[Hilltop Mine on Mount Sherman in Lake County. Photo: Adam Baker] Lake County is the fourth-smallest county in Colorado by area, with an estimated population in 2013 of 7,306. Leadville is the county seat and the only municipality. Home to Mount Elbert, the mountain’s summit at 14,440 feet is the highest peak both in Colorado and the whole Rocky Mountain Range.
The county is one of the original 17 counties created in 1861, originally included a large portion of western Colorado. The county lost much of its territory over the decades that followed, and after constant downsizing, today the county covers only 384 square miles.
Visit the Lake County Government website.
County Towns
Adjacent Counties
Ghost Towns
Special Events
- Aug – Leadville Boom Days
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