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Office: Cheyenne County OEM – (719) 767-5621 | cheyennecountyco.gov
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Cheyenne Wells school facilities; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: Eastern Colorado high plains county; Cheyenne Wells is county seat; one of Colorado’s smallest population counties (~2,000 residents); tornado risk (high – eastern Colorado tornado corridor along the Kansas border); severe thunderstorms and hail; drought; very remote; borders Kansas
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Cheyenne County Roads – (719) 767-5621
Notes: US-40 (east-west through Cheyenne Wells – the old Kansas-Colorado highway; also runs through Kansas into Missouri as US-40 / Historic Lincoln Highway adjacent area); I-70 runs through the northern part of the county; Cheyenne Wells is a small plains town; Burlington (Kit Carson County) is the nearest significant regional center; Limon (Lincoln County) is about 70 miles west on I-70
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Cheyenne County Building – (719) 767-5621
Services: Very basic county permits; Cheyenne Wells very small
Notes: Extremely limited development; dryland farming and cattle ranching infrastructure; wind energy development increasing in eastern plains
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Cheyenne County Veterans Services – (719) 767-5621
VA Medical: VA Colorado Springs; very distant; telehealth critical
Notes: Extremely remote from VA; telehealth essential; very small veteran population
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Cheyenne County Public Library – (719) 767-5628
Address: Cheyenne Wells
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; plains heritage
Notes: Single small library; critical internet access point for a community with very limited broadband; plains homesteading and ranching heritage in local collections
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Cheyenne County is primarily a working agricultural landscape; I-70 rest areas; Big Sandy Creek (seasonal stream through the county); dryland farming heritage; very limited formal recreation infrastructure
Notes: Cheyenne County’s primary identity is agricultural; no major tourism attractions; the high plains landscape is distinctive and beautiful to those who appreciate its stark openness; storm watching (thunderstorms on the eastern plains are dramatic and visible for vast distances) is an informal but genuine local recreation activity; the county is in one of Colorado’s prime tornado watching corridors
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Very limited; Colorado GIS; USGS topographic maps
Notes: Minimal county GIS infrastructure; state and USGS resources primary
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Very basic; Cheyenne County Sheriff animal control
Notes: Ranching county; livestock important; pronghorn, deer, and prairie dogs on the plains
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Cheyenne County – very limited; transfer station
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; Big Sandy Creek watershed; Ogallala Aquifer management; wind energy development
Notes: Ogallala Aquifer depletion threatens long-term agricultural viability; wind energy development on the flat eastern plains provides some economic diversification and environmental benefit; dryland farming erosion management; tornado risk drives some infrastructure decisions
About Cheyenne County County
Cheyenne County is Colorado’s High Plains shortgrass prairie and dryland farming county – one of the state’s least populous counties, Cheyenne County’s vast open grassland and century-old wheat and cattle ranching economy define an authentically rural Colorado plains community where Cheyenne Wells serves the county’s scattered agricultural population near the Kansas border.
Cheyenne Wells (the county seat, population ~850) is Cheyenne County’s governmental hub on US 40, a small eastern Colorado plains town serving the county’s ranching and farming communities near the Kansas border.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Cheyenne County Assessor at 51 South 1st Street, Cheyenne Wells, CO 80810, phone 719-767-5685. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Cheyenne County District Court at 51 South 1st Street, Cheyenne Wells, CO 80810, phone 719-767-5649, 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)
51 S. 1st E. St., Cheyenne Wells, CO 80810
(719) 767-5685
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Cheyenne County District Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Cheyenne 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
Cheyenne County Courthouse – District Court (Probate Division) 51 S. 1st Street, P.O. Box 696, Cheyenne Wells, CO 80810 (719) 767-5649 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
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 Cheyenne 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
Cheyenne Wells, CO 80810
(719) 767-5687
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
51 S. 1st E. St., Cheyenne Wells, CO 80810
(719) 767-5685
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(719) 767-5687
Human Services
(719) 767-5681
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Cheyenne County Public Health (part of southeastern health system)
Services: Very basic public health; limited staff and resources
Hospital: No local hospital; Kit Carson County Health Center (Burlington – 30 miles east) and Lincoln Community Hospital (Hugo) serve the area; helicopter evacuation for emergencies
Notes: No local hospital; Burlington and Limon hospitals serve the region; extremely limited local healthcare resources
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Cheyenne Wells
Population: 1,850
Area: 1,781 sq mi
Established: 1889
Public Records
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