
that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains
as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau
and the western edge of the Great Plains
. Colorado is part of the Western United States
and the Mountain States
.
The state was named for the Colorado River
, which early Spanish
explorers named the Río Colorado for the red colored silt the river carried from the mountains. On August 1, 1876, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant
signed a proclamation admitting Colorado as the 38th state.
1806 Pike expedition: Lieutenant Zebulon Pike sees a distant mountain peak while near the Colorado foothills of the Rocky Mountains (it is later named Pikes Peak).
1850 The Compromise of 1850 transfers a third of Texas's claimed territory (now parts of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Wyoming) to federal control in return for the U.S. federal government assuming $10 million of Texas's pre-annexation debt.
1858 Denver, Colorado is founded.
1861 Colorado is organized as a United States territory.
1876 Colorado is admitted as the 38th U.S. state.
1889 In Colorado, Nicholas Creede strikes it rich in silver during the last great silver boom of the American Old West.
1893 Women in the U.S. state of Colorado are granted the right to vote.
1894 Governor Davis H. Waite orders the Colorado state militia to protect and support the miners engaged in the Cripple Creek miners' strike.
1914 Forty-five men, women, and children die in the Ludlow Massacre during a Colorado coal-miner's strike.
1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.
that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains
as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau
and the western edge of the Great Plains
. Colorado is part of the Western United States
and the Mountain States
.
The state was named for the Colorado River
, which early Spanish
explorers named the Río Colorado for the red colored silt the river carried from the mountains. On August 1, 1876, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant
signed a proclamation admitting Colorado as the 38th state. Colorado is nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it was admitted to the Union
as the 38th state in 1876, the centennial year
of the United States Declaration of Independence
.
Colorado is bordered by the northwest
state of Wyoming
to the north, the midwest
states of Nebraska
and Kansas
to the northeast and east, on the south by New Mexico
and a small portion of the southern
state of Oklahoma
, and on the west by Utah
. The four states of Colorado, New Mexico
, Arizona
, and Utah
meet at one common point known as the Four Corners, which is known as the heart of the American Southwest
. Colorado is one of only three U.S. states with no natural borders, the others being neighboring Wyoming
and Utah
.
Colorado is noted for its vivid landscape of mountains, forests, high plains
, mesa
s, canyon
s, plateau
s, river
s, and desert lands
. The 2010 United States Census tallied the state population at 5,029,196 as of April 1, 2010, an increase of 16.92% since the 2000 United States Census. Denver is the capital and the most populous city of Colorado. Residents of the state are properly known as "Coloradans", although the archaic term "Coloradoan" is still used.
Geography
The borders of Colorado were originally defined to be lines of latitude and longitude, making its shape a latitude-longitude* quadrangle which stretches from 37°Nto 41°N
latitude and from 102°03'W
to 109°03'W
longitude (25°W
to 32°W
from the Washington Meridian
). Colorado, Wyoming
and Utah
are the only states which have boundaries defined solely by lines of latitude and longitude. When placing the border markers for the Territory of Colorado, minor surveying
errors resulted in several small kinks, most notably along the border with the Territory of Utah. Once agreed upon by the federal, state, and territorial governments, those surveyors' benchmarks
, became the legal boundaries for the Colorado Territory, kinks and all.

at 14440 feet (4,401 m) in elevation in Lake County is the highest point of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains. Colorado is the only U.S. state that lies entirely above 1000 metres (3,281 ft) elevation. The point where the Arikaree River
flows out of Yuma County, Colorado
, and into Cheyenne County, Kansas
, is the lowest point in Colorado at 3317 feet (1,011 m) elevation. This point holds the distinction of being the highest low elevation point of any state.
A little over one third of the area of Colorado is flat and rolling land. East of the Rocky Mountains are the Colorado Eastern Plains
of the High Plains
, the section of the Great Plains within Colorado at elevations ranging from roughly 3350 to 7360 ft (1,021.1 to 2,243.3 m). The midwest plains states of Kansas and Nebraska border Colorado to the east and northeast. The Colorado plains are usually thought of as prairie
s, but actually they have many patches of deciduous forests, butte
s, and canyons, much like the high plains in New Mexico as well. Eastern Colorado is presently mainly covered in farmland, along with small farming villages and towns. Precipitation
is fair, averaging from 15 to 25 in (381 to 635 mm) annually. The summers in the plains are normally hot and dry, while the winters are often quite cold, snowy, and icy. Corn
, wheat
, hay
, soybeans, and oats
are all typical crops, and most of the villages and towns in this region boast both a water tower
and a grain elevator
. As well as the farming of crop
s, Eastern Colorado has a good deal of livestock
raising, such as at cattle
ranches and hog farm
s and irrigation
water is available from the South Platte, the Arkansas River, and a few other streams, and also from subterranean sources, including artesian wells. However, heavy use of ground water from wells for irrigation has caused underground water reserves to decline.

between Cheyenne, Wyoming
, and Pueblo, Colorado
. This region is partially protected from prevailing storms that blow in from the Pacific Ocean region by the high Rockies in the middle of Colorado. The only other significant population centers are at Grand Junction and Durango in far western Colorado.

, Mount Evans
, Pikes Peak
, and the Spanish Peaks
near Walsenburg
, in southern Colorado. This area drains to the east and the southeast, ultimately either via the Mississippi River
or the Rio Grande
into the Gulf of Mexico
.
The Continental Divide
extends along the crest of the Rocky Mountains. The area of Colorado to the west of the Continental Divide is called the Western Slope of Colorado
. Drainage water west of the Continental Divide flows to the southwest via the Green River
and the Colorado River into the Gulf of California
.
Within the interior of the Rocky Mountains are several large so-called "parks" or high broad basins. In the north, on the east side of the Continental Divide is the North Park of Colorado
. The North Park is drained by the North Platte River
, which flows north into Wyoming and Nebraska. Just to the south of North Park, but on the western side of the Continental Divide, is the Middle Park of Colorado
, which is drained by the Colorado River. The South Park of Colorado
is the region of the headwaters of the South Platte River.
In southmost Colorado is the large San Luis Valley
, where the headwaters of the Rio Grande
are located. The valley sits between the Sangre De Cristo Mountains
and San Juan Mountains
, and consists of large desert lands that eventually run into the mountains. The Rio Grande drains due south into New Mexico, Mexico, and Texas. Across the Sangre de Cristo Range
to the east of the San Luis Valley lies the Wet Mountain Valley
. These basins, particularly the San Luis Valley, lie along the Rio Grande Rift
, a major geological formation of the Rocky Mountains, and its branches.
The Rocky Mountains within Colorado contain about 54 peaks that are 14000 feet (4,267 m) or higher in elevation above sea level, known as fourteeners. These mountains are largely covered with trees such as conifers and aspen
s up to the tree line, at an elevation of about 12140 feet (3,700 m) in southern Colorado to about 10500 feet (3,200 m) in northern Colorado. Above this only alpine vegetation grows. Only small parts of the Colorado Rockies are snow-covered year round. Much of the alpine snow melts by mid-August with the exception of a few snowcapped peaks and a few small glaciers. The Colorado Mineral Belt
, stretching from the San Juan Mountains
in the southwest to Boulder and Central City on the front range, contains most of the historic gold- and silver-mining districts of Colorado.
The 30 highest major summits of the Rocky Mountains
of North America
all lie within the state. Colorado is home to four national parks, six national monuments, two national recreation areas, two national historic sites, three national historic trails, a national scenic trail, 11 national forests, two national grasslands, 41 national wilderness areas, two national conservation areas, eight national wildlife refuges, 44 state parks, a state forest, 323 state wildlife areas, and numerous other scenic, historic, and recreational attractions.
The Western Slope of Colorado is drained by the Colorado River and its tributaries (primarily the Green River
and the San Juan River), or by evaporation in its arid areas. Prominent in the southwestern area of the Western Slope are the high San Juan Mountains, a rugged mountain range, and to the west of the San Juan Mountains, the Colorado Plateau
, a high arid region that borders Southern Utah. The city of Grand Junction, Colorado
, is the largest city on the Western Slope, Grand Junction and Durango are the only major centers of radio and television broadcasting, newspaper
s, and higher education on the Western Slope. The Mesa State College
in Grand Junction, Western State College in Gunnison, and Fort Lewis College in Durango are the only four-year colleges in Colorado west of the Continental Divide
.
Grand Junction is located along Interstate 70
, the only major highway of Western Colorado. Grand Junction is also along the major railroad of the Western Slope, the Union Pacific, which also provides the tracks for Amtrak
's California Zephyr
passenger train, which crosses the Rocky Mountains between Denver and Grand Junction via a route on which there are no continuous highways.
To the southeast of Grand Junction is the Grand Mesa
, said to be the world's largest flat-topped mountain. Other towns of the Western Slope include Glenwood Springs with its resort hot springs, and the ski resort
s of Aspen, Breckenridge, Vail, Crested Butte, Steamboat Springs, and Telluride.
The northwestern corner of Colorado is a sparsely-populated region, and it contains part of the noted Dinosaur National Monument
, which is not only a paleontological
area, but is also a scenic area of high, rocky hills, canyons, and streambeads. Here, the Green River briefly crosses over into Colorado.
From west to east, the land of Colorado consists of desert lands and desert plateaus, then alpine mountains with National Forests, then some scattered desert land in the southern mountain areas in the state, and then the relatively-flat grasslands and scattered forests of the Great Plains
. The famous Pikes Peak
is located just west of Colorado Springs. Its isolated peak is visible from nearly the Kansas border on clear days, and also far to the north and the south. The desert lands in Colorado are located in and around areas such as, the Royal Gorge
, Pueblo
, Canon City
, Florence
, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
, San Luis Valley
, Cortez
, Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument
, Ute Mountain
, Delta
, Grand Junction
, Colorado National Monument
, Roan Plateau
, and other areas surrounding the Uncompahgre Plateau
and Uncompahgre National Forest
.

