There were three nearly simultaneous explosions targeted at producing unconventional natural gas, all detonated as Project Rio Blanco.

[6] At the 2000 census there were 5,986 people, 2,306 households, and 1,646 families living in the county.

[14] Rio Blanco is an overwhelmingly Republican county in Presidential elections.

In that election Rio Blanco was Landon's strongest county in the eleven western states, marginally shading normal Republican “banner county” Kane.

In fact, since 1968 only one Democratic presidential candidate, Michael Dukakis in 1988, and him only very marginally, has topped thirty percent of Rio Blanco County's ballots.

In other statewide elections, Rio Blanco County also leans Republican, although it was carried by Democrat Roy Romer in 1990[16] – when he carried all but four counties statewide – and by Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo in 2010.

[17] Rio Blanco County was also carried by Democratic Senatorial candidate “Nighthorse” Campbell in 1992,[18] although since then no Democratic candidate for this office has surpassed thirty percent since.