Sinkhole risk in Elbert County, CO: Not karst, but voids possible

Not karst, but voids possible

No soluble bedrock; some pseudokarst (piping or lava-tube ground).

On soluble rock: 0%
At or near the surface: 0%
Buried under cover: 0%

What this means before you buy

Not true karst, but soil piping or lava tubes can still open voids - mention it to an inspector.

Across 1,850 square miles, under one square mile of Elbert County maps onto soluble rock. With about 29,382 residents (16 per square mile), much of the land is open, and the mapped rock may sit far from where people actually live. The figures come from 301 map points about 2.5 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: how ground with no limestone still opens up, and how these percentages are measured.

Counties around Elbert County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Dawes County, NE, about 240 miles north. 1 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Arapahoe County, CO 26 mi northwest · 0% at surface
Lincoln County, CO 39 mi southeast · 0% at surface
El Paso County, CO 40 mi southwest · 2% at surface
Adams County, CO 40 mi north · 0% at surface
Douglas County, CO 43 mi west · 1% at surface
Denver County, CO 51 mi northwest · 0% at surface

Against the rest of Colorado

Elbert County ranks 52 of 64 in Colorado for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 0% of US counties on that measure.