Las Animas County, Colorado
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- Not to be confused with the City of Las Animas, Colorado
Las Animas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,555.<ref name="2020Census">Template:Cite web</ref> The county seat is Trinidad.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> The county takes its name from the Mexican Spanish name of the Purgatoire River, originally called El Río de las Ánimas Perdidas en el Purgatorio, which means "River of the Lost Souls in Purgatory."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.06%) is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> It is the largest county by area in Colorado.
Adjacent counties
- Otero County - north
- Pueblo County - north
- Bent County - northeast
- Baca County - east
- Union County, New Mexico - south
- Colfax County, New Mexico - southwest
- Costilla County- west
- Huerfano County - northwest
Major highways
Protected areas
- Comanche National Grassland
- Lake Dorothey State Wildlife Area
- James M. John State Wildlife Area
- San Isabel National Forest
- Spanish Peaks Wilderness
- Fishers Peak State Park
- Trinidad Lake State Park
Historic trails and landmarks
- Mesa de Maya
- Raton Pass National Historic Landmark
- Santa Fe National Historic Trail
- Trinidad State History Museum
Scenic byways
Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 15,207 people, 6,173 households, and 4,092 families living in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 7,629 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 82.63% White, 0.39% Black or African American, 2.54% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 10.03% from other races, and 3.83% from two or more races. 41.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> Of the 6,173 households 28.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.90% were married couples living together, 11.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.70% were non-families. 29.70% of households were one person and 14.30% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.97.
The age distribution was 24.20% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 24.00% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 18.00% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.
The median household income was $28,273 and the median family income was $34,072. Males had a median income of $27,182 versus $20,891 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,829. About 14.00% of families and 17.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.00% of those under age 18 and 17.20% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
A Democratic stronghold since the days of Franklin Roosevelt after having been solidly Republican during the "system of 1896" like the rest of Hispanic Colorado, Las Animas County has seen a strong trend toward the Republican Party in recent elections. Hillary Clinton's 2016 performance was the worst by a Democrat since John W. Davis in 1924. She was also the first Democrat to lose the county since George McGovern in 1972. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat to win the presidency without the county since Woodrow Wilson in 1912.
Las Animas County was the only county in Colorado to vote for legal abortion but against legal same-sex marriage in 2024, although anti-LGBT sentiment was also noticeably higher than anti-abortion sentiment in neighboring Bent County as well as in Jackson County on the opposite side of the state, both of which opposed both but only opposed same-sex marriage by a landslide margin. In Colorado overall, the pro-LGBT Amendment J did slightly better than the pro-choice Amendment 79.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot
Communities
City
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Former towns
Census-designated places
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Gallery
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Area affected by 1930s Dust Bowl -
Public library in Trinidad serves Las Animas County -
Santa Nina de Atoche church, Tijeras Plaza, Las Animas County, c.1934 -
Philatelic cover postmarked Officer, Colorado on the last day of service. Mail from this discontinued post office was then handled at Villegreen, Colorado, now also a discontinued post office.
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See also
- Bibliography of Colorado
- Geography of Colorado
- History of Colorado
- Index of Colorado-related articles
- List of Colorado-related lists
- Outline of Colorado
References
External links
Template:Las Animas County, Colorado Template:Geographic location Template:US state navigation box Template:Authority control