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Office: Teller County OEM – (719) 687-9652 | tellercountyco.gov
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Woodland Park school facilities; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: Central Colorado Pikes Peak region county; Cripple Creek is county seat; wildfire risk (EXTREME – Teller County’s location in the ponderosa pine forests of the Pikes Peak foothills creates severe wildfire risk; 2013 Teller County fires; 2012 Waldo Canyon Fire directly adjacent to the county; beetle-killed forest creates extreme fuel loads); flooding (Fourmile Creek, Trout Creek); Cripple Creek gold mining district (historic – one of the greatest gold finds in US history in 1890); Cripple Creek and Victor Casinos (limited stakes gambling); Pikes Peak is on the county/El Paso County border
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Teller County Roads – (719) 687-9652
Transit: Very limited; primarily auto-dependent
Notes: US-24 (east-west through Woodland Park – connects Colorado Springs east and Leadville west; the main Front Range to Leadville corridor); SR-67 (south from Divide through Cripple Creek to Victor); SR-122 (Florissant); Woodland Park is about 18 miles west of Colorado Springs on US-24; Cripple Creek is about 45 miles from Colorado Springs; Denver is about 70 miles from Woodland Park via US-24 and I-25
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Teller County Planning and Zoning – (719) 687-9652
Services: County permits; Woodland Park (separate – active residential development as Colorado Springs exurb), Cripple Creek, Victor, Divide separate
Notes: Woodland Park is growing rapidly as a Colorado Springs/Denver exurb; wildfire-resistant construction requirements are critical; casino-related development in Cripple Creek; vacation property in the mountains; Divide area rural residential development
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Teller County Veterans Services – (719) 687-9652
VA Medical: VA Colorado Springs CBOC (about 20 miles east via US-24)
Services: Benefits claims; Colorado Springs CBOC accessible; large veteran community (Teller County attracts military retirees from Fort Carson and Peterson)
Notes: Colorado Springs CBOC accessible via US-24; significant military retiree population in Woodland Park; active VSO chapters; Colorado Springs VA serves the region effectively
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) – (719) 531-6333 (PPLD serves Teller County under contract); Woodland Park Library; Cripple Creek Library
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Cripple Creek gold rush heritage; Florissant Fossil Beds heritage; military heritage (reflecting the military retiree community); casino history
Notes: PPLD serves Teller County with excellent service quality; Cripple Creek’s branch reflects the gold mining heritage; Florissant Fossil Beds history (one of Colorado’s finest NPS units) is represented; military heritage collections serve the large military retiree community
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (Florissant – one of the finest fossil sites in the world; extraordinarily well-preserved Eocene-era (34 million years old) insects, plants, and fish preserved in lake sediments; also spectacular petrified sequoia stumps – the Sequoia affinis trees that grew here were giants even by sequoia standards; one of Colorado’s most underappreciated NPS units; the visitor center and trail system are excellent); Cripple Creek and Victor (the greatest gold producing district in US history after its 1890 discovery; the district produced $800 million in gold at early 20th century prices; the mines still operate today via Newmont Mining; historic Victor and Cripple Creek preserve the Victorian-era mining architecture; casino gambling was legalized in 1991 and transformed Cripple Creek); Mueller State Park (Teller/El Paso County border – outstanding wildlife viewing; excellent elk and mule deer; one of Colorado’s finest state parks for wildlife; challenging hiking); Pikes Peak (Teller/El Paso County border – the summit and Barr Trail access from Manitou Springs (El Paso County) is the primary route; but the Pikes Peak Highway and Cog Railway access the summit which is partially on the Teller County side)
Notes: Florissant Fossil Beds is one of Colorado’s most remarkable NPS sites – the 34-million-year-old insect and plant fossils preserved in extraordinary detail (butterflies with wing scales visible; fish with scales and fins preserved; leaves with every vein clear) represent an astonishing paleontological record; the petrified sequoia stumps (up to 38 feet in circumference) demonstrate that giant sequoias once grew in Colorado; Cripple Creek’s gold mining history is extraordinary – the 1890 discovery led to one of the last great Colorado gold rushes; the district produced more gold than almost any other North American district; Victor (Cripple Creek’s sister city) is the more authentic preservation of the mining era townscape
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Teller County GIS – tellercountyco.gov; Florissant Fossil Beds NP maps; Pikes Peak topographic maps; wildfire hazard zone maps; casino district maps (Cripple Creek)
