Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Shelter Info: Georgetown Community Center; Idaho Springs school facilities; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: Front Range mountain county on I-70; Georgetown is county seat; wildfire risk (significant in surrounding forests); flooding (Clear Creek – I-70 corridor flooding; 2013 Colorado floods hit the county hard; 2013 I-70 closures from flooding were catastrophic for community access); avalanche risk (Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnel approaches; Loveland Pass – Hwy 6 – is one of Colorado’s most avalanche-prone highway corridors; Colorado Avalanche Information Center monitors extensively); I-70 mountain corridor creates unique emergency management – the highway is used by 35,000+ vehicles per day in ski season, and closures create massive traffic backups; hazardous materials transport through tunnels
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Clear Creek County Public Works – (303) 679-2394
Transit: Very limited; primarily auto-dependent; ski season shuttles
Notes: I-70 is the lifeline of Clear Creek County – it passes through the Eisenhower/Johnson Tunnels (the world’s highest elevation major highway tunnels at 11,013 ft); Hwy 6 (Loveland Pass – older alternate route at 11,990 ft; spectacular but avalanche-prone; hazardous materials prohibited in the tunnels must use Hwy 6); Georgetown is a beautifully preserved Victorian mining town; Idaho Springs is the closest mountain community to Denver (about 35 miles on I-70); Echo Lake and Mount Evans Highway accessible from I-70
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Clear Creek County Planning and Zoning – (303) 679-2394
Services: County permits; Georgetown (separate), Idaho Springs (separate), Empire, Silver Plume have separate permits
Notes: Mountain resort and vacation development; Georgetown’s historic district (National Historic Landmark) has strict design review; ongoing residential development in Idaho Springs area; I-70 corridor commercial development; Echo Lake Lodge area permits
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Clear Creek County Veterans Services – (303) 679-2394
VA Medical: VA Denver (Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC, Aurora – about 45 miles via I-70); very accessible compared to most mountain counties
Services: Benefits claims; good I-70 access to Denver VA
Notes: I-70 access to Denver makes VA relatively accessible compared to other mountain counties; small veteran community in the county
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Clear Creek County Library District – (303) 569-6962 | cclibraries.org
Branches: Georgetown, Idaho Springs
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Colorado mining and railroad heritage; I-70 corridor history
Notes: Two-branch system; Georgetown’s extraordinary Victorian heritage is well-reflected in library collections; Colorado mining history (Clear Creek County was one of Colorado’s richest mining areas – gold discovered near Idaho Springs in 1859; Argo Gold Mine still open for tours); railroad heritage (Georgetown Loop Railroad)
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Loveland Ski Area (I-70 Exit 216 – accessible and popular Denver-area ski resort; high elevation with excellent snow; one of Colorado’s finest intermediate/advanced ski areas; accessible without a car via Udi’s/Loveland shuttle); Arapahoe Basin Ski Area (US-6 Keystone area – famous for its extreme terrain and late-season skiing; often open into June; hardcore skier culture); Mount Evans Scenic Byway (the highest paved road in North America at 14,264 ft; summit drive past mountain goats and bighorn sheep to the observatory on the summit – one of the most spectacular drives in the US; accessible in summer only); Georgetown Loop Historic Mining and Railroad Park (Georgetown – the famous Loop Railroad that defied 19th century engineering; steam train through the mountains; Lebanon Silver Mine tour; one of Colorado’s finest historical attractions); Idaho Springs (charming mountain town; Argo Gold Mine and Mill – guided tours of actual 19th century gold mine and processing facility; hot springs); Clear Creek (one of Colorado’s finest kayaking streams; whitewater kayak park in Idaho Springs)
Notes: Clear Creek County is one of Colorado’s most historically rich mining counties; the 1859 gold discoveries near Idaho Springs launched Colorado’s first major gold rush (preceding the silver boom); the Georgetown Loop Railroad (built in 1884 to haul ore from the silver mines) defied the engineering challenges of the steep terrain with its famous looping spiral approach – a genuine marvel of 19th century railroad engineering; Mount Evans (one of the few 14ers accessible by automobile) is extraordinary – mountain goats graze at the summit parking lot; the Eisenhower Tunnel (opened 1973) transformed Denver’s access to the ski resorts; before the tunnel, I-70 crossed Loveland Pass in winter conditions that could stop traffic for hours
