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State of Colorado
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Centennial State
Motto(s): Nil sine numine (Nothing without providence)
Official language(s)	English
Demonym	Coloradan[1][2]
Capital	Denver
Largest city	Denver
Largest metro area	Denver-Aurora-Broomfield MSA
Area	Ranked 8th in the US
- Total	104,094 sq mi (269,837 km2)
- Width	380 miles (612 km)
- Length	280 miles (451 km)
- % water	0.36%
- Latitude	37°N to 41°N
- Longitude	102°03'W to 109°03'W
Population	Ranked 22nd in the US
- Total	(2010) 5,029,196
- Density	48.31/sq mi  (18.64/km2) Ranked 37th in the US
- Median income	$56,993 (13th)
Elevation
- Highest point	Mount Elbert[3][4] 14,440 ft  (4401.2 m)
- Mean	6,800 ft  (2073 m)
- Lowest point	Arikaree River[3] 3,317 ft  (1011 m)
Before statehood	Colorado Territory
Admission to Union	August 1, 1876 (38th State)
Governor	John Hickenlooper (D)
Lieutenant Governor	Joseph A. Garcia (D)
Legislature	General Assembly
- Upper house	Senate
- Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	2 – Mark Udall (D) 3 – Michael Bennet (D)
U.S. House delegation	4 Republicans and 3 Democrats (list)
Time zone	MST=UTC-07, MDT=UTC-06
Abbreviations	CO Colo. US-CO
Website	http://www.colorado.gov

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses most of the Southern 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, the Mountain States, and the Southwestern United States.

The state was named for the Colorado River, which early Spanish explorers named the Rio Colorado for the red colored (Spanish: Colorado) silt the river carried from the mountains. In 1861, Jefferson Territorial officials decided that "Colorado" would be a fitting name for a new territory.^[6][7] 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, plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers, and desert lands. The United States Census 2010 tallied the state population at 5,029,196 as of April 1, 2010, an increase of +16.92% since the United States Census 2000. 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.^[1][2]

Contents [hide] 1 Geography 1.1 Climate 1.1.1 Eastern Plains 1.1.2 West of the plains and foothills 1.1.3 Extreme weather 1.1.4 Records 2 History 3 Demographics 3.1 Religion 3.2 Health 4 Culture 4.1 Fine arts 4.2 Cuisine 4.3 Wine 5 Economy 5.1 Philanthropy 5.2 Natural resources 5.3 Special tax districts 6 Transportation 7 Government and politics 7.1 State government 7.2 Federal politics 8 Cities and towns 9 Counties 10 Education 11 Metropolitan areas 12 Military installations 13 Protected areas 14 Sports 14.1 Professional sports teams 14.1.1 Former professional sports teams 15 State symbols 16 Prominent Coloradans 17 See also 18 References 19 Further reading 20 External links

Geography

The borders of Colorado were originally defined to be lines of latitude and longitude, making its shape a latitude-longitude quadrangle^[8] which stretches from 37°N to 41°N latitude and from 102°03'W to 109°03'W longitude (25°W to 32°W from the Washington Meridian).^[9] 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 nearly imperceptible 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.^[10]

The summit of Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet (4,401 m) in elevation in Lake County is the highest point of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains.^[4] Colorado is the only U.S. state that lies entirely above 1,000 meters (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 3,317 feet (1,011 m) elevation. This point holds the distinction of being the highest low elevation point of any state.^[3][11]

Nearly 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 3,350 to 6,500 feet (1,020 to 2,000 m).^[12] The plains states of Kansas and Nebraska border Colorado to the east and northeast. The Colorado plains are usually thought of as prairies, but actually they have patches of deciduous forests, buttes, and canyons. Eastern Colorado is presently mainly covered in farmland, along with small farming villages and towns. Precipitation is fair, averaging from 15 to 25 inches (380 to 630 mm) annually.^[12] 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 crops, Eastern Colorado has a good deal of livestock raising, such as at cattle ranches and hog farms. In eastern Colorado, a good deal of 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.

