San Miguel County, Colorado

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = San Miguel County

| state = Colorado

| seal =

| founded year = 1883

| founded date = March 2

| seat wl = Telluride

| largest city wl = Telluride

| city type = town

| area_total_sq_mi = 1289

| area_land_sq_mi = 1287

| area_water_sq_mi = 2.0

| area percentage = 0.2%

| population_total = 8072

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_footnotes = {{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/San_Miguel_County,_Colorado?g=050XX00US08113 |title=San Miguel County, Colorado |author=United States Census Bureau |date= |publisher= |access-date=April 5, 2023 |quote=}}

| density_sq_mi = auto

| time zone = Mountain

| web = https://www.sanmiguelcountyco.gov/

| named for = San Miguel River

| ex image = SAN MIGUEL COUNTY COURTHOUSE.jpg

| ex image cap = The San Miguel County Courthouse

| district = 3rd

}}

San Miguel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,072. The county seat is Telluride.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}} The county is named for the San Miguel River.

History

San Miguel County was given the Spanish language name for "Saint Michael" due to the nearby San Miguel River. On February 27, 1883, Ouray County was split to form San Miguel County. Originally the San Miguel County portion was to retain the name Ouray County with the new portion called Uncompahgre County.

Mining operators in the San Juan mountain area of Colorado formed the San Juan District Mining Association (SJDMA) in 1903, as a direct result of a Western Federation of Miners proposal to the Telluride Mining Association for the eight-hour day, which had been approved in a referendum by 72 percent of Colorado voters.Roughneck—The Life and Times of Big Bill Haywood, Peter Carlson, 1983, page 65. The new association consolidated the power of thirty-six mining properties in San Miguel, Ouray, and San Juan counties.The Corpse On Boomerang Road, Telluride's War On Labor 1899–1908, MaryJoy Martin, 2004, page 201. The SJDMA refused to consider any reduction in hours or increase in wages, helping to provoke a bitter strike.

In 1875, the Smuggler gold vein was discovered near Telluride. The Smuggler-Union, Tomboy, and Liberty Bell mines combined produced over a hundred tons of gold by 1920, third in the state of Colorado.Voynick, S.M., 1992, Colorado Gold, Missoula: Mountain Press Publishing Company, {{ISBN|0878424555}}{{rp|51,83}}

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|1289|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1287|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|2.0|sqmi}} (0.2%) is water.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}

=Adjacent counties=

Montrose County - north
Ouray County - east
San Juan County - southeast
Dolores County - south
San Juan County, Utah - west

=Major highways=

=National protected areas=

=Trails and byways=

Demographics

{{US Census population

|align=left

|1890= 2909

|1900= 5379

|1910= 4700

|1920= 5281

|1930= 2184

|1940= 3664

|1950= 2693

|1960= 2944

|1970= 1949

|1980= 3192

|1990= 3653

|2000= 6594

|2010= 7359

|2020= 8072

|estyear=2023

|estimate=7868

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 31, 2024}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 11, 2014}}
1790-1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=June 11, 2014}} 1900-1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/co190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 11, 2014}}
1990-2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 11, 2014}} 2010-2020{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sanmiguelcountycolorado/PST045219|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 5, 2021}}

}}{{clear|left}}

Politics

For most of the 20th century, San Miguel County was a national bellwether. It voted for the winner in every presidential election from 1912 to 1984. Since 1988, the county has become one of the most Democratic in Colorado and the nation, largely due to the presence of the Telluride Ski Resort and the influx of liberal-minded voters in the 1960s and 1970s. These trends have made San Miguel similar in vein to other heavily Democratic ski resort counties like Blaine County in Idaho, Teton County in Wyoming, and Pitkin County within Colorado. In the 2000 presidential election, San Miguel County was Green Party candidate Ralph Nader's best countywide performance in the country with 17.2% of the vote.

{{PresHead|place=San Miguel County, Colorado|source={{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=May 26, 2017}}}}

Communities

=Towns=

= Census-designated place =

Placerville

=Unincorporated Communities=

References

External links

[https://www.sanmiguelcountyco.gov/ San Miguel County Government website]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102713/http://www.stanwyck.com/cogenweb/cocounties.html Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck]
[http://www.coloradohistory.org/ Colorado Historical Society]

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = San Miguel County, Colorado

|North = Montrose County

|Northeast =

|East = Ouray County

|Southeast = San Juan County

|South = Dolores County

|Southwest =

|West = San Juan County, Utah

|Northwest =

}}

{{coord|38.01|-108.43|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-CO_source:UScensus1990}}