View source for Colorado

{{short description|U.S. state}}
{{about|the U.S. state|the river|Colorado River|the physiographic region|Colorado Plateau|other uses}}
{{protection padlock|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{infobox U.S. state
| official_name = <!-- State of Colorado -->
| name = Colorado
| image_flag = Flag of Colorado.svg
| flag_link = Flag of Colorado
| image_seal = Seal of Colorado.svg
| image_map = Colorado in United States.svg
| nickname = [[List of U.S. state nicknames|The Centennial State]]
| motto = ''[[Nil sine numine]]''<br />(English: Nothing without providence)
| anthem = ''[[Where the Columbines Grow]]'' and <br />''[[Rocky Mountain High]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archives.colorado.gov/collections/symbols-emblems|title=State Songs|publisher=Colorado State Archives|access-date=May 28, 2023}}</ref>
| Former = [[Territory of Colorado]]<ref name=ColoradoOrganicAct />
| seat = [[Denver]]
| LargestCity = capital
| LargestCounty = [[El Paso County, Colorado|El Paso]]
| LargestMetro = [[Denver metropolitan area|Denver]]
| OfficialLang = [[Template:Official languages of U.S. states and territories|English]]
| Governor = {{nowrap|[[Jared Polis]] ([[Colorado Democratic Party|D]])}}
| Lieutenant Governor = {{nowrap|[[Dianne Primavera]] (D)}}
| Legislature = [[Colorado General Assembly|General Assembly]]
| Upperhouse = [[Colorado Senate|Senate]]
| Lowerhouse = [[Colorado House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
| Judiciary = [[Colorado Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] ([[Colorado Supreme Court#Membership|list]])
| Senators = [[Michael Bennet]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])<br/>[[John Hickenlooper]] (D)
| Representative = 4 Democrats <br /> 4 [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]]
| iso_code = US-CO
| postal_code = CO
| area_rank = 8th
| area_total_km2 = 269,837
| area_total_sq_mi = 104,185<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/2010/geo/state-area.html | title=State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates }}</ref>
| area_land_km2 = 268,875
| area_land_sq_mi = 103,718
| area_water_km2 = 962
| area_water_sq_mi = 376
| area_water_percent = 0.36
| population_demonym = Coloradan
| population_as_of = 2024
| 2010Pop = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 5,957,493<ref name="census.gov" />
| population_rank = 21st <!-- 2022 -->
| population_density_rank = 37th <!-- 2022  -->
| 2020Density = 21.72 <!-- = Population/LandArea --> <!-- 2022 -->
| 2020DensityUS = 56.25 <!-- = Population/LandAreaUS --> <!-- 2022 -->
| MedianHouseholdIncome = ${{round|92911|-2}} (2<span>0</span>23)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/acsbr-023.pdf|title=Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2023|access-date=January 12, 2025}}</ref>
| IncomeRank = [[List of U.S. states and territories by income#States and territories ranked by median household income|9th]]
| AdmittanceOrder = 38th
| AdmittanceDate = {{Start date and age|1876|08|01}}<ref name=ColoradoStatehoodProclamation/>
| timezone1 = [[Mountain Time Zone|MST]]
| utc_offset1 = −07:00
| timezone1_DST = [[Mountain Time Zone|MDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = −06:00
<!-- | area_codes = [[Area codes 303, 720, and 983|303/720/983]] [[Area code 719|719]] [[Area codes 970 and 748|970/748]] -->
| Latitude = 37°N to 41°N
| Longitude = 102.0467°W to 109.0467°W
| length_km = 451
| length_mi = 280
| width_km = 612
| width_mi = 380
| elevation_max_point = [[Mount Elbert]]<ref name=Mount_Elbert/><ref name=USGS>{{cite web|url=https://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |title=Elevations and Distances in the United States |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |year=2001 |access-date=October 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |archive-date=October 15, 2011 }}</ref>{{efn|name=NAVD88|Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]]}}
| elevation_max_m = 4401.2
| elevation_max_ft = 14,440
| elevation_m = 2070
| elevation_ft = 6,800
| elevation_min_point = [[Arikaree River]]<ref name=USGS/>{{efn|name=NAVD88}}
| elevation_min_m = 1011
| elevation_min_ft = 3,317
| website = colorado.gov
| Capital = 
| Representatives = 
}}

'''Colorado'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|audio=ColoradanColorado.ogg|ˌ|k|ɒ|l|ə|ˈ|r|æ|d|oʊ|,_|-|ˈ|r|ɑː|d|oʊ}} {{respell|KOL|ə|RAD|oh|,_|-|RAH|doh}},<ref>{{cite web |date=August 13, 2010 |title=Colorado—Definition |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colorado?show=0&t=1307303426 |access-date=June 5, 2011 |publisher=Merriam-Webster}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Colorado |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Colorado?s=t |access-date=August 17, 2013 |publisher=Dictionary.com}}</ref> other variants;<ref>{{cite AV media|first=Kyle|last=Clark|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBu1ZLuxBXM<!-- user account Next 9NEWS -->| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211123/SBu1ZLuxBXM| archive-date=November 23, 2021 | url-status=live|title=What's the right way to pronounce 'Colorado?'|publisher=[[KUSA (TV)|KUSA-TV]]|medium=TV news magazine segment|date=June 27, 2018|access-date=August 4, 2018|others=Contributor: Rich Sandoval, linguist at [[Metropolitan State University of Denver]]|quote=[Sandoval] found five pronunciations.}}{{cbignore}}</ref> {{IPA|es|koloˈɾaðo|lang|Pronunciation of Colorado in Spanish.ogg}}}} is a [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[Western United States]]. It is one of the [[Mountain states]], and [[Southwestern United States|Southwestern]] region of the United States, sharing the [[Four Corners]] region with [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], and [[Utah]]. It is also bordered by [[Wyoming]] to the north, [[Nebraska]] to the northeast, [[Kansas]] to the east, and [[Oklahoma]] to the Southeast. Colorado is noted for its landscape of [[mountains]], [[forests]], [[High Plains (United States)|high plains]], [[mesas]], [[canyons]], [[plateaus]], [[rivers]], and [[desert]] lands. It 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 the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|eighth-largest U.S. state by area]] and the [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|21st by population]]. The [[United States Census Bureau]] estimated the population of Colorado to be 5,957,493 as of July 1, 2024, a 3.2% increase from the [[2020 United States census]].<ref name="census.gov">{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/CO/PST045224|access-date=January 9, 2025|title= United States Census Quick Facts Colorado}}</ref>

The region has been inhabited by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] and their [[Paleo-Indian]] ancestors for at least 13,500 years and possibly much longer. The eastern edge of the [[Rocky Mountains]] was a major migration route for early peoples who spread throughout the Americas. In 1848, much of the [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México|Nuevo México]] region was annexed to the United States with the [[Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]]. The [[Pike's Peak Gold Rush]] of 1858–1862 created an influx of settlers. On February 28, 1861, [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[James Buchanan]] signed [[Colorado Organic Act|an act]] creating the [[Territory of Colorado]],<ref name=ColoradoOrganicAct/> and on August 1, 1876, President [[Ulysses S. Grant]] signed [[Colorado Statehood Proclamation|Proclamation 230]], admitting Colorado to the [[United States|Union]] as the 38th state.<ref name=ColoradoStatehoodProclamation/> The Spanish adjective ''"colorado"'' means "colored red" or "ruddy". Colorado is nicknamed the "[[List of U.S. state nicknames|Centennial State]]" because it became a state 100 years (and four weeks) after the signing of the [[United States Declaration of Independence]].

[[Denver]] is the capital, the [[Colorado municipalities by population|most populous city]], and the center of the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]]. [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]] is the second-most populous city of the state. Residents of the state are known as [[List of people from Colorado|Coloradans]], although the antiquated "Coloradoan" is occasionally used.<ref name="statestyle">{{cite web |title=Creative Services |url=http://ccs.colostate.edu/style_guide/style_guide_az.aspx#state_names |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219065613/http://ccs.colostate.edu/style_guide/style_guide_az.aspx |archive-date=February 19, 2015 |access-date=February 5, 2016 |website=Colorado State University}}</ref><ref name=Coloradan>{{cite news|last=Quillen |first=Ed |url=http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_5447358 |title=Coloradoan or Coloradan|work=[[The Denver Post]]|date=March 18, 2007|access-date=July 30, 2010|location=[[Denver]]}}</ref> Colorado generally ranks as one of the top U.S. states for education attainment, employment, and healthcare quality.<ref name="CensusData">{{cite web |title=EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=S1501&g=0100000US%240400000&tid=ACSST1Y2021.S1501&moe=false&tp=false |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220919003628/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=S1501&g=0100000US%240400000&tid=ACSST1Y2021.S1501&moe=false&tp=false |archive-date=September 19, 2022 |access-date=September 18, 2022 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Salmon |first=Alayna Alvarez,Felix |date=May 3, 2024 |title=Denver named national leader for living-wage jobs |url=https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/05/03/denver-unemployment-rate-living-wage-jobs |access-date=June 26, 2025 |website=Axios |language=en}}</ref> Major parts of its [[Economy of Colorado|economy]] include government and defense, mining, [[Economy of Colorado#Agriculture|agriculture]], tourism, and manufacturing. With increasing temperatures and decreasing water availability, Colorado's agriculture, forestry, and tourism economies are [[Climate change in Colorado|expected to be heavily affected by climate change]].<ref name=CC>{{Cite web |date=August 2016 |title=What Climate Change Means for Colorado |url=https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-co.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180305132824/https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-co.pdf |archive-date=March 5, 2018 |series=EPA 430-F-16-008 |publisher=[[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]]}}</ref>

==History==
{{main|Prehistory of Colorado|History of Colorado}}
{{for timeline|Timeline of Colorado history}}[[File:Mesa-Verde---Cliff-Palace-in 1891 - edit1.jpg|thumb|The ruins of the [[Cliff Palace]] of [[Mesa Verde National Park|Mesa Verde]], photographed by [[Gustaf Nordenskiöld]] in 1891]]
[[File:BentsFort.jpg|thumb|[[Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site]] on the [[Santa Fe National Historic Trail]].]]

The region that is today the State of Colorado has been inhabited by [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]] and their [[Paleo-Indian]] ancestors for at least 13,500 years and possibly more than 37,000 years.<ref name=Footprints>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/whsa/learn/nature/fossilized-footprints.htm|title=Fossilized Footprints|publisher=[[United States]] [[National Park Service]]|access-date=August 6, 2022}}</ref><ref name=Mammoth>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/04/world/mammoth-fossils-early-humans-scn/index.html|title=Discovery in paleontologist's backyard reveals evidence of North America's early humans|author=Ashley Strickland|publisher=[[Cable News Network]]|date=August 4, 2022|access-date=August 6, 2022}}</ref> 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 [[Lindenmeier site]] in [[Larimer County, Colorado|Larimer County]] contains artifacts dating from approximately 8720 BCE. The [[Ancient Pueblo peoples]] lived in the valleys and mesas of the [[Colorado Plateau]] in far southwestern Colorado.<ref>"[http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/genocide-native-americans-ethnic-cleansing.html Genocide Wiped Out Native American Population ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922190638/http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/genocide-native-americans-ethnic-cleansing.html |date=September 22, 2010 }}", Discovery News, September 20, 2010.</ref> The [[Ute Nation]] inhabited the mountain valleys of the [[Southern Rocky Mountains]] and the [[Western Rocky Mountains]], even as far east as the Front Range of the present day. The [[Apache]] and the [[Comanche]] also inhabited the Eastern and Southeastern parts of the state. In the 17th century, the [[Arapaho Nation|Arapaho]] and [[Cheyenne Nation|Cheyenne]] moved west from the [[Great Lakes region]] to hunt across the [[High Plains (United States)|High Plains]] of Colorado and [[Wyoming]].

The [[Spanish Empire]] claimed Colorado as part of [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México|Nuevo México]]. The U.S. acquired the territorial claim to the eastern Rocky Mountains with the [[Louisiana Purchase]] from France in 1803. This U.S. claim conflicted with the claim by Spain to the upper [[Arkansas River|Arkansas River Basin]]. In 1806, [[Zebulon Pike]] led a [[Pike Expedition|U.S. Army reconnaissance expedition]] into the disputed region. Colonel Pike and his troops were arrested by Spanish cavalrymen in the [[San Luis Valley]] the following February, taken to [[Chihuahua, Chihuahua|Chihuahua]], and expelled from Mexico the following July.

The U.S. 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 on February 22, 1821. Having settled its border with Spain, the U.S. admitted the southeastern portion of the [[Missouri Territory|Territory of Missouri]] to the Union as the [[Missouri|state of Missouri]] on August 10, 1821. The remainder of Missouri Territory, including what would become northeastern Colorado, became an unorganized territory and remained so for 33 years over the [[Slavery in the United States|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 1835–36 fomented a dispute between the U.S. and Mexico which eventually erupted into the [[Mexican–American War]] in 1846. Mexico surrendered its northern territory to the U.S. with the [[Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo]] after the war in 1848; this included much of the western and southern areas of Colorado.
[[File:Mexican Cession in Mexican View.PNG|thumb|Map of the [[Mexican Cession]], with the white representing the territory the United States received from Mexico (plus land ceded to the [[Republic of Texas]]) after the [[Mexican–American War]]. Well over half of Colorado was received from this treaty.]]

Most American settlers first traveled to Colorado through the [[Santa Fe Trail]], which connected the U.S. to [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] and the [[Camino Real de Tierra Adentro]] southward. Others were traveling overland west to the [[Oregon Country]], the new [[California gold rush|goldfields of California]], or the new [[Mormon]] settlements of the [[State of Deseret]] in the [[Salt Lake Valley]], avoided the rugged [[Southern Rocky Mountains]], and instead followed the [[North Platte River]] and [[Sweetwater River (Wyoming)|Sweetwater River]] to [[South Pass (Wyoming)]], 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 rivers [[Green River (Colorado River)|Green]], [[Colorado River|Grand]], and [[Colorado River|Colorado]]. The federal government of the U.S. flatly refused to recognize the new Mormon government because it was [[History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints#Brigham Young's early theocratic leadership|theocratic]] and [[Sanctions (law)|sanctioned]] [[Mormonism and polygamy|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, [[Hispanos of New Mexico|Hispano]] settlers from the area of [[Taos, New Mexico|Taos]] settled the village of [[San Luis, Colorado|San Luis]], then in the [[New Mexico Territory]], as Colorado's first permanent [[European American|Euro-American]] [[settlement (migration)|settlement]], further cementing the traditions of [[New Mexican cuisine]] and [[New Mexico music]] in the developing [[Southern Rocky Mountain Front]].<ref name="Lyons 2018">{{cite web | last=Lyons | first=Luke | title=Musical festival brings in top New Mexico, regional acts | website=Pueblo Chieftain | date=September 27, 2018 | url=https://www.chieftain.com/story/entertainment/local/2018/09/27/musical-festival-brings-in-top/9290899007/ | access-date=March 4, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Sexton 2019">{{cite web | last=Sexton | first=Josie | title=The Hatch and Pueblo chile feud is heating up. Why is Colorado losing? | website=The Denver Post | date=September 18, 2019 | url=https://www.denverpost.com/2019/09/18/pueblo-chile-colorado/ | access-date=March 4, 2024}}</ref>

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 [[Proslavery in the antebellum United States|pro-slavery]] factions.

The gold seekers organized the [[Jefferson Territory|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 [[American Civil War|civil war among the states]]. Seeking to augment the political power of the [[free state (United States)|Union states]], the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]-dominated Congress quickly admitted the eastern portion of the [[Territory of Kansas]] into the [[United States|Union]] as the free [[Kansas|State of Kansas]] on January 29, 1861, leaving the western portion of the Kansas Territory, and its gold-mining areas, as unorganized territory.

===Territory act===
{{Main|Organic act#List of organic acts|New Mexico Territory|Utah Territory|Kansas–Nebraska Act|Kansas Territory|Nebraska Territory|Colorado Territory|Pike's Peak Gold Rush}}
[[File:1860 Colorado Territory map.svg|thumb|left|The territories of [[New Mexico Territory|New Mexico]], [[Utah Territory|Utah]], [[Kansas Territory|Kansas]], and [[Nebraska Territory|Nebraska]] before the creation of the [[Territory of Colorado]]]]

Thirty days later on February 28, 1861, outgoing U.S. President [[James Buchanan]] signed an Act of Congress organizing the [[Free state (United States)|free]] [[Territory of Colorado]].<ref name=ColoradoOrganicAct/> The original boundaries of Colorado remain unchanged except for government survey amendments. In 1776, Spanish priest [[Silvestre Vélez de Escalante]] recorded that Native Americans in the area knew the river as ''[[:es:Rio Colorado|el Rio Colorado]]'' for the red-brown silt that the river carried from the mountains.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Multiple Property Documentation Form |title=National-Register-of-Historic |url=https://www.nps.gov/elca/learn/historyculture/upload/National-Register-of-Historic-Places-Multiple-Properties-508.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.nps.gov/elca/learn/historyculture/upload/National-Register-of-Historic-Places-Multiple-Properties-508.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |website=www.nps.gov}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=April 2021}} In 1859, a U.S. Army [[Topography|topographic]] expedition led by Captain [[John Navarre Macomb, Jr.|John Macomb]] located the confluence of the [[Green River (Colorado River)|Green River]] with the [[Grand River (Colorado)|Grand River]] in what is now [[Canyonlands National Park]] in [[Utah]].<ref name=Macomb>Report of the exploring expedition from Santa Fé, New Mexico, to the junction of the Grand and Green Rivers of the great Colorado of the West, in 1859: under the command of Capt. J. N. Macomb, Corps of topographical engineers, Volume 1 [https://archive.org/stream/reportofexplorin00unitrich#page/n5/mode/2up @ archive.org]</ref> 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 [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]], the vast majority remained fiercely loyal to the [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] cause.

In 1862, a force of Texas cavalry invaded the [[Territory of New Mexico]] and captured [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] on March 10. The object of this [[New Mexico Campaign|Western Campaign]] was to seize or disrupt Colorado and California's gold fields and seize Pacific Ocean ports 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 dispersed 500 of their horses and mules.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Blood & treasure: Confederate Empire in the Southwest|last=Frazier |first=Donald Shaw |date=1995|publisher=Texas A & M University Press|isbn=0-585-30330-4|edition=1st|location=College Station|oclc=45732362}}</ref> 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.
[[File:Mount of the Holy Cross.jpeg|thumb|[[Mount of the Holy Cross]], photographed by [[William Henry Jackson]] in 1874]]

In 1864, [[Governor of Colorado|Territorial Governor]] [[John Evans (Colorado 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 troops 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 the bodies of the dead had been hideously mutilated and desecrated. 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. This event is now known as the [[Sand Creek massacre]].

In the midst and aftermath of the Civil War, many discouraged prospectors returned to their homes, but a few stayed and developed mines, mills, farms, ranches, roads, and towns in Colorado 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, Colorado|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 tribe|Ute Indian]] reservation in southwestern Colorado. The Ute people were removed from the San Juan Mountains the following year.