Most of Colorado's population resides along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in the Front Range Urban Corridor 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.

To the west of Great Plains of Colorado rises the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. Notable peaks of the Rocky Mountains include Longs Peak, Mount Evans, Pikes Peak, and the Spanish Peaks near Walsenburg, Colorado, 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 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 14,000 feet (4,267 m) or higher in elevation above sea level, known as fourteeners.^[13] These mountains are largely covered with trees such as conifers and aspens up to the tree line, at an elevation of about 12,140 feet (3,700 m) in southern Colorado to about 10,500 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, newspapers, 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 resorts 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 semi-desert-like basins, turning into plateaus, then alpine mountains, National Forests, 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.^[14]

Colorado is one of four states in the United States that share a common geographic point the Four Corners, together with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. At this intersection, it is possible to stand in four states at once.

Climate

The 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. A main climatic division in Colorado occurs between the Rocky Mountains on the west and the plains on the east with the foothills forming a transitional zone between the two.^{[citation needed]} 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 very arid/desert lands mixed in. Southwest and southern Colorado are a complex mixture of desert and mountain areas.

Eastern Plains

The climate of the Eastern Plains is semi-arid (Köppen climate classification BSk) with low humidity and moderate precipitation, usually from 15 to 25 inches (380 to 630 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 (38 °C),^[15] although 105 °F (41 °C) is the maximum in the front range cities above 5,000 ft (1,500 m). In the plains, the winter extremes can be from 0 °F (-18 °C) to -10 °F (-23 °C) and -15 °F (-26 °C). The all time low in the area was -40 °F (-40 °C)^{[citation needed]}. 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 thunderstorms, which are often severe, and from major snowstorms that occur most often in the early spring, late autumn, and sometimes 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 winds which warm the area, sometimes bringing temperatures of 40 °F (4 °C) or higher in the winter.^[15] The average July temperature is 55 °F (13 °C) in the morning and 80 °F (27 °C) in the afternoon. The average January temperature is 10 °F (-12 °C) in the morning and 30 °F (-1 °C) in the afternoon, although variation between consecutive days can be 40 °F (22 °C).

West of the plains and foothills

West of the plains and foothills, the weather of Colorado is much less uniform. Even places a few miles apart can experience entirely different weather depending on the topography of the area. Most valleys have a semi-arid climate, which becomes an alpine climate at higher elevations. Humid microclimates 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 (16 °C) to 70 °F (21 °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 abundant 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. The San Luis Valley is generally dry with little rain or snow, although the snow that falls tends to stay on the ground all winter.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[12] 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.^[16] The plains are also susceptible to floods, 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 °C) was broken during the summer of 2008. The new record of twenty-four consecutive days surpassed the previous record by almost a week.^[17] Much of Colorado is a relatively dry state averaging only 17 inches (430 mm) of rain per year statewide and rarely experiences a time when some portion of the state is not in some degree of drought.^[18] The lack of precipitation contributes to the severity of wildfires 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 ever recorded in Colorado was 118 °F (48 °C) on July 11, 1888, at Bennett, whereas the lowest was -61 °F (-52 °C) on February 1, 1985, at Maybell.^[19][20]

Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various Colorado cities (°F)^[21]

City	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Alamosa	33/-4	40/5	50/16	59/23	68/32	78/40	82/46	79/45	72/36	62/24	46/11	35/-1
Colorado Springs	42/13	45/18	52/24	59/31	68/41	79/50	86/55	82/54	74/45	63/34	50/23	42/16
Denver	43/15	47/19	54/25	61/34	70/44	82/53	88/59	86/57	77/47	66/36	52/24	44/16
Grand Junction	37/16	45/23	56/31	64/38	74/46	87/55	96/61	92/60	83/50	67/39	50/26	39/18
Pueblo	45/14	50/19	57/26	65/34	75/45	86/54	91/59	89/58	81/49	69/35	54/22	45/15

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 valleys and mesas of the Colorado Plateau.^[22] 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.

