Editing Pitkin County, Colorado

{{short description|County in Colorado, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Pitkin, Colorado}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Pitkin County
 | state                = Colorado
 | seal                 = 
 | founded year         = 1881
 | founded date         = February 23
 | seat wl              = Aspen
 | largest city wl      = Aspen
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 973
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 971
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 2.5
 | area percentage      = 0.3%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 17358
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 16640 {{loss}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | time zone          = Mountain
 | footnotes            = 
 | web                  = http://www.pitkincounty.com/
 | named for            = [[Frederick Walker Pitkin]]
 | ex image             = Pitkin County Courthouse 2010.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Pitkin County Courthouse
 | district             = 3rd }}

'''Pitkin County''' is a [[county]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Colorado]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 17,358.<ref name="QuickFacts">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts: Colorado, United States |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/map/CO,US/POP010220 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 5, 2021}}</ref> The [[county seat]] and largest city is [[Aspen, Colorado|Aspen]].<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 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> The county is named for [[Colorado Governor]] [[Frederick Walker Pitkin]]. Pitkin County is included in the [[Glenwood Springs, Colorado|Glenwood Springs]] [[Micropolitan Statistical Area]], which is also included in the [[Edwards, Colorado|Edwards]]-Glenwood Springs [[Combined Statistical Area]].

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has an area of {{convert|973|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|971|sqmi|abbr=on}} is land and {{convert|2.5|sqmi|abbr=on}} (0.3%) 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> The county's highest point is [[Castle Peak (Colorado)|Castle Peak]], a [[fourteener]] with a height of {{convert|14265|ft}}. It is {{convert|20|mi}} south of Aspen on the [[Gunnison County, Colorado|Gunnison County]] border.

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Eagle County, Colorado|Eagle County]] – northeast
*[[Lake County, Colorado|Lake County]] – east
*[[Chaffee County, Colorado|Chaffee County]] – southeast
*[[Gunnison County, Colorado|Gunnison County]] – south
*[[Mesa County, Colorado|Mesa County]] – west
*[[Garfield County, Colorado|Garfield County]] – northwest

===Major highways===
* [[File:Colorado 82.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 82|State Highway 82]]
* [[File:Colorado 133.svg|20px]] [[Colorado State Highway 133|State Highway 133]]

===National protected areas===
*[[White River National Forest]]
*[[Collegiate Peaks Wilderness]]
*[[Holy Cross Wilderness]]
*[[Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness]]
*[[Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness]]

===Trails and byways===
*[[American Discovery Trail]]
*[[Continental Divide National Scenic Trail]]
*[[West Elk Loop Scenic Byway]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1890= 8929
|1900= 7020
|1910= 4566
|1920= 2707
|1930= 1770
|1940= 1836
|1950= 1643
|1960= 2381
|1970= 6185
|1980= 10338
|1990= 12661
|2000= 14872
|2010= 17148
|2020= 17358
|estyear=2023
|estimate=16640
|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="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08097.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=February 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118084051/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08097.html|archive-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[2000 United States Census|census]]<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 2000, there were 14,872 people, 6,807 households, and 3,185 families living in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|15|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}. There were 10,096 housing units at an average density of {{convert|10|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 94.33% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.53% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.27% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 1.12% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.37% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.34% from two or more races. Of the population, 6.54% were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 6,807 households, out of which 21.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.70% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.20% were non-families. Of all households, 35.80% were made up of individuals, and 3.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 16.70% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 38.30% from 25 to 44, 30.50% from 45 to 64, and 6.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $59,375, and the median income for a family was $75,048. Males had a median income of $40,672 versus $33,896 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $40,811. About 3.00% of families and 6.20% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.40% of those under age 18 and 5.60% of those age 65 or over.

==Life expectancy==
According to a report in the [[Journal of the American Medical Association]], residents of Pitkin County had a 2014 life expectancy of 86.52 years, the second-longest in the nation.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dwyer-Lindgren|first=Laura|date=May 8, 2017|title=Inequalities in Life Expectancy Among US Counties, 1980 to 2014|url= |journal=JAMA Internal Medicine|doi=10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.0918|pmc=5543324|pmid=28492829|volume=177|issue=7|pages=1003–1011}}</ref> Both men and women live longer in Pitkin County than nearly every other county in the United States. The life expectancy at birth is 85.2 years for men and 88.0 years for women.<ref>{{Cite web |title=County Profile: Pitkin County Colorado |url=https://www.healthdata.org/sites/default/files/files/county_profiles/US/2015/County_Report_Pitkin_County_Colorado.pdf |access-date=August 2, 2017}}</ref> Two contiguous counties, [[Summit County, Colorado|Summit]] and [[Eagle County, Colorado|Eagle]] counties, rank first and third in the nation respectively in life expectancy.

