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Colorado · Arkansas River · Southern Colorado · #222 Most Populous County in the US
Pueblo County, Colorado
Pueblo - the Steel City of the West, where the Arkansas River meets the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountain foothills. Home to more Medal of Honor recipients per capita than any other city in America, Colorado State University-Pueblo, and a post-industrial city building its future on healthcare, education, and renewable energy. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Pueblo County residents.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Pueblo County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Pueblo County Emergency Management – (719) 583-6030 | pueblocounty.us/emergency
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Colorado State Fairgrounds (Pueblo); school facilities; contact OEM; Red Cross Southern Colorado Chapter
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: South-central Colorado Arkansas River county; Pueblo is county seat and Colorado’s sixth-largest city; tornado risk (significant – Pueblo is at the foothills where warm humid Gulf air meets dry Rocky Mountain air, creating tornado conditions; 2005 Pueblo tornado significant); hailstorms; flooding (Arkansas River – 1921 Pueblo Flood killed 100+ people and was one of the deadliest flash floods in Colorado history; Pueblo Reservoir flood control); wildfire risk (western foothills); earthquake risk (minor); steel industry heritage (Colorado Fuel & Iron – CFI/EVRAZ – was the largest steel mill west of the Mississippi for much of the 20th century; the steel mill still operates)
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Pueblo County Public Works – (719) 583-6180
Transit: Pueblo Transit – (719) 542-4306 | pueblotransit.com; limited city bus service; Amtrak Southwest Chief (Pueblo Station – on the historic Santa Fe main line; one of the better Amtrak connections in southern Colorado); Bustang
Airport: Pueblo Memorial Airport (PUB – United service to Denver hub; general aviation)
Notes: I-25 (north-south – Pueblo’s main artery to Colorado Springs and Denver north; I-25 south to Trinidad and New Mexico); US-50 (east-west to La Junta east and Cañon City west); US-96 (east); SR-45 and other local highways; the Arkansas River Parkway through Pueblo is an important recreational and infrastructure corridor; Pueblo is about 45 miles south of Colorado Springs on I-25
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Pueblo County Planning and Development – (719) 583-6160 | pueblocounty.us
Services: County permits; Pueblo (city – separate; active), Pueblo West (large unincorporated community – county managed; very active residential development), Boone, Rye, Beulah separate
Notes: Pueblo West (an unincorporated community adjacent to Pueblo city) is one of the more active building areas in southern Colorado; Pueblo’s industrial base is recovering; medical cannabis industry development; EVRAZ steel mill expansion; renewable energy manufacturing (Vestas wind turbine blades are manufactured in Pueblo – a significant wind energy manufacturing employer); food processing development
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Pueblo County Veterans Services – (719) 583-6115
VA Medical: VA Pueblo Community Based Outpatient Clinic – (719) 553-1000 (the primary VA outpatient facility for southern Colorado; accessible for a large region including Fremont, Otero, Huerfano, Las Animas counties); VA Rocky Mountain Regional (Aurora) for hospital services
Services: Full range via the CBOC; CalVet equivalent through Colorado DVA; Colorado State Veterans Center (Homelake – off Monte Vista road – CDVA nursing home facility)
Notes: Pueblo VA CBOC is one of the most significant VA outpatient facilities in southern Colorado – it serves a very large geographic area; significant veteran community in Pueblo (the steel industry attracted many veteran workers); active VSO chapters; Pueblo Community College has veteran student services
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Pueblo City-County Library District – (719) 562-5600 | pueblolibrary.org; 7 branches; combined city-county system
Branches: Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library (downtown Pueblo – flagship), Greenhorn Valley, Rawlings East, Frank I. Lamb, Avalo, Library 21c (Pueblo West – innovative branch)
Services: Books, e-books, public computers, Wi-Fi, genealogy (outstanding – Colorado and New Mexico family history collections), maker spaces (Library 21c has extensive fabrication labs), recording studios, children’s programs; Colorado history and steel industry heritage
Notes: Pueblo City-County Library District is excellent and innovative; Library 21c (the 21st Century library at Pueblo West) is a national model for innovative library design and programming – it houses professional-grade digital fabrication, recording, media production, and maker spaces; the Rawlings Main Library’s genealogy collection is outstanding for Colorado and New Mexico family history; the library system serves a community with significant heritage in labor history, steel industry, and Colorado frontier history
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
County/City Parks: City of Pueblo Parks and Recreation; Pueblo City Park (the “Pueblo Zoo”); Arkansas River Trail (18 miles of trails along the Arkansas River through the city – one of the finest urban river trail systems in southern Colorado); Mineral Palace Park; Runyon Lake State Wildlife Area
State Parks: Lake Pueblo State Park (Pueblo Reservoir – 17 miles of shoreline; excellent water recreation; boating; sailing; windsurfing; camping; one of the finest state parks in southern Colorado; bird watching – significant raptor population); Lathrop State Park (Walsenburg – accessible from Pueblo)