===Statehood===

{{Main|Admission to the Union|List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union|Colorado Silver Boom|Cripple Creek Gold Rush}}
[[File:Georgetown loop 1899.jpg|thumb|The [[Georgetown Loop]] of the [[Colorado Central Railroad]] as photographed by [[William Henry Jackson]] in 1899]]

The [[Forty-third United States Congress|United States Congress]] passed an enabling act on March 3, 1875, specifying the requirements for the Territory of Colorado to become a state.<ref name=ColoradoEnablingAct>{{cite web|url=https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/PROCEEDINGS%20OF%20THE%20CONSTITUTIONAL%20CONVENTION_0.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/PROCEEDINGS%20OF%20THE%20CONSTITUTIONAL%20CONVENTION_0.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |title=An Act to Enable the People of Colorado to Form a Constitution and State Government, and for the Admission of the Said State into the Union on an Equal Footing with the Original States |author=Forty-third United States Congress |author-link=Forty-third United States Congress |date=March 3, 1875|access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref> On August 1, 1876 (four weeks 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".<ref name=ColoradoStatehoodProclamation>{{cite web|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=70540|title=Proclamation of the Admission of Colorado to the Union|format=[[php]]|author=President of the United States of America|date=August 1, 1876|publisher=The American Presidency Project|access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref>

The discovery of a major silver lode near [[Leadville, Colorado|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, Colorado|Cripple Creek]] a few months later lured a new generation of gold seekers. Colorado women were granted the right to vote on November 7, 1893, making Colorado the second state to grant [[universal suffrage]] and the first one by a [[1893 Colorado women's suffrage referendum|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. Between the 1880s and 1930s, Denver's floriculture industry developed into a major industry in Colorado.<ref>Shu Liu and Linda M. Meyer, [https://dspace.library.colostate.edu/bitstream/handle/10217/5199/Carnations_Liu_Meyer.pdf?sequence=1 Carnations and the Floriculture Industry: Documenting the Cultivation and Marketing of Flowers in Colorado], 2007</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=A History—Colorado Flower Growers and its People|last=Kingman|first=Dick|publisher=Colorado Greenhouse Growers Association, Inc.|year=1986|url=http://ghex.colostate.edu/pdf_files/AHistoryColoradoFlowerGrowersAndItsPeople.pdf|access-date=March 13, 2016|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101812/http://ghex.colostate.edu/pdf_files/AHistoryColoradoFlowerGrowersAndItsPeople.pdf}}</ref> This period became known locally as the [[Carnation Gold Rush]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.denverrealestatewatch.com/2015/10/15/neighbors-want-historic-designation-for-nw-denver-home/|title=Neighbors want historic designation for NW Denver home|last=Rebchook|first=John|date=October 15, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|access-date=March 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094545/http://www.denverrealestatewatch.com/2015/10/15/neighbors-want-historic-designation-for-nw-denver-home/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Twentieth and twenty-first centuries===
[[File:16th street denver L.C McClure.jpg|thumb|upright|16th Street in Denver in 1912]]
[[File:Ruins of Ludlow restored.jpg|thumb|The ruins of the [[Ludlow massacre|Ludlow Colony]] in the aftermath of the 1914 massacre.]]
Poor labor conditions and discontent among miners resulted in several major clashes between strikers and the [[Colorado Army National Guard|Colorado National Guard]], including the [[Colorado Labor Wars|1903–1904 Western Federation of Miners Strike]] and [[Colorado Coalfield War]], the latter of which included the [[Ludlow massacre]] that killed a dozen women and children.<ref name="Philip Ross 1969">Philip Taft and Philip Ross, "American Labor Violence: Its Causes, Character, and Outcome", The History of Violence in America: A Report to the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence, ed. Hugh Davis Graham and Ted Robert Gurr, 1969.</ref><ref>McGovern, George; Guttridge, Leonard. ''The Great Coalfield War''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1972. 88, 89 p.</ref> Both the 1913–1914 Coalfield War and the [[Denver streetcar strike of 1920]] resulted in federal troops intervening to end the violence.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/denvertramwayst00actigoog/page/n32/mode/2up|page=33|title=The Denver Tramway Strike of 1920|year=1921|last1=Devine|first1=Edward T.|last2=Ryan|first2=John A.|last3=Lapp|first3=John A.|publisher=The Denver Commission of Religious Forces and [[National Catholic Welfare Council]]|access-date=October 12, 2020}}</ref> In 1927, the [[1927–1928 Colorado Coal Strike|1927-28 Colorado coal strike]] occurred and was ultimately successful in winning a dollar a day increase in wages.<ref>{{cite journal |last=McClurg |first=Donald J. |year=1963 |title=The Colorado Coal Strike of 1927 &ndash; Tactical Leadership of the IWW |journal=Labor History |volume=4 |issue=1 |page=71 |doi=10.1080/00236566308583916 |issn=0023-656X}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Conlin |first=Joseph R. |title=At the Point of Production: The Local History of the IWW |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=1981 |page=203 |author-link=Joseph R. Conlin}}</ref> During it however the [[Columbine Mine massacre]] resulted in six dead strikers following a confrontation with [[Colorado Rangers]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Schreck |first=Christopher |title=The Strike of 1927 |newspaper=Colorado Fuel and Iron: Culture and Industry in Southern Colorado |url=http://scalar.usc.edu/works/the-colorado-fuel-and-iron-company/the-strike-of-1927 |access-date=November 6, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=P. Marsh |first=Douglas |date=August 5, 2022 |title=Colorado and the IWW, Part III |url=https://industrialworker.org/colorado-and-the-iww-part-iii/}}</ref> In a separate incident in [[Trinidad, Colorado|Trinidad]] the mayor was accused of deputizing members of the KKK against the striking workers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bayard |first=Charles J. |date=1963 |title=The 1927-1928 Colorado Coal Strike |journal=Pacific Historical Review |volume=32 |issue=3 |pages=235–250 |doi=10.2307/4492179 |jstor=4492179 |issn=0030-8684}}</ref> More than 5,000 Colorado miners—many immigrants—are estimated to have died in accidents since records were first formally collected following an 1884 accident in [[Crested Butte, Colorado|Crested Butte]] that killed 59.<ref>{{cite report |url=http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16079coll16/id/1931 |title=Pre-1963 Colorado mining fatalities |author=Gerald Emerson Sherard |date=2006 |page=1 |access-date=November 12, 2019 |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807040838/https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p16079coll16/id/1931 }}</ref>

In 1924, the [[Ku Klux Klan]] Colorado Realm achieved dominance in Colorado politics. With peak membership levels, the [[Ku Klux Klan#Second Klan|Second Klan]] levied significant control over both the local and state [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican parties]], particularly in the governor's office and city governments of Denver, [[Canon City, Colorado|Cañon City]], and [[Durango, Colorado|Durango]]. A particularly strong element of the Klan controlled the [[Denver Police Department|Denver Police]].<ref name=KKK>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/ku-klux-klan-colorado|title=Ku Klux Klan in Colorado|encyclopedia=Colorado Encyclopedia|last=Louvaris|first=Elenie|date=August 20, 2019|access-date=April 12, 2021}}</ref> [[Cross burning]]s became semi-regular occurrences in cities such as [[Florence, Colorado|Florence]] and Pueblo. The Klan targeted African-Americans, [[Catholic Church|Catholics]], Eastern European immigrants, and other non-White [[Protestant]] groups.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/2014/04/10/ku-klux-klan-once-a-fremont-county-political-powerhouse/|title=Ku Klux Klan once a Fremont County political powerhouse|work=Cañon City Daily Record|location=[[Canon City, Colorado|Cañon City, CO]]|date=April 15, 2019|last=Canterbury|first=Carie|access-date=April 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215041415/https://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/2014/04/10/ku-klux-klan-once-a-fremont-county-political-powerhouse/|archive-date=December 15, 2020}}</ref> Efforts by non-Klan lawmen and lawyers including [[Philip S. Van Cise|Philip Van Cise]] led to a rapid decline in the organization's power, with membership waning significantly by the end of the 1920s.<ref name=KKK/>

[[File:Three 10th Mountain Division Skitroopers above Camp Hale, 1944.png|thumb|Three [[10th Mountain Division]] skitroopers above [[Camp Hale]] in February 1944]]

Colorado became the first western state to host a major political convention when the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] met in Denver in 1908. By the [[United States Census, 1930|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.

On September 11, 1957, a plutonium fire occurred at the [[Rocky Flats Plant]], which resulted in the significant [[Radioactive contamination from the Rocky Flats Plant|plutonium contamination]] of surrounding populated areas.<ref>{{cite web|last=Iversen |first=Kristen |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/06/12/154839592/under-the-nuclear-shadow-of-colorados-rocky-flats |title=Under The 'Nuclear Shadow' Of Colorado's Rocky Flats |publisher=NPR |date=June 12, 2012 }}</ref>

[[File:Skiers on Aspen Mountain, Colorado in 1961.jpg|thumb|Skiers on [[Aspen Mountain (ski area)|Aspen Mountain]] in 1961]]
From the 1940s and 1970s, many protest movements gained momentum in Colorado, predominantly in Denver. This included the [[Chicano Movement]], a [[Civil rights movements|civil rights]], and social movement of [[Mexican Americans]] emphasizing a [[Chicano]] identity that is widely considered to have begun in Denver.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/06/30/137529484/the-chicano-movements-denver-roots-run-deep|title=The Chicano Movement's Denver Roots Run Deep|publisher=[[National Public Radio]]|work=Talk of the Nation|date=June 30, 2011|access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref> The National [[Chicano Youth Liberation Conference]] was held in Colorado in March 1969.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kcet.org/history-society/defining-chicanismo-since-the-1969-denver-youth-conference|title=Defining 'Chicanismo' Since the 1969 Denver Youth Conference|first=Kelly|last=Simpson|date=March 23, 2012|access-date=October 15, 2022|publisher=KCET}}</ref>

In 1967, Colorado was the first state to loosen restrictions on [[Abortion in Colorado|abortion]] when governor [[John Arthur Love|John Love]] signed a law allowing abortions in cases of rape, incest, or threats to the woman's mental or physical health. Many states followed Colorado's lead in loosening abortion laws in the 1960s and 1970s.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=It's Been 50 Years Since Colorado Passed This Groundbreaking Abortion Law |url=https://time.com/4753918/colorado-abortion-law-50-year-anniversary/ |magazine=Time |date=April 25, 2017 |access-date=February 9, 2021 |archive-date=February 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202055301/http://time.com/4753918/colorado-abortion-law-50-year-anniversary/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Since the late 1990s, Colorado has been the site of [[List of shootings in Colorado|multiple major]] [[mass shooting]]s, including the infamous [[Columbine High School massacre]] in 1999 which made international news, where [[Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold|two gunmen]] killed 12 students and one teacher, before committing suicide. The incident has spawned many [[Columbine effect|copycat incidents]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Follman |first1=Mark |last2=Andrews |first2=Becca |title=Here's the terrifying new data on how Columbine spawned dozens of copycats |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/10/columbine-effect-mass-shootings-copycat-data/ |website=Mother Jones |access-date=February 9, 2021}}</ref> On July 20, 2012, a [[2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting|gunman killed 12 people]] in a movie theater in [[Aurora, Colorado|Aurora]]. The state responded with tighter restrictions on firearms, including [[High-capacity magazine|introducing a limit]] on [[magazine (firearms)|magazine]] capacity.<ref>{{cite web |title=How Colorado's gun laws have changed since the Aurora shooting |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/25/colorado-gun-control-laws-aurora-shooting |website=The Guardian |date=July 25, 2015 |access-date=February 9, 2021}}</ref> On March 22, 2021, a [[2021 Boulder shooting|gunman killed 10 people]], including a police officer, in a [[King Soopers]] supermarket in [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Hern|first1=Elizabeth|last2=Ehern|first2=Ez {{!}}|date=March 22, 2021|title=Boulder shooting: Gunman kills 10, including police officer, at King Soopers|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2021/03/22/police-active-shooter-shooting-king-soopers-boulder/|access-date=March 23, 2021|website=The Denver Post}}</ref> In an instance of [[Violence against LGBT people|anti-LGBT violence]], a [[Colorado Springs nightclub shooting|gunman killed 5 people]] at a nightclub in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]] during the night of November 19–20, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vera |first=Eric Levenson, Michelle Watson, Andy Rose, Amir |date=November 20, 2022 |title=Gunman kills 5 at LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs before patrons confront and stop him, police say |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/20/us/colorado-springs-shooting-gay-nightclub/index.html |access-date=March 9, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

Four warships of the [[U.S. Navy]] have been named the [[USS Colorado|USS ''Colorado'']]. The first USS ''Colorado'' was named for the Colorado River and served in the Civil War and later the [[Asiatic Squadron]], where it was attacked during the 1871 [[United States expedition to Korea|Korean Expedition]]. The later three ships were named in honor of the state, including [[USS Colorado (ACR-7)|an armored cruiser]] and the [[USS Colorado (BB-45)|battleship USS ''Colorado'']], the latter of which was the lead ship of [[Colorado-class battleship|her class]] and served in [[War in the Pacific|World War II in the Pacific]] beginning in 1941. At the time of the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], the battleship USS ''Colorado'' was located at the naval base in San Diego, California, and thus went unscathed. The most recent vessel to bear the name USS ''Colorado'' is [[Virginia-class submarine]] [[USS Colorado (SSN-788)|USS ''Colorado'' (SSN-788)]], which was commissioned in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvidshub.net/news/371051/uss-colorado-continues-tradition-submarine-battle-flag|title=USS Colorado Continues the Tradition of the Submarine Battle Flag|work=Defense Visual Information Distribution Service|date=May 29, 2020|last=Coffield|first=Alfred|location=[[Groton, Connecticut|Groton]], [[Connecticut|CT]]|access-date=May 10, 2021}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Colorado}}
[[File:Colorado geographic map-en.svg|thumb]]

Colorado is notable for its diverse geography, which includes alpine mountains, high plains, deserts with huge sand dunes, and deep canyons. In 1861, the [[Thirty-sixth United States Congress|United States Congress]] defined the boundaries of the new [[Territory of Colorado]] exclusively by lines of [[latitude]] and [[longitude]], stretching from [[37th parallel north|37°N]] to [[41st parallel north|41°N]] latitude, and from [[25th meridian west from Washington|102°02′48″W]] to [[32nd meridian west from Washington|109°02′48″W]] longitude ([[25th meridian west from Washington|25°W]] to [[32nd meridian west from Washington|32°W]] from the [[Washington Meridian]]).<ref name="ColoradoOrganicAct">{{cite web|url=https://govtrackus.s3.amazonaws.com/legislink/pdf/stat/12/STATUTE-12-Pg172.pdf|title=An Act to provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado|work=[[Congressional Record]]|publisher=[[Thirty-sixth United States Congress]]|date=February 28, 1861|pages=172–177|access-date=May 28, 2023}}</ref> After {{age|1861|02|28}} years of government surveys, the borders of Colorado were officially defined by 697 [[boundary marker]]s and 697 [[Border|straight boundary lines]].<ref name="FM">{{cite web|publisher=Fascinating Maps|title=Colorado is NOT a perfect rectangle|url=https://fascinatingmaps.com/colorado-is-not-a-perfect-rectangle/|access-date=November 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617202941/https://fascinatingmaps.com/colorado-is-not-a-perfect-rectangle/|archive-date=June 17, 2019}}</ref> Colorado, [[Wyoming]], and [[Utah]] are the only states that have their borders defined solely by straight boundary lines with no natural features.<ref name="BT">{{cite web|publisher=The Big Think, Inc.|title=Colorado is a rectangle? Think again.|date=October 31, 2018|url=https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/colorado-is-not-a-rectangle|access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref> The southwest corner of Colorado is the [[Four Corners Monument]] at [[37th parallel north|36°59′56″N]], [[32nd meridian west from Washington|109°2′43″W]].<ref name="FourCorners">{{cite web|title=Shared Solution: Four Corners|url=https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/OPUS/getDatasheet.jsp?PID=BBCD57&ts=10354154008&style=modern|work=NGS Survey Monument Data Sheet|publisher=[[United States National Geodetic Survey]]|date=July 7, 2010|access-date=May 27, 2023}}</ref>{{efn|name="FourCornersMonument"|The official [[Four Corners Monument]] is located at [[37th parallel north|36°59'56.31608″N]], [[32nd meridian west from Washington|109°2'42.62075"W]], {{convert|574|ft}} southeast of the [[37th parallel north|37°N]], [[32nd meridian west from Washington|109°02′48″W]] location [[Thirty-sixth United States Congress|Congress]] originally designated.}} The [[Four Corners Monument]], located at the place where Colorado, [[New Mexico]], [[Arizona]], and [[Utah]] meet, is the only place in the United States where four states meet.<ref name=BT/>

===Plains===
[[File:Picketwire Canyon.jpg|thumb|The arid high plains in Southeastern Colorado]]

Approximately half of Colorado is flat and rolling land. East of the Rocky Mountains is the [[Colorado Eastern Plains]] of the [[High Plains (United States)|High Plains]], the section of the Great Plains within Colorado at elevations ranging from roughly {{convert|3350|to|7500|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.summitpost.org/colorado-county-highpoints/532245|title=Colorado County Highpoints|access-date=February 27, 2012}}</ref> The Colorado plains are mostly prairies but also include [[deciduous forests]], [[butte]]s, and canyons. Precipitation averages {{convert|15|to|25|in|mm}} annually.<ref name="ccc">{{cite web|url=http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/climateofcolorado.php|title=Climate of Colorado|last1=Doesken|first1=Nolan J.|last2=Pielke| first2=Roger A. Sr. |author-link2=Roger A. Pielke|last3=Bliss|first3=Odilia A.P.|date=January 2003|publisher=Colorado Climate Center—Department of Atmospheric Science—[[Colorado State University]]|access-date=January 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209230420/http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/climateofcolorado.php|archive-date=February 9, 2009}}</ref>

Eastern Colorado is presently mainly farmland and rangeland, along with small farming villages and towns. [[Maize|Corn]], [[wheat]], [[hay]], [[soybean]]s, and [[oat]]s are all typical crops. Most villages and towns in this region boast both a water tower and a [[grain elevator]]. Irrigation water is available from both surface and subterranean sources. Surface water sources include the [[South Platte]], the [[Arkansas River]], and a few other streams. Subterranean water is generally accessed through [[artesian well]]s. Heavy usage of these wells for irrigation purposes caused underground water reserves to decline in the region. Eastern Colorado also hosts a considerable amount and range of livestock, such as cattle ranches and hog farms.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://coloradosun.com/2019/04/08/colorado-cattle-rustling-brand-inspectors/|title=Colorado cattle rustling's colorful history helps modern brand inspectors keep up with a changing crime|work=The Colorado Sun|access-date=March 27, 2021|last=Simpson|first=Kevin|date=April 8, 2019}}</ref>

===Front Range===
[[File:Condiv.JPG|thumb|[[Front Range]] Peaks west of Denver]]

Roughly 70% 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 "Front Range" includes Denver, [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]], [[Fort Collins, Colorado|Fort Collins]], Loveland, [[Castle Rock, Colorado|Castle Rock]], Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Greeley, and other townships and municipalities in between. On the other side of the Rockies, the significant population centers in western Colorado (which is known as "The Western Slope") are the cities of [[Grand Junction, Colorado|Grand Junction]], [[Durango, Colorado|Durango]], and [[Montrose, Colorado|Montrose]].

===Mountains===
{{GeoGroup|article=List of mountain peaks of Colorado|section=Highest major summits}}
{{See also|List of mountain peaks of Colorado}}
[[File:Mt. Elbert.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Elbert]] at {{convert|4401.2|m|order=flip}} is the highest summit of the [[Rocky Mountains]] and Colorado.]]

To the west of the Great Plains of Colorado rises the eastern slope of the [[Rocky Mountains]]. Notable peaks of the Rocky Mountains include [[Longs Peak]], [[Mount Blue Sky]], [[Pikes Peak]], and the [[Spanish Peaks]] near [[Walsenburg, Colorado|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 Rocky Mountains within Colorado contain 53 true peaks and 58 named peaks<ref>{{Cite web |title=What are 14ers? Colorado's Tallest Mountains |url=https://www.14ers.com/what-are-14ers |access-date=November 2, 2024 |website=14ers.com |language=en}}</ref> that are {{convert|14000|ft|m|0|sp=us}} or higher in elevation above sea level, known as [[Colorado fourteeners|fourteeners]].<ref>{{cite web|author=U.S. Forest Service|title=Rocky Mountain Region 14ers |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/recreation/14ers/ |access-date=November 6, 2009}}</ref> These mountains are largely covered with trees such as [[conifer]]s and [[aspen]]s up to the [[tree line]], at an elevation of about {{convert|12000|ft|m|0|sp=us}} in southern Colorado to about {{convert|10500|ft|m|0|sp=us}} in northern Colorado. Above this tree line, only alpine vegetation grows.

Much of the alpine snow melts by mid-August except for a few snow-capped peaks and a few small glaciers. The [[Colorado Mineral Belt]], stretching from the [[San Juan Mountains]] in the southwest to [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] and [[Central City, Colorado|Central City]] on the front range, contains most of the historic gold- and silver-mining districts of Colorado. The 30 [[Highest mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains|highest major summits]] of the Rocky Mountains of North America are all within the state.

The summit of Mount Elbert at {{convert|4400.58|m|order=flip}} elevation in [[Lake County, Colorado|Lake County]] is the highest point in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains of North America.<ref name="Mount_Elbert">{{cite ngs|id=KL0637|designation=Mount Elbert|access-date=October 20, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=US Department of Commerce |first=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Moving Mountains |url=https://geodesy.noaa.gov/web/news/moving-mountains.shtml |access-date=November 9, 2024 |website=geodesy.noaa.gov |language=EN-US}}</ref> Colorado is the only U.S. state that lies entirely above 1,000 meters elevation. The point where the [[Arikaree River]] flows out of [[Yuma County, Colorado]], and into [[Cheyenne County, Kansas]], is the lowest in Colorado at {{convert|1011|m|order=flip}} elevation. This point, which is the highest low elevation point of any state,<ref name="USGS" /><ref>{{cite web|author=U.S. Geological Survey |title=Elevations and Distances |url=https://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest |access-date=September 8, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080116113632/http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |archive-date=January 16, 2008 }}</ref> is higher than the high elevation points of 18 states and the District of Columbia.

====Continental Divide====
[[File:Grays Peak, Colorado - 2007-06-17.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Grays Peak]], at {{convert|4352|m|order=flip}}, is the highest point on the [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]] in North America.]]

The [[Continental Divide of the Americas]] extends along the crest of the Rocky Mountains. The area of Colorado to the west of the Continental Divide is called the [[Colorado Western Slope|Western Slope of Colorado]]. West of the Continental Divide, water flows to the southwest via the [[Colorado River (U.S.)|Colorado River]] and the [[Green River (Colorado River)|Green River]] towards the [[Gulf of California]].

Within the interior of the Rocky Mountains are several large parks which are high broad basins. In the north, on the east side of the Continental Divide is the [[North Park (Colorado basin)|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 (Colorado basin)|Middle Park of Colorado]], which is drained by the Colorado River. The [[South Park (Park County, Colorado)|South Park of Colorado]] is the region of the [[headwater]]s of the South Platte River.

===South Central region===
[[File:ChicoClosedBasin.jpg|thumb|The high desert lands that make up the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado]]

In south-central Colorado is the large [[San Luis Valley]], where the headwaters of the [[Rio Grande]] are located. The northern part of the valley is the [[San Luis Closed Basin]], an [[endorheic basin]] that helped created the [[Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve|Great Sand Dunes]]. The valley sits between the [[Sangre de Cristo Mountains]] and [[San Juan Mountains]]. The Rio Grande drains due south into New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. 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.

===Western Slope===
[[File:Maroon Bells (11553)a.jpg|thumb|[[Maroon Bells]], at {{convert|14163|ft|m|abbr=on}}, is part of [[White River National Forest]] and a tourist destination]]
[[File:Colorado National Monument (4939640266).jpg|thumb|The Colorado National Monument near Grand Junction is made up of high desert canyons and sandstone rock formations.]]

The Western Slope of Colorado includes the western face of the Rocky Mountains and all of the area to the western border. This area includes several terrains and climates from alpine mountains to arid deserts. The Western Slope includes many ski resort towns in the Rocky Mountains and towns west to Utah. It is less populous than the Front Range but includes a large number of national parks and monuments.

The northwestern corner of Colorado is a sparsely populated region, and it contains part of the noted [[Dinosaur National Monument]], which not only is a [[paleontology|paleontological]] area, but is also a scenic area of rocky hills, canyons, arid desert, and streambeds. Here, the Green River briefly crosses over into Colorado.

The Western Slope of Colorado is drained by the Colorado River and its tributaries (primarily the [[Gunnison River]], [[Green River (Colorado River)|Green River]], and the [[San Juan River (Colorado River)|San Juan River]]). The Colorado River flows through [[Glenwood Canyon]], and then through an arid valley made up of desert from [[Rifle, Colorado|Rifle]] to [[Parachute, Colorado|Parachute]], through the desert canyon of [[De Beque Canyon]], and into the arid desert of [[Grand Valley (Colorado-Utah)|Grand Valley]], where the city of Grand Junction is located.

Also prominent is the [[Grand Mesa]], which lies to the southeast of Grand Junction; the high San Juan Mountains, a rugged mountain range; and to the north and west of the San Juan Mountains, the [[Colorado Plateau]].

