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Office: Gunnison County OEM – (970) 641-0248 | gunnisoncounty.org
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Gunnison County Fairgrounds; school facilities; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: West-central Colorado mountain county; Gunnison is county seat; wildfire risk (surrounding forests; 2020 fires came within miles of Crested Butte); avalanche risk (extreme in the Elk Mountains above Crested Butte – the North American Avalanche Institute is based in Crested Butte; some of Colorado’s most sophisticated avalanche terrain); severe winter weather (Gunnison is one of the coldest cities in the contiguous US – regularly reaches -50°F; Gunnison holds the record for coldest temperature ever recorded in Colorado at -61°F in 1933); flooding (Gunnison River; East River); Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP (dramatic canyon); Blue Mesa Reservoir (largest reservoir in Colorado)
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Gunnison County Roads – (970) 641-8060
Transit: Alpine Express Shuttle; RFTA connects to upper valley; primarily auto-dependent; Crested Butte Mountain Express (free in-town and mountain bus)
Airport: Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport (GUC – United and American service; seasonal ski season flights from major hubs; high-altitude airport at 7,680 ft)
Notes: US-50 (east-west – connects to Montrose and the I-70 corridor west; Monarch Pass east to Salida); SR-135 (north through Almont to Crested Butte – the “road to Crested Butte” corridor); Taylor Canyon Road; Gunnison is approximately 200 miles from Denver and 200 miles from Grand Junction; the geographic isolation is significant; Gunnison-Crested Butte airport provides critical seasonal connectivity
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Gunnison County Community and Economic Development – (970) 641-0248
Services: County permits; Gunnison (separate), Crested Butte (separate – active resort development), Mt. Crested Butte (separate – very active ski resort development)
Notes: Crested Butte is one of Colorado’s most desirable ski resorts and is experiencing intense development pressure; workforce housing is a severe crisis (the gap between Crested Butte resort prices and service worker wages is extreme); Mt. Crested Butte town (at the base of the ski mountain) has active resort hotel and condo development; Western Colorado University drives some development in Gunnison
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Gunnison County Veterans Services – (970) 641-0248
VA Medical: VA Grand Junction (about 90 miles west); VA Denver (200 miles east); telehealth critical
Services: Benefits claims; both VA facilities are significantly distant; telehealth is the primary VA healthcare access
Notes: One of Colorado’s most remote counties from VA facilities; telehealth is essential; Western Colorado University veteran student services; small veteran community
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Gunnison County Libraries – (970) 641-3485 | gunnisoncountylibraries.org
Branches: Gunnison, Crested Butte
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Black Canyon heritage; Colorado mountain history; outdoor recreation collections
Notes: Two-branch system; Crested Butte branch serves the ski resort community; Gunnison branch serves the agricultural and university community; Black Canyon of the Gunnison heritage and outdoor recreation collections; Western Colorado University library supplements
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Crested Butte Mountain Resort (one of Colorado’s finest ski resorts – known for extreme terrain (North Face and Headwall); outstanding mountain wildflowers (Crested Butte is the “Wildflower Capital of Colorado” – July Fourth of July wildflower festival; extraordinary alpine meadow displays); mountain biking (the mountain is a premier summer mountain biking destination; the trail network in the surrounding Elk Mountains is exceptional); Crested Butte’s historic downtown is beautifully preserved (National Historic Landmark district – Victorian commercial buildings; “The Town” at the bottom of the ski mountain is distinctly different from “Mt. Crested Butte” at the base of the ski lifts); Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (deepest and one of the steepest canyons in the US – the Painted Wall is Colorado’s tallest cliff at 2,250 feet; the canyon is so deep and narrow that the sun reaches the canyon bottom only for a brief period each day; it is a genuinely terrifying landscape of sheer painted gneiss walls; one of Colorado’s most dramatic NPS units); Blue Mesa Reservoir (the largest reservoir in Colorado – beautiful setting; water recreation; kokanee salmon fishing; Taylor Mesa); Taylor Canyon (Taylor River – excellent fly fishing; Gold Medal trout waters; beautiful canyon); Curecanti National Recreation Area (NPS – Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, and Crystal Reservoirs); Almont Triangle (famous fly fishing; confluence of East River and Taylor River creating the Gunnison)
Notes: Gunnison County contains some of Colorado’s most extraordinary scenery; the Black Canyon is genuinely awe-inspiring – the sheer scale and darkness of the canyon (the canyon walls block sunlight for much of the day; the walls are so dark because of the ancient Precambrian gneiss and pegmatite) creates a uniquely powerful experience; Crested Butte’s July wildflower displays (the surrounding elk mountains explode in color with columbines, Indian paintbrush, and dozens of other species) are unmatched in Colorado; the Almont area fly fishing is world-class; Blue Mesa Reservoir’s scale and setting are stunning; Crested Butte mountain biking is nationally renowned