The United States relinquished its claim to all land south and west of the Arkansas River 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 settlers 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 Anglo American settlement.

In 1854, Senator Stephen A. Douglas 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.^[23] The placer gold deposits along the rivers and streams of the region rapidly played out, but miners soon discovered far more valuable seams of hard rock gold in the nearby mountains.

The gold seekers organized the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson 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.^[24] 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.^[25] Early Spanish explorers named the Colorado River the "Rio Colorado" for the red-brown silt that the river carried from the mountains.^[26] 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.^[27] The Macomb party designated the confluence as the source of the Colorado River. In fact, the river that is now named the Colorado River did not flow through Colorado until the House of Representatives Joint Resolution 460 of the 66th United States Congress changed the name of the Grand River to the Colorado River on July 25, 1921, in spite of the fact that the Green River had the more extensive drainage basin.^[28]

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 nothing more than a 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.

In the midst and aftermath of Civil War, many discouraged prospectors returned to their homes, but a determined few stayed on to develop mines, mills, farms, ranches, roads, and towns in the Territory. On September 14, 1864, James Huff discovered silver 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.^[9] On August 2, 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".^[29]

The discovery of a major silver 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 warships 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

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	34,277		—
1870	39,864		16.3%
1880	194,327		387.5%
1890	413,249		112.7%
1900	539,700		30.6%
1910	799,024		48.0%
1920	939,629		17.6%
1930	1,035,791		10.2%
1940	1,123,296		8.4%
1950	1,325,089		18.0%
1960	1,753,947		32.4%
1970	2,207,259		25.8%
1980	2,889,964		30.9%
1990	3,294,394		14.0%
2000	4,301,262		30.6%
2010	5,029,196		16.9%
Sources: 1910-2010[30]

Colorado's most populous city, and capital, is Denver. The Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area 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.^[31] The center of population of Colorado is located just north of the village of Critchell in Jefferson County.^[32]

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 U.S. 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 illegal aliens in the U.S., only behind Nevada, Arizona, California, and tied with Texas. An estimated 5.5-6.0% of the states population being illegal immigrants. Also, over 20% of the states prisons are illegal immigrant inmates.^[33][34] Colorado, like New Mexico, is very rich in archaic Spanish idioms.^[35]

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.^[36] 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 rushes in the late 19th century (1861–1889).

Demographics of Colorado (csv)
By race	White	Black	AIAN*	Asian	NHPI*
2000 (total population)	92.23%	4.55%	1.91%	2.84%	0.25%
2000 (Hispanic only)	16.20%	0.37%	0.64%	0.14%	0.05%
2005 (total population)	91.91%	4.74%	1.83%	3.19%	0.26%
2005 (Hispanic only)	18.46%	0.48%	0.61%	0.18%	0.06%
Growth 2000–05 (total population)	8.09%	13.03%	3.85%	22.08%	15.47%
Growth 2000–05 (non-Hispanic only)	4.78%	10.67%	3.75%	21.14%	11.70%
Growth 2000–05 (Hispanic only)	23.60%	39.64%	4.05%	40.04%	29.23%
* AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native; NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

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.^[37] 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.^[38] Colorado has the seventh highest percentage of Hispanics (20%) in the U.S. behind New Mexico (44%), California (36%), Texas (36%), Arizona (29%), Nevada (24%), and Florida (20%). 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.^[39]

Religion

Major religious affiliations of the people of Colorado are:^[40]

• Christian — 65%
  • Protestant — 44%
    • Evangelical — 23%
    • Mainline — 19%
    • Other Protestant — 2%
  • Roman Catholic — 19%
  • Orthodox — 1%
  • Latter Day Saint / Mormon — 2%
• Jewish — 2%
• Muslim — 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.^[41]

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.^[42] As of 2007 the 17.6% of the population was considered medically obese, and while the lowest in the nation, the percentage had increased from 16.9% 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.^[43]

Culture

Fine arts

• Music of Colorado
• Theater in Colorado

Cuisine

Colorado is known for its Southwest cuisine. Mexican restaurants are throughout the state.

