Moffat County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
located in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 13,292.
The
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Craig.
With an area of 4,751 square miles, it is the 2nd largest county by area in Colorado, behind
Las Animas County.
Moffat County comprises the Craig, CO
Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the
Steamboat Springs-Craig, CO
Combined Statistical Area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
.
History
Displacement of the Native People
The first recorded humans in northwestern Colorado were the Ute tribes. The Spanish expedition of
Dominguez-Escalante of 1776 reached just south of what would be Moffat County and noted the area and inhabitants, but did not offer detailed information. In the early 1820s,
William H. Ashley organized a major expedition of trappers into the Green River area of the county beginning the first use of the area's resources by Europeans. John C. Freemont would lead the first organized exploration of Moffat County on his return from California during his second expedition. His party crossed into the future Moffat County on 6 June 1844.
![Freemont 2nd Expedition](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Freemont_2nd_Expedition.jpg)
Despite the encroachment by trappers, miners, and explorers, the Ute Treaty of 1868 (a.k.a. The Kit Carson Treaty) and the Brunot Treaty of 1873 identified northwestern Colorado as part of the Ute nation and 'agencies' were established to act as representatives of the U.S. government within the Ute Nation. In 1879, a new agent,
Nathan Meeker
Nathan Cook Meeker (July 12, 1817 – September 30, 1879) was a 19th-century American journalist, homesteader, entrepreneur, and Indian agent for the federal government. He is noted for his founding in 1870 of the Union Colony, a cooperative ...
, was appointed to serve at the White River Agency in northwestern Colorado. Meeker had founded a Christian-based European
agricultural colony in 1870 in eastern Colorado and had strong ideas of how a community should be structured. As the 'Indian Agent' he felt compelled to change the nomadic lifestyle of the Ute Indians and attempted to 'civilize' them by converting them into farmers. His efforts to impose a agricultural lifestyle on the native people created a conflict that ultimately led to the
murder of Meeker and all of the staff at the Agency. The U.S. government's reaction to the massacre resulted in the relocation of most of the Ute tribes to Utah by force. After the removal of the Ute tribes, the U.S. government opened up northwestern Colorado for mining, commercial cattle ranching, and homesteading.
Northwestern Colorado County Reorganizations of Territory/State
In 1861, the
Colorado Territory
The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado.
The territory was organized in the ...
was organized and northwestern Colorado became Summit County. In 1874, Grand County was created out of the northern half of Summit County, and in 1877, Grand County was further subdivided, creating Routt County. It would be another 34 years before Moffat County would be carved out of the western portion of
Routt County
Routt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,829. The county seat is Steamboat Springs. Routt County comprises the Steamboat Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
P ...
. The county was named for
David H. Moffat, a Colorado tycoon who died in 1911.
Development and Growth
David Moffat had been the primary force driving the establishment of a railroad from Denver to Salt Lake City. He established the
Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway
The Denver and Salt Lake Railway (D&SL) was a U.S. railroad company located in Colorado. Originally incorporated in 1902 as the Denver, Northwestern and Pacific (DN&P) Railway, it had as a goal a direct connection of Denver, Colorado, with Sa ...
, and attempted to build a route from
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
to
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
. Construction on the 'Moffat Road' track began in the early 1900s but it faced constant delays and challenges. It finally reached Moffat County in 1913, ending in the town of Craig. The railroad was important for cattle ranchers in Moffat County's early years; however, the track was never extended into Utah. In 1934, another more direct route was established to Salt Lake City, and Moffat County remained a branch line and never part of the main commerce rail artery between Denver and Salt Lake City.
In the 1920s,
U.S. 40, a major cross-country highway, began construction. The route selected put Moffat County, and the County Seat of Craig on the 'Victory Highway' and almost exactly halfway between Denver and Salt Lake City. In 1938, the final section over the Rocky Mountains was completed and paved, with the exception of Rabbit Ears Pass in Routt County. That section would was paved before 1950. This expanded Craig's economy by adding lodging and tourism. Unfortunately, Moffat County was excluded from the initial
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...
plans as
I-80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
was routed through southern Wyoming and
I-70
Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the c ...
was planned to end in Denver and not cross the Rocky Mountains. Then Colorado Governor and former Moffat County resident,
Edwin C. Johnson
Edwin Carl Johnson (January 1, 1884 – May 30, 1970) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as both governor of and U.S. senator from the state of Colorado.
Background
Johnson was born in Scandia in Republic County in ...
lobbied for I-70 to continue through Denver and connect to Salt Lake City. Eventually, the federal highway agency approved I-70 to continue through Colorado but routed it through Grand Junction, Colorado, and leaving Moffat County as a secondary highway isolated between the two main east/west Interstate arteries.
The population in Moffat County stabilized at just over 5,000 people by the first census in 1920; however, remained stagnant until the 1970s when construction of three coal-fired electrical power plants began. Those three plants are now scheduled to be closed in 2025, 2028, and 2030, respectively creating a severe impact on the County's economy. Beyond the energy industries, Moffat County's ranching, agricultural, and tourism industries round out its primary economy. The 2020 census data has the population at almost the same as the post-power plant boom in the 1980s at 13,292 people. The 2021 estimated about 100 fewer people in the county.
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water.
It is the second-largest county by area in Colorado.
Adjacent counties
*
Routt County
Routt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,829. The county seat is Steamboat Springs. Routt County comprises the Steamboat Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
P ...
