Otero County’s population was 18,831 in 2010. The county was named for Miguel Antonio Otero, a La Junta town founder. La Junta is the county seat, located in southeastern Colorado on the Arkansas River. Bent’s Old Fort, a vital trading post on the Santa Fe Trail, is northeast of La Junta.
Comanche National Grassland is found in Otero County, offering 440,000 acres of petroglyphs, dinosaur footprints, abandoned homesteads, abundant wildlife, and the Santa Fe Trail.
Visit the Otero County Government website.
County Towns
- Cheraw
- Fowler
- La Junta
- Manzanola
- Rocky Ford
- Swink
- Timpas
Adjacent Counties
- Bent – east
- Crowley – north
- Kiowa – northeast
- Las Animas – south
- Pueblo – west
Latest in Otero County
Dino Tracks, Rock Art & Historic Ruins at Picketwire Canyonlands
If you have had the opportunity to visit the Picketwire Canyonlands, at least once, you would…
Dino Tracks, Rock Art & Historic Ruins at Picketwire CanyonlandsRead More
Abandoned and Forgotten in Southeast Colorado | A Historic Highway of the Past
One of Colorado’s more ghostly scenes can be found along U.S. 350, between La Junta and…
Abandoned and Forgotten in Southeast Colorado | A Historic Highway of the PastRead More
Camping near La Junta and Lamar, around Comanche National Grassland
Located an hour apart on US-50, La Junta and Lamar both make a fantastic basecamp for…
Camping near La Junta and Lamar, around Comanche National GrasslandRead More
Top 5 Cool & Unusual Hotels in La Junta
Get some of best sunset and sunrise views in all of Colorado in the quaint town…