Climate

of Colorado is quite complex compared to most of the United States. Unlike in other states, southern Colorado is not necessarily warmer than northern Colorado. Most of Colorado is made up of mountains, foothills, high plains, and desert lands. Mountains and surrounding valleys greatly affect local climate. As a general rule, with an increase in elevation comes a decrease in temperature
and an increase in precipitation
. Northeast, east, and southeast Colorado are mostly the high plains, while Northern Colorado is a mix of high plains, foothills, and mountains. Northwest and west Colorado are predominantly mountainous, with some desert lands mixed in. Southwest and southern Colorado are a complex mixture of desert and mountain areas.
Eastern Plains

BSk) with low humidity
and moderate precipitation
, usually from 15 to 25 in (381 to 635 mm) annually. The area is known for its abundant sunshine and cool clear nights, which give this area a great average diurnal temperature range
. In summer, this area can have many days above 95 °F (35 °C) and sometimes 100 °F (37.8 °C),. Although 105 °F (40.6 °C) is the maximum in the front range cities above 5000 ft (1,524 m), front range cities sitting just below 5000 ft (1,524 m) have reached 112 °F (44.4 °C),. In the plains, the winter extremes can be from 0 °F (-18 °C) to -10 °F. About 75% of the precipitation falls within the growing season, from April to September, but this area is very prone to droughts. Most of the precipitation comes from thunderstorm
s, which are often severe, and from major snowstorms that occur most often in the early spring, late autumn, and winter. Otherwise, winters tend to be mostly dry and cold. In much of the region, March and April are the snowiest months. April and May are normally the rainiest months, while April is the wettest month overall. The Front Range cities closer to the mountains tend to be warmer in the winter due to chinook wind
s which warm the area, sometimes bringing temperatures of 70 °F (21.1 °C) or higher in the winter,. The average July temperature is 55 °F (12.8 °C) in the morning and close to 90 °F (32.2 °C) in the afternoon. The average January temperature is 18 °F (-7.8 °C) in the morning and 45 °F (7.2 °C) in the afternoon, although variation between consecutive days can be 40 °F (22 °C).
West of the plains and foothills

at higher elevations. Humid microclimate
s also exist in some areas. Generally, the wettest season in western Colorado is winter while June is the driest month. This is the opposite of precipitation patterns in the east. The mountains have cool summers with many days of high temperatures around 60 °F (15.6 °C) to 70 °F (21.1 °C), although frequent thunderstorms can cause sudden drops in temperature. Summer nights are cool or even cold at the highest elevations, which sometimes get snow even in the middle of the summer. The winters bring abundant, powdery snowfall to the mountains with plenty of sunshine in between major storms. The western slope has high summer temperatures similar to those found on the plains, while the winters tend to be slightly cooler due to the lack of warming winds common to the plains and Front Range. Other areas in the west have their own unique climate.
Extreme weather
Extreme weather is a common occurrence in Colorado. Thunderstorms are common east of the Continental divide in the spring and summer, and Colorado is one of the leading states in deaths due to lightning. Hail
is a common sight in the mountains east of the divide and in the northwest part of the state. The Eastern Plains have some of the biggest hail storms in North America. Also the Eastern Plains are part of Tornado Alley
and produce some of the deadliest U.S. tornadoes. Some damaging tornadoes in the Eastern Plains include the 1990 Limon F3
tornado and the 2008 Windsor EF3
tornado, which devastated the town.
The plains are also susceptible to flood
s, which are caused both by thunderstorms and by the rapid melting of snow in the mountains during warm weather. Denver's record in 1921 for the number of consecutive days above 90 °F (32.2 °C) was broken during the summer of 2008. The new record of 24 consecutive days surpassed the previous record by almost a week. Much of Colorado is a relatively dry state averaging only 17 inches (431.8 mm) of rain per year statewide and rarely experiences a time when some portion of the state is not in some degree of drought. The lack of precipitation contributes to the severity of wildfire
s in the state such as the Hayman Fire
, one of the largest wildfires in American history, and the Fourmile Canyon Fire of 2010, the most destructive wildfire in Colorado's recorded history.
However, there are some of the mountainous regions of Colorado which receive a huge amount of moisture via winter snowfalls. The spring melts of these snows often cause great waterflows in such rivers as the Yampa River
, the Grand River
, the Colorado River, the Rio Grande, the Arkansas River, Cherry Creek
, the North Platte River, and the South Platte River. Water flowing out of the Colorado Rocky Mountains is a very significant source of water for the farms, towns, and cities of fellow southwest states of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, as well as midwest like Nebraska and Kansas, and also southern states like Oklahoma and Texas. A significant amount of water is also diverted for use in California; occasionally (formerly naturally and consistently) the flow of water reaches northern Mexico.
Records
The highest temperature recorded in Colorado was 118 °F (47.8 °C) on July 11, 1888, at Bennett, whereas the lowest was -61 °F on February 1, 1985, at Maybell
.
City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alamosa | 35/−2 | 40/6 | 51/17 | 60/24 | 70/33 | 79/41 | 83/47 | 80/46 | 73/37 | 62/25 | 47/12 | 36/1 |
Colorado Springs | 43/18 | 45/20 | 52/26 | 60/33 | 69/43 | 79/51 | 85/57 | 82/56 | 75/47 | 63/36 | 51/25 | 42/18 |
Denver | 44/19 | 46/21 | 54/27 | 61/35 | 71/44 | 82/53 | 89/59 | 86/58 | 78/49 | 65/37 | 52/26 | 43/18 |
Grand Junction | 38/18 | 46/25 | 57/32 | 66/39 | 76/48 | 88/57 | 94/64 | 90/62 | 81/53 | 67/41 | 51/29 | 39/19 |
Pueblo | 47/14 | 51/18 | 60/26 | 68/34 | 77/44 | 88/53 | 93/59 | 90/58 | 82/48 | 70/34 | 57/23 | 46/14 |
Earthquakes
On August 22, 2011, a 5.3 magnitudeearthquake
occurred nine miles WSW
of the city of Trinidad
. No casualties and only small damage was reported. It was the second largest earthquake in Colorado since a magnitude 5.7 earthquake was recorded in 1973.
History

The region that is today the state of Colorado has been inhabited by Native Americans
for more than 13 millennia. The Lindenmeier Site
in Larimer County contains artifacts
dating from approximately 11200 BCE to 3000 BCE. The eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains
was a major migration route
that was important to the spread of early peoples throughout the Americas
. The Ancient Pueblo Peoples
lived in the valley
s and mesa
s of the Colorado Plateau
. The Ute Nation inhabited the mountain valleys of the Southern Rocky Mountains
and the Western Rocky Mountains. The Arapaho Nation and the Cheyenne Nation moved west to hunt across the High Plains
.
The United States acquired a territorial claim to the eastern flank of the Rocky Mountains with the Louisiana Purchase
from France in 1803. This U.S. claim conflicted with the claim of Spain to a huge region surrounding its colony
of Santa Fé de Nuevo Méjico as its sovereign
trading zone with native peoples. Zebulon Pike
led a U.S. Army reconnaissance expedition
into the disputed region in 1806. Colonel Pike and his men were arrested by Spanish cavalrymen in the San Luis Valley
the following February, taken to Chihuahua
, and then expelled from Mexico the following July.

