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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Rio Blanco County
Rio Blanco County (Spanish: Condado del Río Blanco) is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,529. The county seat is Meeker. The name of the county is the Spanish name for the White River which runs through it.

History

Rio Blanco County was created on March 25, 1889, when it was split from Garfield County. The town of Meeker became the county seat.

On May 17, 1973, Rio Blanco County became one of two counties in Colorado to have a peaceful nuclear explosion as a part of Operation Plowshare. There were three nearly simultaneous explosions targeted at producing unconventional natural gas, all detonated as Project Rio Blanco. The other county is Garfield County under Project Rulison.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,223 square miles (8,350 km), of which 3,221 square miles (8,340 km) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km) (0.06%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

National protected areas

Scenic byways

State parks and wildlife areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18901,200—
19001,69040.8%
19102,33238.0%
19203,13534.4%
19302,980−4.9%
19402,943−1.2%
19504,71960.3%
19605,1509.1%
19704,842−6.0%
19806,25529.2%
19905,972−4.5%
20005,9860.2%
20106,66611.4%
20206,529−2.1%
2023 (est.)6,5690.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

At the 2000 census there were 5,986 people, 2,306 households, and 1,646 families living in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km). There were 2,855 housing units at an average density of 1 units per square mile (0.39 units/km). The racial makeup of the county was 95.01% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 0.77% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 2.02% from other races, and 1.74% from two or more races. 4.94% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 2,306 households 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.10% were married couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.60% were non-families. 24.80% of households were one person and 8.70% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.98.

The age distribution was 26.50% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 11.20% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 101.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.60 males.

The median household income was $37,711 and the median family income was $44,425. Males had a median income of $38,125 versus $19,940 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,344. About 6.70% of families and 9.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.60% of those under age 18 and 10.40% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Rio Blanco County is home to Meeker School District RE-1 and Rangely School District RE-4, as well as Rangely Christian Academy, a private K-8 school.

The county is home to Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely, as well as an extension of Colorado State University in Meeker.

Politics

Rio Blanco is an overwhelmingly Republican county in Presidential elections. It was along with Clark County, Idaho and Kane County, Utah one of only three counties west of the Continental Divide to vote for Alf Landon over Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1936. In that election Rio Blanco was Landon's strongest county in the eleven western states, marginally shading normal Republican “banner county” Kane. Since that time only two Democrats – Harry S. Truman in 1948 and Lyndon Johnson who narrowly carried the county in 1964 – have obtained over forty percent of the county's vote. In fact, since 1968 only one Democratic presidential candidate, Michael Dukakis in 1988, and him only very marginally, has topped thirty percent of Rio Blanco County's ballots.

United States presidential election results for Rio Blanco County, Colorado
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 3,061 82.93% 561 15.20% 69 1.87%
2016 2,791 80.90% 436 12.64% 223 6.46%
2012 2,724 80.85% 568 16.86% 77 2.29%
2008 2,437 77.44% 655 20.81% 55 1.75%
2004 2,403 80.02% 566 18.85% 34 1.13%
2000 2,185 76.53% 543 19.02% 127 4.45%
1996 1,697 62.50% 731 26.92% 287 10.57%
1992 1,231 43.19% 778 27.30% 841 29.51%
1988 1,821 68.41% 803 30.17% 38 1.43%
1984 2,131 80.81% 484 18.35% 22 0.83%
1980 1,971 74.46% 462 17.45% 214 8.08%
1976 1,439 67.24% 627 29.30% 74 3.46%
1972 1,586 77.25% 414 20.17% 53 2.58%
1968 1,294 64.60% 502 25.06% 207 10.33%
1964 1,015 47.17% 1,134 52.70% 3 0.14%
1960 1,391 63.57% 794 36.29% 3 0.14%
1956 1,593 71.47% 635 28.49% 1 0.04%
1952 1,612 71.42% 633 28.05% 12 0.53%
1948 981 56.03% 752 42.95% 18 1.03%
1944 881 65.89% 451 33.73% 5 0.37%
1940 1,021 65.49% 530 34.00% 8 0.51%
1936 830 55.78% 587 39.45% 71 4.77%
1932 687 44.47% 826 53.46% 32 2.07%
1928 860 65.50% 429 32.67% 24 1.83%
1924 766 60.84% 407 32.33% 86 6.83%
1920 793 62.24% 455 35.71% 26 2.04%
1916 468 39.46% 702 59.19% 16 1.35%
1912 372 33.24% 538 48.08% 209 18.68%
1908 384 43.99% 466 53.38% 23 2.63%
1904 552 58.11% 391 41.16% 7 0.74%
1900 276 40.89% 391 57.93% 8 1.19%
1896 52 10.26% 454 89.55% 1 0.20%
1892 127 36.29% 0 0.00% 223 63.71%

In other statewide elections, Rio Blanco County also leans Republican, although it was carried by Democrat Roy Romer in 1990 – when he carried all but four counties statewide – and by Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo in 2010. Rio Blanco County was also carried by Democratic Senatorial candidate “Nighthorse” Campbell in 1992, although since then no Democratic candidate for this office has surpassed thirty percent since.

Communities

Towns

Unincorporated communities

See also