[[Grand Junction, Colorado]], at the confluence of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers, is the largest city on the Western Slope. Grand Junction and Durango are the only major centers of [[television broadcasting]] west of the Continental Divide in Colorado, though most mountain resort communities publish daily newspapers. Grand Junction is located at the juncture of [[Interstate 70 in Colorado|Interstate 70]] and US 50, the only major highways in western Colorado. Grand Junction is also along the major railroad of the Western Slope, the [[Union Pacific]]. This railroad also provides the tracks for [[Amtrak]]'s ''[[California Zephyr]]'' passenger train, which crosses the Rocky Mountains between Denver and Grand Junction.

The Western Slope includes multiple notable destinations in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, including [[Glenwood Springs, Colorado|Glenwood Springs]], with its resort hot springs, and the [[ski resort]]s of [[Aspen, Colorado|Aspen]], [[Breckenridge, Colorado|Breckenridge]], [[Vail, Colorado|Vail]], [[Crested Butte, Colorado|Crested Butte]], [[Steamboat Springs, Colorado|Steamboat Springs]], and [[Telluride, Colorado|Telluride]].

Higher education in and near the Western Slope can be found at [[Colorado Mesa University]] in Grand Junction, [[Western Colorado University]] in Gunnison, [[Fort Lewis College]] in Durango, and [[Colorado Mountain College]] in Glenwood Springs and Steamboat Springs.

The [[Four Corners Monument]] in the southwest corner of Colorado marks the common boundary of Colorado, [[New Mexico]], [[Arizona]], and [[Utah]]; the only such place in the United States.
{{See also|List of cities and towns in Colorado|List of counties in Colorado|List of rivers of Colorado|Four Corners Monument}}

==Climate==
[[File:Köppen Climate Types Colorado.png|thumb|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate types]] of Colorado, using 1991–2020 [[Climatological normal|climate normals]]]]

The [[climate]] of Colorado is more complex than states outside of the [[Mountain States]] region. Unlike most other states, southern Colorado is not always warmer than northern Colorado. Most of Colorado is made up of mountains, foothills, high plains, and desert lands. Mountains and surrounding valleys greatly affect the local climate. 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===

The climate of the Eastern Plains is [[semi-arid climate|semi-arid]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: [[Cold semi-arid climate|''BSk'']]) with low humidity and moderate precipitation, usually from {{convert|15|to|25|in|abbr=off|mm|sp=us}} annually, although many areas near the rivers are semi-humid climate. The area is known for its abundant sunshine and cool, clear nights, which give this area a great average [[diurnal temperature variation|diurnal temperature range]]. The difference between the highs of the days and the lows of the nights can be considerable as warmth dissipates to space during clear nights, the heat radiation not being trapped by clouds. The Front Range urban corridor, where most of the population of Colorado resides, lies in a pronounced [[rain shadow|precipitation shadow]] as a result of being on the [[Leeward|lee]] side of the Rocky Mountains.<ref name="usgsFRUC1978">{{cite report |last1=Hansen |first1=Wallace R. |last2=Chronic |first2=John |last3=Matelock |first3=John |date=1979|orig-date=first published 1978|title=Climatography of the Front Range Urban Corridor and vicinity, Colorado |work=Geological Survey Professional Paper 1019|publisher=USG Printing Office|place=Washington, DC |url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1019/report.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1019/report.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |access-date=March 21, 2016 }}</ref>

In summer, this area can have many days above {{convert|95|°F|°C|abbr=on}} and often {{convert|100|°F|°C|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Climate of Colorado">{{cite web |url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/COLORADO.htm |title=Climate of Colorado |website=Wrcc.dri.edu |access-date=April 1, 2016 |archive-date=April 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407210955/http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/COLORADO.htm }}</ref> On the plains, the winter lows usually range from {{convert|25|to|-10|F|C}}. 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 can be severe, and from major snowstorms that occur in the winter and early spring. Otherwise, winters tend to be mostly dry and cold.<ref name="Denver-Colorado-United-States-of-America">{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=096427&refer=&cityname=Denver-Colorado-United-States-of-America|title=Denver, Colorado Travel Weather Averages|publisher=Weatherbase |access-date=July 10, 2013}}</ref>

In much of the region, March is the snowiest month. 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 warms the area, sometimes bringing temperatures of {{convert|70|°F|°C|abbr=on}} or higher in the winter.<ref name="Denver-Colorado-United-States-of-America" /> The average July temperature is {{convert|55|°F|°C|abbr=on}} in the morning and {{convert|90|°F|°C|abbr=on}} in the afternoon. The average January temperature is {{convert|18|°F|°C|abbr=on}} in the morning and {{convert|48|°F|°C|abbr=on}} in the afternoon, although variation between consecutive days can be {{convert|40|°F|°C|abbr=on}}.

===Front Range foothills===

Just west of the plains and into the foothills, there is a wide variety of climate types. Locations merely a few miles apart can experience entirely different weather depending on the topography. Most valleys have a semi-arid climate, not unlike the eastern plains, which transitions to an [[alpine climate]] at the highest elevations. Microclimates also exist in local areas that run nearly the entire spectrum of climates, including subtropical highland (''Cfb/Cwb''), humid subtropical (''Cfa''), humid continental (''Dfa/Dfb''), Mediterranean (''Csa/Csb'') and subarctic (''Dfc'').<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greenhornchamber.org/relocation.html |title=Relocating to Greenhorn Valley |access-date=February 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525090433/http://www.greenhornchamber.org/relocation.html |archive-date=May 25, 2017 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

===Extreme weather===

Extreme weather changes are common in Colorado, although a significant portion of the extreme weather occurs in the least populated areas of the state. Thunderstorms are common east of the Continental Divide in the spring and summer, yet are usually brief. Hail is a common sight in the mountains east of the Divide and across the eastern Plains, especially the northeast part of the state. Hail is the most commonly reported warm-season severe weather hazard, and occasionally causes human injuries, as well as significant property damage.<ref name="Childs">{{cite journal |last = Childs |first = Samuel J. |author2 = R. S. Schumacher |title = An Updated Severe Hail and Tornado Climatology for Eastern Colorado |journal = J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol. |volume = 58 |issue = 10 |pages = 2273–2293 |date = 2019 |doi = 10.1175/JAMC-D-19-0098.1 |bibcode = 2019JApMC..58.2273C |doi-access = free }}</ref> The eastern Plains are subject to some of the biggest hail storms in North America.<ref name=ccc/> Notable examples are the severe hailstorms that hit Denver on July 11, 1990,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/07/11/historic-denver-hailstorm-was-called-worst-in-american-history/|title=Historic Denver Hailstorm Was Called Worst in American History|date=July 11, 2014}}</ref> and May 8, 2017, the latter being the costliest ever in the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2017/05/23/hailstorm-costliest-ever-metro-denver/|title=Hailstorm that hammered west metro Denver May 8 is costliest ever for Colorado|date=May 23, 2017}}</ref>

The Eastern Plains are part of the extreme western portion of [[Tornado Alley]]; some damaging tornadoes in the Eastern Plains include the 1990 [[Limon, Colorado|Limon]] [[Fujita scale|F3]] tornado and the [[Tornado outbreak of May 22–27, 2008#Windsor, Colorado|2008 Windsor EF3 tornado]], which devastated a small town.<ref>{{cite web |last =Slater |first =Jane |title =Thursday's Tornado State's 4th Costliest Disaster |publisher =[[KMGH]] |date =May 28, 2008 |url =http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/16408116/detail.html |access-date =January 25, 2009 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080604044140/http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/16408116/detail.html |archive-date =June 4, 2008 }}</ref> Portions of the eastern Plains see especially frequent tornadoes, both those spawned from [[mesocyclone]]s in [[supercell]] thunderstorms and from less intense [[landspout]]s, such as within the [[Denver convergence vorticity zone]] (DCVZ).<ref name="Childs"/>

The Plains are also susceptible to occasional floods and particularly severe flash floods, which are caused both by thunderstorms and by the rapid melting of snow in the mountains during warm weather. Notable examples include the [[1965 Denver Flood]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westword.com/news/the-1965-flood-how-denvers-greatest-disaster-changed-the-city-6668119|title=The 1965 Flood: How Denver's Greatest Disaster Changed the City|first=Alan|last=Prendergast|date=April 29, 2015}}</ref> the [[Big Thompson River]] flooding of 1976 and the [[2013 Colorado floods]]. Hot weather is common during summers in Denver. The city's record in 1901 for the number of consecutive days above {{convert|90|°F|°C|abbr=on}} was broken during the summer of 2008. The new record of 24 consecutive days surpassed the previous record by almost a week.<ref>{{cite web | title =Denver's Consecutive 90 Degree Streaks | publisher =[[National Weather Service]] | access-date =October 10, 2009 | url =http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/?n=consec90}}</ref>

Much of Colorado is very dry, with the state averaging only {{convert|17|in|mm|abbr=off|sp=us}} of precipitation per year statewide. The state rarely experiences a time when some portion is not in some degree of drought.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/pdfs/ahistoryofdrought.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/pdfs/ahistoryofdrought.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=A History of Drought|access-date=July 30, 2010}}</ref> The lack of precipitation contributes to the severity of wildfires in the state, such as the [[Hayman Fire]] of 2002. Other notable fires include the [[Fourmile Canyon#Fourmile Canyon Fire|Fourmile Canyon Fire]] of 2010, the [[Waldo Canyon Fire]] and [[High Park Fire]] of June 2012, and the [[Black Forest Fire]] of June 2013. Even these fires were exceeded in severity by the [[Pine Gulch Fire]], [[Cameron Peak Fire]], and [[East Troublesome Fire]] in 2020, all being the three largest fires in Colorado history (see [[2020 Colorado wildfires]]). And the Marshall Fire which started on December 30, 2021, while not the largest in state history, was the most destructive ever in terms of property loss (see [[Marshall Fire]]).

However, some of the mountainous regions of Colorado receive a huge amount of moisture from winter snowfalls. The spring melts of these snows often cause great waterflows in the [[Yampa River]], the [[Colorado River]], the Rio Grande, the Arkansas River, 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 the southwest states of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, as well as the Midwest, such as Nebraska and Kansas, and the southern states of 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.

===Climate change===

{{Excerpt|Climate change in Colorado|only=paragraphs}}

===Records===

The highest official ambient air temperature ever recorded in Colorado was {{convert|115|°F|°C|1}} on July 20, 2019, at [[John Martin Reservoir|John Martin Dam]]. The lowest official air temperature was {{convert|-61|°F|°C|1}} on February 1, 1985, at [[Maybell, Colorado|Maybell]].<ref name=StateMaxTemps>{{cite web | url = http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/pub/data/special/maxtemps.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20011117050101/http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/pub/data/special/maxtemps.pdf | archive-date = November 17, 2001 | title = Record Highest Temperatures by State | publisher = [[National Climatic Data Center]] | date = January 1, 2004 | access-date = January 11, 2007 }}</ref><ref name=StateMinTemps>{{cite web | url = http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/pub/data/special/mintemps.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20011117050021/http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/pub/data/special/mintemps.pdf | archive-date = November 17, 2001 | title = Record Lowest Temperatures by State | publisher = [[National Climatic Data Center]] | date = January 1, 2004 | access-date = January 11, 2007 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center; font-size:90%; margin: 1em auto;"|
|+ Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various Colorado cities<ref>{{cite web|url=http://w2.weather.gov/climate |title=NOAA's National Weather Service—National Climate |website=W2.weather.gov |access-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref>
|+<span style="color:#c00;">(°F)</span> <span style="color:#008800">(°C)</span>
|-
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000; height:17px;"| City
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jan
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Feb
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Mar
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Apr
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| May
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jun
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jul
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Aug
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Sep
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Oct
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Nov
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Dec
|-
! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:16px; text-align:left;"| [[Alamosa]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 34/−2<br /><span style="color:#008800">2/−19</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 40/6<br /><span style="color:#008800">4/−14</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 50/17<br /><span style="color:#008800">10/−8</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 59/24<br /><span style="color:#008800">15/−4</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 69/33<br /><span style="color:#008800">21/1</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 79/41<br /><span style="color:#008800">26/5</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 82/47<br /><span style="color:#008800">28/8</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 80/46<br /><span style="color:#008800">27/8</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 73/40<br /><span style="color:#008800">23/4</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 62/25<br /><span style="color:#008800">17/−4</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 47/12<br /><span style="color:#008800">8/−11</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 35/1<br /><span style="color:#008800">2/−17</span>
|-
! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:16px; text-align:left;"| [[Colorado Springs]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 43/18<br /><span style="color:#008800">6/−8</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 45/20<br /><span style="color:#008800">7/−7</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 52/26<br /><span style="color:#008800">11/−3</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 60/33<br /><span style="color:#008800">16/1</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 69/43<br /><span style="color:#008800">21/6</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 79/51<br /><span style="color:#008800">26/11</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 85/57<br /><span style="color:#008800">29/14</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 82/56<br /><span style="color:#008800">28/13</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 75/47<br /><span style="color:#008800">24/8</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 63/36<br /><span style="color:#008800">17/2</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 51/25<br /><span style="color:#008800">11/−4</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 42/18<br /><span style="color:#008800">6/−8</span>
|-
! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:16px; text-align:left;"| [[Denver]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 49/20<br /><span style="color:#008800">9/−7</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 49/21<br /><span style="color:#008800">9/−6</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 56/29<br /><span style="color:#008800">13/−2</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 64/35<br /><span style="color:#008800">18/2</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 73/46<br /><span style="color:#008800">23/8</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 84/54<br /><span style="color:#008800">29/12</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 92/61<br /><span style="color:#008800">33/16</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 89/60<br /><span style="color:#008800">32/16</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 81/50<br /><span style="color:#008800">27/10</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 68/37<br /><span style="color:#008800">20/3</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 55/26<br /><span style="color:#008800">13/−3</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 47/18<br /><span style="color:#008800">8/−8</span>
|-
! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:16px; text-align:left;"| [[Grand Junction, Colorado|Grand Junction]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 38/17<br /><span style="color:#008800">3/−8</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 45/24<br /><span style="color:#008800">7/−4</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 57/31<br /><span style="color:#008800">14/-1</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 65/38<br /><span style="color:#008800">18/3</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 76/47<br /><span style="color:#008800">24/8</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 88/56<br /><span style="color:#008800">31/13</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 93/63<br /><span style="color:#008800">34/17</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 90/61<br /><span style="color:#008800">32/16</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 80/52<br /><span style="color:#008800">27/11</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 66/40<br /><span style="color:#008800">19/4</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 51/28<br /><span style="color:#008800">11/−2</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#C00;"| 39/19<br /><span style="color:#008800">4/−7</span>
|-
! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:16px; text-align:left;"| [[Pueblo, Colorado|Pueblo]]
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 47/14<br /><span style="color:#008800">8/−10</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 51/17<br /><span style="color:#008800">11/−8</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 59/26<br /><span style="color:#008800">15/−3</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 67/34<br /><span style="color:#008800">19/1</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 77/44<br /><span style="color:#008800">25/7</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 87/53<br /><span style="color:#008800">31/12</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 93/59<br /><span style="color:#008800">34/15</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 90/58<br /><span style="color:#008800">32/14</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 82/48<br /><span style="color:#008800">28/9</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 69/34<br /><span style="color:#008800">21/1</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 56/23<br /><span style="color:#008800">13/−5</span>
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#C00;"| 46/14<br /><span style="color:#008800">8/−10</span>
|}

===Extreme temperatures===

{{Weather box
| metric first =
| single line = y
| location =    Colorado 
| Jan record high F  =84
| Feb record high F  =88
| Mar record high F  =96
| Apr record high F  =100
| May record high F  =107
| Jun record high F  =114
| Jul record high F  =115
| Aug record high F  =112
| Sep record high F  =108
| Oct record high F  =100
| Nov record high F  =90
| Dec record high F  =88
| Jan record low F  =-56
| Feb record low F  =-61
| Mar record low F  =-44
| Apr record low F  =-30
| May record low F  =-11
| Jun record low F  =10
| Jul record low F  =18
| Aug record low F  =15
| Sep record low F  =-2
| Oct record low F  =-28
| Nov record low F  =-37
| Dec record low F  =-50
| year record low F =
|source = Colorado Climate Center<ref>Colorado Climate Center (extreme temperatures){{cite web
| url = https://climate.colostate.edu/extremes.html
| title = Colorado Climate Center
| access-date = February 6, 2023}}</ref> 
}}

===Earthquakes===

Despite its mountainous terrain, Colorado experiences less seismic activity than states like California and Alaska. There are over 90 potentially active faults, and since 1867, Colorado has experienced 700 recorded earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or higher.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Earthquakes |url=https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/hazards/eq/ |access-date=November 27, 2024 |website=[[Colorado Geological Survey]]}}</ref> The U.S. [[National Earthquake Information Center]] is located in [[Golden, Colorado|Golden]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) |url=https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/national-earthquake-information-center-neic |access-date=November 27, 2024 |website=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 11, 2018 }}</ref>

On August 22, 2011, a [[2011 Colorado earthquake|5.3 magnitude earthquake]] occurred {{convert|9|mi|km}} west-southwest of the city of [[Trinidad, Colorado|Trinidad]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Maps/US2/36.38.-106.-104.php |title=Recent Earthquakes in the U.S.|date=January 17, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117052953/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Maps/US2/36.38.-106.-104.php|archive-date=January 17, 2013|publisher=U.S. Geological Survey}}</ref> There were no casualties and only a small amount of damage was reported. It was the second-largest earthquake in Colorado's history, the largest being a [[1882 Fort Collins earthquake|magnitude 6.6 earthquake]], recorded in 1882.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Admin |first=CGS |date=November 8, 1882 |title=Case Study: The Big One - Colorado Geological Survey |url=https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/1882/46696-case-study-the-big-one/ |access-date=May 5, 2024 |work=Colorado Geological Survey |language=en-US}}</ref> Four minor earthquakes rattled Colorado on August 24, 2018, ranging from magnitude 2.9 to 4.3.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.outtherecolorado.com/four-earthquakes-rumble-in-colorado/|title=Four earthquakes rumble Colorado overnight {{!}} OutThere Colorado|date=August 24, 2018|work=OutThere Colorado|access-date=September 10, 2018|archive-date=September 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910204557/https://www.outtherecolorado.com/four-earthquakes-rumble-in-colorado/}}</ref> {{As of|June 2020}}, there were 525 recorded earthquakes in Colorado since 1973, a majority of which range 2&nbsp;to 3.5 on the Richter scale.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://gazette.com/news/earthquakes-reported-overnight-in-colorado/article_4175d3a8-a7ae-11e8-906e-63e6d8b74878.html|title=3 earthquakes reported overnight in Colorado|last=Forster|first=Liz|work=Colorado Springs Gazette|date = June 14, 2020}}</ref>

==Fauna==
{{Further|topic=the lists of |List of amphibians of Colorado|label1=amphibians|List of birds of Colorado|label2=birds|List of mammals of Colorado|label3=mammals|List of reptiles of Colorado|label4=reptiles}}
[[File:Colorado Wolf - Colorado Taxidermist, Edwin Carter, Collection in Breckenridge, Mounted Wolf from a kill in Colorado Rockies.jpg|thumb|upright|Breckenridge naturalist [[Edwin Carter]] with a mounted [[gray wolf]] killed in the Colorado Rockies, {{circa}} 1890–1900|alt=Photo of Breckenridge naturalist Edwin Carter standing next to a taxidermied gray wolf killed in the Colorado Rockies, c. 1890–1900]]

A process of extirpation by trapping and poisoning of the [[gray wolf]] (''Canis lupus'') from Colorado in the 1930s saw the last wild wolf in the state shot in 1945.<ref name="SierraWolf">{{cite web|url=https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/wolves-are-coming-back-colorado-now-comes-tricky-part|title=Wolves Are Coming Back to Colorado. Now Comes the Tricky Part.|work=Sierra|publisher=[[Sierra Club]]|date=November 18, 2020|last=Purtell|first=Joe|access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref> A [[Repopulation of wolves in Colorado|wolf pack recolonized Moffat County, Colorado]] in northwestern Colorado in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Polis welcomes wolves back to Colorado after wildlife officers confirm pack of 6 in Moffat County |author=Bruce Finley |date=January 22, 2020 |newspaper=Denver Post |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2020/01/22/colorado-wolves-return/?spot_im_verify=signup&spot_im_token_ticket=08535d639c2a48cd8276cc78dd53c7ea }}</ref> Cattle farmers have expressed concern that a returning wolf population potentially threatens their herds.<ref name="SierraWolf" /> Coloradans [[2020 Colorado Proposition 114|voted to reintroduce gray wolves]] in 2020, with the state committing to a plan to have a population in the state by 2022 and permitting non-lethal methods of driving off wolves attacking livestock and pets.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2021/03/21/colorado-gray-wolf-reintroduction-plan/|title = As Colorado starts planning to bring back wolves, Rio Blanco County's leaders say they won't allow it|newspaper = The Denver Post|date = March 21, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://coloradosun.com/2022/01/12/colorado-hazing-wolves-cowboy-dog-killed/|title=Colorado wildlife officials just legalized hazing wolves. It came too late for a cowboy whose dog was killed.|work=[[The Colorado Sun]]|date=January 12, 2022|last=Gilbert|first=David|access-date=February 3, 2022}}</ref>

While there is fossil evidence of [[Harrington's mountain goat]] in Colorado between at least 800,000 years ago and its extinction with [[megafauna]] roughly 11,000 years ago, the [[mountain goat]] is not native to Colorado but was instead introduced to the state over time during the interval between 1947 and 1972. Despite being an artificially-introduced species, the state declared mountain goats a native species in 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.colorado.edu/asmagazine/2019/12/06/introduced-mountain-goats-have-colonized-much-land-above-trees|title=Introduced mountain goats have colonized much of the land above the trees|last=Mitton|first=Jeff|date=December 9, 2019|work=Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine|publisher=[[University of Colorado Boulder]] |location=[[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder, CO]] |access-date=March 1, 2021 }}</ref> In 2013, 2014, and 2019, an unknown illness killed nearly all mountain goat kids, leading to a [[Colorado Parks and Wildlife]] investigation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/News-Release-Details.aspx?NewsID=7550|title=CPW launches study to identify unknown disease in mountain goats|work=Colorado Parks and Wildlife |publisher=[[Colorado Parks and Wildlife]]|date=August 11, 2021|location=[[Mount Blue Sky|Mount Blue Sky, CO]]|access-date=March 1, 2021|archive-date=May 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508140136/https://cpw.state.co.us/aboutus/Pages/News-Release-Details.aspx?NewsID=7550}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.outtherecolorado.com/news/study-launched-to-identify-disease-thats-killing-mountain-goats-in-colorado/article_5cdf3a38-dc10-11ea-972c-279311589177.html|title=Study launched to identify disease that's killing mountain goats in Colorado|work=Out There Colorado|last=McKee|first=Spencer|date=August 11, 2020|access-date=March 1, 2021}}</ref>