Notable: Colorado State Fair (Colorado State Fairgrounds – annual late August fair; one of the largest in the Mountain West; livestock; rodeo; music; agriculture; a major regional tradition); Pueblo Riverwalk (Union Avenue Historic District – renovated historic downtown area along the Arkansas River; restaurants, shops, event venues); Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo (HARP) – an inner-city water park and riverwalk; Union Avenue Historic District (one of the finest historic commercial districts in southern Colorado; Victorian and early 20th century architecture; boutiques; restaurants); International B-24 Memorial Museum (Pueblo Memorial Airport – tribute to the heavy bombers of WWII); EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel (the Pueblo steel mill – still operating; one of the largest steel mills in the Mountain West; producing rail, rod, and wire products); Pueblo Chile (Pueblo is renowned for its distinctive chili peppers – the Pueblo Green Chile is a Colorado Proud product with unique flavor characteristics grown in the Arkansas Valley; the chile culture is deeply embedded in Pueblo’s identity; Pueblo Chili and Frijoles Festival); Vestas Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing (Pueblo Industrial Park – visitors can sometimes see massive wind turbine blades in various stages of production)
Notes: Pueblo is Colorado’s most underappreciated city – its combination of historic architecture, Arkansas River recreational corridor, the State Fair, excellent chili culture, and the distinctive industrial heritage of the steel mill creates a genuinely interesting city; Lake Pueblo State Park is outstanding – the reservoir provides excellent sailing and water recreation in a semi-arid landscape; the Pueblo Riverwalk (HARP) transformed flood-damaged land into a recreation amenity; the Colorado State Fair is one of the Mountain West’s premier agricultural and cultural events; Pueblo Green Chile is a product of genuine distinction – the Arkansas Valley’s soil and climate produce peppers with a specific flavor profile that devotees insist is unique; Union Avenue’s Victorian commercial architecture is beautifully preserved
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Pueblo County GIS – pueblocounty.us/gis | (719) 583-6160; Pueblo city GIS; USACE flood maps (Arkansas River); Lake Pueblo flood control mapping; steel mill environmental monitoring; USGS earthquake monitoring
Notes: Active GIS; Arkansas River flood management mapping; Lake Pueblo State Park reservoir mapping; steel mill environmental monitoring and air quality mapping; CMHIP facility mapping; wind turbine manufacturing facility tracking
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Pueblo Animal Services – (719) 553-1220; Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region – Pueblo (separate)
Notes: Pueblo Animal Services handles a large volume; coyote management in Pueblo’s expanding suburban areas; Lake Pueblo State Park’s raptor and wildlife management through Colorado Parks and Wildlife; rattlesnake management in the semi-arid landscape; Pueblo Reservoir wildlife (osprey, bald eagle, great blue heron)
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Pueblo County Solid Waste – (719) 543-0816; Pueblo city collection; Loaf ‘N Jug Landfill
Recycling: ColoradoRecycles compliance; Pueblo city recycling programs; growing HHW programs
Air Quality: Colorado Air Pollution Control Division; Pueblo’s air quality has historically been impacted by the steel mill (particulates, sulfur dioxide) – significant improvements have been made since the 1970s Clean Air Act; current EVRAZ operations are regulated; some ozone issues from regional oil and gas and vehicle emissions
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; USACE (Pueblo Reservoir – the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project stores water from the Fryingpan River (Pitkin County) via the Boustead Tunnel under the Continental Divide; this water is released into the Arkansas River for irrigation and municipal use throughout southeastern Colorado); Arkansas River Compact; EVRAZ RCRA compliance (industrial waste management)
Notes: Pueblo Reservoir is the keystone of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project – one of the most ambitious water projects in Colorado history; water is pumped from the Roaring Fork/Fryingpan watersheds under the Continental Divide to the Arkansas River watershed, fundamentally shifting the regional hydrology to support agriculture and cities in southeastern Colorado; EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel’s operations are subject to extensive environmental regulations – the mill has invested significantly in emissions controls and is one of the cleaner steel operations of its type; the 1921 Pueblo Flood (when a dam upstream failed during a major rainstorm – the flood swept through Pueblo with 30-foot walls of water, killed 100+ people, and destroyed much of the city) led to the construction of Pueblo Reservoir specifically as flood control infrastructure; the reservoir now serves multiple purposes and has protected the city through subsequent extreme precipitation events
About Pueblo County
Pueblo is one of Colorado’s most storied cities – a blue-collar steel and railroad town with a cultural identity as distinct from Denver and the Front Range resort cities as any community in the state.
CF&I Steel (Colorado Fuel and Iron, later Oregon Steel Mills, later Evraz) operated the largest integrated steel mill in the American West in Pueblo for over a century – at its peak employing 10,000 workers and producing rail steel that built the transcontinental railroad network. The steel industry’s decline from the 1980s onward left Pueblo with deindustrialization challenges familiar from Rust Belt cities, but on a Western landscape. The historic Steelworks Museum preserves the industrial heritage of what was once the economic engine of the Rocky Mountain region.