Boulder, Colorado was named America’s Foodiest Town 2010 by Bon Appétit.^[44] Boulder, and Colorado in general, is home to a number of national food and beverage companies, top-tier restaurants and farmers' markets.

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.^[45]

Denver, Colorado is known for steak, but now has a diverse culinary scene with many top-tier restaurants.^[46]

Wine

Colorado wines include award-winning varietals that have attracted favorable notice from outside the state.^[47] 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.^[48] Colorado's grape growing regions contain the highest elevation vineyards in the United States,^[49] with most viticulture in the state practiced between 4,000 feet (1,219 m) and 7,000 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 Areas of the Grand Valley AVA and the West Elks AVA,^[50] where most of the vineyards in the state are located. However, an increasing number of wineries are located along the Front Range.^[51]

Economy

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that the total state product in 2008 was $248.6 billion.^[52][53] Per capita personal income in 2007 was $41,192, ranking Colorado eleventh in the nation.^[54] 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 products, 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 24,615,788 acres (99,617 km²) of land in Colorado, or 37% of the total area of the state.^[55] 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.^[56] 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.^[57][58] 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%.^[59]

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^[60] each year from approximately $7 billion^[61] of assets.

Natural resources

Colorado has significant hydrocarbon resources. 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 fields. 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 trillion barrels (160 km³) 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.^[62] Substantial deposits of bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coal are found in the state. Kimberlite volcanic pipes have been found in Colorado; the Kelsey Lake Diamond Mine operated for several years, recovering gem quality diamonds.

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.

Special tax districts

Some of the special tax districts are:

• The Regional Transportation District (RTD), which affects the counties of Denver, Boulder, Jefferson, and portions of Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, and Douglas Counties
• The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (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 eleven-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 Broncos' stadium INVESCO Field at Mile High
• Local Improvement Districts (LID) within designated areas of southeast Jefferson and Boulder counties
• Regional Transportation Districts (RTA) taxes at varying rates in Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Gunnison County
• Occupational Privilege Taxes (OPT or Head Tax) Denver and Aurora both levy an OPT 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 with hold, 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.

Transportation

Interstate and Federal Highway Routes in Colorado

Interstate 25 Interstate 70 Interstate 76 Interstate 225 Interstate 270

U.S. Route 6 U.S. Route 24 U.S. Route 34 U.S. Route 36 U.S. Route 40 U.S. Route 50

U.S. Route 84 U.S. Route 85 U.S. Route 87 U.S. Route 138 U.S. Route 160 U.S. Route 285

U.S. Route 287 U.S. Route 350 U.S. Route 400 U.S. Route 491 U.S. Route 550

Commercial Airports in Colorado

ALS – San Luis Valley Regional Airport ASE – Aspen-Pitkin County Airport CEZ – Cortez Municipal Airport COS – City of Colorado Springs Municipal Airport DEN – Denver International Airport[63] DRO – Durango-La Plata County Airport EGE – Eagle County Regional Airport

FNL – Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport GJT – Grand Junction Regional Airport GUC – Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport HDN – Yampa Valley Airport MTJ – Montrose Regional Airport PUB – Pueblo Memorial Airport TEX – Telluride Regional Airport

Amtrak Passenger Railroad Routes through Colorado

California Zephyr:  Chicago, Galesburg, Omaha, Fort Morgan, Denver, Winter Park, Granby, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, Salt Lake City, Reno, Sacramento, and Emeryville Southwest Chief:  Chicago, Galesburg, Kansas City, Topeka, Lamar, La Junta, Trinidad, Raton, Lamy, Albuquerque, Gallup, Flagstaff, and Los Angeles

