Larimer County, Colorado
county in Colorado, United States
Larimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 359,066. The county seat and most populous city is Fort Collins. The county was named for William Larimer, Jr., the founder of Denver. Larimer County comprises the Fort Collins–Loveland metropolitan area, a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defined Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Fort Collins–Loveland MSA is the 150th most populous MSA in the United States. The county is located at the northern end of the Front Range, at the edge of the Colorado Eastern Plains along the border with Wyoming.
History
Larimer County was created in 1861, and was named after General William Larimer.
Unlike that of much of Colorado, which was founded on the mining of gold and silver, the settlement of Larimer County was based almost entirely on agriculture, an industry that few thought possible in the region during the initial days of the Colorado Gold Rush. The mining boom almost entirely passed the county by.
The public source identifies “Larimer County, Colorado” as county in Colorado, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Larimer, County and Colorado.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Larimer County, Colorado”, the useful work is to connect “county in Colorado, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q127970. VIAF identifies the subject as 127849208. The Library of Congress control number is n81035705. Authority coordinates are 40.650, -105.460. 5 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020 and 1861.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Larimer County, Colorado”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Larimer County, Colorado primary sources, Larimer County, Colorado archive and Larimer research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Larimer County, Colorado”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Larimer County, Colorado” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.