El Paso County

El Paso County lies in east central Colorado and encompasses more than 2,158 square miles - slightly more than twice the area of the state of Rhode Island (Excluding Narragansett Bay). While the western portion of El Paso County is extremely mountainous, the eastern part is prairie land where dairy cows and beef cattle are the main source of ranchers' income. The altitude ranges from about 5,095 feet (1569 m) on the southern border at Black Squirrel Creek to 14,110 feet (4301 m) on the summit of Pikes Peak, near the western boundary. The county seat is located in Colorado Springs.