Communities in Colorado with Regional Bus Service

Alamosa, Aurora, Boulder, Brush, Berthoud, Colorado Springs, Delta, Denver, Durango, Englewood, Frisco, Fort Collins, Fort Morgan, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, Greeley, Lamar, Limon, Longmont, LovelandMontrose, Pueblo, Rocky Ford, Springfield, Sterling, Trinidad, Vail, and Walsenburg

• Denver and Colorado Springs are serviced by the FREX regional bus.
• Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud, and Longmont are serviced by the FLEX regional bus.^[64]

In 2011, Colorado ranked among the five deadliest states for debris/litter –caused vehicle accidents per total number of registered vehicles and population size. Figures derived from the ^[65] NHTSA show at least 16 persons in Colorado were killed each year in motor vehicle collisions with non-fixed objects, including debris, dumped litter, animals and their carcasses.

Government and politics

State government

Gubernatorial election results

Year	Republican	Democratic
2006	40.16% 625,886	56.98% 888,096
2002	62.62% 884,584	33.65% 475,373
1998	49.06% 648,202	48.43% 639,905
1994	38.70% 432,042	55.47% 619,205
1990	35.43% 358,403	61.89% 626,032

Just like all the states, Colorado's state constitution provides for three branches of government: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial branches. The Governor heads the state's executive branch. The Colorado Supreme Court 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),^[66] 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).

Federal politics

Presidential elections results

Year	Republican	Democratic
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.^[67]

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).

Colorado is represented by the current two United States Senators:

• United States Senate Class 2 – Mark Emery Udall (Democratic) 2009–
• United States Senate Class 3 – Michael Farrand Bennet (Democratic)^[68] 2009–

The State of Colorado is represented by seven Representatives to the United States House of Representatives:

• Colorado's 1st congressional district - Diana Louise DeGette (Democratic) 1997-
• Colorado's 2nd congressional district - Jared Schutz Polis (Democratic) 2009-
• Colorado's 3rd congressional district - Scott Tipton (Republican) (2011–
• Colorado's 4th congressional district - Cory Gardner (Republican) (2011–
• Colorado's 5th congressional district - Douglas L. "Doug" Lamborn (Republican) 2007-
• Colorado's 6th congressional district - Michael "Mike" Coffman (Republican) 2009-
• Colorado's 7th congressional district - Edwin George "Ed" Perlmutter (Democratic) 2007-

Cities and towns

Colorado has 271 incorporated municipalities and 83 active United States Census Designated Places.^[69][70]

The thirty most populous Colorado municipalities as of July 1, 2009, were:^[71]

Rank	Municipality	2009 Pop
!000001	City and County of Denver	610,345
!000002	City of Colorado Springs	399,827
!000003	City of Aurora	324,655
!000004	City of Lakewood	141,943
!000005	City of Fort Collins	138,736
!000006	City of Thornton	117,003
!000007	City of Westminster	108,850
!000008	City of Arvada	108,172
!000009	City of Pueblo	104,877
!000010	City of Centennial	100,837
!000011	City of Boulder	100,160
!000012	City of Greeley	92,625
!000013	City of Longmont	88,424
!000014	City of Loveland	66,215
!000015	City of Grand Junction	58,444
!000016	City and County of Broomfield	55,990
!000017	Town of Castle Rock	45,696
!000018	Town of Parker	44,722
!000019	City of Commerce City	43,834
!000020	City of Littleton	41,202
!000021	City of Northglenn	34,556
!000022	City of Englewood	32,883
!000023	City of Brighton	32,120
!000024	City of Lafayette	26,146
!000025	City of Fountain	24,430
!000026	City of Louisville	19,656
!000027	City of Evans	19,481
!000028	City of Montrose	18,388
!000029	City of Golden	17,458
!000030	City of Erie	17,256

Counties

Colorado is divided into 64 counties, including two counties with consolidated city and county governments.^[72]

The fifteen most populous Colorado counties as of July 1, 2009, were:^[73]