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Clear Creek County GIS – clearcreekcounty.us; CDOT I-70 corridor monitoring; Colorado Avalanche Information Center avalanche mapping; USGS flood hazard maps; mining claim mapping (historic)
Notes: County GIS; I-70 traffic and incident monitoring; avalanche forecast mapping; Clear Creek flood plain mapping; historic mine location GIS; Mount Evans Highway road condition monitoring
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Clear Creek County Animal Shelter – (303) 679-2394
Notes: Mountain goat and bighorn sheep management near Mount Evans; I-70 wildlife crossing improvements are needed (the highway is a major barrier to wildlife movement in the Front Range); black bear encounters in Georgetown and Idaho Springs are common; mountain lion management; Clear Creek trout fishery management through Colorado Parks and Wildlife; the Mount Evans area’s mountain goats are one of Colorado’s most accessible wildlife viewing opportunities
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Clear Creek County – (303) 679-2394; transfer station at Georgetown
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; Clear Creek watershed; CDOT I-70 corridor environmental management; historic mining contamination (Clear Creek is one of Colorado’s most contaminated streams from 150 years of mine drainage – the Argo Tunnel drains water from hundreds of historic mines in the area; this drainage contains arsenic, zinc, lead, and other heavy metals; the Argo Tunnel discharge is a significant water quality impairment); EPA Superfund considerations for mining legacy
Notes: Clear Creek’s water quality is significantly impaired by historic mine drainage – the Argo Tunnel (a 4-mile drainage tunnel built in 1893 to drain water from the Idaho Springs mining district) discharges contaminated water into Clear Creek year-round; the metals contamination has been partially treated since a treatment plant was installed; EPA, CDPHE, and Clear Creek County work to manage the discharge; this is one of Colorado’s oldest and most intractable mine drainage problems; the 2013 flooding on Clear Creek caused significant erosion and debris flows – post-flood bank stabilization and riparian restoration continue; CDOT’s I-70 Mountain Corridor studies (addressing traffic, weather, and wildlife impacts) involve significant environmental planning; the mountain pine beetle epidemic killed millions of trees in the county’s forests, creating wildfire fuel loads and requiring significant forest management
About Clear Creek County County
Clear Creek County is Colorado’s Georgetown silver legacy and I-70 mountain corridor county – the remarkably preserved Victorian silver mining town and the narrow-gauge railroad engineering marvel define a county whose historical character and mountain scenery along the Clear Creek canyon draw visitors from Denver year-round.
Georgetown (the county seat, population ~1,100) is Clear Creek County’s governmental hub, a Victorian silver mining town on I-70 whose preserved 19th-century architecture, Georgetown Loop Railroad, and mountain scenery anchor one of Colorado’s most historically significant small communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Clear Creek County Assessor at 405 Argentine Street, Georgetown, CO 80444, phone 303-679-2300. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Clear Creek County District Court at 405 Argentine Street, Georgetown, CO 80444, phone 303-679-2394, 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)
405 Argentine St., Georgetown, CO 80444
(303) 679-2339
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Clear Creek County District Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Clear Creek 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
Clear Creek County Courthouse – District Court (Probate Division) 405 Argentine Street, P.O. Box 367, Georgetown, CO 80444 (303) 569-0820 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 Clear Creek 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
700 Jefferson St., Georgetown, CO 80444
(303) 679-2376
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
405 Argentine St., Georgetown, CO 80444
(303) 679-2339
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(303) 679-2371
Human Services
(303) 679-2353
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Clear Creek County Public Health – (303) 679-2394
Hospital: St. Anthony Summit Medical Center (Frisco, Summit County – accessible); St. Anthony Hospital (Lakewood – 35 miles east on I-70); Primary care clinic in Idaho Springs
Notes: No local hospital; Denver and Summit County hospitals provide emergency care; I-70 allows relatively fast transport to metro hospitals; ski injury preparation for the county’s recreation activities; altitude-related illness education for visitors; behavioral health services important for mountain community
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Georgetown
Population: 9,700
Area: 396 sq mi
Established: 1861
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Clear Creek County County residents.