Pueblo holds a distinction found nowhere else in America: one block of a single street – Baxter Street – produced four recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award. This extraordinary concentration of valor from a single Pueblo neighborhood is commemorated at the Pueblo Medal of Honor Memorial and has earned Pueblo national recognition as a city of extraordinary military heritage.
Colorado State University-Pueblo (CSU-P, enrollment ~3,500) is the county’s primary higher education institution – a regional teaching university with growing programs in engineering, nursing, and business. Parkview Medical Center and St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center are major healthcare employers.
Pueblo’s Historic Arkansas Riverwalk – a channel connecting the Arkansas River through downtown – has anchored significant revitalization investment. The city’s arts scene, including the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, contributes to a cultural fabric that belies the city’s post-industrial challenges.
County government is a three-member Board of County Commissioners with separately elected offices for the Assessor, Clerk and Recorder, Coroner, District Attorney, Sheriff, Surveyor, and Treasurer.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Colorado’s biennial reappraisal in odd-numbered years applies. The Pueblo County Assessor (215 W. 10th Street, Pueblo, 719-583-6000) determines all property values.
Residential assessment rate: For 2025, the rate is 6.765% of actual value (confirm current rate).
The appeal process:
Step 1: Informal review with the Pueblo County Assessor.
Step 2 – BOE: File with the Pueblo County Board of Equalization by June 9 of the reappraisal year.
Step 3: Appeal to the Board of Assessment Appeals (BAA) or Pueblo County District Court within 30 days.
Senior Exemption: Age 65+, 10 years continuous occupancy, 50% of first $200,000 actual value exempted.
No Colorado estate tax. No Colorado inheritance tax.
OWNWELL CTA: Pueblo County BOE deadline June 9 – 2025 is a reappraisal year. Steel industry legacy and ongoing economic transition affect Pueblo’s real estate market in ways that assessments don’t always track precisely. Senior exemption at 65+ with 10-year occupancy. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Pueblo County BOE deadline June 9 - 2025 is a reappraisal year. Steel industry legacy and ongoing economic transition affect Pueblo's real estate market in ways that assessments don't always track precisely. Senior exemption at 65+ with 10-year occupancy. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
The Pueblo County District Court at 501 N. Elizabeth Street, Pueblo (719-404-8700) handles all civil, criminal, family, and probate matters. The Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder (719-583-6521) at 215 W. 10th Street maintains all land records – searchable online at pueblocounty.us.
Colorado probate: District Court handles all estate administration. Colorado recognizes Transfer on Death deeds.
Steel industry legacy estate planning: Pueblo’s large community of retired CF&I/Oregon Steel/Evraz workers carries complex pension histories – United Steelworkers union pensions that may have been modified through multiple corporate reorganizations. PBGC coverage verification and surviving spouse benefit confirmation are important for this community.
Medal of Honor veterans community: Pueblo’s extraordinary Medal of Honor heritage – four recipients from one block – reflects a deep military service tradition. Veterans’ benefits (VA disability compensation, DIC for surviving spouses) and military estate planning resources are important for this community.
Senior Services: The Pueblo Area Council of Governments – Area Agency on Aging (719-545-8900) at 212 W. 13th Street, Pueblo coordinates senior centers, home-delivered meals, transportation, SHIP Medicare counseling, caregiver support, Adult Protective Services, and connections to Colorado Medicaid long-term care programs.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
215 W. 10th St., Pueblo, CO 81003
(719) 583-6620
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Pueblo 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, (719) 362-0380 – headquartered in Pueblo, covering 11 SE Colorado counties; meets 1st Saturday monthly at the Pueblo Heritage Museum, 201 W. B St., Pueblo, CO 81003.
Pueblo City-County Library District, Robert Hoag Rawlings Public Library (Main Branch) – houses local history and genealogy resources.
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
Pueblo Combined Court – District Court (Probate Division) 501 N. Elizabeth Street, Pueblo, CO 81003 (719) 404-8700 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 Pueblo 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
909 Court St., Pueblo, CO 81003
(719) 583-6250
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
215 W. 10th St., Pueblo, CO 81003
(719) 583-6620
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(719) 583-4300
Human Services
(719) 583-4700
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment – (719) 583-4300 | pueblohealth.org
Services: Comprehensive health department; immunizations; WIC; STI/HIV testing; behavioral health; environmental health; restaurant inspections; steel mill air quality monitoring; epidemiology
Hospital: Parkview Medical Center (Pueblo – (719) 584-4000; Centura Health; primary regional hospital; Level II trauma); St. Mary Corwin Medical Center (Dignity Health); Southern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital; Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo (CMHIP – one of two state psychiatric hospitals in Colorado)
Notes: Pueblo’s health landscape reflects the city’s industrial and working-class heritage; Parkview is the primary regional hospital and Level II trauma center; CMHIP is one of Colorado’s two state psychiatric institutions – a significant behavioral health resource for the region; behavioral health challenges are significant in Pueblo; the steel mill’s historical air quality impacts created elevated rates of respiratory and other industrial-related conditions; Pueblo has significant health disparities between higher-income suburbs and lower-income central Pueblo neighborhoods; significant Latino community requires bilingual health services
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