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Gunnison County GIS – gunnisoncounty.org; Black Canyon NP maps; Curecanti NRA maps; USFS Gunnison NF maps; avalanche hazard maps (extensive – North American Avalanche Institute resources)
Notes: County GIS; Black Canyon geological mapping; avalanche hazard zone mapping is critical and extensive for the Elk Mountains; Blue Mesa Reservoir level monitoring; Gunnison River watershed maps
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Gunnison County Animal Shelter – (970) 641-2978; Gunnison Valley Animal Welfare League
Services: Stray intake, adoptions, animal control; wildlife management (elk – Gunnison County has exceptional elk populations; black bears; mountain lions; Gunnison sage-grouse – critically endangered)
Notes: The Gunnison sage-grouse (a distinct species from the greater sage-grouse) is critically endangered – the only significant population in the world is in Gunnison County and adjacent Saguache County; approximately 3,000-5,000 birds remain; the Gunnison Basin Sage Grouse Strategic Committee is a collaborative conservation effort; sage-grouse lek (display ground) monitoring is done annually; elk herds in Gunnison County are among Colorado’s finest; black bears active in both Gunnison and Crested Butte communities; mountain lion management
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; Gunnison River Basin Water Conservancy District; NPS (Black Canyon, Curecanti); USFS (Gunnison NF); USFWS (Gunnison sage-grouse); Bureau of Reclamation (Curecanti reservoirs); Gunnison sage-grouse habitat management
Notes: The Gunnison sage-grouse conservation program is one of the most significant wildlife conservation efforts in Colorado; habitat protection, predator management, and land use restrictions are necessary to prevent extinction of this species; development pressure in the Crested Butte area creates ongoing tension with sage-grouse habitat protection; Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP’s extremely dark canyon walls (Painted Wall gneiss – 1.7 billion years old) are the result of magma intrusions into even older metamorphic rock creating the dramatic light and dark banding; the canyon’s ecology (montane shrubland at the canyon’s edge gives way to a completely shaded canyon bottom that receives minimal direct sunlight) creates unique ecological conditions; the Gunnison River below the Black Canyon is a Gold Medal fishing river; Blue Mesa Reservoir’s kokanee salmon population is managed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife; climate change is affecting the Gunnison snowpack and altering the water supply for the Gunnison River system
About Gunnison County County
Gunnison County is Colorado’s Last Great Ski Town and Black Canyon country – Crested Butte’s authentic Victorian ski town character and the vertiginous depths of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park define a county of extraordinary mountain beauty and geological drama anchored by Western Colorado University’s presence in the city of Gunnison.
Gunnison (the county seat, population ~6,500) is Gunnison County’s governmental and university hub, a south-central Colorado mountain city on US 50 whose Western Colorado University, Crested Butte gateway role, and Blue Mesa Reservoir access anchor its community identity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Gunnison County Assessor at 200 E. Virginia Avenue, Gunnison, CO 81230, phone 970-641-1501. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Gunnison County District Court at 200 E. Virginia Avenue, Gunnison, CO 81230, phone 970-641-3500, 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)
221 N. Wisconsin St., Gunnison, CO 81230
(970) 641-1516
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Gunnison County District Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Gunnison 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
Gunnison County Combined Court – District Court (Probate Division) 200 E. Virginia Avenue, Gunnison, CO 81230 (970) 642-8300 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 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 Gunnison 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
200 E. Virginia Ave., Gunnison, CO 81230
(970) 641-1113
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
221 N. Wisconsin St., Gunnison, CO 81230
(970) 641-1516
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(970) 641-0209
Human Services
(970) 641-8325
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Gunnison County Public Health – (970) 641-0248
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; extreme cold health (Gunnison’s cold winters are a public health concern); avalanche safety education
Hospital: Gunnison Valley Hospital – (970) 641-1456; strong small-town hospital; Montrose Memorial Hospital for specialty care
Notes: Gunnison Valley Hospital is excellent for a small mountain community; extreme cold weather illness (hypothermia risk in Gunnison is significant – temperatures below -30°F are common in winter); altitude illness education for visitors; behavioral health in isolated mountain community; seasonal worker behavioral health
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Gunnison
Population: 18,000
Area: 3,268 sq mi
Established: 1877
Public Records
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