Montrose County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,679.^[1] The county seat is Montrose,^[2] for which the county is named.

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Montrose County
County
The Montrose County Courthouse in Montrose.
Location within the U.S. state of Colorado
Colorado's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°25′N 108°16′W
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Founded	February 11, 1883
Named for	City of Montrose
Seat	Montrose
Largest city	Montrose
Area
• Total	2,243 sq mi (5,810 km2)
• Land	2,241 sq mi (5,800 km2)
• Water	1.9 sq mi (5 km2)  0.08%
Population  (2020)
• Total	42,679
• Density	19/sq mi (7/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.montrosecounty.net

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Montrose County comprises the Montrose, CO, Micropolitan Statistical Area.^[3][4]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,243 square miles (5,810 km²), of which 2,241 square miles (5,800 km²) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km²) (0.08%) is water.^[5]

As of the census^[11] of 2010, there were 41,276 people, 16,484 households, and 11,461 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile (6.9 people/km²). There were 18,250 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.70% White, 0.40% Black or African American, 1.10% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 8.70% from other races, and 2.40% from two or more races. 19.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,484 households, out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.10% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.97.

The county population was spread out, with 24.70% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 22.50% from 25 to 44, 28.60% from 45 to 64, and 17.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.

Also from the census^[12] of 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $46,058, and the median income for a family was $52,152. Males had a median income of $41,301 versus $31,659 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,413. About 7.30% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.40% of those under age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.

Montrose is a staunch Republican county. It has not been won by a Democratic presidential nominee since Lyndon Johnson‘s 1964 landslide – indeed since then, no Democrat has managed forty percent of the county's vote. The county has leaned Republican ever since 1920; although before this, it did tend to vote Democratic between 1896 and 1916 except during the landslide loss of Alton B. Parker in 1904.

In other offices, Montrose also is strongly Republican. The last Democratic Senatorial candidate it backed was Ben Nighthorse Campbell, who later shifted to the Republican Party, in the 1992 election.^[14] Montrose County did back Constitution Party nominee Tom Tancredo in the 2010 gubernatorial election,^[15] and Bill Ritter did win 46 percent in 2006,^[16] but Roy Romer in 1990 remains the last Democratic candidate for governor to win Montrose County.^[17]

Montrose County is situated in Colorado House of Representatives, House District 58. The Current Representative is Marc Catlin, who has carried the county in all four of his terms.^[18]

• Ute Indian State History Museum

• Bibliography of Colorado
• Geography of Colorado
• History of Colorado
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Montrose County, Colorado
• Index of Colorado-related articles
• List of Colorado-related lists
  • List of counties in Colorado
  • List of statistical areas in Colorado
• Outline of Colorado