The native population of [[pronghorn]] in Colorado has varied wildly over the last century, reaching a low of only 15,000 individuals during the 1960s. However, conservation efforts succeeded in bringing the stable population back up to roughly 66,000 by 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gohunt.com/read/antelope-numbers-across-6-states#gs.x2odjd|title=Antelope Numbers Across 6 States|work=GoHunt|access-date=March 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312113526/https://www.gohunt.com/read/antelope-numbers-across-6-states|archive-date=March 12, 2016}}</ref> The population was estimated to have reached 85,000 by 2019 and had increasingly more run-ins with the increased suburban housing along the eastern Front Range. State wildlife officials suggested that landowners would need to modify fencing to allow the greater number of pronghorns to move unabated through the newly developed land.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://coloradosun.com/2019/01/21/colorado-pronghorn-antelope-recovery/|title=Colorado's booming pronghorn population is running horns-first into newly built neighborhoods|last=Brown|first=Jennifer|work=The Colorado Sun|date=January 21, 2019|access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref> Pronghorns are most readily found in the northern and eastern portions of the state, with some populations also in the western San Juan Mountains.<ref>{{cite iucn|author=IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group|year= 2016 |title=''Antilocapra americana'' |errata= 2017 |article-number= e.T1677A115056938 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T1677A50181848.en |access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref>

Common wildlife found in the mountains of Colorado include [[mule deer]], [[southwestern red squirrel]], [[golden-mantled ground squirrel]], [[yellow-bellied marmot]], [[moose]], [[American pika]], and [[red fox]], all at exceptionally high numbers, though moose are not native to the state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mammalsociety.org/southwestern-red-squirrel|title=Southwestern Red Squirrel|publisher=[[American Society of Mammalogists]]|access-date=February 3, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/9-fascinating-facts-about-pika-in-colorado/73-249834117|title=9 fascinating facts about pika in Colorado|publisher=[[KUSA]]|last=Sommariva|first=Kelly|date=February 6, 2014|access-date=February 3, 2022|location=[[Denver]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://visitclearcreek.com/activities/colorado-wildlife/yellow-bellied-marmot/|title=Yellow Bellied Marmot|publisher=[[Clear Creek County, Colorado|Clear Creek County Tourism Bureau]]|location=[[Clear Creek County, Colorado|Clear Creek County]], CO|access-date=February 3, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/WildlifeSpecies/Mammals/MooseReintroductionFactSheet.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/WildlifeSpecies/Mammals/MooseReintroductionFactSheet.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=Moose Reintroduction|publisher=[[Colorado Parks and Wildlife]]|date=November 2013|access-date=February 3, 2022}}</ref> The foothills include [[deer]], [[fox squirrel]], [[desert cottontail]], [[mountain cottontail]], and [[coyote]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arapahoegov.com/1219/Rabbits|title=Rabbits|publisher=[[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe County Government]]|last=Cahill|first=Caitlyn|access-date=February 3, 2022|archive-date=February 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204045049/https://www.arapahoegov.com/1219/Rabbits}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1536555|title=Coyote Hunt for Colorado|last=Brady|first=Jeff|date=December 7, 2003|publisher=[[National Public Radio]]|access-date=February 3, 2022}}</ref> The prairies are home to [[black-tailed prairie dog]], the endangered [[swift fox]], [[American badger]], and [[white-tailed jackrabbit]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jeffco.us/DocumentCenter/View/16975/Prairie-Dog-Fact-Sheet-2019-PDF?bidId=|title=Black-tailed Prairie Dogs|access-date=February 3, 2022|publisher=[[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County Government]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/SwiftFoxConservationTeam.aspx|title=Swift Fox Conservation Team|access-date=February 3, 2022|publisher=[[Colorado Parks and Wildlife]]|archive-date=February 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203161534/https://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/SwiftFoxConservationTeam.aspx}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/resource-sharing/state-pubs-blog/colorados-small-mammals-part-iii-mustelids/|title=Colorado's Small Mammals, Part III: Mustelids|last=Zimmer|first=Amy|date=January 6, 2020|access-date=February 3, 2022|publisher=Colorado Virtual Library}}</ref>

==Government==
{{main|Government of Colorado}}

===State government===
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|-
! colspan="6" | State Executive Officers
|-
!| Office
! Name
! Party
|-
| Governor
| [[Jared Polis]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|-
| Lieutenant Governor
| [[Dianne Primavera]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|-
| Secretary of State
| [[Jena Griswold]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|-
| Attorney General
| [[Phil Weiser]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|-
| Treasurer
| [[Dave Young (Colorado politician)|Dave Young]]
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
|}
Like the federal government and all other U.S. states, Colorado's [[Constitution of the State of Colorado|state constitution]] provides for three branches of government: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial branches.

The [[Governor of Colorado]] heads the state's executive branch. The current governor is [[Jared Polis]], a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]. Colorado's other statewide elected executive officers are the [[Lieutenant Governor of Colorado]] (elected on a [[Ticket (election)|ticket]] with the Governor), [[Secretary of State of Colorado]], [[Colorado State Treasurer]], and [[Attorney General of Colorado]], all of whom serve four-year terms.

The seven-member [[Colorado Supreme Court]] is the state's highest court. The [[Colorado Court of Appeals]], with 22 judges, sits in divisions of three judges each. Colorado is divided into 23 judicial districts, each of which has a district court and a county court with limited jurisdiction. The state also has [[Colorado water courts|specialized water courts]], which sit in seven distinct divisions around the state and which decide matters relating to water rights and the use and administration of water.

The state legislative body is the [[Colorado General Assembly]], which is made up of two houses – the [[Colorado House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and the [[Colorado Senate|Senate]]. The House has 65 members and the Senate has 35. {{as of|2023}}, the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] holds a 23 to 12 majority in the Senate and a 46 to 19 majority in the House.

Most Coloradans are native to other states (nearly 60% according to the 2000 census),<ref>{{cite web
 | title =State of Residence in 2000 by State of Birth
 | publisher =[[United States Census Bureau|US Census Bureau]]
 | access-date =October 10, 2009
| url =https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t38/index.html}}</ref> 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; [[2006 Colorado gubernatorial election|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).

Tax is collected by the [[Colorado Department of Revenue]].

====Politics====
{{Main|Politics of Colorado}}

{{See also|Political party strength in Colorado|United States presidential elections in Colorado}}
{| class="wikitable floatright"
! colspan="6" | Colorado registered voters {{as of|2025|June|1|lc=y|df=US}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/VoterRegNumbers/2025/JanuaryStatistics20250203.xlsx |title= January 2025 Total Registered Voters By Party Affiliation |access-date=February 17, 2025 |website=Colorado Secretary of State}}</ref>
|-
! colspan="2" | Party
! Number of voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| [[Independent politician (United States)|Unaffiliated]]
| style="text-align:center;" | 2,011,247
| style="text-align:center;" | 49.20%
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Colorado Democratic Party|Democratic]]
| style="text-align:center;" | 1,039,477
| style="text-align:center;" | 25.43%
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Colorado Republican Party|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;" | 940,271
| style="text-align:center;" | 23.00%
|-
| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
| [[Libertarian Party of Colorado|Libertarian]]
| style="text-align:center;" | 37,166
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.91%
|-
| {{party color cell|No Labels}}
| [[No Labels]]
| style="text-align:center;" | 26,843
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.65%
|-
| {{party color cell|Constitution Party (United States)}}
| [[American Constitution Party (Colorado)|American Constitution]]
| style="text-align:center;" | 11,725
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.29%
|-
| {{party color cell|Green Party (United States)}}
| [[Green Party of Colorado|Green]]
| style="text-align:center;" | 8,635
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.21%
|-
| {{party color cell|Approval Voting Party}}
| [[Approval Voting Party|Approval Voting]]
| style="text-align:center;" | 5,067
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.12%
|-
| {{party color cell|Unity Party of America}}
| [[Unity Party of America|Unity]]
| style="text-align:center;" | 4,087
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.10%
|-
| {{party color cell|Colorado Center Party}}
| [[Colorado Center Party|Center]]
| style="text-align:center;" | 3,674
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.09%
|-
! colspan="2" | Total
! style="text-align:center;" | 4,087,582
! style="text-align:center;" | 100.00%
|}

Colorado was once considered a [[swing state]], but has become a relatively safe [[Red states and blue states|blue state]] in both state and federal elections since the late 2010s. In presidential elections, it had not been won until [[2020 United States presidential election in Colorado|2020]] by double digits since [[1984 United States presidential election in Colorado|1984]] and has backed the winning candidate in 9 of the last 11 elections. Coloradans have elected 17 [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] and 12 [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] to the governorship in the last 100 years.

In presidential politics, Colorado was considered a reliably Republican state during the post-World War II era, voting for the Democratic candidate only in 1948, 1964, and 1992. However, it became a competitive swing state in the 1990s. Since the mid-2000s, it has swung heavily to the Democrats, voting for [[Barack Obama]] in 2008 and 2012, [[Hillary Clinton]] in 2016, [[Joe Biden]] in 2020, and [[Kamala Harris]] in 2024.

Colorado politics exhibits a contrast between conservative cities such as Colorado Springs and Grand Junction, and liberal cities such as Boulder and Denver. Democrats are strongest in [[Denver Metropolitan Area|metropolitan Denver]], the college towns of [[Fort Collins, Colorado|Fort Collins]] and [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]], southern Colorado (including Pueblo), and several western ski resort counties. The Republicans are strongest in the Eastern Plains, Colorado Springs, Greeley, and far Western Colorado near Grand Junction.

Colorado is represented by two members of the [[United States Senate]]:
* [[Classes of United States Senators#Class 2|Class 2]], [[John Hickenlooper]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]), since 2021
* [[Classes of United States Senators#Class 3|Class 3]], [[Michael Bennet]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]), since 2009

Colorado is represented by eight members of the [[United States House of Representatives]]:
* [[Colorado's 1st congressional district|1st district]]: [[Diana DeGette]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]), since 1997
* [[Colorado's 2nd congressional district|2nd district]]: [[Joe Neguse]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]), since 2019
* [[Colorado's 3rd congressional district|3rd district]]: [[Jeff Hurd (politician)|Jeff Hurd]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]), since 2025
* [[Colorado's 4th congressional district|4th district]]: [[Lauren Boebert]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]), since 2021
* [[Colorado's 5th congressional district|5th district]]: [[Jeff Crank]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]), since 2025
* [[Colorado's 6th congressional district|6th district]]: [[Jason Crow]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]), since 2019
* [[Colorado's 7th congressional district|7th district]]: [[Brittany Pettersen]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]), since 2023
* [[Colorado's 8th congressional district|8th district]]: [[Gabe Evans]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]), since 2025

In a 2020 study, Colorado was ranked as the seventh easiest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=December 15, 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

====Significant initiatives and legislation enacted in Colorado====
Colorado was the first state in the union to enact, by voter referendum, [[1893 Colorado women's suffrage referendum|a law extending]] [[suffrage]] to women. That initiative was approved by the state's voters on November 7, 1893.<ref>{{cite news|date=August 19, 1893|title=Notice of General Election|volume=4|agency=Silverton Standard|issue=41|url=https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/cgi-bin/colorado?a=d&d=TSS18930819.2.61&srpos=1&dliv=none&e=19-08-1893-19-08-1893--en-20-TSS-1--txt-txIN-election-------0-|access-date=November 28, 2020}}</ref>

On the November 8, 1932, ballot, Colorado approved the [[Repeal of Prohibition|repeal of alcohol prohibition]] more than a year before the [[Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution]] was ratified.

Colorado has banned, via C.R.S. section 12-6-302, the sale of motor vehicles on Sunday since at least 1953.<ref>{{cite web |title=Colorado Revised Statutes 2017 |url=https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2017-title-12.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2017-title-12.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |website=Colorado General Assembly |publisher=State of Colorado |access-date=November 30, 2020}}</ref>

In 1972, Colorado voters rejected a [[1972 Denver Winter Olympics referendum|referendum proposal]] to fund the [[1976 Winter Olympics]], which had been scheduled to be held in the state. Denver had been chosen by the [[International Olympic Committee]] as the host city on May 12, 1970.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/millennium/1012stone.shtml |title=Colorado only state ever to turn down Olympics |date=October 12, 1999 |last=Sanko |first=John |work=[[Rocky Mountain News]] |access-date=November 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601181029/http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/millennium/1012stone.shtml |archive-date=June 1, 2009 }}</ref>

In 1992, by a margin of 53 to 47 percent, Colorado voters approved an amendment to the state constitution (Amendment 2) that would have prevented any city, town, or county in the state from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to recognize homosexuals or bisexuals as a [[protected class]].<ref>{{cite journal | url=http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1986&context=bclr | title =Colorado's Amendment 2 and Homosexuals' Right to Equal Protection of the Law |last1= Zamansky |first1= Stephen |journal= [[Boston College Law Review]] |volume= 35 |issue= 1 |pages= 221–258 |date= December 1993}}</ref> In 1996, in a 6–3 ruling in ''[[Romer v. Evans]]'', the U.S. Supreme Court found that preventing protected status based upon homosexuality or [[bisexuality]] did not satisfy the [[Equal Protection Clause]].<ref name="romervevans">{{ussc|name=Romer v. Evans|volume=517|page=620|pin=|year=1996 }}.</ref>

In 2006, voters passed [[2006 Colorado Amendment 43|Amendment 43]], which banned [[same-sex marriage in Colorado]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Simpson |first1=Kevin |title=Colorado Amendment 43: Gay marriage banned; domestic partnerships also defeated |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2006/11/08/colorado-amendment-43-gay-marriage-banned-domestic-partnerships-also-defeated/ |access-date=November 28, 2020 |agency=The Denver Post|location=[[Denver]]|date=November 8, 2006 }}</ref> That initiative was nullified by the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]]'s 2015 decision in ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]''. In 2024, Colorado residents voted to establish an explicit right to [[abortion in Colorado]]'s state constitution<ref>{{cite news |last=Grimes |first=Thelma |date=September 13, 2024 |title=Amendment 79 seeks to enshrine abortion rights in Colorado's Constitution |url=https://www.coloradopolitics.com/elections/2024/colorado-amendment-79-abortion-rights/article_e7931948-7062-11ef-8703-3bf964d68882.html |access-date=September 21, 2024 |work=Colorado Politics}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Jennifer |date=November 6, 2024 |title=Amendment 79 passes: Colorado will protect abortion in state constitution, allow public spending on procedure |url=https://coloradosun.com/2024/11/05/colorado-amendment-79-results/ |access-date=November 6, 2024 |website=The Colorado Sun |language=en-US}}</ref> and to repeal Amendment 43's defunct marriage ban.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colorado voters repeal state Constitution's 2006 same-sex marriage ban |url=https://kiowacountypress.net/content/colorado-voters-repeal-state-constitutions-2006-same-sex-marriage-ban |access-date=November 6, 2024 |website=Kiowa County Press}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Woodruff |first=Chase |date=November 6, 2024 |title=Colorado voters repeal state Constitution's 2006 same-sex marriage ban • Colorado Newsline |url=https://coloradonewsline.com/2024/11/05/colorado-voters-repeal-state-constitutions-2006-same-sex-marriage-ban/ |access-date=November 6, 2024 |website=Colorado Newsline |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2012, voters amended the state constitution protecting the "personal use" of marijuana for adults, establishing a framework to regulate [[Cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] like [[Alcoholic beverage|alcohol]]. The first recreational marijuana shops in Colorado, and by extension the United States, opened their doors on January 1, 2014.<ref name="Healy" />

On October 30, 2019, Colorado became the first state to accept digital ID via its myColorado app.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://appitventures.com/success-stories/mycolorado |title=How we built the State of Colorado, myColorado™ app. |publisher=appitventures.com |access-date=May 13, 2024}}</ref> The state-issued digital identifications will be considered valid when Real ID enforcement begins in 2025, in line with the [[Real ID Act|Real ID Act of 2005]]. By November 2022 The Colorado Governor's Office of Information Technology announced that the myColorado app had over 1 million users.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://oit.colorado.gov/press-release/states-mycolorado-app-celebrates-1-million-users |title=State's myColorado App Celebrates 1 Million Users |publisher=colorado.gov |access-date=November 29, 2022}}</ref>

On December 19, 2023, the [[Colorado Supreme Court]] ruled that [[Donald Trump]] was disqualified from the [[2024 United States presidential election]] in part due to his alleged incitement of the [[January 6 United States Capitol attack]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Astor |first1=Maggie |title=Trump Is Disqualified From 2024 Ballot, Colorado Court Says in Explosive Ruling |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/politics/trump-colorado-ballot-14th-amendment.html?unlocked_article_code=1.HU0.XfYS.AN8fM_SETK68&hpgrp=k-abar&smid=tw-share |work=New York Times |date=December 19, 2023 |access-date=December 20, 2023}}</ref> On March 4, 2024, the [[United States Supreme Court]] [[Trump v. Anderson|overruled]] the Colorado decision.<ref>{{ussc|601|100|2024|docket=23-719}}</ref>

===Counties===
{{Colorado counties map|float=right}}
{{Main|List of counties in Colorado}}

The State of Colorado is divided into 64 [[County (United States)|counties]]. Two of these counties, the [[Broomfield, Colorado|City and County of Broomfield]] and the [[Denver|City and County of Denver]], have [[consolidated city-county|consolidated city and county governments]]. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since there are no [[civil township]]s or other [[minor civil division]]s.

The most populous county in Colorado is [[El Paso County, Colorado|El Paso County]], the home of the [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|City of Colorado Springs]]. The second most populous county is the [[Denver|City and County of Denver]], the state capital. Five of the 64 counties now have more than 500,000 residents, while 12 have fewer than 5,000 residents. The ten most populous Colorado counties are all located in the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]]. [[Mesa County, Colorado|Mesa County]] is the most populous county on the [[Colorado Western Slope]].{{efn|name=2023 county estimates|[[United States Census Bureau]] estimates of county population as of July 1, 2023<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2023/counties/totals/co-est2023-pop-08.xlsx|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties in Colorado: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 (CO-EST2023-POP-08)|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], [[United States Department of Commerce]]|date=March 2024|access-date=March 20, 2024}}</ref>}}

{{panorama|image=Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods (25846068782).jpg|height=288|width=100%|align=center|caption=[[Pikes Peak]] and [[Garden of the Gods]] in [[El Paso County, Colorado]]|alt=Photo of Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods in El Paso County, Colorado}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+<big>The 16 most populous Colorado counties</big><br/>
|-
!scope=col|2023 rank{{efn|name=2023 county estimates}}
!scope=col|[[List of counties in Colorado|County]]
!scope=col|[[List of county seats in Colorado|County seat]]
!scope=col|[[List of Colorado municipalities by population|Most populous city]]
!scope=col|2023 population{{efn|name=2023 county estimates}}
|-
!scope=row align=center|1
|[[El Paso County, Colorado|El Paso County]]
|[[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]]
|Colorado Springs
|align=right|744,215
|-
!scope=row align=center|2
|colspan=3 data-sort-value=Denver|[[Denver|City and County of Denver]]<!-- |[[Denver]] -->{{efn|As a [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county|consolidated city and county]], the [[Denver|City and County of Denver]] is its own [[County seat#United States|county seat]].<ref name=MuniIncCO/>}}<!-- |Denver -->
|align=right|716,577
|-
!scope=row align=center|3
|[[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe County]]
|[[Littleton, Colorado|Littleton]]{{efn|[[Littleton, Colorado]] also extends into [[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson]] and [[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas counties]].}}
|[[Aurora, Colorado|Aurora]]{{efn|[[Aurora, Colorado]] also extends into [[Adams County, Colorado|Adams]] and [[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas counties]].}}
|align=right|656,061
|-
!scope=row align=center|4
|[[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]]
|[[Golden, Colorado|Golden]]
|[[Lakewood, Colorado|Lakewood]]
|align=right|576,366
|-
!scope=row align=center|5
|[[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]]
|[[Brighton, Colorado|Brighton]]{{efn|[[Brighton, Colorado]] also extends into [[Weld County, Colorado|Weld County]].}}
|[[Thornton, Colorado|Thornton]]{{efn|[[Thornton, Colorado]] also extends into [[Weld County, Colorado|Weld County]].}}
|align=right|533,365
|-
!scope=row align=center|6
|[[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas County]]
|[[Castle Rock, Colorado|Castle Rock]]
|[[Highlands Ranch, Colorado|Highlands Ranch]]{{efn|[[Highlands Ranch, Colorado]] is a [[census-designated place]].}}
|align=right|383,906
|-
!scope=row align=center|7
|[[Larimer County, Colorado|Larimer County]]
|[[Fort Collins, Colorado|Fort Collins]]
|Fort Collins
|align=right|370,771
|-
!scope=row align=center|8
|[[Weld County, Colorado|Weld County]]
|[[Greeley, Colorado|Greeley]]
|Greeley
|align=right|359,442
|-
!scope=row align=center|9
|[[Boulder County, Colorado|Boulder County]]
|[[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]]
|Boulder
|align=right|326,831
|-
!scope=row align=center|10
|[[Pueblo County, Colorado|Pueblo County]]
|[[Pueblo, Colorado|Pueblo]]
|Pueblo
|align=right|169,422
|-
!scope=row align=center|11
|[[Mesa County, Colorado|Mesa County]]
|[[Grand Junction, Colorado|Grand Junction]]
|Grand Junction
|align=right|159,681
|-
!scope=row align=center|12
|colspan=3 data-sort-value=Broomfield|[[Broomfield, Colorado|City and County of Broomfield]]<!-- |[[Broomfield, Colorado|Broomfield]] -->{{efn|As a [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county|consolidated city and county]], the [[Broomfield, Colorado|City and County of Broomfield]] is its own [[County seat#United States|county seat]].<ref name=MuniIncCO/>}}<!-- |Broomfield -->
|align=right|76,860
|-
!scope=row align=center|13
|[[Garfield County, Colorado|Garfield County]]
|[[Glenwood Springs, Colorado|Glenwood Springs]]
|[[Rifle, Colorado|Rifle]]
|align=right|62,707
|-
!scope=row align=center|14
|[[La Plata County, Colorado|La Plata County]]
|[[Durango, Colorado|Durango]]
|Durango
|align=right|56,407
|-
!scope=row align=center|15
|[[Eagle County, Colorado|Eagle County]]
|[[Eagle, Colorado|Eagle]]
|[[Edwards, Colorado|Edwards]]{{efn|[[Edwards, Colorado]] is a [[census-designated place]].}}
|align=right|54,381
|-
!scope=row align=center|16
|[[Fremont County, Colorado|Fremont County]]
|[[Cañon City, Colorado|Cañon City]]
|Cañon City
|align=right|50,318
|}

===Municipalities===
{{main|List of municipalities in Colorado}}
{{GeoGroup|article=List of municipalities in Colorado|section=Municipalities}}

Colorado has 273 [[municipal corporation|active incorporated municipalities]], comprising 198 [[town]]s, 73 [[City|cities]], and two [[Consolidated city-county|consolidated city and county governments]].<ref name=MuniIncCO>{{cite web|url=https://dola.colorado.gov/dlg_lgis_ui_pu/|title=Active Colorado Municipalities|publisher=State of Colorado, [[Colorado Department of Local Affairs|Department of Local Affairs]], Division of Local Government|access-date=September 4, 2022}}</ref><ref name=Colorado_incplace>{{cite web|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerwebmain/Files/tab20/tigerweb_tab20_incplace_co.html|title=State of Colorado Incorporated Places - Current/TAB20 - Data as of January 1, 2020|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|date=January 1, 2020|access-date=September 4, 2022}}</ref> At the [[2020 United States census]], 4,299,942 of the 5,773,714 Colorado residents (74.47%) lived in one of these municipalities. Another 714,417 residents (12.37%) lived in one of the 210 [[List of census-designated places in Colorado|census-designated places]], while the remaining 759,355 residents (13.15%) lived in the many rural and mountainous areas of the state.<ref name=Census>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2023/state/totals/NST-EST2023-POP.xlsx|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 10, 2023}}</ref>

Colorado municipalities operate under one of five types of municipal governing authority. Colorado currently has [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county|two consolidated city and county governments]], [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality|61 home rule cities]], [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory city|12 statutory cities]], [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality|35 home rule towns]], [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory town|161 statutory towns]], and [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Territorial charter municipality|one territorial charter municipality]].

