La Plata County
La Plata County is the most populous county in Southwest Colorado. As of 2017, the population was 55,619. The county is comprised of the city of Durango (the county seat), the town of Bayfield, and the town of Ignacio. The county was named for the La Plata River and the La Plata Mountains. “La Plata” is the Spanish word for “silver.”
Demographic and economic information on La Plata County:
- 2024 Region 9 Report, pages 16 & 17
For information on the business communities, visit the Chamber of Commerce websites:
Grant opportunities for La Plata County:
- CAUSE Youth Internship
- DWE Nonprofit Partner
- Meet Your Match Payroll Department Grant
- Ballantine Family Fund
Click here to donate to our La Plata County Fund, developed to provide ongoing support for nonprofits serving La Plata County.
Archuleta County
Archuleta County was created by the Colorado legislature in 1885 out of western Conejos County. It was named for J.M. Archuleta, head of one of the old Spanish families of New Mexico, and in honor of Antonia D. Archuleta, who was the Senator from Conejos County at the time. As of 2017, the population was 13,316. The county seat and the only incorporated municipality in the county is the town of Pagosa Springs.
Demographic and economic information on Archuleta County:
- 2024 Region 9 Report, pages 12 & 13
For information on the business community, visit the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce website.
Grant opportunities in Archuleta County:
Click here to donate to our Archuleta County Fund, developed to provide ongoing support for nonprofits serving Archuleta County.
San Juan County
With a mean elevation of 11,240 feet, San Juan County is the highest county in the United States. As of 2017, the population was 714, making it the least populous county in Colorado. The county seat and incorporated municipality in the county is the town of Silverton. The county is named for the Spanish name “Saint John,” the name Spanish explorers gave to a river and the mountain range in the area.
Demographic and economic information on San Juan County:
- 2024 Region 9 Report, pages 20 & 21
For information on the business community, visit the Silverton Chamber of Commerce.
Grant opportunities in San Juan County:
Click here to donate to our San Juan County Fund, developed to provide ongoing support for nonprofits serving San Juan County.
Montezuma County
Montezuma County, the southwestern-most county in Colorado, is comprised of the city of Cortez (the county seat), the town of Mancos, and the town of Dolores. As of 2017, the population was 25,859. It is named in honor of a famous chief of the Aztec Indians in Mexico, Moctezuma II, as the ruins in Mesa Verde National Park were thought to be of Aztec origin at the time.
Demographic and economic information on Montezuma County:
- 2024 Region 9 Report, pages 18 & 19
For information on the business communities, visit the Chamber of Commerce websites:
Grant opportunities in Montezuma County:
Click here to donate to our Montelores County Fund, developed to provide ongoing support for nonprofits serving Montezuma and Dolores counties.
Dolores County
Dolores County is the seventh-least populous county in Colorado. As of 2017, the population was 2,040. The county seat of Dolores County is Dove Creek. Dolores County is named for the Dolores River, which passes through the county in the Dolores Canyon. The complete Spanish name for the river was “Rio de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (River of our Lady of Sorrows).”
Demographic and economic information on Dolores County:
- 2024 Region 9 Report, pages 14 & 15
For information on the business communities, visit the Dove Creek Chamber of Commerce website.
Grant opportunities in Dolores County:
Click here to donate to our Montelores County Fund, developed to provide ongoing support for nonprofits serving Montezuma and Dolores counties.