San Luis Valley
Mineral County
Property taxes, marriage licenses, vehicle services, and many public records run through Mineral County. Permits and local rules may sit with a town or city instead, so match the office to the exact address.
Official county shortcuts
Take the task to the office that handles it
These links go straight to the official county or regional office shown. Check that page for current documents, hours, appointments, fees, and address-specific instructions. A city may run its own permit office.
Property tax snapshot
Typical property tax in Mineral County
The average total mill levy across Mineral County was about 68.6 mills for tax year 2023 — below the statewide average of about 81 mills. On a $500,000 home, that comes to roughly $2,259 a year, using Colorado's 2026 residential rules: 7.05% on school mills, and 6.8% on the rest after the local actual-value adjustment.
This is the county average across all tax areas. Your parcel's actual mill levy depends on its exact tax area — a metro or special district can add many mills on top — so confirm the real number with the county assessor.
Sales tax: the state charges 2.9% and Mineral County adds 2.6%, for 5.5% before any city or special district. See Colorado sales tax rates ->
Source: Colorado Division of Property Taxation, 53rd Annual Report (2023) — Average Levies by County.
Incorporated places in this county
These cities and towns touch Mineral County. Some cross a county line. Every name opens a direct place page, and selected places include a fuller local guide.
Get to know Mineral County
The history, land, and character behind the place.
Outdoors and wildfire
Fishing the upper Rio Grande near Creede follows the water's own rules
The upper Rio Grande through Mineral County is a well-known trout fishery, but rules and access change by river segment, so check the regulations for the stretch you plan to fish.
Read note ->Water and land
Mineral County sits in the headwaters of an interstate river
Mineral County lies in the upper Rio Grande basin, where water is administered under an interstate compact, so water rights here carry obligations far downstream.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
The Wheeler Geologic Area is a maze of volcanic rock that takes real effort to reach
Wheeler Geologic Area near Creede is a striking field of eroded volcanic ash spires reached only by a long hike or a rough four-wheel-drive road, with seasonal access and wilderness camping rules.
Read note ->Water and land
A remote Mineral County parcel often means a well and a septic system
Rural Mineral County properties often rely on a private well and an on-site septic system rather than town utilities, and both come with rules a buyer should check.
Read note ->Money and taxes (1)
Home and property (1)
Water and land (5)
Water and land
An ancient supervolcano helped shape Mineral County's mountains
Much of the rock around Creede formed during enormous volcanic eruptions tens of millions of years ago, including the La Garita supervolcano's blast, and that origin still shapes today's peaks, cliffs, and rock shapes.
Read note ->Water and land
Continental Reservoir is a high lake for boating and trout, with rules at the ramp
Continental Reservoir near Creede has a boat ramp and stocked trout, but motorboats must run wakeless and carry a Colorado registration and aquatic nuisance species stamp, and the lake is usually frozen in winter.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire (4)
Outdoors and wildfire
Moose, elk, and bighorn sheep all share the Creede high country
The forest around Creede holds elk, introduced moose, and bighorn sheep, and knowing where and how to watch them safely makes for better viewing and fewer surprises on the road or trail.
Read note ->Outdoors and wildfire
North Clear Creek Falls is an easy stop on the Silver Thread, but only in season
North Clear Creek Falls has a developed overlook just off Highway 149 near Creede with paved parking and railings, but the access road is closed and snowed in for much of the winter and spring.
Read note ->Cars and driving (1)
Local rules (1)
History and culture (9)
History and culture
Creede grew up around a silver rush, and the town still shows it
Creede began as a late-1800s silver boomtown, and that mining past explains the town's setting in a narrow canyon and the old workings in the hills above it.
Read note ->History and culture
Creede Carved Its Fire Station Into the Canyon Wall
After fire took the town more than once, Creede put its firehouse inside the cliff at the head of Main Street, where trucks wait in rock tunnels.
Read note ->Nearby counties
Other San Luis Valley counties — rules, rates, and districts shift across county lines.