and south of 42nd parallel north
and west of the 100th meridian west
as part of its purchase of Florida from Spain with the Adams-Onís Treaty
of 1819. The treaty took effect February 22, 1821. Having settled its border with Spain, the United States admitted the southeastern portion of the Territory of Missouri to the Union
as the state of Missouri on August 10, 1821. The remainder of the Missouri Territory
, including what would become northeastern Colorado, became unorganized territory, and would remain so for 33 years over the question of slavery. After 11 years of war, Spain finally recognized the independence of Mexico with the Treaty of Córdoba
signed on August 24, 1821. Mexico eventually ratified the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1831. The Texian Revolt of 1835–1836 fomented a dispute between the United States and Mexico which eventually erupted into the Mexican-American War in 1846. Mexico surrendered its northern territory to the United States with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
at the conclusion of the war in 1848.
Most American settler
s traveling overland west to the Oregon Country
, the new goldfields of California, or the new Mormon
settlements of Deseret
in the Salt Lake Valley
, avoided the rugged Southern Rocky Mountains
, and instead followed the North Platte River
and Sweetwater River
to South Pass
, the lowest crossing of the Continental Divide
between the Southern Rocky Mountains and the Central Rocky Mountains. In 1849, the Mormons of the Salt Lake Valley organized the extralegal State of Deseret
, claiming the entire Great Basin
and all lands drained by the Green
, Grand
, and Colorado
rivers. The federal government of the United States flatly refused to recognize the new Mormon government, because it was theocratic and sanctioned plural marriage. Instead, the Compromise of 1850
divided the Mexican Cession
and the northwestern claims of Texas into a new state and two new territories, the state of California, the Territory of New Mexico, and the Territory of Utah. On April 9, 1851, Mexican American
settlers from the area of Taos
settled the village of San Luis
, then in the New Mexico Territory
, later to become Colorado's first permanent Euro-American
settlement.

persuaded the U.S. Congress to divide the unorganized territory east of the Continental Divide
into two new organized territories, the Territory of Kansas and the Territory of Nebraska, and an unorganized southern region known as the Indian territory
. Each new territory was to decide the fate of slavery within its boundaries, but this compromise merely served to fuel animosity between free soil and pro-slavery factions.
Gold
was discovered along the South Platte River
then in western Kansas Territory
in July 1858, precipitating the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. The placer gold deposits
along the rivers and streams of the region rapidly played out, but prospectors
soon discovered far more valuable seams of hard rock gold in the nearby mountains.

on August 24, 1859, but this new territory failed to secure approval from the Congress of the United States embroiled in the debate over slavery. The election of Abraham Lincoln
for the President of the United States on November 6, 1860, led to the secession
of nine southern slave states and the threat of civil war among the states
. Seeking to augment the political power of the Union states, the Republican Party
dominated Congress quickly admitted the eastern portion of the Territory of Kansas into the Union
as the free State of Kansas
on January 29, 1861, leaving the western portion of the Kansas Territory, and its gold-mining areas, as unorganized territory.
Thirty days later on February 28, 1861, outgoing U.S. President James Buchanan
signed an Act of Congress organizing the free Territory of Colorado. The original boundaries of Colorado remain unchanged today. The name Colorado was chosen because it was commonly believed that the Colorado River
originated in the territory. In 1776, Spanish priest Silvestre Vélez de Escalante recorded that Native Americans
in the area knew the river as el Rio Colorado for the red-brown silt that the river carried from the mountains. In 1859, a U.S. Army topographic
expedition led by Captain John Macomb located the confluence of the Green River
with the Grand River in what is now Canyonlands National Park
in Utah
. The Macomb party designated the confluence as the source of the Colorado River.
On April 12, 1861, South Carolina
artillery opened fire on Fort Sumter
to start the American Civil War
. While many gold seekers held sympathies for the Confederacy
, the vast majority remained fiercely loyal to the Union
cause. In 1862, a force of Texas cavalry invaded the Territory of New Mexico and captured Santa Fe
on March 10. The object of this Western Campaign
was to seize or disrupt the gold fields of Colorado and California and to seize ports on the Pacific Ocean for the Confederacy. A hastily organized force of Colorado volunteers force-marched from Denver City, Colorado Territory, to Glorieta Pass
, New Mexico Territory, in an attempt to block the Texans. On March 28, the Coloradans and local New Mexico volunteers stopped the Texans at the Battle of Glorieta Pass
, destroyed their cannon and supply wagons, and ran off 500 head of their horses and mules. The Texans were forced to retreat to Santa Fe. Having lost the supplies for their campaign and finding little support in New Mexico, the Texans abandoned Santa Fe and returned to San Antonio in defeat. The Confederacy made no further attempts to seize the Southwestern United States
.
In 1864, Territorial Governor
John Evans
appointed the Reverend John Chivington
as Colonel of the Colorado Volunteers with orders to protect white settlers from Cheyenne
and Arapaho
warriors who were accused of stealing cattle. Colonel Chivington ordered his men to attack a band of Cheyenne and Arapaho encamped along Sand Creek
. Chivington reported that his troops killed more than 500 warriors. The militia returned to Denver City in triumph, but several officers reported that the so called battle was a blatant massacre
of Indians at peace, that most of the dead were women and children, and that bodies of the dead had been mutilated and desecrated in hideous manner. Three U.S. Army inquiries condemned the action, and incoming President Andrew Johnson
asked Governor Evans for his resignation, but none of the perpetrators was ever punished.

near Argentine Pass
, the first of many silver strikes. In 1867, the Union Pacific Railroad
laid its tracks west to Weir
, now Julesburg
, in the northeast corner of the Territory. The Union Pacific linked up with the Central Pacific Railroad
at Promontory Summit, Utah, on May 10, 1869, to form the First Transcontinental Railroad
. The Denver Pacific Railway
reached Denver in June of the following year, and the Kansas Pacific arrived two months later to forge the second line across the continent. In 1872, rich veins of silver were discovered in the San Juan Mountains
on the Ute Indian
reservation in southwestern Colorado. The Ute people were removed from the San Juans the following year.
The United States Congress
passed an enabling act on March 3, 1875, specifying the requirements for the Territory of Colorado to become a state. On August 1, 1876 (28 days after the Centennial of the United States), U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant
signed a proclamation admitting Colorado to the Union
as the 38th state
and earning it the moniker "Centennial State".

lode near Leadville in 1878, triggered the Colorado Silver Boom
. The Sherman Silver Purchase Act
of 1890 invigorated silver mining, and Colorado's last, but greatest, gold strike at Cripple Creek
a few months later lured a new generation of gold seekers. Colorado women were granted the right to vote
beginning on November 7, 1893, making Colorado the second state to grant universal suffrage
and the first one by a popular vote (of Colorado men). The repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1893 led to a staggering collapse of the mining and agricultural economy of Colorado, but the state slowly and steadily recovered.
Colorado became the first western state to host a major political convention when the Democratic Party
met in Denver in 1908. By the U.S. Census in 1930
, the population of Colorado first exceeded one million residents. Colorado suffered greatly through the Great Depression
and the Dust Bowl
of the 1930s, but a major wave of immigration following World War II boosted Colorado's fortune. Tourism
became a mainstay of the state economy, and high technology became an important economic engine. The United States Census Bureau
estimated that the population of Colorado exceeded five million in 2009.
Three warship
s of the U.S. Navy have been named the USS Colorado
. The first USS Colorado was named for the Colorado River. The later two ships were named in honor of the state, including the battleship
USS Colorado
which served in World War II in the Pacific
beginning in 1941. At the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor
, this USS Colorado was located at the naval base in San Diego, Calif. and hence went unscathed.
Demographics