Rank	County	2009 Pop
!000001	City and County of Denver	610,345
!000002	El Paso County	604,542
!000003	Arapahoe County	565,360
!000004	Jefferson County	536,922
!000005	Adams County	440,994
!000006	Boulder County	303,482
!000007	Larimer County	298,382
!000008	Douglas County	288,225
!000009	Weld County	254,759
!000010	Pueblo County	157,224
!000011	Mesa County	146,093
!000012	Garfield County	56,298
!000013	City and County of Broomfield	55,990
!000014	Eagle County	53,653
!000015	La Plata County	51,464

Education

Colleges and universities in Colorado:

Adams State College Aims Community College Arapahoe Community College Art Institute of Colorado Belleview College Colorado Christian University Colorado College Colorado Mountain College Colorado Northwestern Community College Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University System Colorado State University Colorado State University-Pueblo Colorado Technical University Community College of Aurora Community College of Denver Denver Seminary DeVry University Fort Lewis College Front Range Community College Greendale Community College Heritage College & Heritage Institute Iliff School of Theology Johnson & Wales University Jones International University Lamar Community College Lincoln College Of Technology

Mesa State College Metropolitan State College of Denver Morgan Community College Naropa University National Technological University Nazarene Bible College Northeastern Junior College Otero Junior College Pikes Peak Community College Pueblo Community College Red Rocks Community College Redstone College Regis University Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Trinidad State Junior College United States Air Force Academy University of Colorado System University of Colorado at Boulder University of Colorado at Colorado Springs University of Colorado Denver University of Denver University of Northern Colorado Western State College

Metropolitan areas

The United States Census Bureau has defined seven Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), seven Micropolitan Statistical Areas (µSAs), and one Combined Statistical Area (CSA) in Colorado.^[74][75]

Military installations

• Buckley Air Force Base
• Fort Carson
  • Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site
• Peterson Air Force Base
  • Cheyenne Mountain Directorate
• Pueblo Chemical Depot
• Schriever Air Force Base
• United States Air Force Academy

Protected areas

Units of the National Park System in Colorado:

• Arapaho National Recreation Area^[76]
• Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
• Canyons of the Ancients National Monument^[77]
• Colorado National Monument
• Continental Divide National Scenic Trail^[78]
• Curecanti National Recreation Area
• Dinosaur National Monument
• Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
• Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
• Hovenweep National Monument
• Mesa Verde National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Old Spanish National Historic Trail
• Pony Express National Historic Trail
• Rocky Mountain National Park
• Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
• Santa Fe National Historic Trail
• Yucca House National Monument

Sports

Professional sports teams

Colorado is the least populous state with a franchise in each of the major professional sports leagues. The state is able to support the teams because it contains a large metropolitan area with a higher population than any other city within 550 miles (885 km). Therefore, many of the residents in the surrounding states support the teams in Denver, as shown by the reach of the Broncos' radio network.^[79]

Club	Home	First game	Sport	League
Denver Broncos	Denver	September 9, 1960	Football	National Football League
Denver Barbarians	Denver	Spring 1967	Rugby Union	Rugby Super League
Denver Nuggets	Denver	September 27, 1967	Basketball	National Basketball Association
Colorado Springs Sky Sox	Colorado Springs	June 18, 1988	Baseball	Minor League Baseball (AAA)
Colorado Rockies	Denver	April 5, 1993	Baseball	Major League Baseball
Colorado Avalanche	Denver	October 6, 1995	Ice hockey	National Hockey League
Colorado Rapids	Commerce City	April 13, 1996	Soccer	Major League Soccer
Colorado Mammoth	Denver	January 3, 2003	Lacrosse	National Lacrosse League
Colorado Eagles	Loveland	October 17, 2003	Ice hockey	Central Hockey League
Denver Outlaws	Denver	May 20, 2006	Lacrosse	Major League Lacrosse

