Sedgwick County covers 548 square miles of Colorado’s northeastern corner, tucked at the intersection of the Nebraska and Kansas borders along the South Platte River. The county was established in 1889 and named for Fort Sedgwick, a U.S. Army post established in 1864 to protect the South Platte River road. The county seat is Julesburg (~1,100), the only incorporated city in the county and Colorado’s northeasternmost community, situated at 3,477 feet where I-76 crosses the South Platte River and the Nebraska state line is just miles away.
Sedgwick County is one of Colorado’s smallest by population, with a total count of approximately 2,400. Julesburg holds a notable place in Western history as one of the most important waypoints on the Overland Trail and the site of the 1865 Battle of Julesburg, a major Cheyenne and Sioux raid on the town and Fort Sedgwick. The county’s economy today is almost entirely agricultural — dryland wheat and corn on the high plains, with some irrigated land near the South Platte. All landlord-tenant matters are governed by CRS Title 38, Article 12. No rent control. Evictions are filed in Sedgwick County District Court in Julesburg (13th Judicial District).
SB 24-094: 72hr begin remedial action; 24hr life-safety
Late Fee Grace Period
7 days; max $50 or 5% past-due rent
Security Deposit Return
30 days; triple damages for wrongful withholding
Court
Sedgwick County District Court — Julesburg (13th Judicial District)
HB 25-1249
Security deposit cap: 1 month’s rent (effective Jan 1, 2026)
Sedgwick County Landlord Rules & Colorado Law
CRS Title 38 applied to Julesburg’s northeastern corner market — practical considerations for landlords in Colorado’s most remote frontier community
Category
Details
Julesburg’s Rental Market: The Last Stop in Colorado
Sedgwick County is, by most measures, the most remote and smallest rental market in Colorado. Julesburg, with a population of approximately 1,100, is the county’s only incorporated community and sits at the extreme northeastern corner of the state where I-76 exits Colorado into Nebraska. The rental market is extremely thin — most residents are owner-occupants on agricultural land — and demand is limited to county government employees, school district staff, the handful of service businesses that support the I-76 corridor (truck stops, motels, fuel), and agricultural workers. The county has experienced steady population decline over the past several decades as agricultural consolidation has reduced farm employment. Landlords who invest here must plan for extended vacancies, manage properties with very conservative financial assumptions, and approach tenant relationships with the community-minded patience appropriate to a very small-town context.
Just-Cause Eviction (HB 24-1098)
Effective April 19, 2024. 90-day written notice required for no-fault non-renewals of tenancies of 12+ months. Valid causes include: nonpayment, material lease violations, criminal activity, nuisance, landlord/family occupancy, sale, substantial renovation, or withdrawal from the rental market. Exemptions: owner-occupied SFH/duplex/triplex, sub-12-month tenancies, STRs, and employer housing. Agricultural employer housing on farm and ranch operations may qualify for the employer housing exemption. One rent increase per 12-month period maximum.
Julesburg’s Frontier History
Julesburg holds a significant and colorful place in the history of the American West. The town that now exists is actually the fourth incarnation of Julesburg — the previous three were destroyed or relocated due to Indian raids, railroad operations, and flooding. The original Julesburg was established in the 1850s as a station on the Overland Trail, the major emigrant and mail route across the central plains. In January 1865, a large force of Cheyenne and Sioux warriors attacked Julesburg and Fort Sedgwick in retaliation for the Sand Creek Massacre, killing soldiers and settlers and burning much of the town in what became known as the Battle of Julesburg. The town was attacked again in February 1865. After the Civil War, the railroad arrived and transformed Julesburg into a raucous end-of-track town before moving on; subsequent floods and relocations produced the current stable community. The Fort Sedgwick Depot Museum preserves this history.
I-76 Corridor & Plains Climate
Julesburg sits at the junction of I-76 and US-385, making it the primary commercial stop for traffic between Denver and the Nebraska/Kansas agricultural corridor. The handful of fuel, food, and lodging businesses that serve this traffic represent the town’s most stable non-agricultural employment. The high plains climate at Julesburg is characterized by cold winters (lows below -10°F), hot summers (above 100°F), frequent high winds, and occasional severe blizzards. SB 24-094 requires landlords to begin remedial action within 72 hours and address life-safety issues within 24 hours. The nearest significant contractor base is Sterling (Logan County, approximately 35 miles west). Pre-arrange HVAC and plumbing contractors before any tenancy begins.