Notes: County GIS; wildfire hazard zone mapping critical (beetle-killed forest); Florissant Fossil Beds NPS maps; Pikes Peak summit and trail mapping; Cripple Creek mining and casino district mapping; Mueller State Park wildlife monitoring maps
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Teller County Animal Control – (719) 687-9652; Teller County Regional Animal Shelter
Services: Stray intake, adoptions, animal control; wildlife management (excellent elk herds – Mueller State Park’s elk are outstanding; mule deer; black bears; mountain lions; coyotes)
Notes: Mueller State Park has some of the finest accessible elk viewing in Colorado – the herds are large and frequently visible from park roads and trails; mountain lion management in Woodland Park and adjacent communities is ongoing; black bear encounters in the ponderosa pine communities near Teller County; Teller County Regional Animal Shelter is active; the military retiree community’s dog culture drives strong animal welfare programs
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Teller County – (719) 687-9652; Woodland Park city collection
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; DRMS (Cripple Creek mining reclamation – Newmont Mining’s ongoing gold mining operations require environmental compliance and waste rock management); Fourmile Creek and Trout Creek watersheds; NPS (Florissant Fossil Beds); wildfire fuel management
Notes: Newmont Mining’s Cripple Creek and Victor gold mine operations (one of the largest open-pit gold mines in Colorado) require extensive environmental management – tailings ponds, heap leach pads, waste rock, and acid rock drainage are all significant; CDPHE and DRMS oversee the operations; cyanide leach pads for gold recovery require careful containment; the Fourmile Creek watershed carries mine drainage; Florissant Fossil Beds’ scientific importance requires careful management to prevent fossil site damage from visitor activity and erosion; the mountain pine beetle-killed forest in Teller County creates a significant wildfire risk that requires active prescribed burning and fuel management; the county’s position in the ponderosa/lodgepole pine forest zone upwind of Colorado Springs creates concern about large fire run potential toward the population centers
About Teller County County
Teller County is Colorado’s last great gold rush county – the Cripple Creek district that produced $800 million in gold and built a city of 50,000 at 10,000 feet, now sustained by casino gambling and outdoor recreation, and the Florissant Fossil Beds preserving 34-million-year-old giant redwood stumps define a county of extraordinary historical depth just west of Colorado Springs.
Cripple Creek (the county seat, population ~1,200) is Teller County’s governmental and casino hub, a historic gold rush city at 9,494 feet whose Victorian mining heritage, casino district, and Mollie Kathleen Mine tours anchor its identity while Woodland Park serves as the county’s primary residential community.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Teller County Assessor at 101 W. Bennett Avenue, Cripple Creek, CO 80813, phone 719-689-2951. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Teller County District Court at 101 W. Bennett Avenue, Cripple Creek, CO 80813, phone 719-689-2574, 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)
101 W. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek, CO 80813
(719) 689-2988
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Teller County District Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Pikes Peak Genealogical Society, Colorado Springs, CO – the nearest regional genealogy resource, also serving Teller County.
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
Teller County Courthouse – District Court (Probate Division) 101 W. Bennett Avenue, P.O. Box 997, Cripple Creek, CO 80813 (719) 689-7360 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 Teller 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
201 S. 5th St., Woodland Park, CO 80863
(719) 687-9652
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
101 W. Bennett Ave., Cripple Creek, CO 80813
(719) 689-2988
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(719) 687-6629
Human Services
(719) 687-3278
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Teller County Public Health – (719) 687-9652
Services: Immunizations, WIC, STI testing, environmental health, vital records; behavioral health; wildfire smoke health monitoring; casino community health
Hospital: Pikes Peak Regional Hospital (Woodland Park – (719) 686-0156; excellent small community hospital); Colorado Springs hospitals accessible via US-24
Notes: Pikes Peak Regional Hospital is an excellent small community hospital; Colorado Springs provides specialty care; behavioral health is significant; casino community health considerations (problem gambling); wildfire smoke health impacts are significant in the beetle-killed forest environment; military retiree healthcare needs
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Cripple Creek
Population: 25,000
Area: 559 sq mi
Established: 1899
Public Records
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