County outline
Where El Paso County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.9% of El Paso County’s measured area and water for 0.1%. Its combined area converts to 5,514.4 square kilometers or approximately 1,362,628 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 2,126.412 | 5,507.382 | 1,360,903.7 |
| Water | 2.695 | 6.98 | 1,724.8 |
| Total | 2,129.107 | 5,514.362 | 1,362,628.5 |
How El Paso County compares
By original Census land area, El Paso County ranks #19 of 64 in Colorado and #261 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.485 times the Colorado county-equivalent median of 1,431.5 square miles. It accounts for 2.1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Colorado ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of El Paso County
The Census Bureau estimates that 757,040 people lived in El Paso County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #89 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #1 of 64 in Colorado. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 731,786, the population has grown by 25,254 (+3.5%), compared with +4.1% for Colorado as a whole.
With 2,126.4 square miles of land, that is 356 people per square mile (137 per km²), placing El Paso County #447 nationally for density and #8 in Colorado. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Colorado median is 11. Put another way, there are about 1.8 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 733,721 | 738,405 | 741,819 | 745,819 | 752,356 | 757,040 |
| Change | — | +4,684 | +3,414 | +4,000 | +6,537 | +4,684 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in El Paso County
8 incorporated places lie at least partly in El Paso County. Together they are home to 546,584 people (72.2%); the other 210,456 (27.8%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Colorado Springs city, with 494,743 residents in the county. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Monument town grew fastest since then (+32.9%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs cityCounty seat | 494,743 | +3.1% | 202.2 |
| Fountain city | 29,450 | −1.2% | 22.3 |
| Monument town | 13,813 | +32.9% | 7.283 |
| Manitou Springs city | 4,577 | −5.9% | 3.149 |
| Palmer Lake town | 2,591 | −2.2% | 3.088 |
| Calhan town | 727 | −5.1% | 0.91 |
| Green Mountain Falls townAlso in 1 other county | 578 | −7.1% | 1.159 |
| Ramah town | 105 | −5.4% | 0.254 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside El Paso County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
El Paso County is a central county of the Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 2 county equivalents have 781,796 residents on 2,683.6 square miles of land; El Paso County accounts for 79.2% of the land and 96.8% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #118 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #80 by population.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| El Paso County | 757,040 | 2,126.4 |
| Teller County | 24,756 | 557.1 |
ZIP codes
47 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in El Paso County; 41 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
8010680132801338080880809808178081980829808318083280833808358084080863808648090280903809048090580906809078090880909809108091180913809148091580916809178091880919809208092180922809238092480925809268092780928809298093080938809398095181008
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering El Paso County
El Paso County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents. It has more land than 4 of them. The largest neighbor is Lincoln County (2,577.7 mi²) and the smallest is Teller County (557.1 mi²). Together with its neighbors, El Paso County forms a block of 11,872.6 mi² of land, of which it holds 17.9%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. El Paso | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 2,577.7 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Pueblo County | 2,386.6 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Elbert County | 1,850.8 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Fremont County | 1,533.8 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Douglas County | 840.1 | 2.5× smaller | Compare |
| Teller County | 557.1 | 3.8× smaller | Compare |
How big is El Paso County compared with U.S. states?
El Paso County has more land than 2 of the 50 states. It is about 1.1 times the land area of Delaware (1,948.6 mi²), while Connecticut, the next larger state, has 2.3 times as much land (4,842.5 mi²). Colorado’s county land could hold about 49 areas the size of El Paso County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 46.1 miles (74.2 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about El Paso County?
El Paso County has more land than 2,961 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places El Paso County at #296 nationally by total area, 35 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 1 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside El Paso County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #260 | Madera County, California | 2,136.7 | Compare |
| #261 | El Paso County, Colorado | 2,126.4 | This county |
| #262 | Harding County, New Mexico | 2,125.5 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 38.829901, -104.522639. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 5,507,381,025 m²; AWATER: 6,979,313 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is El Paso County?
El Paso County, Colorado has 2,126.4 square miles (5,507.4 km²) of land and 2.695 square miles of water, for a total area of 2,129.1 square miles. It ranks #261 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is El Paso County the largest county in Colorado?
No. El Paso County ranks #19 of 64 in Colorado by land area. The largest is Las Animas County, with 4,772.9 square miles of land.
What counties border El Paso County?
El Paso County shares a land border with Elbert County, Pueblo County, Teller County, Lincoln County, Douglas County, and Fremont County.
What is the population of El Paso County?
The Census Bureau estimates El Paso County had 757,040 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #89 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 356 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of El Paso County?
The county seat of El Paso County is Colorado Springs.
What cities and towns are in El Paso County?
El Paso County has 8 incorporated places. The most populous five are Colorado Springs city, Fountain city, Monument town, Manitou Springs city, and Palmer Lake town; 210,456 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is El Paso County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 2 county equivalents and 781,796 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in El Paso County?
47 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in El Paso County, and 41 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does El Paso County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 2 of the 50 states, including Delaware (1,948.6 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in El Paso County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 1,360,904 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 1,362,628 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.