Editing Otero County, Colorado

{{short description|County in Colorado, United States}}
{{distinguish|Otero County, New Mexico}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county         = Otero County
 | state              = Colorado
 | seal                 = 
 | founded year         = 1889
 | founded date       = March 25
 | seat wl            = La Junta
 | largest city wl    = La Junta
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 1270
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 1262
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 7.7
 | area percentage      = 0.6%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 18690
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       ≈ 18136 {{loss}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | time zone          = Mountain
 | ex image             = Otero County Courthouse (Colorado).JPG
 | ex image size        = 250
 | ex image cap         = Otero County Courthouse in La Junta
 | footnotes            = 
 | web                  = https://oterocounty.colorado.gov
 | named for            = [[Miguel Antonio Otero (I)|Miguel Antonio Otero]]
 | district             = 3rd }}

[[Image:Otero Museum, La Junta, CO IMG 5689.JPG|200px|right|thumb|Otero Museum and Fine Arts League in [[La Junta, Colorado|La Junta]]]]

[[Image:Cattle Feedlot near Rocky Ford, CO IMG 5651.JPG|200px|right|thumb|[[Cattle]] feedlot in Otero County west of [[Rocky Ford, Colorado|Rocky Ford]]]]

'''Otero County''' is a county located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Colorado]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 18,690.<ref name="2020Census">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/oterocountycolorado/PST045219|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 5, 2021}}</ref> The [[county seat]] is [[La Junta, Colorado|La Junta]].<ref name="GR6">{{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}}</ref> The county was named for [[Miguel Antonio Otero (I)|Miguel Antonio Otero]], one of the founders of the town of [[La Junta, Colorado|La Junta]] and a member of a prominent [[Hispanic]] family.

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|1270|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1262|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|7.7|sqmi}} (0.6%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{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}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Crowley County, Colorado|Crowley County]] - north
*[[Kiowa County, Colorado|Kiowa County]] - northeast
*[[Bent County, Colorado|Bent County]] - east
*[[Las Animas County, Colorado|Las Animas County]] - south
*[[Pueblo County, Colorado|Pueblo County]] - west

===Major highways===
* [[File:US 50.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 50 (Colorado)|U.S. Highway 50]]
* [[File:US 350.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 350 (Colorado)|U.S. Highway 350]]
* [[File:Colorado 10.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 10|State Highway 10]]
* [[File:Colorado 71.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 71|State Highway 71]]
* [[File:Colorado 109.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 109|State Highway 109]]
* [[File:Colorado 167.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 167|State Highway 167]]
* [[File:Colorado 207.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 207|State Highway 207]]
* [[File:Colorado 266.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 266|State Highway 266]]

===National protected areas===
*[[Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site]]
*[[Comanche National Grassland]]
*[[Santa Fe National Historic Trail]]

===Trails and byways===
*[[American Discovery Trail]]
*[[Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 4192
|1900= 11522
|1910= 20201
|1920= 22623
|1930= 24390
|1940= 23571
|1950= 25275
|1960= 24128
|1970= 23523
|1980= 22567
|1990= 20185
|2000= 20311
|2010= 18831
|2020= 18690
|estyear=2023
|estimate=18136
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{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}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{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 10, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=June 10, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{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 10, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{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 10, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2020<ref name="2020Census" />
}}

At the [[2000 United States Census|2000 census]] there were 20,311 people, 7,920 households, and 5,472 families living in the county. The population density was {{convert|16|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}. There were 8,813 housing units at an average density of {{convert|7|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census#2000 census|racial makeup]] of the county was 79.02% White, 0.76% Black or African American, 1.43% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 15.06% from other races, and 2.96% from two or more races. 37.62% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.<ref name="GR8">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 14, 2011|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
Of the 7,920 households 32.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.70% were married couples living together, 12.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 27.80% of households were one person and 12.90% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.04.

The age distribution was 26.90% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.50% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.50 males.

The median household income was $29,738 and the median family income was $35,906. Males had a median income of $26,996 versus $21,001 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,113. About 14.20% of families and 18.80% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 25.90% of those under age 18 and 11.80% of those age 65 or over.

==Politics==
Otero is a strongly Republican county, although less so than the counties of the Colorado High Plains. It was last won for the Democratic Party by [[Bill Clinton]] in 1996. Before that, Otero tended to be a Republican-leaning county at the Presidential level, although it did vote for Wilson twice, FDR in 1932 and 1936, Truman in 1948 and Lyndon Johnson in 1964.
{{PresHead|place=Otero County, Colorado|source=<ref>{{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}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|5,520|3,164|242|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|5,756|3,605|215|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|4,928|2,943|581|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|4,382|3,647|163|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|4,393|3,547|125|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|4,947|3,164|69|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|4,082|2,963|267|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|3,356|3,386|695|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|3,120|3,485|1,708|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|4,265|3,910|124|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|5,373|3,005|237|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|4,801|3,294|706|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|4,597|4,118|205|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|6,016|2,929|205|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|4,690|3,891|864|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,605|5,999|32|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|6,015|4,199|15|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|5,964|3,722|7|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|6,552|3,721|34|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|4,311|8,640|81|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|5,002|3,791|23|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|5,459|4,567|62|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|3,859|5,775|138|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|3,974|5,107|206|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|5,788|1,876|66|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|4,694|1,938|1,298|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|3,846|2,727|303|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|2,678|3,963|283|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|1,293|2,885|1,986|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|3,232|3,542|494|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|2,975|2,225|311|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|1,913|2,266|196|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|524|2,167|48|Colorado}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Populist|324|0|1,453|Colorado}}

==Communities==
===Cities===
*[[La Junta, Colorado|La Junta]]
*[[Rocky Ford, Colorado|Rocky Ford]]

===Towns===
*[[Cheraw, Colorado|Cheraw]]
*[[Fowler, Colorado|Fowler]]
*[[Manzanola, Colorado|Manzanola]]
*[[Swink, Colorado|Swink]]

===Census-designated places===
*[[La Junta Gardens, Colorado|La Junta Gardens]]
*[[North La Junta, Colorado|North La Junta]]
{{clear}}

==See also==
{{portal|Government|History|United States|Colorado}}
*[[Bibliography of Colorado]]
*[[Geography of Colorado]]
*[[History of Colorado]]
**[[G.W. Swink]], pioneer county commissioner
**[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Otero County, Colorado]]
*[[Index of Colorado-related articles]]
*[[List of Colorado-related lists]]
**[[List of counties in Colorado]]
*[[Outline of Colorado]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[https://oterocounty.colorado.gov/ Otero County Homepage]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102713/http://www.stanwyck.com/cogenweb/cocounties.html Colorado County Evolution by Don Stanwyck]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Otero County, Colorado
|North     = [[Crowley County, Colorado|Crowley County]]
|Northeast = [[Kiowa County, Colorado|Kiowa County]]
|East      = [[Bent County, Colorado|Bent County]]
|Southeast = 
|South     = [[Las Animas County, Colorado|Las Animas County]]
|Southwest = 
|West      = [[Pueblo County, Colorado|Pueblo County]]
|Northwest = 
}} 
{{Otero County, Colorado}}
{{Colorado}}
{{authority control}}
{{coord|37.90|-103.71|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-CO_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Otero County, Colorado| ]]
[[Category:Colorado counties]]
[[Category:1889 establishments in Colorado]]
[[Category:Eastern Plains]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1889]]