with an estimated 2009 population of 3,110,436, is home to 61.90% of the state's residents.
As of 2005, Colorado has an estimated population of 4,665,177, which is an increase of 63,356, or 1.4%, from the prior year and an increase of 363,162, or 8.4%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 205,321 people (that is 353,091 births minus 147,770 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 159,957 people into the state. Immigration
from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 112,217 people, and migration
within the country produced a net increase of 47,740 people.
The largest increases are expected in the Front Range Urban Corridor
, especially in the Denver metropolitan area. The state's fastest-growing counties are Douglas and Weld. The center of population
of Colorado is located just north of the village of Critchell in Jefferson County.
Colorado has a high proportion of Hispanic
, mostly Mexican-American, citizens in Metropolitan Denver, Colorado Springs, as well as the smaller cities of Greeley and Pueblo, and in many other smaller cities and towns all throughout the state. Colorado is well known for its strong Latino
culture and presence. Southern, Southwestern, and Southeastern Colorado has a large number of Hispanos
, the descendants of the early Mexican settlers of colonial Spanish origin. The 2000 United States Census found that 10.5% of people aged five and over in Colorado speak only Spanish at home, with the 2009 estimate being roughly 14%. Colorado also has a large immigration presence all throughout the state, which has led to Colorado cities being referred to as "Sanctuary Cities" for illegal immigrants as well. Colorado has the 5th highest percentage of undocumented people in the U.S., only behind Nevada, Arizona, California, and tied with Texas. An estimated 5.5-6.0% of the state's population is composed of illegal immigrants. Also, over 20% of the state's prisoners are undocumented inmates. Colorado, like New Mexico, is very rich in archaic Spanish idioms.
Colorado also has some African-American communities located in Denver, in the neighborhoods of Montbello, Green Valley Ranch, Park Hill, Five Points, Whittier, and many other East Denver areas. A decent amount of African Americans are also found in Colorado Springs on the east and southeast side of the city. The state has sizable numbers of Asian-Americans of Mongolian
, Chinese
, Filipino
, Korean, Southeast Asian and Japanese
descent. The highest population of Asian Americans can be found on the south and southeast side of Denver, as well as some on Denver's southwest side. The Denver metropolitan area is considered more liberal and diverse than much of the state when it comes to political issues and environmental concerns.
According to the 2000 Census, the largest ancestry groups in Colorado are German
(22%) including of Swiss and Austrian
nationalities, Mexican (18%), Irish (12%), and English (12%). Persons reporting German ancestry
are especially numerous in the Front Range, the Rockies (west-central counties) and Eastern parts/High Plains. Denver, as well as all of Colorado, have numerous amount of predominately Latino
neighborhoods and communities. Also, Denver and nearby areas on the Front Range has sizable German
, Scandinavian
, Italian
, Slavic
and Jewish American communities, partly a legacy of gold rush
es in the late 19th century (1861–1889).
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Colorado had a population of 5,029,196. In terms of race and ethnicity, the state was 81.3% White (70.0% Non-Hispanic White Alone), 4.0% Black or African American, 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 7.2% from Some Other Race, and 3.4% from Two or More Races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 20.7% of the population.
There were a total of 70,331 births in Colorado in 2006. (Birth Rate of 14.6). In 2007, non-Hispanic whites were involved in 59.1% of all the births. Some 14.06% of those births involved a non-Hispanic white person and someone of a different race, most often with a couple including one Hispanic. A birth where at least one Hispanic person was involved counted for 43% of the births in Colorado. As of the 2010 Census, Colorado has the seventh highest percentage of Hispanics (20.7%) in the U.S. behind New Mexico
(46.3%), California
(37.6%), Texas
(37.6%), Arizona
(29.6%), Nevada
(26.5%), and Florida
(22.5%). Per the 2000 census, the Hispanic population is estimated to be 918,899 or approximately 20% of the state total population. Colorado has the 4th largest population of Mexican-Americans behind California, Texas, and Arizona. In percentages, Colorado has the 6th highest percentage of Mexican-Americans behind New Mexico, California, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada.
Religion


- Christian — 64%
- ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
— 44%- Evangelical — 23%
- Mainline — 19%
- Other Protestant — 2%
- Roman CatholicRoman Catholicism in the United StatesThe Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope. With more than 68.5 registered million members, it is the largest single religious denomination in the United States, comprising about 22 percent of the population...
— 19% - Latter Day Saint / Mormon — 2%
- Orthodox — 1%
- Protestant
- Jewish — 2%
- MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
— 1% - Other Religions — 5%
- Unaffiliated — 25%
The largest denominations by number of adherents in 2000 were the Roman Catholic Church with 752,505; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 92,326 (133,727 year-end 2007) ; and Baptist
with 85,083.
At 25%, Colorado also has an above-average proportion of citizens who claim no religion. The U.S. average is 17%.
Health
Colorado also has a reputation for being a state of active and athletic people. According to several studies, Coloradans have the lowest rates of obesity of any state in the US. As of 2007 the 18% of the population was considered medically obese, and while the lowest in the nation, the percentage had increased from 17% from 2004. Colorado Governor Bill Ritter commented: “As an avid fisherman and bike rider, I know first-hand that Colorado provides a great environment for active, healthy lifestyles,” although he highlighted the need for continued education and support to slow the growth of obesity in the state.Culture
Cuisine
Colorado is known for its Southwestand Rocky Mountain cuisine
. Mexican restaurants are throughout the state.
Boulder, Colorado
was named America’s Foodiest Town 2010 by Bon Appétit
. Boulder, and Colorado in general, is home to a number of national food and beverage companies, top-tier restaurants and farmers' markets. Boulder, Colorado
also has more Master Sommeliers per capita than any other city, including San Francisco and New York.
The Food & Wine Classic held annually each June in Aspen, Colorado
. Aspen also has a reputation as the culinary capital of the Rocky Mountain region.
Denver, Colorado
is known for steak, but now has a diverse culinary scene with many top-tier restaurants.
Wine
Colorado wines include award-winning varietals that have attracted favorable notice from outside the state. With wines made from traditional Vitis vinifera
grapes along with wines made from cherries, peaches, plums and honey, Colorado wines have won top national and international awards for their quality. Colorado's grape growing regions contain the highest elevation
vineyard
s in the United States, with most viticulture
in the state practiced between 4000 feet (1,219 m) and 7000 feet (2,134 m) feet above sea level. The mountain
climate
ensures warm summer days and cool nights. Colorado is home to two designated American Viticultural Area
s of the Grand Valley AVA
and the West Elks AVA
, where most of the vineyards in the state are located. However, an increasing number of wineries are located along the Front Range
.
Economy

CNBC's list of "Top States for Business for 2010" has recognized Colorado as the third best state in the nation, falling short to only Texas and Virginia.




estimates that the total state product in 2010 was $257.6 billion. Per capita personal income in 2010 was $51 940, ranking Colorado 11th in the nation. The state's economy broadened from its mid-19th century roots in mining when irrigated agriculture developed, and by the late 19th century, raising livestock had become important. Early industry was based on the extraction and processing of minerals and agricultural products. Current agricultural products are cattle
, wheat
, dairy product
s, corn
, and hay
.
The federal government
is also a major economic force in the state with many important federal facilities including NORAD, United States Air Force Academy
and Peterson Air Force Base
in Colorado Springs; NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology
in Boulder; U.S. Geological Survey and other government agencies at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood; the Denver Mint
, Buckley Air Force Base
, and 10th Circuit Court of Appeals
in Denver; and a federal Supermax Prison
and other federal prisons near Cañon City. In addition to these and other federal agencies
, Colorado has abundant National Forest
land and four National Parks that contribute to federal ownership of 24615788 acres (99,617 km²) of land in Colorado, or 37% of the total area of the state.
In the second half of the 20th century, the industrial and service sectors have expanded greatly. The state's economy is diversified and is notable for its concentration of scientific research and high-technology industries. Other industries include food processing
, transportation equipment, machinery
, chemical products
, the extraction of metals such as gold (see Gold mining in Colorado
), silver
, and molybdenum
. Colorado now also has the largest annual production of beer of any state. Denver is an important financial center.
A number of nationally known brand names have originated in Colorado factories and laboratories. From Denver came the forerunner of telecommunications giant Qwest
in 1879, Samsonite
luggage in 1910, Gates
belts and hoses in 1911, and Russell Stover Candies
in 1923. Kuner canned vegetables began in Brighton in 1864. From Golden came Coors
beer in 1873, CoorsTek
industrial ceramics in 1920, and Jolly Rancher
candy in 1949. CF&I
railroad rails, wire, nails and pipe debuted in Pueblo in 1892. Holly Sugar
was first milled from beets in Holly in 1905, and later moved its headquarters to Colorado Springs. The present-day Swift
packed meat of Greeley evolved from Monfort of Colorado, Inc., established in 1930. Estes
model rockets were launched in Penrose in 1958. Fort Collins has been the home of Woodward Governor Company
's motor controllers (governors) since 1870, and Waterpik dental water jets and showerheads since 1962. Celestial Seasonings
herbal teas have been made in Boulder since 1969. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
made its first candy in Durango in 1981.
Colorado has a flat 4.63% income tax
, regardless of income level. Unlike most states, which calculate taxes based on federal adjusted gross income, Colorado taxes are based on taxable income – income after federal exemptions and federal itemized (or standard) deductions. Colorado's state sales tax
is 2.9% on retail sales. When state revenues exceed state constitutional limits, full-year Colorado residents can claim a sales tax refund on their individual state income tax return. Many counties and cities charge their own rates in addition to the base state rate. There are also certain county and special district taxes that may apply.
Real estate
and personal business property are taxable in Colorado. The state's senior property tax exemption was temporarily suspended by the Colorado Legislature in 2003. The tax break is scheduled to return for assessment year 2006, payable in 2007.
As of September 2010, the state's unemployment rate is 8.2%.
Philanthropy
Major philanthropic organizations based in Colorado, including the Daniels Fund, the Anschutz Family Foundation, the Gates Family Foundation
, the El Pomar Foundation and the Boettcher Foundation
, grant approximately $400 million each year from approximately $7 billion of assets.
Natural resources
Colorado has significant hydrocarbonresources. According to the Energy Information Administration
, Colorado hosts seven of the Nation’s 100 largest natural gas
fields and two of its 100 largest oil field
s. Conventional and unconventional natural gas output from several Colorado basins typically account for more than 5 percent of annual U.S. natural gas production. Colorado’s oil shale
deposits hold an estimated 1 Toilbbl of oil – nearly as much oil as the entire world’s proven oil reserves; the economic viability of the oil shale, however, has not been demonstrated. Substantial deposits of bituminous
, subbituminous
, and lignite
coal are found in the state. Kimberlite
volcanic pipe
s have been found in Colorado; the Kelsey Lake Diamond Mine
operated for several years, recovering gem quality diamond
s.
Colorado's high Rocky Mountain ridges and eastern plains offer wind power
potential, and geologic activity in the mountain areas provides potential for geothermal power
development. Much of the state is sunny and could produce solar power
. Major rivers flowing from the Rocky Mountains offer hydroelectric power
resources. Corn grown in the flat eastern part of the state offers potential resources for ethanol
production.
Transportation