Security Deposits & HB 25-1249
Effective January 1, 2026, HB 25-1249 caps security deposits at one month’s rent. At Julesburg’s very modest rent levels this is not a practical constraint. Return within 30 days; itemized statement required; triple damages for wrongful withholding. Late fees: 7-day grace period; maximum $50 or 5% of past-due rent. In a community this small, the practical landlord-tenant relationship is deeply personal. Documentation practices, proactive communication, and good-faith conflict resolution are even more important here than in larger markets, because legal disputes in a town of 1,100 people carry significant community reputational consequences for all parties.
CRS Title 38, Article 12 — statutes, procedures, and landlord rights applicable in Sedgwick County
⚡ Quick Overview
10
Days Notice (Nonpayment)
10
Days Notice (Violation)
30-50
Avg Total Days
$85
Filing Fee (Approx)
💰 Nonpayment of Rent
Notice Type10-Day Demand for Compliance or Possession
Notice Period10 days
Tenant Can Cure?Yes
Days to Hearing7-14 days
Days to Writ48 hours after judgment days
Total Estimated Timeline30-50 days
Total Estimated Cost$150-$500
⚠️ Watch Out
HB 24-1098 (2024) increased notice period from 3 to 10 days for nonpayment. Tenant can cure by paying full rent owed. Late fees cannot be charged during the 10-day period. Landlord must accept partial payment if offered during notice period in some cases.
Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
File an eviction case with the County Court. Pay the filing fee (~$85).
Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
Attend the court hearing and present your case.
If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.
⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Colorado eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice.
Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections.
For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Colorado attorney or local legal aid organization.
🔍 Reduce Your Risk Before Signing a Lease:
Colorado landlords who screen tenants carefully before signing a lease significantly
reduce their risk of ending up in eviction court. Understanding
tenant screening in Colorado —
including background checks, credit history, income verification, and rental references — is one of the most
cost-effective steps you can take to protect your rental property. Before you ever need Colorado's
eviction process, proper tenant screening can help
you identify red flags early and avoid problem tenancies altogether.
Ready to File?
Generate Colorado-Compliant Legal Documents
AI-generated, state-specific eviction notices, pay-or-quit letters, lease termination documents, and more — pre-filled with your tenant's information and built to Colorado requirements.
Calculate your required notice period under Colorado law
📋 Notice Period Calculator
Select your state, eviction reason, and the date you plan to serve notice. We'll calculate your earliest filing date and key milestones.
⚠️ Disclaimer: These calculations are estimates based on state statutes and typical court timelines. Actual results vary by county, court backlog, and case specifics. Always verify current requirements with your local courthouse. This is not legal advice.
Established 1889; named for Fort Sedgwick (U.S. Army post, 1864). County seat: Julesburg (~1,100) at 3,477 ft — Colorado’s northeasternmost city; at I-76/US-385 junction. Battle of Julesburg (1865) — major Cheyenne and Sioux raid on the town and fort. Overland Trail waypoint. Fort Sedgwick Depot Museum. One of the smallest rental markets in Colorado. Borders Nebraska (north & east) and Kansas (south). 13th Judicial District. Dryland wheat and corn agriculture.
Sedgwick County
Julesburg Landlord Essentials
Ultra-thin market — target government, school district, and I-76 corridor service employees for the most stable tenancies. Plan for extended vacancies; no dependence on rental income for debt service. Agricultural employer housing may qualify for HB 24-1098 exemption. Pre-arrange contractors in Sterling (35 mi west); plains winters hit -10°F. Community-based relationships matter: good documentation and proactive communication are essential. HB 24-1098: 90-day no-fault notice. HB 25-1249: 1-month deposit cap Jan 1, 2026. Evictions: 13th Judicial District, Julesburg.