Factors contributing to the high life expectancy in Pitkin County are "high education, high income, high access to medical care, the people are physically active, obesity is lower than anywhere else—so you're doing it right", said Ali Mokdad, one of the study's co-authors.<ref>Achenbach, Joel, "U.S. life expectancy varies more than 20 years from county to county," ''Washington Post'', May 8, 2017</ref>

In June 2021, [[U.S. News & World Report]] ranked the county with the nation's fourth-best life expectancy, at 93.4 years.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cirruzzo|first=Chelsea|date=June 30, 2021|title=The 25 Counties With the Longest Life Expectancy|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/slideshows/longest-life-expectancy-by-county|access-date=July 1, 2021|website=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref>

==Communities==
===City===
*[[Aspen, Colorado|Aspen]]

===Towns===
*[[Basalt, Colorado|Basalt]]
*[[Snowmass Village, Colorado|Snowmass Village]]

===Census-designated places===
*[[Norrie, Colorado|Norrie]]
*[[Redstone, Colorado|Redstone]]
*[[Woody Creek, Colorado|Woody Creek]]

===Other unincorporated communities===
*[[Ashcroft, Colorado|Ashcroft]]
*[[Buttermilk (ski area)|Buttermilk]]
*[[Meredith, Colorado|Meredith]]
*[[Snowmass, Colorado|Snowmass]]

==Politics==
Pitkin County favored the Republican nominee in the 1884 and 1888 presidential elections, but in 1892 supported the Populist nominee, [[James B. Weaver]], when Democratic nominee [[Grover Cleveland]] wasn't on the ballot in Colorado. Pitkin County favored the Democratic nominees from 1896 to 1916, voting for them in every election in that period, and being one of the few Western counties to support [[Alton B. Parker]] in 1904. From 1920, Pitkin County followed national trends until being narrowly carried by losing candidate [[Thomas E. Dewey]] in 1944. Pitkin was largely Republican-leaning until the growing ski resort community drew its residents to the liberal [[George McGovern]] – rejected by a majority of the electorates of all but 129 other counties – in 1972. Like many ski destination counties, since 1988 Pitkin has turned heavily Democratic. The last Republican to carry the county was [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1984. [[George H. W. Bush]] was the last Republican to gain even a third of Pitkin County's vote since then. Joe Biden's performance in the 2020 election was the best by a Democrat in the county since 1900.

In this modern era, Pitkin has also frequently been one of the leading counties for third-party candidates, being the fourth-best county in the nation for [[Eugene McCarthy]] in 1976<ref>Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/stats.php?year=1976&f=0&off=0&elect=0 1976 Presidential Election Statistics]</ref> and the third-best for [[John B. Anderson]] in 1980.<ref>Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas; [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/stats.php?year=1980&f=0&off=0&elect=0 1980 Presidential Election Statistics]</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Pitkin 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|Democratic|2,992|7,932|245|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|2,780|8,989|188|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|2,550|7,333|640|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|3,024|6,849|202|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|2,484|7,349|133|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|2,784|6,335|137|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|2,565|4,137|1,098|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|1,969|3,949|1,067|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|1,686|3,820|1,963|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|2,801|3,420|105|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|3,117|2,293|118|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|2,153|1,760|1,504|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|2,955|2,194|363|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1972|Democratic|2,064|2,531|79|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|1,135|728|158|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|540|958|6|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|679|488|0|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|550|334|1|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|556|309|2|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|319|409|23|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|368|355|1|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|484|503|11|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|305|659|53|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|239|727|46|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|485|454|13|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|442|204|289|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|478|417|73|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|263|915|105|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|208|770|361|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|531|1,262|121|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|922|1,120|251|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|458|2,305|24|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|27|3,763|12|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1892|Populist|445|0|2,805|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|1,524|1,217|39|Colorado}}
{{PresFoot|1884|Republican|605|479|0|Colorado}}
{{clear}}

==See also==
{{portal|Government|History|Mountains|United States|Colorado}}
*[[Bibliography of Colorado]]
*[[Geography of Colorado]]
*[[History of Colorado]]
**[[Hunter S. Thompson]]
**[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Pitkin County, Colorado]]
*[[Index of Colorado-related articles]]
*[[List of Colorado-related lists]]
**[[List of counties in Colorado]]
**[[List of statistical areas in Colorado]]
*[[Outline of Colorado]]
**[[Roaring Fork Transportation Authority]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist|35em}}

==External links==
{{sister project links}}
*[http://www.aspenpitkin.com/ Pitkin 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    = Pitkin County, Colorado
|North     = 
|Northeast = [[Eagle County, Colorado|Eagle County]]
|East      = [[Lake County, Colorado|Lake County]]
|Southeast = [[Chaffee County, Colorado|Chaffee County]]
|South     = [[Gunnison County, Colorado|Gunnison County]]
|Southwest = 
|West      = [[Mesa County, Colorado|Mesa County]]
|Northwest = [[Garfield County, Colorado|Garfield County]]
}} 
{{Pitkin County, Colorado}}
{{Colorado}}
{{authority control}}
{{coord|39.22|-106.92|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-CO_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Pitkin County, Colorado| ]]
[[Category:Colorado counties]]
[[Category:1881 establishments in Colorado]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1881]]