Elbert County
Elbert County
By Chris Vanstrom

Elbert County is a lovely, sparsely populated area located in central Colorado, just south east of Denver. Many of Elbert County's residents work in Denver or the suburbs and make a short commute. The area is made up primarily of ranch land and farms, with gently rolling grasslands and plenty of wild life.

The county seat is in Kiowa, named after the Kiowa Indians in the mid 1850's. Kiowa is the home of the Kiowa Cowboy Up Rodeo and Elbert County Fair. The county fair offers a variety of arts and crafts, animals, and rodeo events. The town presents a sleepy image with plenty of country charm that hasn't changed much over the years. The largest town is Elizabeth which was founded in 1890 and is 6,450 feet above sea level. Most of the population of Elbert County is located around the town of Elizabeth in small acreage subdivisions. Elizabeth is the home of the Elizabeth Stampede, a PRCA Rodeo held in early June. In addition to great rodeo events, there are many other activities such as summer music festivals.

Elbert County encompasses 1,854 sq miles and has a population of approximately 22,000. Nestled in the scenic areas on the east side of Denver and Colorado Springs it has become one of the nations fastest growing counties. While remaining rural on the eastern side, the western side is becoming more urban. The major number of population commute to the metro area to work. The towns of Elizabeth, Kiowa and Simla are incorporated, the smaller towns of Agate, Elbert and Matheson remain unincorporated.