Colorado's primary method of transportation is its highway system. Interstate 25
is the primary North/South highway in the state, connecting Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Fort Collins, and Greeley, and Interstate 70
is the primary East/West route connecting Denver with the mountain communities and Grand Junction. The state is home to a network of US highways and state highways that provide access to much of the state, while smaller communities are only accessibly through county roads.
Denver International Airport
is the fifth busiest airport in the world and handles the bulk of non-military air traffic in and out of Colorado. Rail traffic is important for industrial use, but typical Colorado residents to not use rail transportation outside of the light rail
mass transit system in the Denver Metropolitan Area, which is operated the Regional Transportation District
. Other public transportation services offer both intra-city and inter-city bus service.
State government
Year | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
---|---|---|
2010 United States gubernatorial elections, 2010 The United States gubernatorial elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 in 37 states . As in most midterm elections, the party controlling the White House lost ground... |
11.3% 199,034 | 51.0% 912,005 |
2006 United States gubernatorial elections, 2006 The U.S. 2006 gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2006 in 36 states, with 22 of the seats held by Republicans and 14 by Democrats.... |
40.16% 625,886 | 56.98% 888,096 |
2002 United States gubernatorial elections, 2002 Although Republicans made some gains from Democrats, Democrats increased their overall number of governorships.-Democratic gains:* Arizona - State Attorney General Janet Napolitano won an open seat held by term-limited Gov. Jane Dee Hull... |
62.62% 884,584 | 33.65% 475,373 |
1998 United States gubernatorial elections, 1998 The 1998 U.S. gubernatorial elections were held on November 3, 1998 in 36 states. Going into the election 24 of the seats were held by Republicans, 11 by Democrats, and one by an Independent. The elections changed the national balance of power by the loss of one Republican and the gain of one... |
49.06% 648,202 | 48.43% 639,905 |
1994 United States gubernatorial elections, 1994 The 1994 U.S. gubernatorial elections were held on November 8, 1994 in 36 states. Many seats held by Democratic Party governors switched to the Republican Party during the time known as the Republican Revolution.... |
38.70% 432,042 | 55.47% 619,205 |
1990 United States gubernatorial elections, 1990 The 1990 United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 6, 1990 in 36 states. Most elected in these elections would serve for a four-year term, while those in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont would serve for a two-year term.... |
35.43% 358,403 | 61.89% 626,032 |

is the highest judicial court in the state. The state legislative body is the Colorado General Assembly
, which is made up of two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The House has 65 members and the Senate has 35. Currently, the House is controlled by the Republican Party by a one vote majority and the Senate is controlled by the Democratic Party. The 2005 Colorado General Assembly was the first to be controlled by the Democrats in forty years. The incumbent governor is Democrat John Hickenlooper
.
Most Coloradans are originally native to other states (nearly 60% according to the 2000 census), and this is illustrated by the fact that the state did not have a native-born governor from 1975 (when John David Vanderhoof
left office) until 2007, when Bill Ritter took office; his election
the previous year marked the first electoral victory for a native-born Coloradan in a gubernatorial race since 1958 (Vanderhoof had ascended from the Lieutenant Governorship when John Arthur Love
was given a position in Richard Nixon
's administration in 1973).
Counties

. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions such as township
s. Two of these counties, the City and County of Denver and the City and County of Broomfield
, have consolidated city and county governments
.
Nine Colorado counties have a population in excess of 250,000 each, while eight Colorado counties have a population of less than 2,500 each. The ten most populous Colorado counties are located in the Front Range Urban Corridor
.
Pop Rank | County | 2010 Census | 2000 Census | Pop Change |
---|
El Paso County El Paso County, Colorado El Paso County is the most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States, now more populous than Denver County. The United States Census Bureau concluded that the county population was 622,371 in 2010. In recent years, the population had come closer to that of Denver... |
Denver City and County |
Arapahoe County Arapahoe County, Colorado As of the census of 2000, there were 487,967 people, 190,909 households, and 125,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 608 people per square mile . There were 196,835 housing units at an average density of 245 per square mile... |
Jefferson County Jefferson County, Colorado Jefferson County , whose slogan is the "Gateway to the Rocky Mountains", is the fourth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Jefferson County is adjacent to the west side of the state capital, Denver.... |
Adams County Adams County, Colorado Adams County is the fifth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the county population was 441,603 in 2010 census, a 21.4% increase since 2000 census. Adams County is named for Alva Adams, Governor of the... |
Larimer County Larimer County, Colorado Larimer County is the seventh most populous and the ninth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is located at the northern end of the Front Range, at the edge of the Colorado Eastern Plains along the border with Wyoming... |
Boulder County Boulder County, Colorado Boulder County is the sixth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county seat is Boulder. The most populous municipality in the county and the county seat is the City of Boulder... |
Douglas County Douglas County, Colorado Douglas County is the eighth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado, in the United States. The county is located midway between Colorado's two largest cities: Denver and Colorado Springs... |
Weld County Weld County, Colorado As of the census of 2000, there were 180,936 people, 63,247 households, and 45,221 families residing in the county. The population density was 45 people per square mile . There were 66,194 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile... |
Pueblo County Pueblo County, Colorado Pueblo County is the tenth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county was named for the historic city of Pueblo which took its name from the Spanish language word meaning "town" or "village". The United States Census Bureau estimates that the... |
Mesa County Mesa County, Colorado Mesa County is the fourth most extensive and the eleventh most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county was named for the many large mesas in the area, including Grand Mesa. The county population was 146,723 at the 2010 United States Census. The... |
Garfield County Garfield County, Colorado Garfield County is the eighth most extensive and the twelfth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 43,791 at U.S. Census 2000. The county is named in honor of United States President James A. Garfield... |
Broomfield City and County Broomfield, Colorado The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The... |
Eagle County Eagle County, Colorado Eagle County is the thirteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county is named for the Eagle River. The county population was 41,659 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the Town of Eagle... |
La Plata County La Plata County, Colorado La Plata County is the fourteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named for the La Plata River and the La Plata Mountains. "La plata" is the Spanish language word for "silver". The United States Census Bureau estimated that the... |
Fremont County Fremont County, Colorado Fremont County is the thirteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county is named for explorer and presidential candidate John C. Frémont. The county population was 46,824 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Cañon City. The Cañon City... |
Montrose County Montrose County, Colorado Montrose County is the 17th most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 41,276 at U.S. Census 2010. The county was named for its county seat, the City of Montrose... |
Delta County Delta County, Colorado Delta County is the 17th most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 27,834 in the 2000 U.S. Census. The county seat is the City of Delta... |
Morgan County Morgan County, Colorado Morgan County is the 18th most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named after old Fort Morgan, which in turn was named in honor of Colonel Christopher A. Morgan. The county population was 27,171 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the... |
Summit County Summit County, Colorado Summit County is the 19th most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 23,538 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Breckenridge... |
Montezuma County Montezuma County, Colorado Montezuma County is the southwesternmost of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 23,830 at U.S. Census 2000... |
Routt County Routt County, Colorado Routt County is the 15th most extensive of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 19,690 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Steamboat Springs.- History :... |
Teller County Teller County, Colorado Teller County is the 22nd most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 20,555 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Cripple Creek, and the most populous city is Woodland Park... |
Elbert County Elbert County, Colorado Elbert County is the 21st most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 19,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Kiowa... |
Logan County Logan County, Colorado Logan County is the 23rd most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county was named for General John A. Logan. The county population was 20,504 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Sterling... |
Metropolitan areas

