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Office: Las Animas County OEM – (719) 846-2220 | lasanimascounty.net
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Trinidad school facilities; county fairgrounds; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: Southeastern Colorado mountain and plains county; Trinidad is county seat; wildfire risk (Raton Mesa and surrounding mountains); flooding (Purgatoire River – “Picketwire River”; significant canyon country); tornado risk (eastern plains); coal mining heritage (Las Animas County was the center of the 1913-14 Colorado Coalfield War – see Ludlow Massacre, Huerfano County border; the labor struggles defined Southern Colorado’s early 20th century); significant Hispanic heritage; Raton Pass (I-25 at New Mexico border)
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Las Animas County Roads – (719) 846-2220
Transit: Very limited; primarily auto-dependent; I-25 corridor
Notes: I-25 (north-south – crosses Raton Pass (7,834 ft) into New Mexico at the county’s south end; Raton, NM is just across the border); US-160 (east-west connects to Walsenburg); SR-12 (the Highway of Legends – connects to Huerfano County through the Spanish Peaks and coalfield country – one of Colorado’s finest scenic byways); Trinidad is about 80 miles south of Pueblo on I-25; the I-25 corridor is a major freight route between Colorado and New Mexico/Texas
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Las Animas County Planning – (719) 846-2220
Services: County permits; Trinidad (separate) is the largest community
Notes: Limited development; I-25 corridor commercial development; coal mining infrastructure (historical – most mines closed); limited residential activity; natural gas and wind energy development
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Las Animas County Veterans Services – (719) 846-2220
VA Medical: VA Pueblo (about 80 miles north on I-25)
Services: Benefits claims; VA Pueblo accessible via I-25
Notes: I-25 provides direct access to Pueblo VA; mining community included many veteran workers; Trinidad’s local VSO chapters
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Carnegie Public Library (Trinidad) – (719) 846-6841
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Colorado coal mining heritage; Picketwire Canyonlands history; Hispanic heritage; Trinidad’s unusual medical history
Notes: Carnegie library building (1904 – one of Colorado’s fine Carnegie library buildings); coal mining and labor history collections are important; Las Animas County’s role in the Colorado Coalfield War is a significant local heritage topic
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Picketwire Canyonlands (Comanche National Grassland – the Purgatoire River canyon containing the largest dinosaur tracksite in North America – 1,300 footprints along the river; also contains Ancestral Puebloan rock art; remote and accessible primarily by 4WD or hiking); Trinidad Lake State Park (Trinidad – reservoir; camping; wildlife; bird watching; excellent bass fishing); Raton Pass (Scenic route from Trinidad to Raton, NM – historic Santa Fe Trail crossing; excellent mountain scenery; historic coal mining landscape); Highway of Legends (SR-12 – through the Spanish Peaks area connecting to Huerfano County); Ludlow Massacre National Historic Site (northern county border – see Huerfano County); Fisher’s Peak (prominent mesa above Trinidad – hiking; outstanding views; recently designated as Colorado’s newest state park)
Notes: Fisher’s Peak – the distinctive flat-topped mesa rising above Trinidad (visible from I-25) – was designated Colorado’s newest state park (2020); it was donated to Colorado State Parks after a conservation purchase; the mesa trail provides extraordinary views of the Spanish Peaks and Raton Mesa; Picketwire Canyonlands (shared with Baca County’s adjacent Comanche Grassland) is one of Colorado’s most remarkable geological and paleontological sites; Trinidad’s Highway of Legends connection and the coal mining landscape give the county a distinctive historical character
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Las Animas County GIS – lasanimascounty.net; Purgatoire River canyon maps; Comanche National Grassland maps; Fisher’s Peak SP maps; I-25 corridor mapping
Notes: County GIS; Purgatoire River watershed mapping; Fisher’s Peak State Park new mapping; coal mining area subsidence maps
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Las Animas County Animal Control – (719) 846-2220
Notes: Agricultural county; cattle and horse management; mule deer, pronghorn antelope (eastern plains); black bears in the Raton Mesa area; mountain lions; Purgatoire Canyon wildlife
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Las Animas County – limited; Trinidad city collection
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; Purgatoire River watershed; USFS (San Isabel NF portions); BLM (Comanche National Grassland); coal mine reclamation (DRMS); wind energy development
Notes: Coal mine reclamation is an ongoing responsibility in Las Animas County; the extensive coalfield history has left abandoned mine lands requiring reclamation; the Purgatoire River watershed includes some mine drainage from historical operations; the Highway of Legends corridor’s historic coal camp ghost towns are cultural landscape features protected under Colorado preservation programs; wind energy development on the eastern plains is increasing; Fisher’s Peak State Park’s recent designation creates new environmental management responsibilities
About Las Animas County County
Las Animas County is Colorado’s largest county by area and one of its most historically dense – the Ludlow Massacre that changed American labor law, Trinidad’s decades as the world’s gender surgery capital, the Santa Fe Trail crossing at Raton Pass, and Kit Carson’s Bent’s Fort connections give this southern Colorado county a historical complexity that few counties anywhere can match.
Trinidad (the county seat, population ~8,200) is Las Animas County’s governmental hub on I-25 at Raton Pass, a southern Colorado city whose coal mining heritage, labor history, Santa Fe Trail legacy, and pioneering gender healthcare history define one of the most historically layered small cities in Colorado.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Las Animas County Assessor at 200 E. First Street, Trinidad, CO 81082, phone 719-846-2211. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Las Animas County District Court at 200 E. First Street, Trinidad, CO 81082, phone 719-846-3316, 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)
200 E. 1st St., Trinidad, CO 81082
(719) 846-3310
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Las Animas County District Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Southeastern Colorado Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1407, Pueblo, CO 81002 – also covers Las Animas County as one of 11 SE Colorado counties.
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
Las Animas County Courthouse – District Court (Probate Division) 200 E. 1st Street, Room 304, Trinidad, CO 81082 (719) 846-3316 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 Las Animas 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
1850 E. Main St., Trinidad, CO 81082
(719) 846-2211
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
200 E. 1st St., Trinidad, CO 81082
(719) 846-3310
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(719) 846-2276
Human Services
(719) 846-2276
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Huerfano/Las Animas County Health Department – (719) 738-1720 (bi-county)
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; coal mining legacy health; Trinidad has historically been known for gender reassignment surgery (Dr. Stanley Biber performed thousands of procedures in Trinidad from 1969-2003; the city was internationally known as the “sex change capital of the world”)
Hospital: Mt. San Rafael Hospital (Trinidad) – (719) 846-9213; Centura Health; small community hospital
Notes: Mt. San Rafael is a well-regarded small community hospital; Trinidad’s unique medical history (Dr. Stanley Biber’s gender surgery practice transformed many lives and gave the small city international recognition); Pueblo for specialty care; coal mining occupational health legacy
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Trinidad
Population: 13,500
Area: 4,775 sq mi (Colorado's largest county by area)
Established: 1866
Public Records
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