About Las Animas
Las Animas is the largest of Colorado's 64 counties. It has a area of 4,773 square miles.
Las Animas was formed in 1866 from Huerfano County. Several years later, more of Huerfano was added. In 1889, part of it was split off to form Baca County.
Las Animas was named for the Animas River. The Spanish name for this river was El Rio de las Animas Perdidas en Purgatorio. This translates to the River of the Lost Souls in Purgatory.
Legend has it that several Spanish explorers were lost on the river in the late 1760s. Their bodies were never recovered, and thus they were doomed to spend eternity in Purgatory.
Trinidad is the county seat. There are several cities and towns in Las Animas. Some of these are:
Aguilar, Boncarbo, Branson, Cokedale, Delhi, Hoehne, Jansen, Kim, Ludlow, Model, Sopris, Starkville, Thatcher, Trinchera, Tyrone, Villegreen and Weston.
Las Animas is bordered by the following counties:
Otero and Pueblo to the north
Bent to the northeast
Baca to the east
Union New Mexico to the south
Colfax New Mexico to the southwest
Costilla to the west
Huerfano to the northwest