The United States Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) has defined one Combined Statistical Area
(CSA), seven Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), and seven Micropolitan Statistical Areas (μSAs) in the state of Colorado.
The most populous of the 14 Core Based Statistical Area
s in Colorado is the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. This area had a population of 2,543,482 at the 2010 United States Census, an increase of 17.88% since the 2000 United States Census.
The more extensive Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO Combined Statistical Area had a population of 3,090,874 at the 2010 United States Census, an increase of +17.52% since the 2000 United States Census.
The most populous extended metropolitan region in Rocky Mountain Region is the Front Range Urban Corridor
along the northeast face of the Southern Rocky Mountains
. This region with Denver at its center had a population of 4,333,742 at the 2010 United States Census, an increase of +17.50% since the 2000 United States Census.
Municipalities
The state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.
Colorado municipalities operate under one of five types of municipal governing authority. Colorado has one town with a territorial charter, 160 statutory towns, 12 statutory cities, 96 home rule municipalities (61 cities and 35 towns), and 2 consolidated city and county governments.
Pop Rank | Municipality | 2010 Census | 2000 Census | Pop Change |
---|
City and County of Denver |
City of Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado... |
City of Aurora Aurora, Colorado City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the... |
City of Fort Collins Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census... |
City of Lakewood Lakewood, Colorado Lakewood is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Lakewood is the fifth most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 172nd most populous city in the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in April 1, 2010... |
City of Thornton Thornton, Colorado The city of Thornton is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado and a suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Thornton is northeast of the state's capital, Denver. The United States Census Bureau that the city population... |
City of Pueblo Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States.... |
City of Arvada Arvada, Colorado The City of Arvada is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson and Adams counties in the Denver metropolitan area of the U.S. State of Colorado. Olde Town Arvada is located northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver... |
City of Westminster Westminster, Colorado Westminster is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Westminster is a northwest suburb of Denver. The Westminster Municipal Center is located north-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol. The United States Census Bureau that the city population... |
City of Centennial Centennial, Colorado The city of Centennial is a Home Rule City located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States, and part of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. The city was to have a total population of 100,377 in 2010 census. Centennial is the tenth-most populous municipality in the state of Colorado and its... |
City of Boulder Boulder, Colorado Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of... |
City of Greeley Greeley, Colorado The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the... |
City of Longmont Longmont, Colorado Longmont is a Home Rule Municipality in Boulder and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Longmont is located in Northern Colorado. Longmont is the 13th most populous city in the State of Colorado. The word "Longmont" comes from Longs Peak, a prominent mountain named for explorer Stephen H.... |
City of Loveland Loveland, Colorado Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the... |
City of Grand Junction Grand Junction, Colorado The City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As... |
City and County of Broomfield Broomfield, Colorado The City and County of Broomfield is a prominent suburb and tier of the Denver metropolitan area in the State of Colorado of the United States. Broomfield has a consolidated city and county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The... |
Town of Castle Rock Castle Rock, Colorado The Town of Castle Rock is the county seat of Douglas County, Colorado, United States and is named for the prominent castle tower-shaped butte near the center of town. It is part of Colorado's Front Range Urban Corridor and is located roughly 28 miles south of Denver and 37 miles north of... |
City of Commerce City Commerce City, Colorado The city of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and now the 18th most populous municipality in the state of Colorado... |
Town of Parker Parker, Colorado The Town of Parker is a Home Rule Municipality in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. As a self-declared "Town" under the Home Rule Statutes, Parker is the 2nd most populous town in the county, behind Castle Rock. In recent years, Parker has become a commuter town at the southeasternmost... |
City of Littleton Littleton, Colorado Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of... |
City of Northglenn Northglenn, Colorado Northglenn is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 33,697 in 2008.-Geography:Northglenn is located at .... |
City of Brighton Brighton, Colorado Brighton is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado, and the county seat of Adams County. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 31,380 in 2008.-Geography:... |
City of Englewood Englewood, Colorado The city of Englewood is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. As of 2007, the city is estimated to have a total population of 32,532. Englewood is part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Englewood is located in the South Platte River Valley east of the... |
City of Wheat Ridge Wheat Ridge, Colorado The City of Wheat Ridge is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is a western suburb of Denver. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Center is approximately west-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver... |
City of Fountain Fountain, Colorado The city of Fountain is a Home Rule Municipality located in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Fountain is located just ten miles south of Colorado Springs and just east of Fort Carson. Fountain and the Colorado Springs suburbs Security and Widefield make up the "Fountain Valley" community.... |
The City and County of Denver and the City of Aurora both levy an Occupational Privilege Tax (OPT or Head Tax) on employers and employees.
- If any employee performs work in the city limits and is paid over US$500.00 for that work in a single month, the employee and employer are both liable for the OPT regardless of where the main business office is located or headquartered.
- In Denver, the employer is liable for US$4.00 per employee per month and the employee is liable for US$5.75 per month.
- In Aurora, both employer and employees are liable for US$2.00 per month.
- It is the employer's responsibility to withhold, remit, and file the OPT returns. If an employer does not comply, they can be held liable for both portions of the OPT as well as penalties and interest.
Unincorporated communities
In addition to its 271 municipalities, Colorado has 187 unincorporatedUnited States
census designated places
and many other small communities.
Pop Rank | Census Designated Place | 2010 Census | 2000 Census | Pop Change |
---|
Highlands Ranch Highlands Ranch, Colorado Highlands Ranch is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 96,713 at the 2010 census; it is one of the most populous unincorporated communities in the United States... |
Security-Widefield Security-Widefield, Colorado Security-Widefield is a census-designated place in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The population was 29,845 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Security-Widefield is located at .... |
Ken Caryl Ken Caryl, Colorado Lockheed Martin and its predecessor, Martin Marietta, operate a facility located in Ken Caryl Valley.-In popular culture:In the South Park episode Trapped in the Closet, a reference is made to FunPlex, an amusement center in Ken Caryl, though it has since been renamed Fun City.-External links:*... |
Dakota Ridge Dakota Ridge, Colorado Dakota Ridge is a census-designated place in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 32,005.... |
Pueblo West Pueblo West, Colorado Pueblo West is a census-designated place in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Pueblo Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 16,899 at the 2000 census... |
Columbine Columbine, Colorado Columbine is a census-designated place in Arapahoe and Jefferson Counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located mostly in Jefferson County, it lies immediately west of Littleton.... |
Clifton Clifton, Colorado Clifton is a census-designated place in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 19,889 at the 2010 census... |
Sherrelwood Sherrelwood, Colorado Sherrelwood is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The population was 17,657 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sherrelwood is located at .... |
Cimarron Hills Cimarron Hills, Colorado Cimarron Hills is a census-designated place in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The population was 16,161 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cimarron Hills is located at .... |
Welby Welby, Colorado Welby is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The population was 12,973 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Welby is located at .... |
Fort Carson Fort Carson, Colorado Fort Carson is a United States Army installation located near Colorado Springs, primarily in El Paso County, Colorado. It is north of Pueblo, Colorado in Pueblo County. The 137,000 acre installation extends south into Pueblo and Fremont counties... |
Black Forest Black Forest, Colorado Black Forest is a census-designated place near Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. The population was 13,116 at the 2010 census. Black Forest is named such for the high density of Ponderosa Pines located in a generally small area... |
Berkley Berkley, Colorado Berkley is a census-designated place in Adams County, Colorado, United States. The population was 11,207 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Berkley is located at .... |
Cherry Creek Cherry Creek, Colorado Cherry Creek is a census-designated place in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. For the tributary of the South Platte River, see Cherry Creek . The population as of the 2010 Census was 11,120.-Reference:... |
The Pinery The Pinery, Colorado The Pinery is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 7,253 at the 2000 census.-Geography:The Pinery is located at .... |
Special districts
The state of Colorado has more than 3,000 districts with taxing authority. These districts may provide schools, law enforcement, fire protection, water, sewage, drainage, irrigation, transportation, recreation, infrastructure, cultural facilities, business support, redevelopment, or other services.Some of these districts have authority to levy sales tax and well as property tax and use fees. This has led to a hodgepodge of sales tax and property tax rates in Colorado. There are some street intersections in Colorado with a different sales tax rate on each corner, sometimes substantially different.
Some of the more notable Colorado districts are:
- The Regional Transportation DistrictRegional Transportation DistrictThe Regional Transportation District, or RTD, was organized in 1969 and is the regional authority operating public transit services in eight of the twelve counties in the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area in Colorado. RTD is governed by a 15-member, publicly elected Board of...
(RTD), which affects the counties of Denver, Boulder, Jefferson, and portions of Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, and Douglas Counties - The Scientific and Cultural Facilities DistrictScientific and Cultural Facilities DistrictThe Scientific and Cultural Facilities District is a special regional tax district of the State of Colorado that provides funding for art, music, theater, dance, zoology, botany, natural history, or cultural history organizations in the Denver metropolitan area.In 1988, voters in the Denver region...
(SCFD), a special regional tax district with physical boundaries contiguous with county boundaries of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties- It is a 0.1% retail sales and use tax (one penny on every $10).
- According to the Colorado statute, the SCFD distributes the money to local organizations on an annual basis. These organizations must provide for the enlightenment and entertainment of the public through the production, presentation, exhibition, advancement or preservation of art, music, theater, dance, zoology, botany, natural history or cultural history.
- As directed by statute, SCFD recipient organizations are currently divided into three "tiers" among which receipts are allocated by percentage.
- Tier I includes regional organizations: the Denver Art Museum, the Denver Botanic Gardens, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Denver Zoo, and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. It receives 65.5%.
- Tier II currently includes 26 regional organizations. Tier II receives 21%.
- Tier III has over 280 local organizations such as small theaters, orchestras, art centers, and natural history, cultural history, and community groups. Tier III organizations apply for funding to the county cultural councils via a grant process. This tier receives 13.5%.
- An 11-member board of directors oversees the distributions in accordance with the Colorado Revised Statutes. Seven board members are appointed by county commissioners (in Denver, the Denver City Council) and four members are appointed by the Governor of Colorado.
- The Football Stadium District (FD or FTBL), approved by the voters to pay for and help build the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' stadium INVESCO Field at Mile HighINVESCO Field at Mile HighSports Authority Field at Mile High, previously known as Invesco Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, is a multi-purpose stadium, in Denver, Colorado. It replaced the identically sized, but commercially obsolete Mile High Stadium in 2001... - Local Improvement Districts (LID) within designated areas of southeast Jefferson and Boulder counties
- Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) taxes at varying rates in Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Gunnison County
Federal politics
Year | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
---|---|---|
2008 | 44.71% 1,073,584 | 53.66% 1,288,568 |
2004 | 51.69% 1,101,255 | 47.02% 1,001,732 |
2000 | 50.75% 883,745 | 42.39% 738,227 |
1996 | 45.80% 691,848 | 44.43% 671,152 |
1992 | 35.87% 562,850 | 40.13% 629,681 |
1988 | 53.06% 728,177 | 45.28% 621,453 |
Colorado is considered a swing state
in both state and federal elections. Coloradans have elected 17 Democrats
and 12 Republicans
to the governorship in the last 100 years. In presidential politics, Colorado supported Democrats Bill Clinton
in 1992 and Barack Obama
in 2008, and supported Republicans Robert J. Dole
in 1996 and George W. Bush
in 2000
and 2004
. The presidential outcome in 2008 was the second closest to the national popular vote, after Virginia.
Colorado politics has the contrast of conservative cities such as Colorado Springs and liberal cities such as Boulder. Democrats are strongest in metropolitan Denver, the college towns of Fort Collins and Boulder, southern Colorado (including Pueblo), and a few western ski resort counties. The Republicans are strongest in the Eastern Plains, Colorado Springs, Greeley, and far Western Colorado near Grand Junction.
Former Colorado senator and attorney general Ken Salazar
is the current United States Secretary of the Interior
(as of January 20, 2009).
The state of Colorado is represented by its two United States Senators:
- United States Senate Class 2Classes of United States SenatorsThe three classes of United States Senators are currently made up of 33 or 34 Senate seats. The purpose of the classes is to determine which Senate seats will be up for election in a given year. The three groups are staggered so that one of them is up for election every two years.A senator's...
– Mark Emery Udall (DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) 2009– - United States Senate Class 3Classes of United States SenatorsThe three classes of United States Senators are currently made up of 33 or 34 Senate seats. The purpose of the classes is to determine which Senate seats will be up for election in a given year. The three groups are staggered so that one of them is up for election every two years.A senator's...
– Michael Farrand Bennet (DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) 2009–
Colorado is represented by seven Representatives
to the United States House of Representatives
:
- Colorado's 1st congressional districtColorado's 1st congressional districtColorado's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado based primarily in the City and County of Denver in the central part of the state...
- Diana Louise DeGette (DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) 1997- - Colorado's 2nd congressional districtColorado's 2nd congressional districtColorado's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. The district is located in the north-central part of the state and encompasses the northwestern suburbs of Denver including Boulder, Northglenn, Thornton, and Westminster...
- Jared Schutz Polis (DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) 2009- - Colorado's 3rd congressional districtColorado's 3rd congressional districtColorado's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. The district is located in western and south central Colorado, encompassing most of the rural Western Slope...
- Scott TiptonScott TiptonScott R. Tipton is the U.S. Representative for . In November 2010, he defeated three-term incumbent Democrat John Salazar, whom he lost to in 2006 by a wide margin. He was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives and a co-owner of a pottery company in Cortez, Colorado...
(RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) 2011– - Colorado's 4th congressional districtColorado's 4th congressional districtColorado's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in the eastern part of the state, the district encompasses most of the rural Eastern Plains as well as the larger cities of Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland and Longmont along Colorado's Front...
- Cory GardnerCory GardnerCory Scott Gardner is the Republican U.S. Representative for Colorado's 4th congressional district. In 2010, he defeated incumbent Democrat Betsy Markey. He was formerly a member of the Colorado House of Representatives....
(RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) 2011– - Colorado's 5th congressional districtColorado's 5th congressional districtColorado's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. The district lies in the center of the state and mostly comprises Colorado Springs and its suburbs including Cimarron Hills and Fort Carson....
- Douglas L. "Doug" Lamborn (RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) 2007- - Colorado's 6th congressional districtColorado's 6th congressional districtColorado's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in central Colorado, the district encompasses much of the southern part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area, including the suburbs of Littleton, Centennial and portions of Aurora.The district...
- Michael "Mike" Coffman (RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) 2009- - Colorado's 7th congressional districtColorado's 7th congressional districtColorado's 7th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in the central part of the state, the district encompasses much of the northern parts of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area, including the suburbs of Lakewood, Arvada, and Aurora as well as the...
- Edwin George "Ed" Perlmutter (DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) 2007-
Education



