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Office: Alamosa County OEM – (719) 589-6681 | alamosacounty.org
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Adams State University facilities; Alamosa County Fairgrounds; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: San Luis Valley county; Alamosa is county seat; Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (adjacent); flooding (Rio Grande and its tributaries – the San Luis Valley has significant irrigation water management); high-altitude conditions (Alamosa at 7,544 ft – one of the coldest cities in the contiguous US with temperatures regularly reaching -30°F or lower); extreme weather; San Luis Valley is one of the most significant agricultural regions in Colorado (potatoes, lettuce, barley); limited county resources
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Alamosa County Road and Bridge – (719) 589-6681
Transit: TMNP (The Narrow Gauge region transit) – limited; primarily auto-dependent; very rural
Notes: US-160 (east-west through Alamosa – connects to Walsenburg and I-25 east and Pagosa Springs/Durango west); US-285 (north-south through Monte Vista); SR-17 (north to Great Sand Dunes NP); Alamosa Municipal Airport (general aviation); Denver is approximately 225 miles north via US-285 or US-160/I-25; the San Luis Valley is a high-altitude basin surrounded by mountains; mobility is limited for residents without vehicles
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Alamosa County Planning and Zoning – (719) 589-6681
Services: County permits; Alamosa city (separate) has separate permits
Notes: Limited development; Adams State University presence drives some student housing development; agricultural facilities; Great Sand Dunes visitor infrastructure creates some adjacent development; very limited economic development activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Alamosa County Veterans Services – (719) 589-6681
VA Medical: VA Southern Colorado Health Care System (Pueblo) – approximately 115 miles northeast; very distant
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare; very limited local resources; telehealth critical
Notes: Extremely remote from VA facilities; Pueblo VA CBOC is the nearest; Denver VA is 225 miles; telehealth is critically important for San Luis Valley veterans; Adams State University has veteran student programs
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Alamosa Public Library – (719) 589-6592; Adams State University Library supplements
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; San Luis Valley history and Hispanic heritage
Notes: Public library serves a community with deep Hispanic roots (the San Luis Valley has the longest continuous Hispanic settlement in Colorado – dating to 1851 and the founding of San Luis, the oldest town in Colorado); Hispanic/Chicano cultural heritage collections; Adams State University library provides supplemental academic resources; San Luis Valley history and agricultural heritage reflected in collections
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (adjacent to Alamosa County – the tallest sand dunes in North America rising to 750 feet from the San Luis Valley floor; Medano Creek (a seasonal stream that runs along the base of the dunes in spring – visitors can wade and play in the moving water; one of the most joyful and unusual natural experiences in Colorado); alpine lakes in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains above; the dunes were created by sand blown from the ancient Lake Alamosa and trapped at the foot of the mountains; extraordinarily photogenic; star gazing is excellent in the valley); San Luis Lakes State Park and Wildlife Area (adjacent to Great Sand Dunes – excellent waterfowl and shorebird habitat); Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge (adjacent county – outstanding sandhill crane migration – 20,000+ greater sandhill cranes stop here in March); Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge (adjacent to Alamosa city – Rio Grande corridor; excellent birding); Rio Grande headwaters; Adams State University outdoor recreation programs
Notes: Alamosa County’s proximity to Great Sand Dunes NP is its defining recreational asset; the dunes are genuinely otherworldly – 750-foot sand dunes rising from a flat agricultural valley with 14,000-foot peaks behind them; Medano Creek’s seasonal flow along the base of the dunes is one of the most unique natural phenomena in the Southwest; the sandhill crane migration at Monte Vista NWR (March) is one of the great wildlife spectacles in the Rocky Mountain region – tens of thousands of cranes descending on the valley fields create an extraordinary sound and sight
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Alamosa County GIS – alamosacounty.org; USGS San Luis Valley water and geology maps; Great Sand Dunes NP maps; Rio Grande watershed maps
Notes: County GIS; Rio Grande flood plain mapping; agricultural water rights GIS (the San Luis Valley’s complex water rights system involves both surface and groundwater); Great Sand Dunes NP dune migration mapping; San Luis Valley groundwater basin management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Alamosa County Animal Shelter – (719) 589-6681
Services: Basic animal control; wildlife management (pronghorn antelope – significant herds in the valley; mule deer; elk; sandhill cranes during migration; bald eagles wintering in the valley)
Notes: San Luis Valley wildlife is exceptional; pronghorn antelope herds on the valley floor; elk in the adjacent Sangre de Cristo Mountains; sandhill cranes during fall and spring migration; bald eagle and golden eagle concentrations in winter; gunnison prairie dog management; Alamosa NWR and Monte Vista NWR wildlife management through USFWS
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Alamosa County – (719) 589-6681; Alamosa city collection
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; Rio Grande Water Conservation District; San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District; USFWS (Alamosa and Monte Vista NWRs); Great Sand Dunes NP (NPS); Sangre de Cristo Wilderness; underground water table management (San Luis Valley Aquifer)
