San Miguel County
Formed in 1883, San Miguel County
stretches from the San Juan Mountains in the east to the
Utah border in the west and is comprised of 1287 square
miles, 66% of which is federal- and state-owned land.
Rich in mining history, the town of
Telluride is the county seat and most populous town in
the county, its name taken from an ore combining the
element tellurium with gold and silver, although
tellurium does not occur in the immediate vicinity of
the town. The silver mines served by Otto Mears’ toll
road and the Rio Grande Southern train brought extensive
wealth to local mine-owners. This wealth gave rise to
the Victorian architecture that contributed to Telluride
landing on the National Register of Historic Places and
claiming one of Colorado’s 20 National Historic Landmark
designations.
Also of note in San Miguel County
are Placerville, Ophir, and the ranching communities of
Norwood and Egnar. Placerville was named after the
placer gold mines on the San Miguel River and Leopard
Creek and was producing 30% of the world’s vanadium by
1919, and Ophir was the site of the world’s first
commercial system to generate and transmit alternating
current electricity.
Over the years, the mines have
given rise to extensive recreational and cultural
opportunities, including a ski resort, an international
film festival, and a number of music festivals in
Telluride.
Demographics
Towns in San Miguel County include Telluride,
Mountain Village, Ophir, Sawpit, and Norwood. Other
communities include Placerville, Egnar, and Slickrock.
Approximately one- third of the county’s population of
7,143 resides in Telluride, the county seat. The median
resident age in the county is 34.2 years, with only 4.2%
of the population over 65.
The population of the county has grown steadily since
the 1990s, most likely due to the development of the ski
resort area of Mountain Village.
Economics
The estimated median household income in 2007 was
$56,745 with 10.4% of the population below poverty
level.
Types of workers include 73% private wage or salary, 12%
government, and 15% self-employed. Industries providing
employment are arts, entertainment, recreation,
accommodation and food services (26.2%); construction
(16.2%); finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and
leasing (11.1%); and retail trade (10.7%).
Unique to Telluride and Mountain Village is a gondola
providing free public transportation. The accessible
gondola runs daily and is pet-friendly.
Health & Emergency Services
The nearest hospital to Telluride is 65 miles away in
Montrose. The county has four primary care locations and
Emergency medical services in Telluride and in Norwood,
but no long-term care, assisted living, or nursing home
facilities. The major cause of death in the county is
listed as “unintended injuries”.
Helpful Links
www.city-data.com/county/San_Miguel_County-CO.html
quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08113.html
www.norwoodcolorado.com/index.htm
www.telluridechamber.com
www.sanmiguelcounty.org
www.coruralhealth.org/crhc/resources/CountyProfiles/SAN%20MIGUEL%20county%20profile%202008.pdf
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miguel_County,_Colorado
www.mountainstudies.org/databank/history/Towns/Telluride.htm
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