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Gimlett-LeFevre CabinPhoto: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
The Garfield handbook

Living in Garfield, CO: what to set up and who to call

Garfield has no town government of its own, so Chaffee County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Salida School District R-32. For emergencies, Garfield is closest to Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center, 12.1 miles away.

Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes
Garfield has no town government. It’s a census-designated place in Chaffee County, so the county and regional agencies provide most services. This page answers what we can; the same answers appear on Garfield’s town page under “Getting set up”.

I’m new in town

What to set up in Garfield, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerXcel Energyinvestor-owned utility · 15.9¢/kWhMore →
InternetWhich providers serve GarfieldData pending · FCC map (D4)
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Garfield’s trash rules yetMore →SchoolSalida School District R-32Which school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteOnlineRules from vote.govMore →ZIP code81227Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Garfield.

Electricity

Power comes from Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy (Public Service Co. of Colorado), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Garfield. Its homes paid an average of 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $93 a month (its average across Colorado).

Start or move service: xcelenergy.com · (800) 895-4999

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Internet

Which providers serve Garfield

Data pending · D4

This card will list the home internet providers the FCC’s National Broadband Map shows in Garfield, the share of addresses that can get 100/20 Mbps and the share with fiber, with the map’s “as of” date.

Source to come: FCC Broadband Data Collection.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Garfield’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Garfield.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileGarfield has no town government of its own, so look for trash and recycling rules on the county’s site.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Garfield kids go to
K–4Longfellow Elementary Schoolin Salida
5–82 middle schoolsDepends on your address
9–12Salida High Schoolin Salida

Garfield is in Salida School District R-32.

Test scores and every school: see Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

No town hall: the county runs things

Garfield is unincorporated, so Chaffee County is the local government.

Local governmentChaffee CountyGarfield is a census-designated place: no town hall of its ownCensus
Who runs elections hereChaffee County Clerk and RecorderElections here are run by Chaffee County (county election office). 104 Crestone Ave., PO Box 699, Salida, CO 81201 · (719) 530-5604 · [email protected]FVAP, Sep 2025
Register to voteOnlineIn Colorado you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 8 days before).vote.govCheck your registration and polling placesos.state.co.usThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Garfield is in ZIP code 81227

ZIP codes where Garfield residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of GarfieldZIP’s residents in Garfield
81227Monarch, CO100%100%

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

Nearest emergency roomHeart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center12.1 miles awayGet a library cardSalida Public Library405 'E' St. · (719) 539-4826

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Garfield

Who provides electricity in Garfield?

Xcel Energy (Public Service Co. of Colorado), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What ZIP codes are in Garfield?

81227. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Garfield in?

Salida School District R-32.

How do I register to vote in Garfield?

In Colorado you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 8 days before). Elections here are run by the Chaffee County Clerk and Recorder. Check your registration at sos.state.co.us.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  • ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
  • Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
  • Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
  • Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
  • Internet (FCC): pending.