A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Sedgwick County, Colorado
Sedgwick County occupies 548 square miles at the extreme northeastern corner of Colorado, where the state lines of Nebraska and Kansas converge and the South Platte River makes its final Colorado miles before crossing into Nebraska near Julesburg. The county was established in 1889 and named for Fort Sedgwick, the U.S. Army post established in 1864 at the confluence of Lodgepole Creek and the South Platte River to protect the Overland Trail from attack. The county seat, Julesburg, at 3,477 feet elevation, is Colorado’s northeasternmost incorporated community and one of the most historically significant waypoints on the central plains corridor that connected the eastern United States to the Pacific West during the 19th century.
Julesburg: Four Lives on the Frontier
Julesburg has the unusual distinction of being a community that was effectively destroyed and rebuilt four separate times at slightly different locations over a span of thirty years — a trajectory that reflects the violent and dynamic character of the frontier era on the central plains. The original Julesburg was established in the 1850s as a trading post and stage station on the Overland Trail, named for Jules Beni (or Reni), a French-Canadian trader who operated the station. The station became famous partly because of its operator’s conflict with Jack Slade, the ruthless Division Agent for the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company, which resulted in Beni’s death and established Slade’s grim reputation along the trail.
The second iteration of the town was established near Fort Sedgwick and became the site of the Battle of Julesburg in January 1865. In retaliation for the Sand Creek Massacre of November 1864, in which U.S. Army troops killed approximately 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho people at a peaceful encampment in eastern Colorado, a large coalition of Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho warriors attacked Julesburg and Fort Sedgwick simultaneously. The raid killed approximately fourteen soldiers and civilians, destroyed much of the town, and looted the stage company’s stores. A second attack in February 1865 completed the destruction. After the railroad arrived in 1867, a new Julesburg grew up as a classic end-of-track town — a brief, raucous center of gambling, vice, and commerce that migrated west with the construction crew. The fourth and final Julesburg was established at its current location in 1881 and has been stable since, a quiet agricultural service community at the northeastern edge of the state.
Sedgwick County Today: Agricultural Persistence
Modern Sedgwick County is defined by the persistence of dryland agriculture — wheat and corn primarily — on a landscape that has seen significant farm consolidation over the past half-century. The county’s population of approximately 2,400 is among the smallest in Colorado, and Julesburg’s function as an I-76 corridor service stop (fuel, food, lodging for long-haul truckers and travelers) provides its most stable non-agricultural employment. The Fort Sedgwick Depot Museum, housed in the town’s historic Union Pacific depot, preserves the county’s remarkable frontier history.
For landlords, Sedgwick County represents Colorado’s most minimal rental market. All of Colorado’s landlord-tenant statutes apply fully — HB 24-1098’s 90-day just-cause non-renewal requirement, SB 24-094’s habitability standards, and HB 25-1249’s 1-month deposit cap (effective January 1, 2026) — but they govern a market where the number of active landlord-tenant relationships in the entire county can be counted in the dozens rather than the thousands. The most effective landlord in Julesburg is one who understands the community context, documents tenancies carefully, maintains properties diligently, communicates proactively, and approaches any disputes as a neighbor problem to be resolved rather than a legal proceeding to be won. Evictions are handled by the 13th Judicial District in Julesburg.
Sedgwick County landlord-tenant matters are governed by CRS Title 38, Article 12. Just-cause eviction (HB 24-1098): 90-day no-fault non-renewal notice required; agricultural employer housing may qualify for the employer housing exemption. Habitability (SB 24-094): 72-hour begin remedial action; 24-hour for life-safety; pre-arrange contractors in Sterling (35 miles west). Security deposits: HB 25-1249 caps at 1 month’s rent from Jan 1, 2026; return within 30 days. Late fees: 7-day grace; max $50 or 5% past-due rent. No rent control. One rent increase per 12 months maximum. Evictions filed in Sedgwick County District Court in Julesburg (13th Judicial District). Consult a licensed Colorado attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
Disclaimer: This page provides general information about landlord-tenant law in Sedgwick County, Colorado and is not legal advice. Laws change frequently. Always consult a licensed Colorado attorney before taking legal action. Last updated: April 2026.
