Vail is in Eagle County, Colorado. The county seat is the Town of Eagle, about 30 miles west of Vail, so the county's main offices are not in Vail. Interstate 70 enters Eagle County over Vail Pass, east of Vail, coming from Summit County.
Eagle County at a glance
| Item | Answer |
|---|---|
| County | Eagle County, Colorado |
| County seat | Town of Eagle; voters moved it there from Red Cliff in 1921 |
| Formed | 1883, carved out of Summit County |
| Size | 1,692 square miles |
| Named for | The Eagle River, which starts in the county's southeast corner, runs west alongside I-70 and meets the Colorado River near Dotsero |
| Largest community | Edwards |
| Communities, east to west | Vail, Red Cliff, Minturn, Eagle-Vail, Avon, Edwards, Eagle and Gypsum; El Jebel and part of Basalt sit in the Roaring Fork valley in the southwest corner |
| Neighboring counties | Routt and Grand to the north, Summit to the east, Lake and Pitkin to the south, Garfield to the west |
Eagle-Vail is a separate community and not part of the Town of Vail, so an Eagle-Vail address is a different place from one in Vail Village or Lionshead.
The town and the county are separate governments
The Town of Vail runs its own police, fire department, court, public works and library. It was founded as a ski resort in 1962, incorporated as a town in 1966 and became a home rule charter town in 1972, and a seven-member council elected at large governs it. About 5,000 people live in Vail year-round and about 5,000 more own part-time homes there. Town offices are at 75 S. Frontage Road West.
Eagle County government is a different body, based at 500 Broadway in Eagle. Its departments include the sheriff, the clerk and recorder, road and bridge, public health and Eagle County Regional Airport, the airport that serves Vail.
Where the county matters on a trip
Marriage licenses
A Vail wedding needs a license from a county clerk, not from the town. Eagle County takes the application online, issues the license by appointment with both partners present and valid identification, and charges $30. The license has to be issued within 35 days before the ceremony. It is valid only in Colorado, and any Colorado county clerk can issue it, so it does not have to come from Eagle County.
Fire restrictions
Summer campfire and fireworks rules move through stages, and the county posts the current stage on ECEmergency.org. Check it before a campfire or a summer barbecue.
Getting around the county
The Town of Vail Transit Department runs free year-round buses in town, and Core Transit connects Vail with Avon, Beaver Creek, Edwards, Eagle, Gypsum, Dotsero, Minturn, Red Cliff and Leadville on routes that are mostly free, according to Vail's resort site. The town puts the airport at a 40-minute drive or shuttle ride from Vail and Denver International Airport at about two hours. See getting from Avon to Vail, the distance to Beaver Creek and the closest airport to Vail.
More about the place
Where Vail sits on Interstate 70 gives the exits and driving distances. The Eagle River and Gore Creek are covered in what river runs through Vail, and the surrounding peaks in what mountain range Vail is in. To choose a place to stay, start with the Vail hotels directory.
