Dolores County, Colorado

Dolores County Education, Geography, and History

Dolores County is the seventh-least populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 2,064. The county seat is Dove Creek.  Dolores County was created on February 19, 1881 from Ouray County. The county is named for the Dolores River, which was originally named el Rio de Nuestra Senora de los Dolores, which is Spanish for the River of our Lady of Sorrows.

Etymology - Origin of Dolores County Name

Dolores County is named for the Dolores River, originally Rio de Nuestra Senora de los Dolores, or, in English, "River of our Lady of Sorrows".

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Delores County History

Dolores County was created by the Colorado legislature on February 19, 1881 out of the western portions of Ouray County. The county is named for the Dolores River. The complete Spanish name was Rio de Nuestra de los Dolores (River of our Lady of Sorrows). Originally set in Rico, the county seat was moved to Dove Creek in 1941.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,068 square miles (2,766 km²), of which, 1,067 square miles (2,763 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (3 km²) of it is water. The total area is 0.11% water.

Dolores county is located in southwest Colorado. The county is made up of high mesas and narrow valleys in the western part. The eastern portion is high mountains. The elevation in Dolores County ranges from 5,900 feet in Disappointment Valley to 14,046 feet on Mount Wilson.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: San Miguel County
• East: San Juan County
• Southeast: La Plata County
• South: Montezuma County
• West: San Juan County, Utah
  

Education

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