Notes: The San Luis Valley’s water management is one of the most complex and contested in Colorado; the valley sits atop a massive artesian aquifer (the San Luis Valley Aquifer) that has been significantly depleted by agricultural irrigation; the Rio Grande Compact (a multi-state agreement allocating Rio Grande water between Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas) governs how much water can be used; the Colorado and New Mexico state engineers are in ongoing negotiations about sustainable groundwater management; agricultural water use has declined the aquifer level significantly; the Great Sand Dunes ecosystem depends on Medano Creek flow (which comes from the mountains) and the underlying water table in the dune field; the unusual ecology of the dunefield (the only moist dune system in the US) depends on the aquifer level; water management in the valley directly affects the Sand Dunes ecosystem
About Alamosa County County
Alamosa County is the San Luis Valley’s commercial hub and Great Sand Dunes gateway – the valley’s regional center for commerce, healthcare, and education anchored by Adams State University and Colorado’s most visited national park draw on a high-altitude agricultural landscape that produces some of Colorado’s most distinctive crops in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Alamosa (the county seat, population ~9,000) is Alamosa County’s governmental and commercial hub, a San Luis Valley city on US 160 whose Great Sand Dunes proximity, Adams State University, and agricultural service role anchor its regional identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Alamosa County Assessor at 402 Edison Avenue, Alamosa, CO 81101, phone 719-589-6681. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Alamosa County District Court at 702 4th Street, Alamosa, CO 81101, phone 719-589-4996, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
402 Edison Ave., Alamosa, CO 81101
(719) 589-6681
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Alamosa County District Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Alamosa County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Alamosa County Combined Court – District Court (Probate Division) 8955 Independence Way, Alamosa, CO 81101 (also listed as 702 Fourth Street, Alamosa) (719) 589-4996 Hours: Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Alamosa is the seat of Colorado’s 12th Judicial District, which also covers Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache Counties.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Colorado follows the Uniform Probate Code, one of the more streamlined, less court-intensive systems in the country.
Small Estate Affidavit (personal property) – for estates where personal property totals less than roughly $86,000 (twice the “exempt property” amount under C.R.S. § 15-11-403, which adjusts annually for inflation – always confirm the current year’s figure with the court). Available starting 10 days after the death. No court filing required; present the affidavit (Form JDF 999) directly to whoever holds the property.
Summary Administration for small real property – a separate, roughly parallel threshold applies to real property equity. This route does require a court filing.
Informal Probate – the standard path for most estates with a will or clear heirs and no disputes. Handled largely by the court Registrar with minimal hearings.
Formal Probate – required for contested wills, disputed appointments, or complicated estates.
If using the small estate affidavit (personal property)
Wait at least 10 days after the death.
Confirm the fair market value of the decedent’s property (less liens) doesn’t exceed the current statutory threshold, and that no probate has already been opened.
Complete Form JDF 999, Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit.
Present it, along with a certified death certificate, to the bank or institution holding the property – no court filing needed.
If filing for informal or formal probate
File the appropriate application with the Alamosa County District Court: Form JDF 910 (with a will) or JDF 908 (without one). For formal probate, file JDF 920 or the intestate equivalent. Filing fee is $199.
The court (or Registrar, for informal cases) appoints a personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
In informal probate, the personal representative then manages the estate largely independently.
Creditors have 4 months from first publication of notice to file claims.
The estate closes once debts are paid and assets are distributed.
What it costs
Small estate affidavit: no court filing fee.
Informal or formal probate filing fee: $199.
Personal representative compensation: “reasonable compensation” – no fixed statutory percentage.
No Colorado state estate tax or inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
720 State Ave., Alamosa, CO 81101
(719) 589-5807
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
402 Edison Ave., Alamosa, CO 81101
(719) 589-6681
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(719) 589-6639
Human Services
(719) 589-3681
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: San Luis Valley Public Health Partnership – (719) 589-0516 | sanluisvalleyhealth.org (multi-county regional public health district)
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; high-altitude health; agricultural worker health
Hospital: San Luis Valley Health Regional Medical Center (Alamosa) – (719) 589-2511; regional hospital serving six San Luis Valley counties
Notes: San Luis Valley Health is the regional hospital for an enormous geographic area (six counties, 8,000 square miles); the hospital is a critical access institution for a very isolated rural population; behavioral health challenges are significant in this remote agricultural community; farmworker health (Hispanic agricultural workers make up a significant portion of the county’s population); high-altitude health (visitors to the Sand Dunes and surrounding mountains may experience altitude sickness); cold weather illness prevention critical given extreme winters
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Alamosa
Population: 17,000
Area: 723 sq mi
Established: 1913
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