El Paso County, Colorado

at Centennial Hall, 200 South Cascade Ave, Colorado Springs , 80903 United States

1. Government Organization
2. Public Services & Government

The Official Page of the Public Information Office of El Paso County, Colorado.

Description

El Paso County encompasses more than 2,158 square miles (slightly more than twice the size of Rhode Island). The County is bordered on the north by Douglas and Elbert counties, on the west by Teller and Fremont counties, on the south by Pueblo County and on the east by Elbert and Lincoln counties. El Paso County's largest municipality is the City of Colorado Springs. Other municipalities within El Paso County include Manitou Springs, Green Mountain Falls, Fountain, Calhan, Ramah, Monument and Palmer Lake. The western portion of El Paso County is mountainous, while the eastern part is prairie land where horses and beef cattle remain important sources of income. The altitude ranges from about 5,052 feet on the south central border at Chico Creek to 14,115 feet on the summit of Pikes Peak near the western boundary. El Paso County is governed by five County Commissioners representing the five geographical Commissioner Districts, shown below. El Paso County Commissioners are elected by citizens within their respective districts and serve staggered four-year terms. County Commissioners are term-limited, serving a maximum of three consecutive four-year terms. The Board of County Commissioners elects officers and assigns community liaison responsibilities annually. Commissioner District boundaries are revised every two years to ensure equal citizen representation for all five districts. The Board of County Commissioners serves as both a policy-making and administrative body for the County. All powers of the County, as a legal entity, are exercised by the Board of County Commissioners and not by its individual members. El Paso County is a regional leader providing excellent community services in the most cost-effective manner.

General Info

El Paso County was founded in 1861 as one of the original Colorado counties formed by the territorial legislature. The County lies in the eastern central part of the State and is, as its name implies, a kind of open door or "pass" between the great plains regions of eastern Colorado and the picturesque, gold-bearing mountain region beyond. Zebulon M. Pike was the first explorer to spread the word about the country just east of the Rockies. Inhabitants of this land in Pike's time included both mountain Indians (Ute) and plains Indians (Cheyenne, Arapahoe and Kiowa). Initially, the County’s economy relied on tourism, railroads, ranching and farming. But the economy of El Paso County changed forever in 1890 when large quantities of gold were discovered in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Tourism and ranching then gave way to mining, which led the local economy through the 1890s. Forty years later, in the midst of war, the Army designated a site south of Colorado Springs as Camp Carson, named in honor of legendary army scout Kit Carson. Today, Fort Carson is a 137,391-acre reservation adjacent to the southern boundary of the City of Colorado Springs. Fort Carson presently is Colorado’s second largest employer. In 1948, the Air Force selected El Paso County as the location for a flying facility that eventually became the Peterson Air Force Base Complex. The Peterson complex includes Peterson Air Force Base (the oldest and home of the Northern Command), Schriever Air Force Base, Northern Command, Cheyenne Mountain Air Station and Air Force Space Command. In 1954, El Paso County was chosen as the site for the United States Air Force Academy. Collectively, these five military installations represent the top employers in the County with a combined military force of more than 43,000 and nearly 80,000 military retirees and veterans who currently reside in this community. The natural physical beauty of the County’s landscape, situated at the base of Pikes Peak, includes an uninterrupted view of the Front Range. This magnificent scenery inspired Katherine Lee Bates to compose "America the Beautiful." El Paso County’s mild climate average 300 days of sunshine, 16 inches of rain, 41 inches of snow and very low levels of humidity annually. High temperatures average from 42 degrees in January to 85 degrees in July. Low temperatures average from 16 degrees in January to 57 degrees in July. With over 150,000 acres (230 square miles) of open space, El Paso County is also a year-round sports paradise. Hunting, fishing, camping, Nordic and Alpine skiing, mountain biking, climbing, hiking and sailplane soaring are local favorites. Additionally, County residents and visitors enjoy equestrian and rodeo sports, scenic golf courses, the United States Olympic Training Center, the World Arena Ice Hall, minor league baseball, NCAA Division I Hockey, the world-famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climband much more.

Company Rating

560 Facebook users were in El Paso County, Colorado. It's a 2 position in Popularity Rating for companies in Government Organization category in Colorado Springs, Colorado

5953 FB users likes El Paso County, Colorado, set it to 4 position in Likes Rating for Colorado Springs, Colorado in Government Organization category

Summary

El Paso County, Colorado is Colorado Springs based place and this enity listed in Government Organization category. Located at Centennial Hall, 200 South Cascade Ave CO 80903. Contact phone number of El Paso County, Colorado: (719) 520-7276