The most populous municipality is the [[Denver|City and County of Denver]]. Colorado has 12 municipalities with more than 100,000 residents, and 17 with fewer than 100 residents. The 16 most populous Colorado municipalities are all located in the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]]. The [[Grand Junction, Colorado|City of Grand Junction]] is the most populous municipality on the [[Colorado Western Slope]]. The [[Carbonate, Colorado|Town of Carbonate]] has had no year-round population since the [[1890 United States census|1890 census]] due to its severe winter weather and difficult access.{{efn|name=2023 muni estimates|[[United States Census Bureau]] estimates of municipal population as of July 1, 2022<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2020-2022/cities/totals/SUB-IP-EST2023-POP-08.xlsx|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Colorado: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023 (SUB-IP-EST2022-POP-08)|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], [[United States Department of Commerce]]|date=June 2024|access-date=July 9, 2024}}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>}}

{{panorama|image=2006-07-14-Denver Skyline Midnight.jpg|height=288|width=100%|align=center|caption=The evening skyline of downtown [[Denver]]|alt=Photo of the evening skyline of downtown Denver}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+<big>The 25 most populous Colorado municipalities</big><br/><br/>
|-
!scope=col|2023 rank{{efn|name=2023 muni estimates}}
!scope=col|[[List of municipalities in Colorado|Municipality]]
!scope=col|[[List of counties in Colorado|County]]
!scope=col|2023 population{{efn|name=2023 muni estimates}}
|-
!scope=row align=center|1
|colspan=2 data-sort-value="Denver"|[[Denver|City and County of Denver]]
<!-- |[[Denver|City and County of Denver]] -->
|align=right|716,577
|-
!scope=row align=center|2
|data-sort-value="Colorado Springs"|[[Colorado Springs, Colorado|City of Colorado Springs]]
|[[El Paso County, Colorado|El Paso County]]
|align=right|488,664
|-
!scope=row align=center|3
|data-sort-value="Aurora"|[[Aurora, Colorado|City of Aurora]]
|[[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe]], [[Adams County, Colorado|Adams]], and [[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas counties]]
|align=right|395,052
|-
!scope=row align=center|4
|data-sort-value="Fort Collins"|[[Fort Collins, Colorado|City of Fort Collins]]
|[[Larimer County, Colorado|Larimer County]]
|align=right|170,376
|-
!scope=row align=center|5
|data-sort-value="Lakewood"|[[Lakewood, Colorado|City of Lakewood]]
|[[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]]
|align=right|155,961
|-
!scope=row align=center|6
|data-sort-value="Thornton"|[[Thornton, Colorado|City of Thornton]]
|[[Adams County, Colorado|Adams]] and [[Weld County, Colorado|Weld counties]]
|align=right|144,922
|-
!scope=row align=center|7
|data-sort-value="Arvada"|[[Arvada, Colorado|City of Arvada]]
|[[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson]] and [[Adams County, Colorado|Adams counties]]
|align=right|121,414
|-
!scope=row align=center|8
|data-sort-value="Westminster"|[[Westminster, Colorado|City of Westminster]]
|[[Adams County, Colorado|Adams]] and [[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson counties]]
|align=right|114,875
|-
!scope=row align=center|9
|data-sort-value="Greeley"|[[Greeley, Colorado|City of Greeley]]
|[[Weld County, Colorado|Weld County]]
|align=right|112,609
|-
!scope=row align=center|10
|data-sort-value="Pueblo"|[[Pueblo, Colorado|City of Pueblo]]
|[[Pueblo County, Colorado|Pueblo County]]
|align=right|111,077
|-
!scope=row align=center|11
|data-sort-value="Centennial"|[[Centennial, Colorado|City of Centennial]]
|[[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe County]]
|align=right|106,883
|-
!scope=row align=center|12
|data-sort-value="Boulder"|[[Boulder, Colorado|City of Boulder]]
|[[Boulder County, Colorado|Boulder County]]
|align=right|105,898
|-
!scope=row align=center|13
|data-sort-value="Longmont"|[[Longmont, Colorado|City of Longmont]]
|[[Boulder County, Colorado|Boulder]] and [[Weld County, Colorado|Weld counties]]
|align=right|98,630
|-
!scope=row align=center|14
|data-sort-value="Castle Rock"|[[Castle Rock, Colorado|Town of Castle Rock]]
|[[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas County]]
|align=right|81,415
|-
!scope=row align=center|15
|data-sort-value="Loveland"|[[Loveland, Colorado|City of Loveland]]
|[[Larimer County, Colorado|Larimer County]]
|align=right|79,352
|-
!scope=row align=center|16
|colspan=2 data-sort-value="Broomfield"|[[Broomfield, Colorado|City and County of Broomfield]]
<!-- |[[Broomfield, Colorado|City and County of Broomfield]] -->
|align=right|76,860
|-
!scope=row align=center|17
|data-sort-value="Grand Junction"|[[Grand Junction, Colorado|City of Grand Junction]]
|[[Mesa County, Colorado|Mesa County]]
|align=right|69,412
|-
!scope=row align=center|18
|data-sort-value="Commerce City"|[[Commerce City, Colorado|City of Commerce City]]
|[[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]]
|align=right|68,245
|-
!scope=row align=center|19
|data-sort-value="Parker"|[[Parker, Colorado|Town of Parker]]
|[[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas County]]
|align=right|62,743
|-
!scope=row align=center|20
|data-sort-value="Littleton"|[[Littleton, Colorado|City of Littleton]]
|[[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe]], [[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson]], and [[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas counties]]
|align=right|44,451
|-
!scope=row align=center|21
|data-sort-value="Brighton"|[[Brighton, Colorado|City of Brighton]]
|[[Adams County, Colorado|Adams]] and [[Weld County, Colorado|Weld counties]]
|align=right|42,477
|-
!scope=row align=center|22
|data-sort-value="Windsor"|[[Windsor, Colorado|Town of Windsor]]
|[[Weld County, Colorado|Weld]] and [[Larimer County, Colorado|Larimer counties]]
|align=right|40,349
|-
!scope=row align=center|23
|data-sort-value="Northglenn"|[[Northglenn, Colorado|City of Northglenn]]
|[[Adams County, Colorado|Adams]] and [[Weld County, Colorado|Weld counties]]
|align=right|38,164
|-
!scope=row align=center|24
|data-sort-value="Erie"|[[Erie, Colorado|Town of Erie]]
|[[Weld County, Colorado|Weld]] and [[Boulder County, Colorado|Boulder counties]]
|align=right|35,269
|-
!scope=row align=center|25
|data-sort-value="Englewood"|[[Englewood, Colorado|City of Englewood]]
|[[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe County&nbsp;]]
|align=right|34,275
|}
&nbsp;

===Unincorporated communities===
{{GeoGroup|article=List of census-designated places in Colorado|section=Census-designated places}}
{{Main|List of census-designated places in Colorado|List of populated places in Colorado}}
[[File:HighlandsRanchAerial CreditJohnChristensen.jpg|thumb|[[Highlands Ranch, Colorado]].]]
In addition to its 272 municipalities, Colorado has 210 [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated]] [[Census-designated place|census-designated places (CDPs)]] and many other small communities. The most populous unincorporated community in Colorado is [[Highlands Ranch, Colorado|Highlands Ranch]] south of Denver. The seven most populous CDPs are located in the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]]. The [[Clifton, Colorado|Clifton CDP]] is the most populous CDP on the [[Colorado Western Slope]].<ref name=CO_CDP_2020>{{cite web|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerwebmain/Files/acs21/tigerweb_acs21_cdp_2020_tab20_co.html|title=State of Colorado Census Designated Places - BAS20 - Data as of January 1, 2020|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=September 30, 2022}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+<big>The ten most populous census-designated places in Colorado</big><br/><br/>
|-
!scope=col|2020 rank<ref name=Census/>
!scope=col|[[List of census-designated places in Colorado|Census-designated place]]
!scope=col|[[List of counties in Colorado|County]]
!scope=col|[[2020 United States census|2020 census]]<ref name=Census/>
|-
!scope=row align=center|1
|[[Highlands Ranch, Colorado|Highlands Ranch CDP]]
|[[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas County]]
|align=right|103,444
|-
!scope=row align=center|2
|[[Security-Widefield, Colorado|Security-Widefield CDP]]
|[[El Paso County, Colorado|El Paso County]]
|align=right|38,639
|-
!scope=row align=center|3
|[[Dakota Ridge, Colorado|Dakota Ridge CDP]]
|[[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]]
|align=right|33,892
|-
!scope=row align=center|4
|[[Ken Caryl, Colorado|Ken Caryl CDP]]
|[[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]]
|align=right|33,811
|-
!scope=row align=center|5
|[[Pueblo West, Colorado|Pueblo West CDP]]
|[[Pueblo County, Colorado|Pueblo County]]
|align=right|33,086
|-
!scope=row align=center|6
|[[Columbine, Colorado|Columbine CDP]]
|[[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson]] and [[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe counties]]
|align=right|25,229
|-
!scope=row align=center|7
|[[Four Square Mile, Colorado|Four Square Mile CDP]]
|[[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe County]]
|align=right|22,872
|-
!scope=row align=center|8
|[[Clifton, Colorado|Clifton CDP]]
|[[Mesa County, Colorado|Mesa County]]
|align=right|20,413
|-
!scope=row align=center|9
|[[Cimarron Hills, Colorado|Cimarron Hills CDP]]
|[[El Paso County, Colorado|El Paso County]]
|align=right|19,311
|-
!scope=row align=center|10
|[[Sherrelwood, Colorado|Sherrelwood CDP]]
|[[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]]
|align=right|19,228
|}

===Special districts===
Colorado has more than 4,000 [[Special district (United States)|special districts]], most with [[property tax]] 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.

[[File:RTD No. 4018 A Line train, USTH.jpg|thumb|A [[Regional Transportation District]] A Line train at [[Denver Union Station]].]]
Some of these districts have the authority to levy sales tax as 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 District]] (RTD), which affects the counties of Denver, Boulder, Jefferson, and portions of Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, and Douglas Counties
[[File:Denver Museum of Nature and Science View from north west.jpg|thumb|The [[Denver Museum of Nature and Science]], one the many organizations funded by the [[Scientific and Cultural Facilities District]].]]
* 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 uses 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 more than 280 local organizations such as small theaters, orchestras, art centers, natural history, cultural history, and community groups. Tier III organizations apply for funding from the county cultural councils via a grant process. This tier receives 13.5%.
** An 11-member board of directors oversees the distributions by 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 [[Empower Field at Mile High]].
* Local Improvement Districts (LID) within designated areas of Jefferson and Broomfield counties.
* The Metropolitan Major League Baseball Stadium District, approved by voters to pay for and help build the [[Colorado Rockies]]' stadium [[Coors Field]].
* Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) taxes at varying rates in Basalt, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, and Gunnison County.

===Statistical areas===
{{Colorado statistical areas map|float=right}}
{{main|List of statistical areas in Colorado}}

Most recently on July 21, 2023, the [[Office of Management and Budget]] defined 21 statistical areas for Colorado comprising four [[combined statistical area]]s, seven [[metropolitan statistical area]]s, and ten [[micropolitan statistical area]]s.<ref name=OMB-20-01>{{cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/bls/omb-bulletin-23-01-revised-delineations-of-metropolitan-statistical-areas.pdf|title=0MB Bulletin No. 23-01|subject=Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas|publisher=[[Office of Management and Budget]]|date=July 21, 2023|access-date=February 6, 2025}}</ref>

The most populous of the seven [[metropolitan statistical area]]s in Colorado is the 10-county [[Denver–Aurora–Centennial, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area]] with a population of 2,963,821 at the [[2020 United States census]], an increase of +15.29% since the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]].<ref name=Census/>

The more extensive 12-county [[Denver–Aurora–Greeley, CO Combined Statistical Area]] had a population of 3,623,560 at the 2020 census, an increase of +17.23% since the 2010 census.<ref name=Census/>

The most populous extended metropolitan region in Rocky Mountain Region is the 18-county [[Front Range Urban Corridor]] along the northeast face of the [[Southern Rocky Mountains]]. This region with Denver at its center had a population of 5,055,344 at the 2020 census, an increase of +16.65% since the 2010 census.<ref name=Census/>

==Demographics==
[[File:Colorado population density 2020.png|thumb|250px|Colorado population density map]]
The [[United States Census Bureau]] estimated the population of Colorado on July 1, 2024, at 5,957,493, a 3.2% increase since the [[2020 United States census]].<ref name=Census/>
{{US Census population
| 1860 = 34277
| 1870 = 39864
| 1880 = 194327
| 1890 = 413249
| 1900 = 539700
| 1910 = 799024
| 1920 = 939629
| 1930 = 1035791
| 1940 = 1123296
| 1950 = 1325089
| 1960 = 1753947
| 1970 = 2207259
| 1980 = 2889964
| 1990 = 3294394
| 2000 = 4301262
| 2010 = 5029196
| 2020 = 5773714
| estyear = 2024
| estimate = 5957493
| estref = <ref name="USCensusEst2024">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 26, 2024}}</ref>
| footnote = [[United States census|U.S. Decennial Census]]
}}

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Ethnic composition as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]]
|-
! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html |title=Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census
 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 12, 2021 |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 26, 2021}}</ref>
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Non-Hispanic
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|65.1|%|2||background:gray}}
|align=right| {{bartable|69.4|%|2||background:gray}}
|-
| [[Hispanics and Latinos in Colorado|Hispanic or Latino]]{{efn|Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.}}
|align=right| {{bartable}}
|align=right| {{bartable|21.9|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
|align=right| {{bartable|3.8|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|align=right| {{bartable|4.9|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|3.4|%|2||background:purple}}
|align=right| {{bartable|4.7|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.6|%|2||background:gold}}
|align=right| {{bartable|2.1|%|2||background:gold}}
|-
| [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]]
|align=right| {{bartable|0.2|%|2||background:pink}}
|align=right| {{bartable|0.4|%|2||background:pink}}
|-
| Other
|align=right| {{bartable|0.5|%|2||background:brown}}
|align=right| {{bartable|1.5|%|2||background:brown}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ Colorado historical racial demographics
|-
! Racial composition !! 1970<ref name="census"/> !! 1990<ref name="census">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725044857/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |archive-date=July 25, 2008 |title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States |first1=Campbell |last1=Gibson |first2=Kay |last2=Jung |date=September 2002 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |department=Population Division |access-date=April 17, 2012 }}</ref>!! 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusviewer.com/state/CO |title=Population of Colorado—Census 2010 and 2000 Interactive Map, Demographics, Statistics, Quick Facts |website=CensusViewer.com |access-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref>!! 2010<ref>{{cite web|author=2010 Census Data |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2010.html |title=2010 Census Data—2010 Census |website=Census.gov |access-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref>!! 2020<ref name="2020DP1">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=040XX00US08 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Colorado |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=April 2, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[White American|White]] (includes [[White Hispanic]]s)
|align=right| {{nts|95.7}}%
|align=right| {{nts|88.2}}%
|align=right| {{nts|82.8}}%
|align=right| {{nts|81.3}}%
|align=right| {{nts|70.7}}%
|-
| [[African American|Black]]
|align=right| {{nts|3.0}}%
|align=right| {{nts|4.0}}%
|align=right| {{nts|3.8}}%
|align=right| {{nts|4.0}}%
|align=right| {{nts|4.1}}%
|-
| [[Asian American|Asian]]
|align=right| {{nts|0.5}}%
|align=right| {{nts|1.8}}%
|align=right| {{nts|2.2}}%
|align=right| {{nts|2.8}}%
|align=right| {{nts|3.5}}%
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native]]
|align=right| {{nts|0.4}}%
|align=right| {{nts|0.8}}%
|align=right| {{nts|1.0}}%
|align=right| {{nts|1.1}}%
|align=right| {{nts|1.3}}%
|-
| [[Native Hawaiian]] and<br />[[Pacific Islander|other Pacific Islander]]
|align=right| {{ntsh|0.0001}}–<!-- for sorting purposes; not an official statistic -->
|align=right| {{ntsh|0.0001}}–<!-- for sorting purposes; not an official statistic -->
|align=right| {{nts|0.1}}%
|align=right| {{nts|0.1}}%
|align=right| {{nts|0.2}}%
|-
| [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Other race]]
|align=right| {{nts|0.4}}%
|align=right| {{nts|5.1}}%
|align=right| {{nts|7.2}}%
|align=right| {{nts|7.2}}%
|align=right| {{nts|8.0}}%
|-
| [[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]]
|align=right| {{ntsh|0.0002}}–<!-- for sorting purposes; not an official statistic -->
|align=right| {{ntsh|0.0002}}–<!-- for sorting purposes; not an official statistic -->
|align=right| {{nts|2.8}}%
|align=right| {{nts|3.4}}%
|align=right| {{nts|12.3}}%
|}
[[File:Ethnic Origins in Colorado.png|thumb|Ethnic origins in Colorado]]
[[File:Colorado counties by race.svg|thumb|Map of counties in Colorado by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census{{Collapsible list
| title = Legend|{{col-begin}}{{col-2}}

'''Non-Hispanic White'''

{{legend|#dd7e6b|40–50%}}

{{legend|#cc4125|50–60%}}

{{legend|#a61c00|60–70%}}

{{legend|#85200c|70–80%}}

{{legend|#5b0f00|80–90%}}

{{col-2}}

'''Hispanic or Latino'''

{{legend|#a2c4c9|40–50%}}

{{legend|#76a5af|50–60%}}

{{col-end}}
}}]]
[[Hispanics and Latinos in Colorado|Coloradan Hispanics and Latinos]] (of any race and heritage) made up 20.7% of the population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table |archive-url=https://archive.today/20190521214830/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table |archive-date=May 21, 2019 |format=PDF |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010: 2010 Demographic Profile Data |website=Factfinder2.census.gov |access-date=April 1, 2016 }}</ref> According to the 2000 census, the largest ancestry groups in Colorado are [[German Americans|German]] (22%), [[Mexican Americans|Mexican]] (18%), [[Irish Americans|Irish]] (12%), and [[English Americans|English]] (12%). Persons reporting German ancestry are especially numerous in the Front Range, the Rockies (west-central counties), and Eastern parts/High Plains.

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 elsewhere. Southern, Southwestern, and Southeastern Colorado have a large number of Hispanos, the descendants of the early settlers of colonial Spanish origin. In 1940, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Colorado's population as 8.2% Hispanic and 90.3% non-Hispanic White.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |access-date=January 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224151538/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html |archive-date=December 24, 2014 }}</ref> The Hispanic population of Colorado has continued to grow quickly over the past decades. By 2019, Hispanics made up 22% of Colorado's population, and [[Non-Hispanic White]]s made up 70%.<ref name="quickfacts.census.gov">{{cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08000.html |title=Colorado QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau |website=Quickfacts.census.gov |access-date=April 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160219004405/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08000.html |archive-date=February 19, 2016 }}</ref> Spoken English in Colorado has many Spanish idioms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elcastellano.org/palabra.php?id=946 |title=talking about Colorado in "nada" |publisher=Elcastellano.org |date=June 30, 2007 |access-date=July 30, 2010}}</ref>

Colorado also has some large African-American communities located in Denver, in the neighborhoods of Montbello, Five Points, Whittier, and many other East Denver areas. The state has sizable numbers of Asian-Americans of [[Mongolian American|Mongolian]], [[Chinese American|Chinese]], [[Filipino American|Filipino]], [[Korean American|Korean]], [[Southeast Asian]], and [[Japanese American|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.

