Colorado, which joined the union as the 38th state in 1876, is America’s eighth largest state in terms of land mass. Located in the Rocky Mountain region of the western United States, the state’s abundant and varied natural resources attracted the ancient Pueblo peoples and later the Plains Indians.
First explored by Europeans in the late 1500s (the Spaniards called the region “Colorado” because of the red-colored soil), the area was ceded to the United States in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that ended the Mexican American War (1846-48).
In 1858, the discovery of gold in Colorado attracted new settlers. During the Plains Indian Wars (1860-80s), Colorado’s wild frontier was the scene of intense fighting between Native Americans and white settlers.
In the 21st century, Colorado continues to rely on natural resources as well as agriculture and tourism to sustain its economy.
Geography
Colorado is a state located in the western United States. It is home to majestic mountain peaks, picturesque valleys, and a wide range of climates and landscapes. Colorado covers an area of 104,094 square miles and is the eighth largest state in the U.S. by area. The state is bordered to the north by Wyoming, to the east by Nebraska and Kansas, to the south by Oklahoma and New Mexico, and to the west by Utah.
The Rocky Mountains dominate Colorado’s landscape; they run from north to south through most of the state with many peaks towering over 14,000 feet in elevation. These mountains are divided into several distinct ranges including the Front Range, Sawatch Range, San Juan Mountains, Sangre de Cristo Mountains and Mosquito Range among others. Along with these mountains come several other distinct geographic features including canyons, mesas and plateaus.
The eastern side of Colorado consists mostly of rolling plains that stretch from Nebraska all the way down into New Mexico. This region is known as Colorado’s High Plains or Eastern Plains region and is home to some of Colorado’s major cities such as Denver, Boulder, Pueblo and Colorado Springs. The terrain here generally consists of flat grasslands with occasional hills or buttes scattered throughout.
The western side of Colorado contains more mountainous terrain than its eastern counterpart with several mountain ranges including the Uncompahgre Plateau and San Juan Mountains running through it as well as numerous canyons such as Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park located near Montrose. Topping out at 14,433 feet above sea level Mount Elbert is located here making it the highest peak in all of Colorado as well as one of its most popular tourist attractions for hikers looking for a challenge or for those simply wanting to take in its spectacular views from above sea level.
In addition to all these different landforms, there are also several bodies of water throughout Colorado ranging from large reservoirs like Lake Granby located near Rocky Mountain National Park down to small creeks like Clear Creek which flows out from Idaho Springs into Golden near Denver’s downtown area.
No matter where one may go throughout this diverse state they are certain to find something interesting waiting around every corner making it a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts looking for adventure or those simply wanting some peace away from everyday life no matter what time of year it may be.
Cities in Colorado
Below are the top 15 cities by population in Colorado. For all cities and towns in the state, please see Colorado cities list.
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver | 706,799 |
| 2 | Colorado Springs | 475,282 |
| 3 | Aurora | 383,496 |
| 4 | Fort Collins | 166,788 |
| 5 | Lakewood | 155,608 |
| 6 | Thornton | 140,538 |
| 7 | Arvada | 122,903 |
| 8 | Westminster | 115,535 |
| 9 | Pueblo | 111,424 |
| 10 | Centennial | 107,972 |
| 11 | Greeley | 107,014 |
| 12 | Boulder | 104,930 |
| 13 | Highlands Ranch | 103,238 |
| 14 | Longmont | 98,789 |
| 15 | Loveland | 75,938 |
Counties in Colorado
The State of Colorado consists of 64 counties. They are:
- Adams County, Colorado
- Alamosa County, Colorado
- Arapahoe County, Colorado
- Archuleta County, Colorado
- Baca County, Colorado
- Bent County, Colorado
- Boulder County, Colorado
- The City and County of Broomfield, Colorado
- Chaffee County, Colorado
- Cheyenne County, Colorado
- Clear Creek County, Colorado
- Conejos County, Colorado
- Costilla County, Colorado
- Crowley County, Colorado
- Custer County, Colorado
- Delta County, Colorado
- The City and County of Denver, Colorado
- Dolores County, Colorado
- Douglas County, Colorado
- Eagle County, Colorado
- Elbert County, Colorado
- El Paso County, Colorado
- Fremont County, Colorado
- Garfield County, Colorado
- Gilpin County, Colorado
- Grand County, Colorado
- Gunnison County, Colorado
- Hinsdale County, Colorado
- Huerfano County, Colorado
- Jackson County, Colorado
- Jefferson County, Colorado
- Kiowa County, Colorado
- Kit Carson County, Colorado
- Lake County, Colorado
- La Plata County, Colorado
- Larimer County, Colorado
- Las Animas County, Colorado
- Lincoln County, Colorado
- Logan County, Colorado
- Mesa County, Colorado
- Mineral County, Colorado
- Moffat County, Colorado
- Montezuma County, Colorado
- Montrose County, Colorado
- Morgan County, Colorado
- Otero County, Colorado
- Ouray County, Colorado
- Park County, Colorado
- Phillips County, Colorado
- Pitkin County, Colorado
- Prowers County, Colorado
- Pueblo County, Colorado
- Rio Blanco County, Colorado
- Rio Grande County, Colorado
- Routt County, Colorado
- Saguache County, Colorado
- San Juan County, Colorado
- San Miguel County, Colorado
- Sedgwick County, Colorado
- Summit County, Colorado
- Teller County, Colorado
- Washington County, Colorado
- Weld County, Colorado
- Yuma County, Colorado
