County outline
Where La Plata County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.4% of La Plata County’s measured area and water for 0.6%. Its combined area converts to 4,401.9 square kilometers or approximately 1,087,733 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 1,689.682 | 4,376.256 | 1,081,396.5 |
| Water | 9.901 | 25.643 | 6,336.6 |
| Total | 1,699.583 | 4,401.9 | 1,087,733.1 |
How La Plata County compares
By original Census land area, La Plata County ranks #26 of 64 in Colorado and #357 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.18 times the Colorado county-equivalent median of 1,431.5 square miles. It accounts for 1.6% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Colorado ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of La Plata County
The Census Bureau estimates that 56,898 people lived in La Plata County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #947 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #14 of 64 in Colorado. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 55,635, the population has grown by 1,263 (+2.3%), compared with +4.1% for Colorado as a whole.
With 1,689.7 square miles of land, that is 34 people per square mile (13 per km²), placing La Plata County #1,903 nationally for density and #16 in Colorado. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Colorado median is 11. Put another way, there are about 19 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 55,679 | 56,164 | 56,576 | 56,408 | 56,930 | 56,898 |
| Change | — | +485 | +412 | −168 | +522 | −32 |
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 La Plata County
3 incorporated places lie at least partly in La Plata County. Together they are home to 23,576 people (41.4%); the other 33,322 (58.6%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Durango city, with 19,733 residents in the county. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Bayfield town grew fastest since then (+3.9%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durango cityCounty seat | 19,733 | +3.4% | 17.7 |
| Bayfield town | 2,974 | +3.9% | 2.016 |
| Ignacio town | 869 | +2.2% | 0.53 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside La Plata County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
La Plata County is a central county of the Durango, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. La Plata County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 1,689.7 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #96 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #185 by population.
ZIP codes
6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in La Plata County; 5 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
811228113781301813038132681328
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 La Plata County
La Plata County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents, including 1 in New Mexico. It has more land than 3 of them. The largest neighbor is San Juan County (5,517.2 mi²) and the smallest is San Juan County (387.5 mi²). Together with its neighbors, La Plata County forms a block of 12,091.1 mi² of land, of which it holds 14%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. La Plata | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan CountyNew Mexico | 5,517.2 | 3.3× larger | Compare |
| Montezuma County | 2,029.3 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Archuleta County | 1,350.1 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Hinsdale County | 1,117.2 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| San Juan County | 387.5 | 4.4× smaller | Compare |
How big is La Plata County compared with U.S. states?
La Plata County has more land than 1 of the 50 states. It is about 1.6 times the land area of Rhode Island (1,033.9 mi²), while Delaware, the next larger state, has 1.2 times as much land (1,948.6 mi²). Colorado’s county land could hold about 61 areas the size of La Plata County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 41.1 miles (66.2 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 La Plata County?
La Plata County has more land than 2,865 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 La Plata County at #394 nationally by total area, 37 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 0.6%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.6 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 La Plata County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #356 | Franklin County, Maine | 1,697 | Compare |
| #357 | La Plata County, Colorado | 1,689.7 | This county |
| #358 | Eagle County, Colorado | 1,684.5 | 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 37.279966, -107.849948. 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: 4,376,255,311 m²; AWATER: 25,642,579 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 La Plata County?
La Plata County, Colorado has 1,689.7 square miles (4,376.3 km²) of land and 9.901 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,699.6 square miles. It ranks #357 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is La Plata County the largest county in Colorado?
No. La Plata County ranks #26 of 64 in Colorado by land area. The largest is Las Animas County, with 4,772.9 square miles of land.
What counties border La Plata County?
La Plata County shares a land border with Montezuma County, San Juan County, New Mexico, Archuleta County, San Juan County, and Hinsdale County.
What is the population of La Plata County?
The Census Bureau estimates La Plata County had 56,898 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #947 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 34 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of La Plata County?
The county seat of La Plata County is Durango.
What cities and towns are in La Plata County?
La Plata County has 3 incorporated places. The most populous are Durango city, Bayfield town, and Ignacio town; 33,322 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is La Plata County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Durango, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in La Plata County?
6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in La Plata County, and 5 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does La Plata County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 1 of the 50 states, including Rhode Island (1,033.9 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in La Plata County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 1,081,396 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 1,087,733 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.