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Office: Otero County OEM – (719) 383-3000 | oterocountyco.gov
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: La Junta Civic Center; school facilities; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: Southeastern Colorado Arkansas River valley county; La Junta is county seat; tornado risk (southeastern Colorado corridor); severe thunderstorms; drought; Arkansas River flooding; significant historic assets (Bent’s Old Fort, Koshare Indian Museum); agricultural county with sugar beet and melon farming heritage; cattle ranching; limited emergency resources for a rural county
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Otero County Roads – (719) 383-3000
Transit: Very limited; Amtrak Southwest Chief (La Junta Station – a genuine Amtrak station on the historic Santa Fe Railway route; some of the most authentic Amtrak history in Colorado)
Notes: US-50 (east-west through La Junta – the Arkansas Valley highway; Santa Fe Trail historic route); US-350 (southwest to Trinidad); La Junta is about 65 miles from Pueblo on US-50; the Arkansas River Valley corridor was the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail; La Junta’s Amtrak Southwest Chief (Chicago-to-Los Angeles) stop is a genuine connection to transcontinental rail heritage
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Otero County Planning – (719) 383-3000
Services: County permits; La Junta (separate), Rocky Ford, Fowler, Manzanola, Cheraw, Ordway (Crowley County) area
Notes: Very limited development; agricultural structures; I-50 corridor commercial; melon packing shed construction; prison-related development nearby; limited activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Otero County Veterans Services – (719) 383-3000
VA Medical: VA Pueblo (about 65 miles west on US-50)
Services: Benefits claims; VA Pueblo accessible; La Junta is a regional hub for the Arkansas Valley veteran community; active American Legion post
Notes: VA Pueblo accessible via US-50; active local VSO chapters; the Santa Fe Railway and military heritage is significant in the Arkansas Valley
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Otero County Library (Woodruff Memorial Library) – (719) 383-3954
Branches: La Junta
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Santa Fe Trail heritage; Koshare Indian Museum connection; Rocky Ford melon and sugar beet heritage
Notes: Single library; Woodruff Memorial Library is a historic institution; Santa Fe Trail heritage in local collections; Koshare Indian Museum (La Junta – see below) supplements local cultural heritage resources; Rocky Ford cantaloupe and sugar beet farming history
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site (NPS – east of La Junta; Colorado’s most significant frontier-era historical reconstruction; the 1833 adobe trading post that was the most important hub on the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail; see full description in Bent County); Koshare Indian Museum (La Junta – Boy Scout organization; outstanding Native American art and artifacts collected over decades; kiva-style building; the Koshare Indian Dancers perform traditional dances and the museum’s art collection is significant for a small-city institution; one of the finest Native American art collections in southeastern Colorado); Rocky Ford (melon capital of the world – Rocky Ford cantaloupes are famous throughout the US for their exceptional sweetness and flavor; the Rocky Ford Cantaloupe Capital of the World designation is well-earned; the melons grown in the Arkansas Valley’s unique soil and climate are genuinely distinctive); Otero Museum (La Junta – local history); La Junta’s historic Santa Fe Railway depot
Notes: La Junta’s combination of Bent’s Old Fort, the Koshare Museum, and the Rocky Ford cantaloupe heritage makes it surprisingly rich for a small southeastern Colorado city; Bent’s Old Fort’s full reconstruction (including authentic merchandise, food, and living history) is one of the finest historical experiences in Colorado; the Koshare Indian Dancers (Boy Scout Troop 232) have performed traditional Native American dances for 90+ years and maintain one of the finest Native American art collections in southeastern Colorado; Rocky Ford cantaloupes are a genuine agricultural product of national distinction
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Otero County GIS – oterocountyco.gov; Arkansas River flood maps; Bent’s Old Fort NPS maps; Santa Fe Trail route maps
Notes: County GIS; Arkansas River flood plain mapping; Bent’s Old Fort and Santa Fe Trail archaeological mapping; agricultural field and irrigation mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Otero County Animal Control – (719) 383-3000
Notes: Agricultural county; cattle and horse management; Arkansas River wildlife (migratory birds along the river corridor; great blue herons; bald eagles in winter); pronghorn antelope; prairie dogs
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Otero County – basic; La Junta city collection
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; Arkansas River Compact (Colorado-Kansas water sharing – critical for the Arkansas Valley’s agricultural irrigation water); Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District; USBR (Pueblo Reservoir and the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project)
Notes: The Arkansas River Compact’s water management is critically important for Otero County’s agriculture; the Arkansas Valley has been experiencing water availability challenges as snowpack declines and upstream demands increase; the Rocky Ford cantaloupe’s exceptional flavor depends on the specific water and soil conditions of the Arkansas Valley – if water availability declines significantly, the cantaloupe industry faces threats; the 2011 cantaloupe listeria outbreak (which killed 33 people nationally) led to significant food safety reforms in the cantaloupe industry throughout the Arkansas Valley; the Arkansas River corridor’s historical irrigation infrastructure (ditches built in the 1870s-1890s) is being modernized with lining and efficiency improvements to reduce water losses
About Otero County County
Otero County is southeast Colorado’s Santa Fe Trail and Rocky Ford cantaloupe county – the historic trade road that once carried commerce through the Arkansas River valley and the famous melons that have made Rocky Ford synonymous with Colorado’s finest summer produce define a county of deep historical and agricultural character along the southeastern plains corridor.
La Junta (the county seat, population ~6,800) is Otero County’s governmental hub on US 50, a southeast Colorado Arkansas River city whose Santa Fe Trail heritage, Koshare Indian Museum, and agricultural service role anchor its regional identity.
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Otero County Assessor at 13 W. 3rd Street, La Junta, CO 81050, phone 719-383-3020. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Otero County District Court at 13 W. 3rd Street, La Junta, CO 81050, phone 719-383-3030, 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)
13 W. 3rd St., La Junta, CO 81050
(719) 383-3020
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Otero 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 Otero 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
Otero Combined Court – District Court (Probate Division) 13 West Third Street, Room 207, La Junta, CO 81050 (719) 384-4951 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 Otero 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
La Junta, CO 81050
(719) 384-5941
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
13 W. 3rd St., La Junta, CO 81050
(719) 383-3020
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(719) 383-3090
Human Services
(719) 383-3040
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Otero County Public Health – (719) 383-3070
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; agricultural worker health; cantaloupe and melon farming worker health
Hospital: Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center (La Junta) – (719) 383-6000; Banner Health; solid regional hospital
Notes: Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center serves a large southeast Colorado region; agricultural worker health (sugar beet and melon harvesting workers – significant seasonal farmworker population); behavioral health in rural agricultural community; Rocky Ford cantaloupe (famous nationally for its exceptional flavor) worker health; the 2011 cantaloupe listeria outbreak (Jensen Farms, Pueblo County – but affecting the entire Arkansas Valley industry) created significant food safety public health awareness
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: La Junta
Population: 18,000
Area: 1,272 sq mi
Established: 1889
Public Records
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