The population of Native Americans in the state is small. Native Americans are concentrated in metropolitan Denver and the southwestern corner of Colorado, where there are two Ute reservations.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia| title=Native Americans, Pioneers, Settlers |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica | date=October 26, 1998 | url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Colorado-state/People}}</ref>

The majority of Colorado's immigrants are from [[Mexico]], [[India]], [[China]], [[Vietnam]], [[Korea]], [[Germany]] and [[Canada]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ona.colorado.gov/about-the-office-of-new-americans|title=About New Americans|publisher=Colorado Department of Labor and Employment|access-date=September 24, 2023}}</ref>

There were a total of 70,331 births in Colorado in 2006. (Birth rate of 14.6 per thousand.) In 2007, non-Hispanic Whites were involved in 59.1% of all births.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_12.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_12.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=National Vital Statistics Reports, Volume 57, Number 12, (March 18, 2009)|publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] |access-date=July 30, 2010}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/scripts/htmsql.exe/cohid/natalityPub.hsql |title=Department of Public Health and Environment &#124; |website=Cdphe.state.co.us |access-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref> As of the [[2010 United States census|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's total population. Colorado has the 5th-largest population of Mexican-Americans, behind California, Texas, Arizona, and [[Illinois]]. In percentages, Colorado has the 6th-highest percentage of Mexican-Americans, behind New Mexico, California, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statemaster.com/state/CO-colorado/peo- |title=People of Colorado statistics |website=StateMaster.com |date=June 15, 2007 |access-date=April 1, 2016 |archive-date=April 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421185721/http://www.statemaster.com/state/CO-colorado/peo- }}</ref>

===Birth data===
In 2011, 46% of Colorado's population younger than the age of one were minorities, meaning that they had at least one parent who was not non-Hispanic White.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adworks.org/pdf/LosingGround_e-book.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.adworks.org/pdf/LosingGround_e-book.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Losing ground |website=Adworks.org |access-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html|title=Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot|last=Exner|first=Rich|date=June 3, 2012|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]}}</ref>

''Note: Births in table do not add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.''
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Live births by single race/ethnicity of mother
|-
!scope="col"| [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Race]]
!scope="col"| 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Births: Final Data for 2013 Volume 64, Number 1 |publisher=National Vital Statistics Reports, [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] |date=January 15, 2015 |access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 2014<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Births: Final Data for 2014 Volume 64, Number 12 |publisher=National Vital Statistics Reports, [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] |date=December 23, 2015 |access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 2015<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Births: Final Data for 2015 Volume 66, Number 1 |publisher=National Vital Statistics Reports, [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] |date=January 5, 2017 |access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 2016<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nvsr67_01.pdf |title=National Vital Statistics Reports |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |website=www.cdc.gov|publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] }}</ref>
!scope="col"| 2017<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111184850/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |archive-date=November 11, 2018 |url-status=live|title=Births: Final Data for 2017|publisher=National Vital Statistics Reports, [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 2018<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]|access-date=December 2, 2019}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 2019<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-02-508.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-02-508.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]|access-date=March 27, 2021}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 2020<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=February 20, 2022}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 2021<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-01.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=February 2, 2022}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 2022<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-02.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=April 4, 2024}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 2023<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-1.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=April 4, 2024}}</ref>
|-
|scope="row"| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
| 39,872 (61.3%)
| 40,629 (61.7%)
| 40,878 (61.4%)
| 39,617 (59.5%)
| 37,516 (58.3%)
| 36,466 (58.0%)
| 36,022 (57.3%)
| 34,924 (56.8%)
| 36,334 (57.7%)
| 35,076 (56.2%)
| 33,640 (54.7%)
|-
|scope="row"| [[African Americans|Black]]
| 3,760 (5.8%)
| 3,926 (6.0%)
| 4,049 (6.1%)
| 3,004 (4.5%)
| 3,110 (4.8%)
| 3,032 (4.8%)
| 3,044 (4.8%)
| 3,146 (5.1%)
| 2,988 (4.7%)
| 2,981 (4.8%)
| 2,904 (4.7%)
|-
|scope="row"| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
| 2,863 (4.4%)
| 3,010 (4.6%)
| 2,973 (4.5%)
| 2,617 (3.9%)
| 2,611 (4.1%)
| 2,496 (4.0%)
| 2,540 (4.0%)
| 2,519 (4.1%)
| 2,490 (4.0%)
| 2,450 (3.9%)
| 2,498 (4.1%)
|-
|scope="row"| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]
| 793 (1.2%)
| 777 (1.2%)
| 803 (1.2%)
| 412 (0.6%)
| 421 (0.7%)
| 352 (0.6%)
| 365 (0.6%)
| 338 (0.5%)
| 323 (0.5%)
| 336 (0.5%)
| 310 (0.5%)
|-
|scope="row"| [[Pacific Islands Americans|Pacific Islander]]
| ...
| ...
| ...
| 145 (0.2%)
| 145 (0.2%)
| 155 (0.2%)
| 168 (0.3%)
| 169 (0.3%)
| 202 (0.3%)
| 203 (0.3%)
| 256 (0.4%)
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]'' (any race)
| ''17,821'' (27.4%)
| ''17,665'' (26.8%)
| ''18,139'' (27.2%)
| ''18,513'' (27.8%)
| ''18,125'' (28.2%)
| ''17,817'' (28.3%)
| ''18,205'' (29.0%)
| ''18,111'' (29.4%)
| ''18,362'' (29.2%)
| ''18,982'' (30.4%)
| ''19,544'' (31.8%)
|-
|scope="row"| '''Total'''
| '''65,007''' (100%)
| '''65,830''' (100%)
| '''66,581''' (100%)
| '''66,613''' (100%)
| '''64,382''' (100%)
| '''62,885''' (100%)
| '''62,869''' (100%)
| '''61,494''' (100%)
| '''62,949''' (100%)
| '''62,383''' (100%)
| '''61,494''' (100%)
|}

* Since 2016, data for births of [[White Hispanic and Latino Americans|White Hispanic]] origin are not collected, but included in one ''Hispanic'' group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

In 2017, Colorado recorded the second-lowest fertility rate in the United States outside of New England, after [[Oregon]], at 1.63 children per woman.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Significant contributing factors to the decline in pregnancies were the [[Title X| Title X Family Planning Program]] and an [[intrauterine device]] grant from [[Warren Buffett]]'s family.<ref>{{cite news |last = Seaman |first = Jessica |date = March 22, 2019 | title = Colorado teen pregnancies dropped 20 percent near these clinics. Now their funding is at risk |url = https://www.denverpost.com/2019/03/22/colorado-teen-pregnancies-title-x-funding/ |work = [[The Denver Post]] |location=[[Denver]]| access-date = May 21, 2019|quote=By increasing access to long-term birth control such as intrauterine devices, Colorado has reduced teen pregnancies by about 20 percent in zip codes near clinics that receive federal funding&nbsp;... Statewide, the birth rate for&nbsp;... ages 15 and 19 dropped 59 [%]&nbsp;... in 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last =Brown |first =Jennifer |date=November 30, 2017 |title=IUD program leads to big decline in teen pregnancies, abortions in Colorado|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2017/11/30/colorado-teen-pregnancy-abortion-rates-drop-free-low-cost-iud/|work=[[The Denver Post]]|access-date=May 21, 2019|location=[[Denver]]|quote=The steep drop in teen pregnancies and abortions in Colorado since 2009 is mainly due to one thing: free, low-cost access to IUDs&nbsp;... Thanks to a grant from billionaire Warren Buffett's family, Colorado spent $28 million}}</ref>

===Language===
{{See also|Native American languages of Colorado}}
The [[English language]], the official language of the state, is the most commonly spoken language in Colorado.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/states/Colorado-Languages.html|title=Languages—Colorado|website=www.city-data.com}}</ref> The second most commonly spoken language in the state is the [[Spanish language]].<ref>[https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S1601?q=languages%20colorado S1601: Language Spoken at Home - Census Bureau Table]</ref> The [[Colorado River Numic language]], also known as the [[Ute dialect]], is still spoken in Colorado.

===Religion===
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Religious self-identification, per [[Public Religion Research Institute]]'s 2022 ''American Values Survey''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=February 24, 2023 |title=2022 American Values Atlas: Religious Tradition |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2022/States/religion/m/US-CO |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]}}</ref>
| label1 = [[Protestantism in the United States|Protestantism]]
| value1 = 39
| color1 = LightBlue
| label2 = [[Catholicism in the United States|Catholicism]]
| value2 = 19
| color2 = DarkBlue 
| label3 = [[Mormonism]]
| value3 = 2
| color3 = LightGreen
| label4 = [[Eastern Orthodoxy]]
| value4 = 1
| color4 = Red 
| label5 = [[Unitarianism]]/[[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian]]
| value5 = 1
| color5 = White
| label6 = [[Judaism]] 
| value6 = 1
| color6 = Blue
| label7 = [[New Age]]
| value7 = 2
| color7 = Pink
| label8 = East Asian Religions
| value8 = 2
| color8 = Maroon
| label9 = [[Hinduism in the United States|Hinduism]]
| value9 = 1
| color9 = Yellow
| label10 = [[Irreligion in the United States|No religion]]
| value10 = 34
| color10 = Gray
}}
Major religious affiliations of the people of Colorado as of 2014 were 64% Christian, of whom there are 44% Protestant, 16% [[Roman Catholicism in the United States|Roman Catholic]], 3% [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|Mormon]], and 1% [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Adkins |first=Amy |url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/167120/mississippi-alabama-protestant-states.aspx |title=Mississippi and Alabama Most Protestant States in U.S. |website=Gallup.com |date=February 5, 2014 |access-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref> Other religious breakdowns according to the Pew Research Center were 1% [[Judaism]], 1% [[Muslim]], 1% [[Buddhist]], and 4% other. [[Secularity|Secular]] Coloradans made up 29% of the population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://religions.pewforum.org/maps |title=Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics &#124; Pew Research Center |website=Religions.pewforum.org |access-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref> In 2020, according to the Public Religion Research Institute, Christianity was 66% of the population. Judaism was also reported to have increased in this separate study, forming 2% of the religious landscape, while the religiously unaffiliated were reported to form 28% of the population in this separate study.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PRRI – American Values Atlas |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-CO |access-date=September 17, 2022 |website=ava.prri.org}}</ref> In 2022, the same organization reported 61% was Christian (39% Protestant, 19% Catholic, 2% [[Mormons|Mormon]], 1% [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox]]), 2% [[New Age]], 1% Jewish, 1% Hindu, and 34% religiously unaffiliated.

According to the [[Association of Religion Data Archives]], the largest Christian denominations by the number of adherents in 2010 were the [[Catholic Church]] with 811,630; multi-denominational Evangelical Protestants with 229,981; and [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] with 151,433.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/08/rcms2010_08_state_adh_2010.asp |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives &#124; State Membership Report |publisher=www.thearda.com |access-date=November 7, 2013 |archive-date=February 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209214139/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/08/rcms2010_08_state_adh_2010.asp }}</ref> In 2020, the Association of Religion Data Archives determined the largest Christian denominations were Catholics (873,236), non/multi/inter-denominational Protestants (406,798), and Mormons (150,509).<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 Congregational Membership |url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&y2=0&t=1&c=08 |access-date=April 16, 2023 |website=www.thearda.com}}</ref> Throughout its non-Christian population, there were 12,500 [[Hinduism in the United States|Hindus]], 7,101 [[Yoga|Hindu Yogis]], and 17,369 [[Buddhism in the United States|Buddhists]] at the 2020 study.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church was the first permanent Catholic parish in modern-day Colorado and was constructed by Spanish colonists from New Mexico in modern-day [[Conejos, Colorado|Conejos]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04733c.htm|encyclopedia=[[The Catholic Encyclopedia]]|title=Denver|publisher=NewAdvent.org|first=William|last=Howlett|date=1908|access-date=March 24, 2021}}</ref> [[Latin Church]] Catholics are served by three dioceses: the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver|Archdiocese of Denver]] and the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs|Dioceses of Colorado Springs]] and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Pueblo|Pueblo]].

The first permanent settlement by members of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Colorado]] arrived from Mississippi and initially camped along the Arkansas River just east of the present-day site of Pueblo.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://churchofjesuschristcolorado.com/your-colorado-church-history-tour/|title= Your Colorado Church History Tour|access-date=March 24, 2021|date=March 24, 2020|publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Colorado}}</ref>

== Health ==
Colorado is generally considered among the healthiest states by behavioral and healthcare researchers. Among the positive contributing factors is the state's well-known outdoor recreation opportunities and initiatives.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://oedit.colorado.gov/blog-post/outdoor-equity-grant-bill-to-support-outdoor-access-for-underserved-youth|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622161215/https://oedit.colorado.gov/blog-post/outdoor-equity-grant-bill-to-support-outdoor-access-for-underserved-youth|archive-date=June 22, 2021|title=Outdoor Equity Grant Bill to Support Outdoor Access for Underserved Youth|work=oedit.colorado.gov|publisher=Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade|location=[[Denver]]|access-date=June 23, 2021}}</ref> However, there is a stratification of health metrics with wealthier counties such as [[Douglas County, Colorado|Douglas]] and [[Pitkin County, Colorado|Pitkin]] performing significantly better relative to southern, less wealthy counties such as [[Huerfano County, Colorado|Huerfano]] and [[Las Animas County, Colorado|Las Animas]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2020/01/19/colorado-a-healthy-state-overall-some-counties-more-than-others-and-its-not-just-the-poorer-areas-with-serious-health-concerns/|title=Colorado is one of the healthiest states in the country, but health outcomes vary widely by county |last=Svaldi |first=Aldo |date=January 19, 2020 |publisher=The Denver Post |access-date=April 13, 2021}}</ref>

=== Obesity ===
According to several studies, Coloradans have the lowest rates of obesity of any state in the US.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://calorielab.com/news/wp-images/post-images/fattest-states-2007-big.gif |format=GIF |title=Percentage of Obese Adult Population |website=Calorielab.com |access-date=April 1, 2016 |archive-date=June 12, 2008 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20080612165609/http://calorielab.com/news/wp-images/post-images/fattest-states-2007-big.gif }}</ref> {{As of|2018}}, 24% of the population was considered medically obese, and while the lowest in the nation, the percentage had increased from 17% in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stateofchildhoodobesity.org/adult-obesity/|title = Adult Obesity Rates}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://calorielab.com/news/2007/08/06/fattest-states-2007/ |title=Fattest States 2010: CalorieLab's Annual Obesity Map—State Obesity Rankings &#124; CalorieLab—Health News & Information Blog |publisher=CalorieLab |date=June 28, 2010 |access-date=June 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713041916/http://calorielab.com/news/2007/08/06/fattest-states-2007/ |archive-date=July 13, 2012 }}</ref>

=== Life expectancy ===
According to a report in the [[Journal of the American Medical Association]], residents of Colorado had a 2014 [[life expectancy]] of 80.21 years, the longest of any U.S. state.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dwyer-Lindgren |first=Laura |date=May 8, 2017 |title=Inequalities in Life Expectancy Among US Counties, 1980 to 2014 |journal=JAMA Internal Medicine |volume=177 |issue=7 |pages=1003–1011 |doi=10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.0918 |pmid=28492829 |pmc=5543324}}</ref>

=== Homelessness ===
According to [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|HUD]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]], there were an estimated 10,397 [[Homelessness in Colorado|homeless people in Colorado]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf}}</ref>

== Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of Colorado}}
[[File:Denver CO DT WTC AMH 322.JPG|thumb|upright|right|Denver Energy Center lies in the Denver financial district along 17th Street, known as the "[[Wall Street of the West]]"]]
[[File:Corn production in Colorado.jpg|thumb|[[Maize|Corn]] growing in [[Larimer County, Colorado|Larimer County]]]]

In 2019 the total employment was 2,473,192. The number of employer establishments is 174,258.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/CO |title=Quickfacts: Colorado |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726213943/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/CO |archive-date=July 26, 2021 |access-date=September 20, 2021}}</ref>

The Colorado [[GDP]] in 2024 was $553,323,000,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bea.gov/iTable/drilldown.cfm?reqid=70&stepnum=11&AreaTypeKeyGdp=5&GeoFipsGdp=XX&ClassKeyGdp=NAICS&ComponentKey=200&IndustryKey=1&YearGdp=2015Q2&YearGdpBegin=-1&YearGdpEnd=-1&UnitOfMeasureKeyGdp=Levels&RankKeyGdp=1&Drill=1&nRange=5|title=Bureau of Economic Analysis|first=US Department of Commerce, BEA, Bureau of Economic|last=Analysis|website=www.bea.gov|access-date=April 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230100702/https://www.bea.gov/iTable/drilldown.cfm?reqid=70&stepnum=11&AreaTypeKeyGdp=5&GeoFipsGdp=XX&ClassKeyGdp=NAICS&ComponentKey=200&IndustryKey=1&YearGdp=2015Q2&YearGdpBegin=-1&YearGdpEnd=-1&UnitOfMeasureKeyGdp=Levels&RankKeyGdp=1&Drill=1&nRange=5|archive-date=December 30, 2017}}</ref> Median Annual Household Income in 2016 was $70,666, 8th in the nation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/median-annual-income/?currentTimeframe=0&selectedDistributions=median-annual-household-income&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Median%20Annual%20Household%20Income%22,%22sort%22:%22desc%22%7D|title=Median Annual Household Income|date=September 22, 2017|work=The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation|access-date=October 11, 2018}}</ref> [[List of U.S. states by GDP per capita (nominal)|Per capita personal income]] in 2010 was $51,940, ranking Colorado 11th in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/spi/2009/pdf/spi0309.pdf |title=References |access-date=July 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412133925/http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/spi/2009/pdf/spi0309.pdf |archive-date=April 12, 2010 }}</ref> 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, [[maize|corn]], and [[hay]].

The [[Federal government of the United States|federal government]] operates several federal facilities in the state, including [[NORAD]] (North American Aerospace Defense Command), [[United States Air Force Academy]], Schriever Air Force Base located approximately {{convert|10|mi|km|abbr=off|sp=us}} east of [[Peterson Air Force Base]], and [[Fort Carson]], both located in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]] within El Paso County; [[NOAA]], the National Renewable Energy Laboratory ([[NREL]]) in Golden, and the [[National Institute of Standards and Technology]] in [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]]; [[U.S. Geological Survey]] and other government agencies at the [[Denver Federal Center]] near [[Lakewood, Colorado|Lakewood]]; the [[Denver Mint]], [[Buckley Space Force Base]], the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit|Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals]], and the [[Byron G. Rogers Federal Building and United States Courthouse]] in Denver; and a federal [[ADX Florence|Supermax Prison]] and other federal prisons near [[Cañon City, Colorado|Cañon City]]. In addition to these and other [[Independent Agencies of the United States Government|federal agencies]], Colorado has abundant [[United States National Forest|National Forest]] land and four [[List of National Parks of the United States|National Parks]] that contribute to federal ownership of {{convert|24615788|acre|km2|0}} of land in Colorado, or 37% of the total area of the state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ag.state.co.us/resource/documents/TotalCOLandOwnership.xls |title=Colorado Land Ownership by County (acres) |date=January 1997 |first=Tony |last=Frank |format=Excel |publisher=Colorado Department of Agriculture |access-date=July 15, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060116094720/http://www.ag.state.co.us/resource/colorado_land_ownership.html |archive-date=January 16, 2006 }}</ref>

In the second half of the 20th century, the industrial and service sectors expanded greatly. The state's economy is diversified and is notable for its concentration on scientific research and high-technology industries. Other industries include [[food processing]], transportation equipment, [[Mechanical engineering|machinery]], [[chemical engineering|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 in any state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/nov/24/reuteman-colorado-rides-on-fat-tire-to-beer/ |title=Colorado rides on Fat Tire to beer heights |publisher=Rockymountainnews.com |date=November 24, 2007 |access-date=June 5, 2011}}</ref> Denver is an important financial center.

The state's diverse [[Geography of Colorado|geography]] and majestic mountains attract millions of tourists every year, including 85.2&nbsp;million in 2018. Tourism contributes greatly to Colorado's economy, with tourists generating $22.3 billion in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.colorado.com/news/colorado-tourism-sets-all-time-visitor-spending-record-2018|title=News Release: Colorado Tourism Sets All-time Visitor Spending Record in 2018|publisher=Colorado.com|access-date=April 13, 2020|archive-date=April 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413032735/https://www.colorado.com/news/colorado-tourism-sets-all-time-visitor-spending-record-2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Several nationally known brand names have originated in Colorado factories and laboratories. From [[Denver#Economy|Denver]] came the forerunner of telecommunications giant [[Qwest Corporation|Qwest]] in 1879, [[Samsonite]] luggage in 1910, [[Gates Corporation|Gates]] belts and hoses in 1911, and [[Russell Stover Candies]] in 1923. Kuner canned vegetables began in [[Brighton, Colorado|Brighton]] in 1864. From [[Golden, Colorado|Golden]] came [[Coors Brewing Company|Coors]] beer in 1873, [[CoorsTek]] industrial ceramics in 1920, and [[Jolly Rancher]] candy in 1949. [[Colorado Fuel and Iron|CF&I]] railroad rails, wire, nails, and pipe debuted in [[Pueblo, Colorado|Pueblo]] in 1892. [[Holly Sugar]] was first milled from beets in [[Holly, Colorado|Holly]] in 1905, and later moved its headquarters to Colorado Springs. The present-day [[Swift & Company|Swift]] packed meat of [[Greeley, Colorado|Greeley]] evolved from Monfort of Colorado, Inc., established in 1930. [[Estes Industries|Estes]] model rockets were launched in [[Penrose, Colorado|Penrose]] in 1958. [[Fort Collins, Colorado|Fort Collins]] has been the home of [[Woodward Governor Company]]'s motor controllers (governors) since 1870, and [[Oral irrigator|Waterpik]] dental water jets and showerheads since 1962. [[Celestial Seasonings]] herbal teas have been made in [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] since 1969. [[Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory]] made its first candy in [[Durango, Colorado|Durango]] in 1981.

Colorado has a flat 4.63% [[income tax]], regardless of income level. On November 3, 2020, voters authorized an initiative to lower that income tax rate to 4.55 percent. 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.<ref>Colorado individual income tax return (2005) [http://www.revenue.state.co.us/PDF/05104f.pdf Revenue.state.co.us] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217015546/http://www.revenue.state.co.us/PDF/05104f.pdf |date=December 17, 2008 }}. Retrieved September 26, 2006.</ref><ref>U.S. Individual Income Tax Return (2005) [https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040.pdf#search=%22form%201040%20site%3Airs.gov%22 online copy]. Retrieved September 26, 2006.</ref> Colorado's state [[sales tax]] is 2.9% on retail sales. When state revenues exceed state constitutional limits, according to Colorado's [[Taxpayer Bill of Rights]] legislation, 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 was scheduled to return for the assessment year 2006, payable in 2007.

