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Office: Yuma County OEM – (970) 332-4965 | yumacountyco.gov
Alert System: CO-WARN; CodeRED; NOAA Weather Radio
Shelter Info: Wray school facilities; contact OEM
FEMA Region: Region 8
Notes: Northeastern Colorado high plains county adjacent to Kansas and Nebraska; Wray is county seat; tornado risk (significant – Colorado-Kansas border tornado corridor; 1935 Wray F4 tornado killed 7 people; subsequent tornadoes have struck the county); severe thunderstorms; hail; drought; Republican River runs through the county; irrigation farming (Ogallala Aquifer and Republican River irrigation); very remote
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Yuma County Roads – (970) 332-4965
Transit: None; completely auto-dependent; very remote
Notes: US-34 (east-west through Wray – connects to Greeley west and Nebraska east; the “Wray Highway”); SR-385 (north-south through Wray to Holyoke north); Republican River corridor; Wray is about 90 miles from Greeley and 65 miles from Burlington; extremely remote northeastern corner of Colorado
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Yuma County Building – (970) 332-4965
Services: Basic county permits; Wray (separate), Yuma, Eckley, Idalia, Kirk separate small communities
Notes: Very limited development; irrigation farming infrastructure; center-pivot irrigation systems; wind energy development; limited residential activity; Yuma is a moderate-sized plains town with some agricultural processing
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Yuma County Veterans Services – (970) 332-4965
VA Medical: VA Denver (about 185 miles via US-34 and I-70); VA Cheyenne accessible for northern county
Notes: Extremely remote from VA; both Denver and Cheyenne accessible but distant; small veteran population; local VSO chapter
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Yuma County Library – (970) 848-5665
Branches: Wray, Yuma
Services: Books, public computers, Wi-Fi, children’s programs; Republican River heritage; plains homesteading history; irrigation farming heritage
Notes: Two-branch library; Republican River agricultural valley heritage; Wray’s tornado history is a notable local topic; irrigation farming heritage of the county
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Republican River (fishing; wildlife corridor – the Republican River corridor is an important migratory bird pathway; migratory waterfowl and shorebirds; the river is one of the Kansas/Nebraska/Colorado border rivers significant for bird migration); Bonny Lake (Kit Carson County – former state park whose reservoir was drained; some wildlife area use continues); Wray Museum (local history – 1935 tornado history; Republican River valley heritage); prairie dog colonies (wildlife viewing); eastern plains storm watching
Notes: Yuma County’s primary recreation is the Republican River corridor wildlife and the dramatic eastern plains weather; the 1935 Wray F4 tornado is one of the most powerful on record for Colorado; storm watching (tornado season May-July) draws some storm chasers to the region; the Republican River corridor provides excellent migratory bird watching
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Yuma County GIS; Colorado GIS; Republican River watershed maps; wind energy project maps
Notes: Basic county GIS; Republican River water management mapping; irrigation district mapping; wind energy project siting; tornado risk zone mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Yuma County Animal Control – (970) 332-4965
Solid Waste: Yuma County – basic; transfer stations
Environmental: Colorado DPHE; Republican River Compact (Colorado-Kansas-Nebraska – Yuma County is in the Republican River watershed; Colorado’s water obligations to Kansas and Nebraska are managed partly through Yuma County); irrigation district management; Ogallala Aquifer management
Notes: The Republican River Compact’s water obligations are a critical environmental and economic concern for Yuma County; Colorado has been in ongoing litigation with Kansas over Republican River water obligations; drought reduces available water and compliance becomes challenging; the Ogallala Aquifer depletion from irrigation threatens long-term agricultural viability; wind energy development is increasing, providing some economic diversification; lesser prairie chicken (federally threatened) habitat protection creates some land use restrictions; the Republican River’s water quality management affects downstream Kansas and Nebraska communities
About Yuma County County
Yuma County is northeast Colorado’s Beecher Island heritage and Republican River agricultural county – the dramatic nine-day Plains Indian Wars siege that tested a company of Army scouts to its limits and the Republican River valley’s productive farming corridor define a remote High Plains community where Wray serves as the commercial hub for the surrounding wheat and corn farming communities near the Nebraska and Kansas borders.
Wray (the county seat, population ~2,300) is Yuma County’s governmental and commercial hub on US 34, a northeast Colorado plains town whose Republican River access, Beecher Island heritage, and agricultural service role anchor its community identity near the state borders.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Yuma County Assessor at 310 Ash Street, Wray, CO 80758, phone 970-332-5809. CO assessed at percentage of actual value.
Courts & Legal
Yuma County District Court at 310 Ash Street, Wray, CO 80758, phone 970-332-4118, 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)
310 Ash St., Wray, CO 80758
(970) 332-5796
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Yuma County District Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
No dedicated Yuma 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
Yuma County Courthouse – District Court (Probate Division) 310 Ash Street, Suite L, Wray, CO 80758 (970) 592-6120 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 Yuma 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
Wray, CO 80758
(970) 332-4805
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK & RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses, Elections)
310 Ash St., Wray, CO 80758
(970) 332-5796
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health/Human Services
Wray, CO 80758
(970) 332-4965
CO Benefits / PEAK
(800) 536-5298
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Northeast Colorado Health Department (regional) – (970) 522-3741
Services: Basic public health; immunizations; vital records; limited services
Hospital: Yuma District Hospital (Wray – (970) 332-4811); small critical access hospital; Akron’s Akron Health Services; Sterling Regional for significant care
Notes: Small critical access hospital; regional hospitals in Sterling and Greeley for specialty care; behavioral health in isolated rural community; agricultural stress management
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Wray
Population: 9,800
Area: 2,365 sq mi
Established: 1889
Public Records
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