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About Moffat County
Moffat County occupies 4,751 square miles in the northwestern corner of Colorado in a rugged country of hills and mountains. The eastern tip of the Uinta Mountains juts into the county's western border, and the Green River cuts through, forming deep gorges and canyons. A scattering of mountains and endless stretches of hilly country extend from there eastward, with few large valleys. The Yampa River flows westward through the county, converging with the Green River. The main settlements of Moffat County lie in the valleys along this river, including Craig and Maybell. The Elkhead Mountains claim the highest elevations in the county, reaching 10,840 at Black Mountain, providing the county with an alpine setting of forests and alpine lakes. The southwest corner of the county lies in the Uintah Basin, where the community of Dinosaur is found.
Moffat County was organized on February 27, 1911, being split off of Routt County, which lies just to the east. It is named after David H. Moffat, a railroad Tycoon, whose railroad company eventually extended a line as far as Craig.
The population of Moffat County was 13,184 in the 2000 census. Wyoming borders it on the north, and Utah on the west. U.S. Highway 40 traverses it east-west, and Colorado Highway 13 crosses it from north to south. Colorado Highway 318 heads into the remote northwest corner of the county from Maybell.
Dinosaur National Monument lies mostly in Moffat County, a preserve of fossil beds where dinosaur bones have been found. Lodore Canyon, gorge of the Green River, and other deep and rugged canyons are also found in the monument with a variety of striking scenery.
For More Information:
See the official Moffat County site or Wikipedia's Moffat County article.