{{as of|2018|December}}, the state's unemployment rate was 4.2%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/lau/ |title=Local Area Unemployment Statistics Home Page |website=Bls.gov |access-date=February 4, 2019}}</ref>

The West Virginia teachers' strike in 2018 inspired [[2018–19 education workers' strikes in the United States|teachers in other states]], including [[2018 Colorado teachers' strike|Colorado]], to take similar action.<ref>{{cite news|title=Inspired by West Virginia Strike, Teachers in Oklahoma and Kentucky Plan Walk Out|url=http://ktla.com/2018/04/02/inspired-by-west-virginia-strike-teachers-in-oklahoma-and-kentucky-plan-walk-out/|agency=[[KTLA]]|date=April 2, 2018|access-date=September 4, 2019|archive-date=August 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812154057/https://ktla.com/2018/04/02/inspired-by-west-virginia-strike-teachers-in-oklahoma-and-kentucky-plan-walk-out/}}</ref>

=== Agriculture ===
[[Corn]] is grown in the [[Eastern Plains]] of Colorado. Arid conditions and drought negatively impacted yields in 2020 and 2022.<ref>{{cite news|title=Big rainstorms come too late for Colorado farmers whose crop has already died|url=https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/big-rainstorms-too-late-for-colorado-farmers-whose-crop-has-already-died/73-70538659-cd1e-4869-979e-8f41d1c4f127| publisher=KUSA |date=August 17, 2022}}</ref>

=== Natural resources ===
[[File:Grand Junction Trip 92007 131.JPG|thumb|An [[oil well]] in western Colorado]]

Colorado has significant [[hydrocarbon]] resources. According to the [[Energy Information Administration]], Colorado hosts seven of the largest natural gas fields in the United States, and two of the largest [[oil field]]s. Conventional and unconventional natural gas output from several Colorado basins typically accounts for more than five percent of annual U.S. natural gas production. Colorado's [[oil shale]] deposits hold an estimated {{convert|1|Toilbbl|km3}} of oil—nearly as much oil as the entire world's proven oil reserves.<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=CO |title=EIA State Energy Profiles: Colorado |date=June 12, 2008 |access-date=June 24, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516020504/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=CO |archive-date=May 16, 2008 }}</ref> Substantial deposits of [[bituminous coal|bituminous]], [[sub-bituminous coal|subbituminous]], and [[lignite]] coal are found in the state.

[[Uranium mining in Colorado]] goes back to 1872, when pitchblende ore was taken from gold mines near Central City, Colorado. Not counting byproduct uranium from [[phosphate]], Colorado is considered to have the third-largest uranium reserves of any U.S. state, behind Wyoming and New Mexico. When Colorado and Utah dominated [[radium]] mining from 1910 to 1922, uranium and [[vanadium]] were the byproducts (giving towns like present-day [[Superfund site]] [[Uravan, Colorado|Uravan]] their names).<ref>Robert J. Wright and Donald L. Everhart (1960) Uranium, in Mineral Resources of Colorado First Sequel, State of Colorado Mineral Resources Board, pp. 330–331.</ref> Uranium price increases from 2001 to 2007 prompted several companies to revive uranium mining in Colorado. During the 1940s certain communities–including [[Naturita, Colorado|Naturita]] and [[Paradox, Colorado|Paradox]]–earned the moniker of "[[yellowcake]] towns" from their relationship with uranium mining. Price drops and financing problems in late 2008 forced these companies to cancel or scale back the uranium-mining project. As of 2016, there were no major uranium mining operations in the state, though plans existed to restart production.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/uranium-mining|title=Uranium Mining|encyclopedia=Colorado Encyclopedia|last=Conway|first=Bernard|date=March 31, 2016|access-date=March 1, 2021}}</ref>

===Electricity generation===
{{See also|List of power stations in Colorado}}

Colorado's high Rocky Mountain ridges and eastern plains offer [[Wind power in Colorado|wind power]] potential, and geologic activity in the mountain areas provides the potential for [[Geothermal energy in the United States|geothermal power]] development. Much of the state is sunny and could produce [[Solar power in Colorado|solar power]]. Major rivers flowing from the Rocky Mountains offer [[List of dams and reservoirs in Colorado|hydroelectric power]] resources.

==Culture==

[[File:HistoryColoradoCenter1.jpg|thumb|[[History Colorado Center]] in Denver]]

===Arts and film===

* [[List of museums in Colorado]]
* [[List of theaters in Colorado]]
* [[Music of Colorado]]

Several film productions have been shot on location in Colorado, especially prominent [[Western (genre)|Westerns]] like ''[[True Grit (1969 film)|True Grit]]'', ''[[The Searchers (film)|The Searchers]]'', ''[[City Slickers]],'' ''[[Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid]], and [[My Life with the Walter Boys|My Life With the Walter Boys]]''. Several historic military forts, railways with trains still operating, and mining [[List of ghost towns in Colorado|ghost towns]] have been used and transformed for historical accuracy in well-known films. There are also several scenic highways and mountain passes that helped to feature the open road in films such as ''[[Vanishing Point (1971 film)|Vanishing Point]]'', ''[[Bingo (1991 film)|Bingo]]'' and ''[[Starman (film)|Starman]]''. Some Colorado landmarks have been featured in films, such as [[The Stanley Hotel]] in ''[[Dumb and Dumber]]'' and ''[[The Shining (miniseries)|The Shining]]'' and the [[Sculptured House]] in ''[[Sleeper (1973 film)|Sleeper]]''. In 2015, ''[[Furious 7]]'' was to film driving sequences on [[Pikes Peak Highway]] in Colorado. The TV adult-animated series ''[[South Park]]'' takes place in central Colorado in the titular town. Additionally, The TV series ''[[Good Luck Charlie]]'' was set, but not filmed, in Denver, Colorado.<ref>{{cite news|first=Eric|last= Griffiths|title=Young offenders|work=[[New Statesman]]|date=June 21, 2007|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2007/06/south-park-sex-studies|access-date=March 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627133812/https://www.newstatesman.com/books/2007/06/south-park-sex-studies|archive-date=June 27, 2021}}</ref> The Colorado Office of Film and Television has noted that more than 400 films have been shot in Colorado.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cangialosi|first=Jason|title=Scenic Memorabilia: Colorado's Film Locations|work=Yahoo Movies |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/news/scenic-memorabilia-colorados-film-locations.html|publisher=Yahoo! Movies|access-date=March 4, 2013}}</ref>

There are also several established film festivals in Colorado, including [[Aspen Filmfest]] and [[Aspen Shortsfest]], [[Boulder International Film Festival]], [[Castle Rock Film Festival]], [[Denver Film Festival]], [[Festivus Film Festival]], [[Mile High Horror Film Festival]], [[Moondance International Film Festival]], [[Mountainfilm in Telluride]], [[Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival]], and [[Telluride Film Festival]]. On March 27, 2025, it was announced [[Sundance Film Festival]] would move to Boulder starting in 2027 after reaching a deal for a ten-year duration.

Many notable writers have lived or spent extended periods in Colorado. ''[[5280]]'', a Denver magazine, wrote in 2015 that [[Kent Haruf]] is "widely considered [to be] Colorado's finest novelist"; Haruf set his novels in the fictional high plains Colorado town of Holt.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Outcalt |first=Chris |date=June 1, 2015 |title=The Precious Ordinary |url=https://www.5280.com/the-precious-ordinary-2/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530064102/https://www.5280.com/the-precious-ordinary-2/ |archive-date=May 30, 2024 |access-date=May 25, 2025 |website=[[5280]] |language=en}}</ref> [[Beat Generation]] writers [[Jack Kerouac]] and [[Neal Cassady]] lived in and around Denver for several years each.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.westword.com/arts/jack-kerouac-got-off-the-road-in-colorado-and-even-became-a-homeowner-here-11412026|title=Jack Kerouac Slept Here Seventy Years Ago|work=[[Westword]]|location=[[Denver]]|date=July 17, 2019|last=Calhoun|first=Patricia|access-date=May 3, 2021}}</ref> Irish playwright [[Oscar Wilde]] visited Colorado on his tour of the United States in 1882, writing in his 1906 ''Impressions of America'' that [[Leadville, Colorado|Leadville]] was "the richest city in the world. It has also got the reputation of being the roughest, and every man carries a [[revolver]]."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://britishandirishhistory.wordpress.com/2017/03/02/oscar-wilde-in-leadville-colorado/|title=Oscar Wilde in Leadville, Colorado|work=Isles Abroad|last=Flewelling|first=Lindsey|date=March 2, 2017|access-date=May 3, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41806/41806-h/41806-h.htm|title=Impressions of America|author=[[Oscar Wilde]]|publisher=Keystone Press|location=[[Sunderland]]|date=1906|via=Project Gutenburg|access-date=May 3, 2021}}</ref>

===Cuisine===

Colorado is known for its [[Cuisine of the Southwestern United States|Southwest]] and [[Rocky Mountain cuisine]], with Mexican restaurants found throughout the state.

[[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] was named America's Foodiest Town 2010 by [[Bon Appétit]].<ref name="Bon Appétit">{{cite web |last=Knowlton |first=Andrew |url=http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2010/10/americas_foodiest_town_2010_boulder |title=America's Foodiest Town 2010: Boulder, Colorado: In the Magazine |work=Bon AppÃ©tit |date=September 9, 2010 |publisher=bonappetit.com |access-date=June 5, 2011 |archive-date=June 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613033434/http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2010/10/americas_foodiest_town_2010_boulder }}</ref> Boulder, and Colorado in general, is home to several national food and beverage companies, top-tier restaurants and farmers' markets. Boulder also has more Master [[Sommelier]]s per capita than any other city, including San Francisco and New York.<ref name="Denver Magazine">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.denvermagazine.com/March-2011/Colorado-039s-Master-Sommeliers/ |title=Master Class: The Coloradans who've passed the Master Sommelier test that 97 percent fail |first=Jacob |last=Harkins |date=March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315081041/http://www.denvermagazine.com/March-2011/Colorado-039s-Master-Sommeliers/|archive-date=March 15, 2011 |magazine=Denver Magazine}}</ref> [[Denver]] is known for steak, but now has a diverse culinary scene with many restaurants.<ref name="Travel + Leisure">{{cite web|url=http://www.travelandleisure.com/guides/colorado |title=Colorado Travel Guide|publisher=Travelandleisure.com |access-date=June 5, 2011}}</ref>

[[Polidori Sausage]] is a brand of pork products available in supermarkets, which originated in Colorado, in the early 20th century.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Antonation|first=Mark|date=October 20, 2015|title=Chef & Tell: Steve Polidori Talks About 90 Years of Sausage in North Denver|url=https://www.westword.com/restaurants/chef-and-tell-steve-polidori-talks-about-90-years-of-sausage-in-north-denver-7261764|access-date=April 26, 2021|website=Westword}}</ref>

The [[Food & Wine Classic]] is held annually each June in [[Aspen, Colorado|Aspen]]. Aspen also has a reputation as the culinary capital of the Rocky Mountain region.<ref>{{cite news|last=Arnold |first=Katie |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/06/08/travel/08Choice.html |title=As Skiers Depart Aspen, Chowhounds Take Their Place |website=Travel.nytimes.com |location=New York City|date=June 8, 2008 |access-date=June 5, 2011 }}</ref>

===Wine and beer===
{{Main|Colorado wine|Colorado beer}}
[[Colorado wine]]s include varietals that have attracted favorable notice from outside the state.<ref>{{cite news|last=Jackenthal |first=Stefani |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/travel/05biking.html |title=Biking Colorado's Wine Country |website=Travel.nytimes.com |location=New York City|date=October 5, 2008 |access-date=June 5, 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition">{{cite web|url=http://www.thejeffersoncup.com |title=The Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition |publisher=Thejeffersoncup.com |date=November 24, 2010 |access-date=June 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501072251/http://www.thejeffersoncup.com/ |archive-date=May 1, 2011 }}</ref> Colorado's grape growing regions contain the highest elevation [[vineyard]]s in the United States,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=48734 |title=Wine Industry Feature Articles—Is Colorado the New Washington? |publisher=Winesandvines.com |access-date=June 5, 2011}}</ref> with most [[viticulture]] in the state practiced between {{convert|4000|and|7000|ft|m|0}} [[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]],<ref name="Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau">{{cite web |url=http://www.ttb.gov/appellation/us_by_ava.pdf |title=Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau : U.S. Department of the Treasury: Tables |website=Ttb.gov |access-date=April 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319073548/http://ttb.gov/appellation/us_by_ava.pdf |archive-date=March 19, 2015 }}</ref> where most of the vineyards in the state are located. However, an increasing number of wineries are located along the [[Front Range]].<ref name="Colorado Wine Industry Development Board">{{cite web|url=http://www.coloradowine.com/overview.html |title=Colorado Wine Industry Development Board |publisher=Coloradowine.com |access-date=June 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428212220/http://www.coloradowine.com/overview.html |archive-date=April 28, 2011 }}</ref> In 2018, [[Wine Enthusiast Magazine]] named Colorado's [[Grand Valley AVA]] in Mesa County, Colorado, as one of the Top Ten wine travel destinations in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.winemag.com/top-10-wine-travel-getaways-2018/grand-valley-colorado-usa/|title=Grand Valley, Colorado|website=Wine Enthusiast|access-date=February 6, 2018|archive-date=February 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207063007/https://www.winemag.com/top-10-wine-travel-getaways-2018/grand-valley-colorado-usa/}}</ref>

Colorado is home to many nationally praised [[microbreweries]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Colorado beer.org|publisher=coloradobeer.org |access-date=January 24, 2013 |url=http://coloradobeer.org/}}</ref> including [[New Belgium Brewing Company]], [[Odell Brewing Company]], and [[Great Divide Brewing Company]]. The area of northern Colorado near and between the cities of Denver, [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]], and [[Fort Collins]] is known as the "Napa Valley of Beer" due to its high density of [[craft breweries]].<ref name="The Denver Beer Triangle">{{cite web|url=http://www.denver.org/what-to-do/colorado-day-trips/denver-beer-triangle |title=The Denver Beer Triangle |publisher=Denver.org |access-date=June 18, 2013}}</ref>

===Marijuana and hemp===

Colorado is open to [[Cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] (marijuana) [[Recreational drug use|tourism]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Land Water People Time (Cultural Guide) |url=http://www.santafenewmexican.com/life/travel/a-new-rocky-mountain-high-colorado-open-for-cannabis-tourism/article_dd6187a4-d20e-5ba3-8c9a-3b4022235184.html |title=A new Rocky Mountain high: Colorado open for cannabis tourism—The Santa Fe New Mexican: Travel |newspaper=The Santa Fe New Mexican |date=February 11, 2014 |access-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref> With the adoption of the [[Colorado Amendment 64|64th state amendment]] in 2012, Colorado became the first state in the union to [[Legality of cannabis by U.S. jurisdiction|legalize marijuana]] for [[Medical cannabis in the United States|medicinal]] (2000), industrial (referring to [[hemp]], 2012), and [[2012 Colorado Amendment 64|recreational]] (2012) use. Colorado's marijuana industry sold $1.31 billion worth of marijuana in 2016 and $1.26&nbsp;billion in the first three-quarters of 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cdor.colorado.gov/data-and-reports/marijuana-data/marijuana-sales-reports|title=Marijuana Sales Reports—Department of Revenue|website=www.colorado.gov}}</ref> The state generated tax, fee, and license revenue of $194 million in 2016 on legal marijuana sales.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/revenue/colorado-marijuana-tax-data|title=Marijuana Tax Data—Department of Revenue|website=www.colorado.gov|date=July 22, 2014 |access-date=April 7, 2016|archive-date=April 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404065511/https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/revenue/colorado-marijuana-tax-data}}</ref> Colorado regulates hemp as any part of the plant with less than 0.3% THC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ag.colorado.gov/plants/hemp |title=Industrial Hemp &#124; Department of Agriculture—Plants |website=Colorado.gov |date=March 30, 2015 |access-date=April 1, 2016}}</ref>

On April 4, 2014, Senate Bill 14–184 addressing oversight of Colorado's industrial hemp program was first introduced, ultimately being signed into law by Governor John Hickenlooper on May 31, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Colorado Senate Bill 14-184|url=http://openstates.org/co/bills/2014A/SB14-184/|access-date=October 13, 2014}}</ref>

====Medicinal use====

On November 7, 2000, 54% of Colorado voters passed Amendment 20, which amends the Colorado State constitution to allow the [[medical use of cannabis|medical use of marijuana]].<ref name="norml-co">{{cite web
 |url=http://norml.com/index.cfm?Group_ID=3391
 |title=Active State Medical Marijuana Programs—NORML
 |publisher=norml.com
 |access-date=June 4, 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503160619/http://norml.com/index.cfm?Group_ID=3391
 |archive-date=May 3, 2008
}}</ref> A patient's medical use of marijuana, within the following limits, is lawful:
* (I) No more than {{convert|2|oz}} of a usable form of marijuana; and
* (II) No more than twelve marijuana plants, with six or fewer being mature, flowering plants that are producing a usable form of marijuana.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalfamilies.org/guide/colorado20-full.html |title=Full Text of Colorado Amendment 20—Medical Use of Marijuana 2000 |website=Nationalfamilies.org |access-date=April 1, 2016 |archive-date=April 12, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412014416/http://www.nationalfamilies.org/guide/colorado20-full.html }}</ref>
Currently, Colorado has listed "eight medical conditions for which patients can use marijuana—cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, muscle spasms, seizures, severe pain, severe nausea and cachexia, or dramatic weight loss and muscle atrophy".<ref name=Young>{{Citation |last=Young |first=Saundra |date=August 7, 2013 |title=Marijuana stops child's severe seizures |publisher=[[CNN]] |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/07/health/charlotte-child-medical-marijuana/ |access-date=January 1, 2014}}</ref> While governor, [[John Hickenlooper]] allocated about half of the state's $13&nbsp;million "Medical Marijuana Program Cash Fund"<ref name=MMPCF>{{Citation |year=2014 |title=Colorado laws about Medical Marijuana |publisher=Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment |url=https://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDPHE-CHEIS/CBON/1251593017076 |access-date=January 1, 2014 |archive-date=January 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104212929/http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDPHE-CHEIS/CBON/1251593017076 |url-status=live }} Several links are found, including .PDF documents to download.</ref> to medical research in the 2014 budget.<ref name=Markus>{{Citation |last=Markus |first=Ben |date=November 26, 2013 |title=Colorado to spend millions researching medical marijuana benefits |work=Colorado Public Radio |publisher=[[Colorado Public Radio]] |url=https://www.cpr.org/news/story/colorado-spend-millions-researching-medical-marijuana-benefits |access-date=January 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108235138/https://www.cpr.org/news/story/colorado-spend-millions-researching-medical-marijuana-benefits |archive-date=January 8, 2014 }}</ref> By 2018, the Medical Marijuana Program Cash Fund was the "largest pool of pot money in the state" and was used to fund programs including research into pediatric applications for controlling autism symptoms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/30/colorado-marijuana-tax-cash-fund-general-assembly/|title=Almost half of Colorado's marijuana money can go wherever lawmakers wish|date=December 30, 2018|work=The Denver Post|location=[[Denver]]|access-date=November 11, 2020}}</ref>

====Recreational use====

On November 6, 2012, voters amended the state constitution to protect "personal use" of marijuana for adults, establishing a framework to regulate marijuana in a manner similar to [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aclu-co.org/aclu-joins-campaign-to-regulate-marijuana-like-alcohol/ |title=ACLU Joins Campaign To Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol—ACLU—Colorado |website=Aclu-co.org |date=September 14, 2011 |access-date=April 1, 2016 |archive-date=March 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326175000/http://aclu-co.org/aclu-joins-campaign-to-regulate-marijuana-like-alcohol/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first recreational marijuana shops in Colorado, and by extension the United States, opened their doors on January 1, 2014.<ref name=Healy>{{cite news|last=Healy|first=Jack|title=Colorado Stores Throw Open Their Doors to Pot Buyers|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/02/us/colorado-stores-throw-open-their-doors-to-pot-buyers.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/02/us/colorado-stores-throw-open-their-doors-to-pot-buyers.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited|work=The New York Times|date=January 2014 |access-date=January 1, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Transportation==

{{Main|Transportation in Colorado}}
[[File:"Welcome to Colorful Colorado" state welcome sign along Interstate 70, entering from Utah (2006).jpg|thumb|left|A Colorado state welcome sign]]

Colorado's primary mode of transportation (in terms of passengers) is its highway system. [[Interstate 25 in Colorado|Interstate&nbsp;25]] (I-25) is the primary north–south highway in the state, connecting Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Fort Collins, and extending north to Wyoming and south to New Mexico. [[Interstate 70 in Colorado|I-70]] is the primary east–west corridor. It connects Grand Junction and the mountain communities with Denver and enters Utah and Kansas. The state is home to a network of US and Colorado highways that provide access to all principal areas of the state. Many smaller communities are connected to this network only via county roads.
[[File:DIA.jpg|thumb|right|The main terminal of Denver International Airport evokes the peaks of the [[Front Range]].]]

[[Denver International Airport]] (DIA) is the third-busiest domestic U.S. and [[World's busiest airports by passenger traffic|international airport in the world by passenger traffic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aci.aero/2022/04/11/the-top-10-busiest-airports-in-the-world-revealed/ |title=The top 10 busiest airports in the world revealed|publisher=[[Airports Council International]]|access-date=April 20, 2022|date=April 11, 2022}}</ref> DIA handles by far the largest volume of commercial air traffic in Colorado and is the busiest U.S. hub airport between Chicago and the Pacific coast, making Denver the most important airport for connecting passenger traffic in the western United States.

Public transportation bus services are offered both intra-city and inter-city—including the Denver metro area's RTD services. The [[Regional Transportation District]] (RTD) operates the popular [[RTD Bus & Rail]] transit system in the [[Denver Metropolitan Area]]. {{as of|2013|January}} the RTD rail system had 170 light-rail vehicles, serving {{convert|47|mi|km}} of track. In addition to local public transit, intercity bus service is provided by [[Burlington Trailways]], [[Bustang]] and [[Greyhound Lines]].