Military installations

- Air Reserve Personnel CenterAir Reserve Personnel CenterThe Air Reserve Personnel Center manages personnel records for the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve and it is located at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado....
- Buckley Air Force BaseBuckley Air Force BaseBuckley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Aurora, Colorado, that was established by the U.S. Army in 1943. The base was named in honor of the World War I Army pilot 1LT John Harold Buckley.-Overview:...
- Fort Carson (U.S. Army)
- Piñon Canyon Maneuver SitePiñon Canyon Maneuver SiteThe Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site is a 235,896 acre U.S. Army base in southeastern Colorado. The Piñon County Maneuver Site is a training site for Fort Carson.-Setting:...
- Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site
- Peterson Air Force BasePeterson Air Force BasePeterson Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located at Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States and it provides runways for the adjacent City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport under a shared joint civil-military airport arrangement...
- Cheyenne Mountain Directorate
- Pueblo Chemical DepotPueblo Chemical DepotThe Pueblo Chemical Depot is a chemical weapons storage site located in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States.The depot houses 2,611 tons of mustard agent in approximately 780,000 munitions, equivalent to about seven percent of the original chemical material stockpile of the United States...
(U.S. Army) - Schriever Air Force BaseSchriever Air Force BaseSchriever Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located approximately 10 miles east of Peterson AFB near Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States.-Overview:...
- United States Air Force AcademyUnited States Air Force AcademyThe United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
Protected areas


