Early History
In 1861, Summit County was one of Colorado Territory’s original 17 counties, then stretching from the Divide to the Utah border, and from Fremont and Hoosier Passes to the Wyoming Line. Six counties were later created from this early Summit County expanse: Grand, Routt, Eagle, Garfield, Moffat, and Rio Blanco. Today, Summit County is bounded by the neighboring counties of Clear Creek, Grand, Park, Lake, and Eagle.

Gold Rush Days
Summit County first received worldwide attention in 1859 when prospectors discovered gold and silver in the surrounding hills. High country trappers, from 1810-1840, attempted to keep the glittering gold and silver-seamed mountains a secret, but the news filtered out of the remote area to the rest of the United States. By the summer of 1859, hordes of gold-hungry adventurers scaled the snow-covered Continental Divide to the mineral-rich valley of the Blue River, catapulting this gentle valley from tranquil isolation into the gold rush days. Mine camps lined the Blue River and its tributaries and a parade of colorful characters and scoundrels, like Pug Ryan and Methodist preacher John Lewis Dyer, marched their way on to the pages of history.

Mining Towns & Ski Resorts
Bustling new towns exploded into existence just as quickly as they lapsed into ghost towns, like Parkville, the first county seat. Others, like Breckenridge, Frisco, and Dillon, flourished during the days of mining prosperity and clung to life years after the mines played out. Not until 1946 did snow become business in Summit County, when Arapahoe Basin Ski area opened its slopes. With the opening of Breckenridge Ski area in 1961, Keystone in 1970, and Copper Mountain in 1972, “The Summit” became one of the greatest destination ski areas in the nation and was coined “Colorado’s Playground”.

Fast Facts

Summit County Area 396,000 acres (about 619 square miles)	Annual Precipitation Approx. 250” snow	Total Number of Housing Units* 29,842
Average Temperatures Summer: 68° Winter: 30°	Population* 27,994	Sales Tax State: 2.9% County: 2% Towns: Breckenridge and Dillon - 2.5%; Frisco and Silverthorne - 2%

* 2010 Census data