Map of Douglas County, Colorado

Douglas County overview:
Name:	Douglas County
FIPS code:	08-035
State:	Colorado
Founded:	November 1, 1861
Named for:	Stephen A. Douglas
Seat:	Castle Rock
Total Area:	843 sq mi (2,180 km²)
Land Area:	840 sq mi (2,200 km²)
Total Population:	368,990
Population Density:	426/sq mi (164/km²)
Time zone:	UTC−7 (Mountain)
Summer Time Zone (DST):	UTC−6 (MDT)
Website:	www.douglas.co.us

Douglas County location map. Where is Douglas County?

Douglas County location on the U.S. Map. Where is Douglas County. — Location of Douglas County in the the United States.

Douglas County location on the Colorado map. Where is Douglas County. — Location of Douglas County in Colorado.

History

Douglas County was one of the original 17 counties created in the Colorado Territory by the Colorado Territorial Legislature on November 1, 1861. The county was named in honor of U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, who died five months before the county was created. The county seat was originally Franktown, but was moved to California Ranch in 1863, and then to Castle Rock in 1874. Although the county’s boundaries originally extended eastward to the Kansas state border, in 1874, most of the eastern portion of the county became part of Elbert County.

Douglas County Road Map

Douglas CountyStreet Map. — Street map of Douglas County, Colorado. Source: OpenStreetMap (OSM)

Douglas CountyMap — Douglas Countypolitical map.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 844 square miles (2,190 km), of which 841 square miles (2,180 km) are land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km) (0.3%) are covered by water.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Interstate 25
U.S. Highway 85
U.S. Highway 87
State Highway 67
State Highway 83
State Highway 86
State Highway 105
State Highway 121
State Highway 470
E-470 tollway

Parks and recreational areas

Three state parks fall within Douglas County: Castlewood Canyon State Park, Chatfield State Park and Roxborough State Park. Parts of the county lie within the Pike National Forest and were crossed by the historic South Platte Trail.

Recreation trails in the county include:

American Discovery Trail
Colorado Trail
Devils Head National Recreation Trail
Highline Canal National Recreation Trail
Platte River Greenway National Recreation Trail
Ridgeline Open Space Trail
Bluffs Regional Park Trail

The Rueter–Hess Reservoir, when filled, may provide significant recreation, including fishing, hiking, and nonmotorized boating. If filled to capacity, surface size would be 1,140 acres, making this a fairly significant reservoir in Colorado and Douglas County’s largest body of water.

The Prairie Canyon Ranch, at 4620 CO-83, about 10 miles (16 km) south of Franktown, is a Douglas County Open Space. It is a working cattle ranch on 978 acres (3.96 km), open to the public on special events.