rather than the active-places table.<\/p>\n ZIP Codes<\/h2>\nCuster County has just two ZIP-code service areas; Westcliffe’s covers the great majority of the county, including every named community outside Wetmore.<\/p>\n Geography<\/h2>\nCuster County lies in the Wet Mountain Valley, a high grassland basin squeezed between two mountain ranges: the Sangre de Cristo Range along the western county line and the Wet Mountains to the east. Elevations range from around 6,000 feet near Wetmore to well over 13,000 feet on Sangre de Cristo peaks such as Humboldt and Crestone. Grape Creek and its canyon drain the valley north toward the Arkansas River. The county covers 739 square miles of land and 1.3 square miles of water.<\/p>\n Custer County borders Fremont County to the north, Pueblo County to the east, Huerfano County to the southeast, and Saguache County to the west.<\/p>\n Demographics<\/h2>\nThe 2020 census counted 4,704 residents, a density of about 6.4 people per square mile — among the more sparsely populated counties on Colorado’s Front Range side. Silver Cliff (688) and Westcliffe (536) are the two largest communities; most other residents live on rural parcels scattered across the valley. Median household income in Custer County has historically trailed the Colorado median of $92,911, reflecting the county’s retirement- and ranching-heavy economy rather than wage employment.<\/p>\n Economy & Local Life<\/h2>\nCattle ranching and hay production anchor the valley floor, a legacy of the irrigation systems built after the 1870s silver rush faded. Tourism, second homes, and retirees drawn by the mountain views support much of the rest of the local economy; the Wet Mountain Valley is known for some of the clearest night skies on the Front Range, and the county has pursued International Dark-Sky recognition. The county fairgrounds in Westcliffe host the annual Custer County Fair and Rodeo.<\/p>\n History<\/h2>\nCuster County was organized on March 9, 1877, and named for Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, who had died the previous year at the Little Bighorn. A silver strike near Rosita and Silver Cliff in the 1870s briefly made the valley one of Colorado’s busier mining districts, drawing a narrow-gauge rail line up Grape Creek Canyon; the line closed after repeated flood damage, and Rosita and Querida were largely abandoned as the mines played out. Ranching, begun alongside the mining boom, became the valley’s lasting industry.<\/p>\n Getting There<\/h2>\nState Highways 69 and 96 are the main routes through the valley, connecting to U.S. 50 at Coaldale to the north and to Interstate 25 near Walsenburg to the southeast.<\/p>\n
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