[[File:California Zephyr--Eastbound meets Westbound in Glenwood Canyon.jpg|thumb|The westbound and eastbound ''[[California Zephyr]]s'' meet in the [[Glenwood Canyon]].]]

[[Amtrak]] operates two passenger rail lines in Colorado, the ''[[California Zephyr]]'' and ''[[Southwest Chief]]''. Colorado's contribution to world railroad history was forged principally by the [[Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad]] which began in 1870 and wrote the book on mountain railroading. In 1988 the "Rio Grande" was acquired, but was merged into, the [[Southern Pacific Railroad]] by their joint owner [[Philip Anschutz]]. On September 11, 1996, Anschutz sold the combined company to the [[Union Pacific Railroad]], creating the largest railroad network in the United States. The Anschutz sale was partly in response to the earlier merger of Burlington Northern and Santa Fe which formed the large Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF), Union Pacific's principal competitor in western U.S. railroading. Both Union Pacific and BNSF have extensive freight operations in Colorado.

Colorado's freight railroad network consists of 2,688 miles of Class I trackage. It is integral to the U.S. economy, being a critical artery for the movement of energy, agriculture, mining, and industrial commodities as well as general freight and manufactured products between the East and Midwest and the Pacific coast states.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aar.org/keyissues/Pages/Railroads-And-States.aspx |title=Railroads and States |publisher=Aar.org |access-date=July 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606044205/https://www.aar.org/keyissues/Pages/Railroads-And-States.aspx |archive-date=June 6, 2013 }}</ref>

In August 2014, Colorado began to issue driver licenses to [[Alien (law)|aliens]] [[Illegal immigration to the United States|not lawfully in the United States]] who lived in Colorado.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nicholson |first=Kieran |date=August 1, 2014 |title=Immigrants here illegally begin receiving Colorado driver licenses |url=http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_26257608/immigrants-here-illegally-begin-receiving-colorado-driver-licenses |newspaper=Denver Post |access-date=August 1, 2014}}</ref> In September 2014, [[KCNC]] reported that 524 non-citizens were issued Colorado driver licenses that are normally issued to U.S. citizens living in Colorado.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=524 Non-Citizens Received Regular Colorado Driver's Licenses, DMV Says |url=http://denver.cbslocal.com/2014/09/12/524-non-citizens-received-regular-colorado-drivers-licenses-dmv-says/ |newspaper=KCNC |location=Denver |date=September 12, 2014 |access-date=February 19, 2015}}</ref>

==Education==
{{main|List of colleges and universities in Colorado|List of high schools in Colorado}}
{{See also|Table of Colorado school districts|Table of Colorado charter schools|Auraria Campus}}

The first institution of [[Higher education in the United States|higher education]] in the Colorado Territory was the [[Colorado Seminary]], opened on November 16, 1864, by the [[Methodist Episcopal Church]]. The seminary closed in 1867 but reopened in 1880 as the [[University of Denver]]. In 1870, the Bishop [[George M. Randall (bishop)|George Maxwell Randall]] of the [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]]'s [[Episcopal Diocese of Colorado|Missionary District of Colorado and Parts Adjacent]] opened the first of what become the [[Colorado University Schools]] which would include the [[Colorado School of Mines|Territorial School of Mines]] opened in 1873 and sold to the Colorado Territory in 1874. These schools were initially run by the Episcopal Church.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calvarygolden.net/history|title=A Brief History of Calvary Church|access-date=April 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601235528/http://www.calvarygolden.net/history|archive-date=June 1, 2016|location=[[Golden, Colorado|Golden, CO]]|publisher=Calvary Episcopal Church}}</ref> An 1861 territorial act called for the creation of a public university in Boulder, though it would not be until 1876 that the [[University of Colorado Boulder|University of Colorado]] was founded.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/University-of-Colorado|title=University of Colorado|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica|editor=Chelsey Parrott-Sheffer|access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref> The 1876 act also renamed Territorial School of Mines as the [[Colorado School of Mines]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Colorado-School-of-Mines|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica|title=Colorado School of Mines|access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref> An 1870 territorial act created the [[Colorado State University|Agricultural College of Colorado]] which opened in 1879.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Colorado-State-University-Colorado|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica|title=Colorado State University|access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref> The college was renamed the [[Colorado State University|Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts]] in 1935, and became [[Colorado State University]] in 1957.

The first [[List of Catholic universities and colleges in the United States|Catholic college]] in Colorado was the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] Sacred Heart College, which was founded in New Mexico in 1877, moved to [[Morrison, Colorado|Morrison]] in 1884, and to Denver in 1887. The college was renamed Regis College in 1921 and [[Regis University]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.regis.edu/about/history-mission/our-history|title=Our History|publisher=[[Regis University]]|access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref> On April 1, 1924, armed students patrolled the campus after a [[cross burning|burning cross]] was found, the climax of tensions between Regis College and the locally-powerful Ku Klux Klan.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://issuu.com/regisuniversity/docs/regis_20alumni_20magazine_20fall_20|title=The Hooded Empire: Remembering the Catholic Clash with the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s|magazine=Regis University Alumni Magazine|last=Graham|first=Luke|date=Fall 2017|access-date=March 25, 2021|location=[[Denver]]|pages=14–17}}</ref>

Following a 1950 assessment by the Service Academy Board, it was determined that there was a need to supplement the [[U.S. Military Academy|U.S. Military]] and [[U.S. Naval Academy|Naval Academies]] with a third school that would provide commissioned officers for the newly independent Air Force. On April 1, 1954, President [[Dwight Eisenhower]] signed a law that moved for the creation of a [[U.S. Air Force Academy]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9G8pAAAAIBAJ&pg=6899%2C3318710|newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington|agency=Associated Press|title=Air Force Academy Act signed by Eisenhower|date=April 2, 1954 |page=1|access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref> Later that year, Colorado Springs was selected to host the new institution. From its establishment in 1955, until the construction of appropriate facilities in Colorado Springs was completed and opened in 1958, the Air Force Academy operated out of [[Lowry Air Force Base]] in Denver. With the opening of the Colorado Springs facility, the cadets moved to the new campus, though not in the full-kit march that some urban and campus legends suggest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usafa.org/Heritage/MarchIn|title=March-In Mystery Unraveled|publisher=Association of Graduates, United States Air Force Academy|last=Simon|first=Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steven A.|access-date=March 25, 2021|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308115114/https://www.usafa.org/Heritage/MarchIn|url-status=dead}}</ref> The first class of [[United States Space Force|Space Force]] [[Officer (armed forces)|officers]] from the Air Force Academy commissioned on April 18, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article/2155498/space-force-welcomes-first-academy-graduates-to-its-ranks/|title=Space Force welcomes first academy graduates to its ranks|date=April 18, 2020|access-date=April 6, 2021|publisher=[[U.S. Space Force]]|work=U.S. Space Force Public Affairs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223224135/http://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article/2155498/space-force-welcomes-first-academy-graduates-to-its-ranks/|archive-date=December 23, 2020}}</ref>

==Indigenous people==
[[File:Southern Ute Tribal Administration Building.JPG|thumb|The Southern Ute Tribal Administration Building]]
:''See [[Template:Indigenous People of CO|Indigenous People of Colorado]]''
The two [[Indian reservation|Native American reservations]] remaining in Colorado are the [[Southern Ute Indian Reservation]] (1873; [[Ute dialect]]: ''Kapuuta-wa Moghwachi Núuchi-u'') and [[Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation]] (1940; [[Ute dialect]]: ''Wʉgama Núuchi'').

The two abolished Indian reservations in Colorado were the [[Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes|Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation]] (1851–1870) and [[Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation|Ute Indian Reservation]] (1855–1873).
{{clear}}

==Military installations==
[[File:Carsongate.JPG|thumb|[[Fort Carson]]]]
[[File:PetersonAFB.jpg|thumb|[[Peterson Space Force Base]]]]
[[File:USAFA Chapel from terrazzo.JPG|thumb|[[United States Air Force Academy]]]]
The major [[military installation]]s in Colorado include:
* [[Buckley Space Force Base]] (1938–)
** [[Air Reserve Personnel Center]] (1953–)
* [[Fort Carson]] ([[United States Army|U.S. Army]] 1942–) 
** [[Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site]] (1983–)
* [[Peterson Space Force Base]] (1942–)
** [[Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station]] (1961–)
* [[Schriever Space Force Base]] (1983–)
* [[United States Air Force Academy]] (1954–)
Former military posts in Colorado include:
* [[Spanish Fort (Colorado)|Spanish Fort]] ([[Spanish Army]] 1819–1821)
* [[Fort Massachusetts (Colorado)|Fort Massachusetts]] (U.S. Army 1852–1858)
* [[Fort Garland]] (U.S. Army 1858–1883)
* [[Camp Collins]] (U.S. Army 1862–1870)
* [[Fort Lewis (Colorado)|Fort Lewis]] (U.S. Army 1878–1891)
* [[Fort Logan]] (U.S. Army 1887–1946)
* [[Colorado National Guard Armory]] (1913–1933)
* [[Fitzsimons Army Hospital]] (U.S. Army 1918–1999)
* Denver Medical Depot (U.S. Army 1925–1949)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.historycolorado.org/location/denver-medical-depot-inner-city-business-park |title=Denver Medical Depot (Inner-city Business Park) |website=historycolorado.org |access-date=September 20, 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804213110/https://www.historycolorado.org/location/denver-medical-depot-inner-city-business-park |archive-date=August 4, 2021 }}</ref>
* [[Lowry Air Force Base]] (1938–1994)
* [[Pueblo Army Air Base]] (1941–1948)
* [[Rocky Mountain Arsenal]] (U.S. Army 1942–1992)
* [[Pueblo Chemical Depot]] (U.S. Army 1942–2024)
* [[Camp Hale]] (U.S. Army 1942–1945)
* [[La Junta Army Air Field]] (1942–1946)
* [[Leadville Army Air Field]] (1943–1944)
{{clear}}

==Protected areas==
[[File:Fall05-LongsPeakCU JPG RSZ md.jpg|thumb|[[Longs Peak]] in [[Rocky Mountain National Park]].]]
{{Main|List of protected areas of Colorado}}
Colorado is home to:
{{Columns-list | colwidth=15em |
* [[List of national parks in Colorado|4 national parks]]
* [[List of national monuments in Colorado|9 national monuments]]
* [[List of national historic sites in Colorado|3 national historic sites]]
* [[List of national recreation areas in Colorado|2 national recreation areas]]
* [[List of national historic trails in Colorado|4 national historic trails]]
* [[List of national scenic trails in Colorado|1 national scenic trail]]
* [[List of national forests in Colorado|11 national forests]]
* [[List of national grasslands in Colorado|2 national grasslands]]
* [[List of national wildernesses in Colorado|44 national wildernesses]]
* [[List of national conservation areas in Colorado|3 national conservation areas]] 
* [[List of national wildlife refuges in Colorado|8 national wildlife refuges]] 
* [[List of national heritage areas in Colorado|3 national heritage areas]]
* [[List of national historic landmarks in Colorado|26 national historic landmarks]]
* [[List of national natural landmarks in Colorado|16 national natural landmarks]]
* [[List of wild and scenic rivers in Colorado|1 wild and scenic river]]
* [[List of Colorado state parks|42 state parks]]
* [[List of Colorado state wildlife areas|307 state wildlife areas]]
* [[List of Colorado natural areas|93 state natural areas]]
* [[List of national recreation trails in Colorado|28 national recreation trails]]
* More than 1,500 [[List of National Register of Historic Places in Colorado|National Register of Historic Places]]
* [[List of regional trails in Colorado|6 regional trails]], and numerous other scenic, historic, and recreational areas.
}}
{{clear}}

==Sports==
[[File:Coors field 1.JPG|thumb|The [[Colorado Rockies]] baseball club at [[Coors Field]]|172x172px]]
[[File:Denver invesco stadium 1.jpg|thumb|[[Empower Field at Mile High]] in Denver, home field of the [[Denver Broncos]] and the [[Denver Outlaws]]|172x172px]]
[[File:Pepsi Center.jpg|thumb|[[Ball Arena]], home of the [[Denver Nuggets]], the [[Colorado Avalanche]], and the [[Colorado Mammoth]]|172x172px]]
[[File:Dick's Park.jpg|thumb|[[Dick's Sporting Goods Park]], home of the [[Colorado Rapids]]|172x172px]]
[[File:Weidner Field from Sierra Madre.jpg|thumb|[[Weidner Field]] in Colorado Springs, home of the [[Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC]]|172x172px]]
{{Main|Sports in Colorado}}
Colorado has five [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|major professional sports league]]s, all based in the Denver metropolitan area. Colorado is the least populous state with a franchise in each of the major professional sports leagues.

The [[Pikes Peak International Hill Climb]] is a major hill climbing motor race held on the Pikes Peak Highway.

The [[Cherry Hills Country Club]] has hosted several professional golf tournaments, including the [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]], [[U.S. Senior Open]], [[U.S. Women's Open]], [[PGA Championship]] and [[BMW Championship (PGA Tour)|BMW Championship]].

=== Professional sports teams ===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Team
!Home
!First game
!Sport
!League
|-
|[[Colorado Avalanche]]
|[[Denver]]
|align=right|{{dts|October 6, 1995}}
|[[Ice hockey]]
|[[National Hockey League]]
|-
|[[Colorado Eagles]]
|[[Loveland, Colorado|Loveland]]
|align=right|{{dts|October 17, 2003}}
|Ice hockey
|[[American Hockey League]]
|-
|[[Colorado Mammoth]]
|[[Denver]]
|align=right|{{dts|January 3, 2003}}
|[[Lacrosse]]
|[[National Lacrosse League]]
|-
|[[Colorado Rapids]]
|[[Commerce City, Colorado|Commerce City]]
|align=right|{{dts|April 13, 1996}}
|[[Association football|Soccer]]
|[[Major League Soccer]]
|-
|[[Colorado Rapids 2]]
|[[Denver]]
|align=right|{{dts|March 27, 2022}}
|Soccer
|[[MLS Next Pro]]
|-
|[[Colorado Rockies]]
|[[Denver]]
|align=right|{{dts|April 5, 1993}}
|[[Baseball]]
|[[Major League Baseball]]
|-
|[[Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC]]
|[[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]]
|align=right|{{dts|March 28, 2015}}
|Soccer
|[[USL Championship]]
|-
|[[Denver Barbarians]]
|[[Denver]]
|align=right|{{dts|May 1967|format=hide}}Spring 1967
|[[Rugby union]]
|[[Rugby union in the United States#Regional Premierships (2013–2016)|Pacific Rugby Premiership]]
|-
|[[Denver Broncos]]
|[[Denver]]
|align=right|{{dts|September 9, 1960}}
|[[American football]]
|[[National Football League]]
|-
|[[Denver Nuggets]]
|[[Denver]]
|align=right|{{dts|September 27, 1967}}
|[[Basketball]]
|[[National Basketball Association]]
|-
|[[Glendale Raptors]]
|[[Glendale, Colorado|Glendale]]
|align=right|{{dts|August 2006|format=hide}}Fall 2006
|Rugby union
|[[Major League Rugby]]
|-
|[[Grand Junction Rockies]]
|[[Grand Junction, Colorado|Grand Junction]]
|align=right|{{dts|June 18, 2012}}
|Baseball
|[[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]]
|-
|[[Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC]]
|[[Windsor, Colorado|Windsor]]
|align=right|{{dts|April 6, 2022}}
|Soccer
|[[USL League One]]
|-
|[[Northern Colorado Owlz]]
|[[Windsor, Colorado|Windsor]]
|align=right|{{dts|May 25, 2022}}
|Baseball
|[[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]]
|-
|[[Rocky Mountain Vibes]]
|[[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]]
|align=right|{{dts|June 2019}}
|Baseball
|[[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]]
|}

=== College athletics ===
{{Main|List of college athletic programs in Colorado}}
The following universities and colleges participate in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] [[NCAA Division I|Division&nbsp;I]].

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|+NCAA Division I athletic programs in Colorado<br />
! Team !! School !! City !! Conference
|-
| [[Air Force Falcons]] || [[United States Air Force Academy]] || [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]] || [[Mountain West Conference|Mountain West]]{{efn|Several Air Force teams participate in other conferences, or as independents, in sports that the MW does not sponsor:
* Boxing, a men-only sport that is not sanctioned by the NCAA, competes as an independent.
* Fencing, a coeducational sport with men's and women's squads, also competes as an independent.
* Men's and women's gymnastics both compete in the [[Mountain Pacific Sports Federation]].
* Men's ice hockey competes in [[Atlantic Hockey]].
* Men's lacrosse competes in the [[ASUN Conference]].
* Rifle, which at Air Force is a coeducational sport, competes in the [[Patriot Rifle Conference]].
* Men's soccer and women's swimming & diving compete in the [[Western Athletic Conference]].
* Men's wrestling competes in the [[Big 12 Conference]].}}
|-
| [[Colorado Buffaloes]] || [[University of Colorado Boulder]] || [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] || [[Big 12 Conference|Big 12]]{{efn|Several Colorado teams participate in other conferences in sports that the Big 12 does not sponsor:
* Men's and women's indoor track & field compete in the [[Mountain Pacific Sports Federation]].
* Skiing, a coeducational sport with men's and women's squads, competes in the [[Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association]].}}
|-
| [[Colorado State Rams]] || [[Colorado State University]] || [[Fort Collins, Colorado|Fort Collins]] || [[Mountain West Conference|Mountain West]]
|-
| [[Denver Pioneers]] || [[University of Denver]] || [[Denver]] || [[National Collegiate Hockey Conference|NCHC]] / [[Summit League|Summit]]{{efn|Several Denver teams participate in other conferences in sports that The Summit League does not sponsor:
* Women's gymnastics competes in the [[Big 12 Conference]].
* Men's ice hockey competes in the [[National Collegiate Hockey Conference]].
* Men's and women's lacrosse compete in the [[Big East Conference]].
* Skiing, a coeducational sport with men's and women's squads, competes in the [[Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association]].}}
|-
| [[Northern Colorado Bears]] || [[University of Northern Colorado]] || [[Greeley, Colorado|Greeley]] || [[Big Sky Conference|Big Sky]]{{efn|Several Northern Colorado teams participate in other conferences in sports that the Big Sky does not sponsor:
* Baseball competes in the [[Summit League]].
* Women's swimming & diving competes in the [[Western Athletic Conference]].
* Men's wrestling competes in the [[Big 12 Conference]].<!--The NCAA now recognizes women's wrestling as part of its Emerging Sports for Women program but does not yet sponsor a championship event.-->}}
{{clear}}
|-
|[[Colorado College Tigers]]
|[[Colorado College]]
|[[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]]
|[[National Collegiate Hockey Conference|NCHC]] / [[Mountain West Conference|Mountain West]]{{Efn|Colorado College, otherwise an [[NCAA Division III]] member, has two Division I teams. Men's ice hockey competes in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and women's soccer competes in the Mountain West.|group=g}} 
|}

==See also==
{{portal|Environment|Geography|Government|History|United States|Colorado}}
*[[Bibliography of Colorado]]
*[[Geography of Colorado]]
*[[History of Colorado]]
*[[Index of Colorado-related articles]]
*[[List of Colorado-related lists]]
* [[List of Colorado Counties by Human Development Index]]
*[[Outline of Colorado]]
{{clear}}

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

{{Refbegin}}
* ''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}}.
* {{cite book|last=Gunther|first=John|author-link=John Gunther|chapter=–But Scenery Is Not Enough|title=Inside U.S.A.|pages=[https://archive.org/details/insideusa00gunt/page/213 213–226]|location=New York City, London|publisher=[[Harper & Brothers]]|year=1947|title-link=Inside U.S.A. (book)}}
* ''[[The Tie That Binds (novel)|The Tie That Binds]]'', [[Kent Haruf]], 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}}
* {{cite web |title=Marijuana has huge influence on Colorado tourism, state survey says |url=http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_29225304/marijuana-has-huge-influence-colorado-tourism-state-survey |work=Denver Post |last=Blevins |first=Jason |date=December 9, 2015 |access-date=September 20, 2021 }}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|auto=yes}}
{{EB1911 poster|Colorado}}

===State government===
*[https://www.colorado.gov/ State of Colorado]
**[https://www.colorado.com/other-tourism-organizations/colorado-tourism-office Colorado Tourism Office]
**[https://www.historycolorado.org/ History Colorado]
***[https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/ Colorado Encyclopedia] (partly sponsored by History Colorado)

===Federal government===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080516020504/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=CO Energy & Environmental Data for Colorado]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070218175148/http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=CO USGS Colorado state facts, real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Colorado]
* [https://www.census.gov/ United States Census Bureau]
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20150512074548/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08000.html Colorado QuickFacts]
** [http://www2.census.gov/census_2000/datasets/demographic_profile/Colorado/2kh08.pdf 2000 Census of Population and Housing for Colorado]
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=08&StateName=Colorado USDA ERS Colorado state facts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160824212734/http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=08&StateName=Colorado |date=August 24, 2016 }}
* [https://guides.loc.gov/colorado-state-guide Colorado State Guide, from the Library of Congress]

===Other===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120212023536/http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Colorado List of searchable databases produced by Colorado state agencies] hosted by the American Library Association Government Documents Roundtable
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070205102713/http://www.stanwyck.com/cogenweb/cocounties.html Colorado County Evolution]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100725045834/http://www.askcolorado.org/ Ask Colorado]
* [https://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/ Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection (CHNC)]
* [http://swcoloradowildflowers.com/ Mountain and Desert Plants of Colorado and the Southwest],
* [http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/COLORADO.htm Climate of Colorado] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407210955/http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/COLORADO.htm |date=April 7, 2016 }}
* {{OSM relation|161961}}
* [http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=328010&vtab=Background Holocene Volcano in Colorado (Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program)]

{{Colorado|expanded}}
{{United States political divisions}}

{{authority control}}
{{coord|38.9972|-105.5478|dim:300000_region:US-CO_type:adm1st|name=State of Colorado|display=title}}

[[Category:Colorado| ]]
[[Category:Contiguous United States]]
[[Category:Former Spanish colonies]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1861|Colorado, Territory of]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1876|Colorado, State of]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]
[[Category:Western United States]]
[[Category:1861 establishments in Colorado Territory]]
[[Category:1876 establishments in Colorado| ]]