Units of the National Park System in Colorado:
- Arapaho National Recreation AreaArapaho National Recreation AreaThe Arapaho National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area that is located near the headwaters of the Colorado River in north central Colorado adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park. ANRA is under the jurisdiction of the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest...
- Bent's Old Fort National Historic SiteBent's Old Fort National Historic SiteBent's Old Fort is an 1833 fort located in Otero County in southeastern Colorado, USA. William and Charles Bent, along with Ceran St. Vrain, built the fort to trade with Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Plains Indians and trappers for buffalo robes...
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National ParkBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Parkthumb|upright|Black Canyon of the GunnisonBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a United States National Park located in western Colorado, and managed by the National Park Service...
- Canyons of the Ancients National MonumentCanyons of the Ancients National MonumentCanyons of the Ancients National Monument is located in the southwestern region of the U.S. state of Colorado, and is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, an agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior...
- Colorado National MonumentColorado National Monument- Trails :The Monument contains many hiking trails, with lengths and difficulties to suit all tastes. Summer storms can cause flash floods as well as dangerous trail conditions. Rattlesnakes are found on the Monument, and rough terrain exists everywhere, but most trails are well-maintained...
- Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
- Curecanti National Recreation AreaCurecanti National Recreation AreaCurecanti National Recreation Area, in Colorado, is formed by three reservoirs, named for corresponding dams on the Gunnison River. The national recreation area borders Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on the west...
- Dinosaur National MonumentDinosaur National MonumentDinosaur National Monument is a National Monument located on the southeast flank of the Uinta Mountains on the border between Colorado and Utah at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers. Although most of the monument area is in Moffat County, Colorado, the Dinosaur Quarry is located in Utah...
- Florissant Fossil Beds National MonumentFlorissant Fossil Beds National MonumentFlorissant Fossil Beds National Monument is a United States National Monument in Teller County, Colorado, that is noted for its fossils. It is located in a mountain valley just west of Pikes Peak and holds spectacular remnants of prehistoric life...
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and PreserveGreat Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve-Other features:The park also contains alpine lakes and tundra, six peaks over 13,000 feet in elevation, ancient spruce and pine forests, large stands of aspen and cottonwood, grasslands, and wetlands — all habitat for diverse wildlife and plant species.One of the most unusual features of...
- Hovenweep National MonumentHovenweep National MonumentHovenweep National Monument is located on land in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, located between Cortez, Colorado and Blanding, Utah on the Cajon Mesa of the Great Sage Plain...
- Mesa Verde National ParkMesa Verde National ParkMesa Verde National Park is a U.S. National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. It was created in 1906 to protect some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the world...
and UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance... - Old Spanish National Historic Trail
- Pony Express National Historic Trail
- Rocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National ParkRocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado.It features majestic mountain views, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to back-country trails...
- Sand Creek Massacre National Historic SiteSand Creek Massacre National Historic SiteSand Creek Massacre National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Kiowa County, Colorado, near Eads and Chivington in Kiowa County commemorating the Sand Creek Massacre. The site is about southeast of Denver and about east of Pueblo. A few basic park facilities have been opened at this...
- Santa Fe National Historic Trail
- Yucca House National MonumentYucca House National MonumentYucca House National Monument is a United States National Monument located in Montezuma County, Colorado between the towns of Towaoc and Cortez, Colorado...
Sports




Professional sports teams
Club | Home | First game | Sport | League |
---|---|---|---|---|
Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
Denver | Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
National Football League National Football League The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... |
|
Denver Barbarians Denver Barbarians The Denver Barbarians Rugby Football Club is a SuperLeague rugby union and Division I team based in Denver, Colorado.----- History :The Denver Barbarians Rugby Football Club was founded in 1967. The initial members were men that had been playing rugby with some of the local collegiate teams, or... |
Denver | Rugby Union Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
Rugby Super League | |
Denver Nuggets Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams... |
Denver | Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
National Basketball Association National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada... |
|
Colorado Springs Sky Sox Colorado Springs Sky Sox The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies... |
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Minor League Baseball Minor league baseball Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses... (AAA) |
|
Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains... |
Denver | Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League... |
|
Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
Denver | Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
National Hockey League National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
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Colorado Rapids Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
Commerce City Commerce City, Colorado The city of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and now the 18th most populous municipality in the state of Colorado... |
Soccer | Major League Soccer Major League Soccer Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada... |
|
Colorado Mammoth Colorado Mammoth The Colorado Mammoth are a member of the National Lacrosse League. They have played at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, United States, since the 2003 season.... |
Denver | Lacrosse Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh... |
National Lacrosse League National Lacrosse League The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff... |
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Colorado Eagles Colorado Eagles The Colorado Eagles are a professional ice hockey team based in Loveland, Colorado. The Eagles play in the Mountain Division of the ECHL's Western Conference, where they serve as the "Double-A" affiliate of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets and the American Hockey League's St. John's IceCaps... |
Loveland Loveland, Colorado Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the... |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
|
Denver Outlaws Denver Outlaws The Denver Outlaws are a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Denver, Colorado. They began playing in the MLL in 2006 as an expansion team. From 2006 to 2008, they were in the Western Conference. With the MLL contraction in the 2009 season from 10 to 6 teams The... |
Denver | Lacrosse Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh... |
Major League Lacrosse Major League Lacrosse Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :... |
College athletics
The following universities and colleges participate in the National Collegiate Athletic AssociationDivision I.
Team | School | City | Conference |
---|---|---|---|
Air Force Falcons Air Force Falcons The Air Force Falcons are the collegiate athletic teams that represent the United States Air Force Academy, near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The intercollegiate program has 17 men's and 10 women's NCAA-sanctioned teams... |
United States Air Force Academy United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States... |
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado... |
Mountain West Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999... |
Colorado Buffaloes Colorado Buffaloes The University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993... |
University of Colorado at Boulder University of Colorado at Boulder The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado... |
Boulder Boulder, Colorado Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of... |
Pac 12 |
Colorado College Tigers | Colorado College Colorado College The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell... |
Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado... |
WCHA Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference.... |
Colorado State Rams Colorado State Rams Colorado State University competes in 16 sponsored intercollegiate sports, including 10 for women and six for men... |
Colorado State University Colorado State University Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and... |
Fort Collins Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census... |
Mountain West Mountain West Conference The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999... |
Denver Pioneers Denver Pioneers The Denver Pioneers are the sports teams of the University of Denver. They play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, with most teams participating in the Sun Belt Conference. The Western Athletic Conference will become Denver's primary sports conference on July 1, 2012.The... |
University of Denver University of Denver The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings.... |
Denver | WCHA Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference.... and Sun Belt Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions... |
Northern Colorado Bears | University of Northern Colorado University of Northern Colorado -Organization:The University of Northern Colorado offers 100 undergraduate programs and more than 100 graduate programs. The university has a satellite campus in Denver, Colorado... |
Greeley Greeley, Colorado The City of Greeley is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Weld County, Colorado, United States. Greeley is located in the region known as Northern Colorado. Greeley is situated north-northeast of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to the... |
Big Sky Big Sky Conference The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,... |
See also
- List of federal lands in Colorado
- List of people from Colorado
- List of places in Colorado
- Mountain peaks of ColoradoMountain peaks of ColoradoThis article comprises three sortable tables of the major mountain peaks of the U.S. State of Colorado.Topographic elevation is the vertical distance above the reference geoid, a precise mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface...
- List of National Register of Historic Places in Colorado
- Southern Rocky MountainsSouthern Rocky MountainsThe Southern Rocky Mountains are a major subregion of the Rocky Mountains of North America located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming, the central and western portions of Colorado, the northern portion of New Mexico, and extreme eastern portions of Utah...
- U.S. stateU.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
Further reading
- Explore Colorado, A Naturalist's Handbook, The Denver Museum of Natural History and Westcliff Publishers, 1995, ISBN 1-56579-124-X for an excellent guide to the ecological regions of Colorado.
- The Archeology of Colorado, Revised Edition, E. Steve Cassells, Johnson Books, Boulder, Colorado, 1997, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-193-9.
- Chokecherry Places, Essays from the High Plains, Merrill Gilfillan, Johnson Press, Boulder, Colorado, trade paperback, ISBN 1-55566-227-7.
- The Tie That Binds, Kent HarufKent HarufKent Haruf is an award-winning American novelist.-Life:Haruf was born in Pueblo, Colorado, the son of a Methodist minister...
, 1984, hardcover, ISBN 0-03-071979-8, a fictional account of farming in Colorado. - Railroads of Colorado: Your Guide to Colorado's Historic Trains and Railway Sites, Claude Wiatrowski, Voyageur Press, 2002, hardcover, 160 pages, ISBN 0-89658-591-3
External links
State government- Colorado state government website
- Colorado State and County Government Websites
- List of searchable databases produced by Colorado state agencies hosted by the American Library Association Government Documents Roundtable.
Federal government
- Energy & Environmental Data for Colorado
- USGS Colorado state facts, real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Colorado
- United States Census Bureau
- USDA ERS Colorado state facts
Other