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Office: Phillips County OEM – (970) 854-3131 | phillipsco.com
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Holyoke school facilities; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: Northeastern Colorado high plains county adjacent to Nebraska; Holyoke is county seat; tornado risk (significant – Nebraska border location in a major tornado corridor); severe thunderstorms; hail; drought; irrigation farming (Ogallala Aquifer-dependent); very remote; borders Nebraska
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Phillips County Roads – (970) 854-3131
Transit: None; completely auto-dependent; very remote
Notes: US-385 (north-south through Holyoke); SR-6 (east-west connects to Wray east and Yuma west); Holyoke is a small farm town of about 2,000 people; Sterling (Logan County) is the nearest regional center (about 55 miles southwest); Nebraska is immediately north
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Phillips County Building – (970) 854-3131
Services: Very basic county permits; Holyoke and Haxtun small communities
Notes: Very limited development; irrigation farming infrastructure (center pivot systems); wind energy development; limited residential activity
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Phillips County Veterans Services – (970) 854-3131
VA Medical: VA Denver (via I-76 connection, about 150 miles); VA Cheyenne (Wyoming) accessible for some
Notes: Extremely remote from VA; very small veteran population; telehealth critical
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Phillips County Library – (970) 854-2597
Branches: Holyoke, Haxtun
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; northeastern plains heritage; irrigation farming history
Notes: Two-branch library; critical internet access points in a remote agricultural county
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Jumbo Reservoir (state wildlife area – waterfowl; fishing); Pawnee National Grassland access (adjacent to the west – excellent birding; native shortgrass prairie); Holyoke Community Park; grain elevator and agricultural landscape appreciation; storm watching; Nebraska border recreation
Notes: Phillips County’s primary recreation is the agricultural landscape itself and the dramatic skies; storm watching (summer thunderstorms and occasional tornadic weather visible for 50+ miles) is an informal recreation activity; the Pawnee National Grassland (adjacent in Logan and Weld Counties) provides excellent native prairie and birding experience
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Very limited; Colorado GIS; USGS topographic maps
Notes: Minimal county GIS; irrigation district mapping; wind energy project maps; Nebraska border coordination
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Very basic; Phillips County Sheriff animal control
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; Republican River Compact (Phillips County is in the Republican River watershed – Colorado’s obligations to Kansas and Nebraska); North Sterling Irrigation District; Ogallala Aquifer management
Notes: The Republican River Compact is the primary water management concern; Ogallala Aquifer depletion is a long-term agricultural sustainability threat; wind energy development is increasing; lesser prairie chicken habitat protection
About Phillips County County
Phillips County is northeast Colorado’s hidden Arikaree Breaks and wheat country – the surprising cedar canyons that cut through the flat High Plains and the dryland wheat farming economy that has sustained the county’s communities for over a century define a remote corner of Colorado that rewards those who venture off the main routes into its quiet agricultural and geological character.
Holyoke (the county seat, population ~2,200) is Phillips County’s governmental and commercial hub, a northeast Colorado plains town whose grain elevators, agricultural service role, and Arikaree Breaks proximity anchor its community identity near the Nebraska border.
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Phillips County Assessor at 221 S. Interocean Avenue, Holyoke, CO 80734, phone 970-854-3131. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Phillips County District Court at 221 S. Interocean Avenue, Holyoke, CO 80734, phone 970-854-3279, 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 S. Interocean Ave., Holyoke, CO 80734
(970) 854-3279
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Phillips County District Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Phillips 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
Phillips Combined Court – District Court (Probate Division) 221 S. Interocean Avenue, 2nd Floor, Holyoke, CO 80734 (970) 762-7010 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 Phillips 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
Holyoke, CO 80734
(970) 854-3348
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
221 S. Interocean Ave., Holyoke, CO 80734
(970) 854-3279
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health/Human Services
Holyoke, CO 80734
(970) 854-3279
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Northeast Colorado Health Department (regional – serves multiple northeastern counties) – (970) 522-3741
Services: Basic public health; immunizations; vital records
Hospital: Weisbrod Memorial Hospital (Eads, Kiowa County); East Morgan County Hospital (Brush) for emergencies; very limited local
Notes: Extremely limited local healthcare; regional health resources in Sterling or Denver; behavioral health in isolated farming community
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Holyoke
Population: 4,400
Area: 688 sq mi
Established: 1889
Public Records
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