Sedgwick 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 ...

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 the ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,404. 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 ...

is Julesburg. The county was named for

Fort Sedgwick Fort Sedgwick, also known as Post at Julesburg, Camp Rankin, and Fort Rankin was a U.S. military post from 1864 to 1871, in Sedgwick County, Colorado. There are two historical markers for the former post. The town was named for Fort Sedgwick, whic ...

, a military post along the Platte Trail, which was named for General John Sedgwick. It is located near the state border with

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

History

Sedgwick County was named after John Sedgwick, who was a

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

Geography

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.

Adjacent counties

* Deuel County, Nebraska – north * Perkins County, Nebraska – east * Phillips County – south * Logan County – west *

Cheyenne County, Nebraska Cheyenne County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 9,998. Its county seat is Sidney. The county was formed in 1871 and named for the Cheyenne Native American tribe. In the Nebras ...

– northwest

Major highways

Interstate 76 * US 138

U.S. Highway 138 * US 385

U.S. Highway 385 * Colorado 11

State Highway 11 * Colorado 23

State Highway 23 * Colorado 59

State Highway 59

Trails and byways

* American Discovery Trail *

First transcontinental railroad North America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the " Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line constructed between 1863 and 1869 that connected the existing eastern U.S. rail netwo ...

* Pony Express National Historic Trail *

South Platte River Trail Scenic and Historic Byway The South Platte River Trail Scenic and Historic Byway is a Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway located in Sedgwick County, Colorado, USA. The byway follows the historic trails used during westward expansion. The route, which includes County Ro ...

South Platte Trail South Platte Trail was a historic trail that followed the southern side of South Platte River from Fort Kearny in Nebraska to Denver, Colorado. Plains Indians, such as the Cheyenne and the Arapaho, hunted in the lands around the South Platte Riv ...

Upper Crossing of the California Trail

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 2,747 people in 1,165 households, including 802 families, in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 1,387 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 90.50% White, 0.51% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5.97% from other races, and 2.04% from two or more races. 11.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 1,165 households 26.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were married couples living together, 6.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 29.40% of households were one person and 13.60% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.83. The age distribution was 22.80% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 23.50% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 22.10% 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.20 males. The median household income was $28,278 and the median family income was $33,953. Males had a median income of $25,463 versus $16,392 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,125. About 7.80% of families and 10.00% 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 ...

, including 13.70% of those under age 18 and 4.20% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Sedgwick County has been strongly Republican for most of its history. It was the only Colorado county to vote for

Charles Evans Hughes Charles Evans Hughes Sr. (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948) was an American statesman, politician and jurist who served as the 11th Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the ...

in 1916 and one of only two carried by

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

in 1912, while only three Democratic presidential candidates –

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...

in the “

free silver Free silver was a major economic policy issue in the United States in the late 19th-century. Its advocates were in favor of an expansionary monetary policy featuring the unlimited coinage of silver into money on-demand, as opposed to strict adhe ...

” 1896 election plus Franklin D. Roosevelt and

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

in the 1932, 1936 and 1964 landslide wins – have ever carried the county, which has voted for the same candidate as the state of South Dakota in every election since its formation.

Communities

Towns

* Julesburg *

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom ...

* Sedgwick

Notes

References

External links

*
Colorado County Evolution by Don StanwyckColorado Historical Society
{{authority control Colorado counties 1889 establishments in Colorado Eastern Plains Populated places established in 1889