– east
*
Rio Blanco County – south
*
Uintah County, Utah
Uintah County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 35,620. Its county seat and largest city is Vernal. The county was named for the portion of the Ute Indian tribe that lived in the b ...
– west
*
Daggett County, Utah
Daggett County ( ) is a county in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 935, making it the least populous county in Utah. Its county seat is Manila. The county was named for El ...
– west
*
Sweetwater County, Wyoming – north
*
Carbon County, Wyoming
Carbon County is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 14,537. Its county seat is Rawlins. Its south border abuts the north line of Colorado.
History
Carbon County was organized in 18 ...
– north
Major highways
*
U.S. Highway 40
*
State Highway 13
*
State Highway 317
*
State Highway 318
*
State Highway 394
*
Wyoming Highway 70
Wyoming Highway 70 (WYO 70) is a state highway in southern Wyoming. The route travels from an intersection with WYO 789 in Baggs eastward to WYO 230 in Riverside. WYO 70 over Battle Pass is closed during winter (November to April). The sect ...
National protected areas
*
Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge
Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge located in northwestern Colorado. It is located in Moffat County in the extreme northwestern corner of the state, in an isolated mountain valley of Browns Park on both side ...
*
Dinosaur National Monument
*
Routt National Forest Routt may refer to:
;Places
In the United States:
* Routt, Louisville, Kentucky
*Routt County, Colorado
;People
*Joe Routt
*John Long Routt
*Stanford Routt
Stanford Bermond Routt (born July 26, 1983) is a former American football cornerback. Aft ...
*
White River National Forest
White River National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest in northwest Colorado. It is named after the White River (Green River), White River that passes through its northern section. It is the most visited National Forest ...
*
Yampa River State Park
Scenic byway
*
Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway National Scenic Byway
The Dinosaur Diamond is a scenic and historic byway loop through the dinosaur fossil laden Uinta Basin of the U.S. states of Utah and Colorado. The byway comprises the following two National Scenic Byways:
*The Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric High ...
Summit
*
Cold Spring Mountain
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 13,184 people, 4,983 households, and 3,577 families residing in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 3 people per square mile (1/km
2). There were 5,635 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.61%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.21%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.88%
Native American, 0.33%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.02%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 3.17% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.77% from two or more races. 9.46% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 4,983 households, out of which 38.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.70% were
married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.50% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 9.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,528, and the median income for a family was $45,511. Males had a median income of $37,288 versus $22,080 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the county was $18,540. About 6.90% of families and 8.30% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 8.30% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
City
*
Craig
Town
*
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
Census-designated place
*
Maybell
Other unincorporated places
*
Blue Mountain
*
Elk Springs
*
Greystone
*
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
*
Lay
Lay may refer to:
Places
*Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada
*Lay, Loire, a French commune
*Lay (river), France
*Lay, Iran, a village
*Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community
People
* Lay (surname)
* ...
*
Loyd Loyd may refer to:
Places United States
* Loyd, Colorado
* Loyd, Illinois
* Loyd, Louisiana
* Loyd, Mississippi
* Loyd, Wisconsin, unincorporated community
People Given name
* Loyd Auerbach, professor of parapsychology
* Loyd Blankenship (bo ...
*
Massadona
*
Slater
A slater, or slate mason, is a tradesperson who covers buildings with slate.
Tools of the trade
The various tools of the slater's trade are all drop-forged.
The slater's hammer is forged in one single piece, from crucible-cast steel, and ha ...
*
Sunbeam
Politics
Moffat is a Republican county in Presidential elections. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Moffat County since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide, and indeed no Democrat post-1964 has obtained even forty percent of the county's vote. Moffat was one of fifteen counties (two in Colorado) to give a plurality to
Ross Perot in the 1992 election, but every other Republican candidate since 1968 has obtained an absolute majority in Moffat County.
In gubernatorial elections, Moffat County has also generally been Republican, but was nonetheless carried by Democrat
Roy Romer
Roy Rudolf Romer (born October 31, 1928) is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Colorado from 1987 to 1999, and subsequently as the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District from 2000 to 2006.
Family and e ...
by a narrow margin in 1990 – when he carried all but four counties statewide – by
Dick Lamm
Richard Douglas Lamm (August 3, 1935 – July 29, 2021) was an American politician, writer, and attorney. He served three terms as 38th Governor of Colorado as a Democrat (1975–1987) and ran for the Reform Party's nomination for Preside ...
in 1982 and by Constitution Party candidate
Tom Tancredo
Thomas Gerard Tancredo (; born December 20, 1945) is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009 as a Republican. He ran for Pres ...
in 2010. In senatorial elections, the Republican candidate has consistently garnered over sixty percent of Moffat County voters since future party-switcher
Ben Nighthorse Campbell
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (born April 13, 1933) is an American Cheyenne politician who represented Colorado's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 1993, and as a United States Senator from Colorado f ...
won the county for the Democratic Party in 1992.
[Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas]
1992 Senatorial General Election Results – Colorado
/ref>
See also
* Outline of Colorado
* Index of Colorado-related articles
This is an alphabetical list of articles related to the U.S. State of Colorado.
0–9
* .co.us – Internet second-level domain for the State of Colorado
* 4 Corners
** 4 Corners Monument
* 6th Principal Meridian
* 10-mile Range
* 10th ...
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Moffat County, Colorado
References
External links
*
Dinosaur National Monument
Colorado Historical Society
{{authority control
Colorado counties
1911 establishments in Colorado
Populated places established in 1911