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Office: Lincoln County OEM – (719) 743-2444 | lincolncountyco.gov
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Hugo school facilities; Limon school facilities; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: Eastern Colorado high plains county; Hugo is county seat; tornado risk (significant – I-70 corridor tornado history includes the 2008 Windsor tornado proximity; significant eastern plains risk); severe thunderstorms and hail; drought; I-70 corridor location makes Limon the county’s commercial hub; ADX Florence (federal supermax prison) is in adjacent Fremont County but serves as regional reference point
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Lincoln County Roads – (719) 743-2444
Notes: I-70 (east-west through Limon – the crossroads of eastern Colorado; junction with US-24 south to Colorado Springs and US-287 north to Fort Morgan; Limon is the eastern Colorado traveler’s rest stop); US-40 and US-287 also traverse the county; Hugo is the county seat but Limon is larger and more commercially active; Denver is about 90 miles west on I-70
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Lincoln County Building – (719) 743-2444
Services: Basic county permits; Hugo, Limon, Arriba, Genoa, Karval, Matheson, Boyero small communities
Notes: I-70 corridor commercial development (truck stops, motels, fast food – Limon’s interstate commerce); agricultural structures; wind energy development increasing; limited residential activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Lincoln County Veterans Services – (719) 743-2444
VA Medical: VA Denver (accessible via I-70 – about 90 miles); VA Pueblo accessible via US-24
Notes: I-70 provides direct Denver VA access; US-24 provides Colorado Springs VA access; small veteran population; active American Legion post
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Lincoln County Libraries – (719) 743-2796
Branches: Hugo, Limon
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; eastern plains heritage; I-70 corridor history
Notes: Two-branch system; important internet access points in a rural county; eastern plains agricultural and ranching heritage in collections
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Limon Heritage Museum (I-70 rest stop culture; eastern Colorado plains heritage; Rock Island Railroad history – Limon was a major Rock Island Railroad junction); Hugo’s historic downtown; Comanche National Grassland access (southeastern county); eastern plains tornado watching (dramatic thunderstorms visible for 50+ miles); open highway cycling (US-40 through the county has experienced adventure cyclists); Kansas state line viewpoints
Notes: Limon is best known to most Coloradans as an I-70 rest stop, but the community has deep heritage as a railroad junction town; the eastern plains’ vast sky and dramatic thunderstorms are an experience in themselves; the Limon Heritage Museum documents the county’s railroad, farming, and ranching heritage
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Lincoln County GIS – lincolncountyco.gov; I-70 corridor traffic monitoring; USGS topographic maps; tornado risk mapping
Notes: Basic county GIS; I-70 accident and incident monitoring; wind energy project mapping; agricultural field mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Lincoln County Animal Control – (719) 743-2444
Solid Waste: Lincoln County – basic; transfer stations
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; Bijou Creek and Big Sandy Creek watersheds; wind energy development; Republican River Compact (eastern portions)
Notes: Wind energy development on the eastern plains provides economic diversification; I-70 corridor creates some roadkill and stormwater management considerations; Republican River Compact obligations affect eastern Lincoln County water management; drought is the primary long-term environmental challenge
About Lincoln County County
Lincoln County is eastern Colorado’s wide-open High Plains ranching county – the vast shortgrass prairie where cattle have grazed for over a century and Limon’s I-70 crossroads position define a remote plains community where Hugo serves as the governmental seat and Limon provides the commercial energy along one of America’s busiest transcontinental highway corridors.
Hugo (the county seat, population ~700) is Lincoln County’s governmental hub while Limon serves as the county’s primary commercial center on I-70 at the crossroads of US 287 in the eastern Colorado plains.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Lincoln County Assessor at 103 3rd Avenue, Hugo, CO 80821, phone 719-743-2444. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Lincoln County District Court at 103 3rd Avenue, Hugo, CO 80821, phone 719-743-2627, 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)
103 3rd Ave., Hugo, CO 80821
(719) 743-2444
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Lincoln County District Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Lincoln 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
Lincoln County Courthouse – District Court (Probate Division) 103 Third Avenue, P.O. Box 128, Hugo, CO 80821 (719) 743-2455 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 Lincoln 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
Hugo, CO 80821
(719) 743-2636
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
103 3rd Ave., Hugo, CO 80821
(719) 743-2444
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health/Human Services
Hugo, CO 80821
(719) 743-2444
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Lincoln County Health (Southeast Colorado)
Services: Basic public health; immunizations; vital records
Hospital: Lincoln Community Hospital (Hugo) – (719) 743-2421; small critical access hospital; Denver and Colorado Springs for major care
Notes: Small critical access hospital; I-70 access to Denver makes hospital transfer feasible; behavioral health in isolated rural community; agricultural stress
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Hugo
Population: 5,500
Area: 2,586 sq mi
Established: 1889
Public Records
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