Rio Blanco County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,529. The county seat is Meeker. The name of the county is the Spanish name for the White River which runs through it.
History
Rio Blanco County was created on March 25, 1889, when it was split from Garfield County. The town of Meeker became the county seat.
On May 17, 1973, Rio Blanco County became one of two counties in Colorado to have a peaceful nuclear explosion as a part of Operation Plowshare. There were three nearly simultaneous explosions targeted at producing unconventional natural gas, all detonated as Project Rio Blanco. The other county is Garfield County under Project Rulison.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.06%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Moffat County - north
- Routt County - northeast
- Garfield County - south
- Uintah County, Utah - west
Major highways
- 20px State Highway 13
- 20px State Highway 64
- 20px State Highway 139
National protected areas
- Routt National Forest
- White River National Forest
- Flat Tops Wilderness
Scenic byways
- Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway National Scenic Byway
- Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway
State parks and wildlife areas
- Colorow Mountain State Wildlife Area