Former professional sports teams

Club	Sport	League
Aurora Cavalry	Basketball	International Basketball League
Colorado 14ers (won championship in their final season of 2008–09; moved to Frisco, Texas and will resume play in 2010–11 as the Texas Legends)	Basketball	NBA Development League
Colorado Chill (folded along with the NWBL)	Basketball	National Women's Basketball League
Colorado Crossover	Basketball	International Basketball League
Colorado Crush (suspended operations with the AFL, and did not return when a new AFL was formed)	Arena football	Arena Football League
Colorado Rapids U23's	Soccer	USL Premier Development League
Colorado Rockies (NHL) (moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey and became the New Jersey Devils)	Ice Hockey	National Hockey League
Colorado Xplosion (won the Western Conference Championship in inaugural season)	Women's Basketball	American Basketball League (1996-1998)
Colorado Springs Blizzard	Soccer	USL Premier Development League
Denver Grizzlies (moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, later moved to Cleveland, Ohio and became the Lake Erie Monsters)	Ice Hockey	International Hockey League (1945-2001)
Denver Spurs (moved to Ottawa, Ontario and became the Ottawa Civics for the rest of the team's existence)	Ice Hockey	World Hockey Association/Central Hockey League/Western Hockey League
Denver Dynamite (Inaugural AFL member; folded after four seasons)	Arena Football	Arena Football League
Denver Gold (United States Football League member, 1983–1985)	Football	United States Football League
Denver Bears/Denver Zephyrs (moved to New Orleans, Louisiana and became the New Orleans Zephyrs)	Baseball	American Association/Pacific Coast League
Denver Racquets 1974 Champions (moved to Phoenix 1975)	Tennis	World Team Tennis
Rocky Mountain Rage	Ice hockey	Central Hockey League

State symbols

[show] Colorado State Symbols
The Flag of Colorado.
Animate insignia
Bird(s)	Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocoryus
Fish	Greenback Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarki somias
Flower(s)	Rocky Mountain Columbine Aquilegia caerules
Grass	Blue Grama Grass Bouteloua gracilis
Insect	Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly Hypaurotis cysaluswas
Mammal(s)	Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis
Reptile	Western Painted Turtle Chrysemys picta bellii
Tree	Colorado Blue Spruce Picea pungens
Inanimate insignia
Dance	Square Dance
Fossil	Stegosaurus
Gemstone	Aquamarine
Mineral	Rhodochrosite
Rock	Yule Marble
Soil	Seitz
Song(s)	Where the Columbines Grow Rocky Mountain High
Tartan	Colorado State Tartan
Route marker(s)
State Quarter
Released in 2006
Lists of United States state insignia

Prominent Coloradans

See also

• Outline of geography
  • Outline of North America
    • Outline of the United States
      • Outline of Colorado
        • Index of Colorado-related articles

References

Further reading

External links

Find more about Colorado on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Textbooks from Wikibooks

	Wikinews has news about Colorado:

OpenStreetMap has geographic data related to: Colorado

State government

• State of Colorado government website
• Colorado Department of Education
  • Colorado state symbols and emblems
  • Colorado official state vacation guide
• Energy Profile for Colorado
  • Colorado state government departments and agencies
    • Colorado Department of Transportation
      • Colorado highway maps
        • Colorado Travel Map
• 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
  • Colorado QuickFacts
  • Colorado economic data
  • Colorado housing data
  • Colorado social data
• USDA ERS Colorado state facts

Other

• Colorado travel guide from Wikitravel
• Colorado County Evolution
• Ask Colorado
• 2000 Census of Population and Housing for Colorado
• Mountain and Desert Plants of Colorado and the Southwest,
• Colorado at the Open Directory Project

 

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[show]v · d · eMayors of cities with populations exceeding 100,000 in Colorado     Bill Vidal (Denver) Lionel Rivera (Colorado Springs) Ed Tauer (Aurora) Bob Murphy (Lakewood) Doug Hutchinson (Fort Collins) Erik Hansen (Thornton) Bob Frie (Arvada) Nancy McNally (Westminster) Barbara Vidmar* (Pueblo) *President of the Pueblo City Council