County · code 08091
Ouray CountyColorado
Ouray County is a county in Colorado with its seat in Ouray, formed in 1877. It was created from San Juan County and named after Chief Ouray.
- Founded1877
- County seatOuray
- Named forChief Ouray
- Land area541 sq mi + 1.5 sq mi water
- Population4,874 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped8,406 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Ouray on the map of Colorado
Colorado has 64 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1877 from San Juan County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Ouray County was created from San Juan on January 18, 1877. In 1881 it lost territory to the creation of Dolores County, and in 1883 it underwent a complex exchange with what had briefly been Uncompahgre County before being renamed back to Ouray. The 1883 reorganization resulted in Ouray County losing territory that became San Miguel County. In 1913 and 1917, Ouray County made boundary adjustments with Montrose and San Miguel counties to align with public land survey lines.
- 1877Ouray County created Ouray created from San Juan. · Colo. Laws 1876, 1st sess., ch. 21, par. 385-392/pp. 207-209
- 1881
- 1883Lost territory Ouray lost to creation of Uncompahgre (extinct); Ouray regained the lost portion when Uncompahgre (extinct) was renamed Ouray and eliminated three days later on 2 March 1883.to Uncompahgre· Colo. Laws 1883, 4th sess., pp. 139-142
- 1883Renamed Uncompahgre (extinct) was renamed Ouray, and Ouray was renamed San Miguel; Uncompahgre eliminated. Ouray in effect regained the area it lost three days earlier to the creation of Uncompahgre and lost all the territory that became San Miguel.formerly Uncompahgre Was· Colo. Laws 1883, 4th sess., sec. 1/p. 123
- 1913Exchanged territory Ouray exchanged with Montrose when the boundary was placed on public land survey lines. · Colo. Laws 1913, 19th sess., ch. 46, pp. 140-141
- 1917Exchanged territory Ouray exchanged with San Miguel when part of the boundary was placed on public land survey lines. Mistake in description corrected 16 March 1984. · Colo. Laws 1917, 21st sess., ch. 38, pp. 118-119
- 1984Boundary clarified Boundary between Ouray and San Miguel was redefined to correct mistake of 17 April 1917 (no change).with San Miguelno change· Colo. Laws 1984, 54th sess., ch. 230, pp. 816-817
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Ouray
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 8,406 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Ouray County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Ouray by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Zoning and code
GIS and maps
County government
- County government
The official website of Ouray County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Ouray County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Ouray County
- When was Ouray County founded?
- Ouray County was founded in 1877, formed from San Juan County, and named after Chief Ouray.
- What is the county seat of Ouray County?
- The county seat of Ouray County is Ouray.
- Is there an online parcel map for Ouray County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 8,406 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Ouray County's boundary or name changed?
- Ouray County was created in 1877 from San Juan County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 5 later changes, chiefly involving San Miguel County, Uncompahgre County and Dolores County. It was formerly called Uncompahgre Was.
- Who issues building permits in Ouray County?
- The county's page on building permits: Permit Application. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Ouray County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby