|
Colorado
|
|
|
| State of Colorado |
|
|
| Nickname(s):
|
| Motto(s):
|
| Anthem: Where the Columbines Grow and Rocky Mountain High[1] |
Map of the United States with Colorado highlighted
|
| Country |
United States |
| Admitted to the Union |
August 1, 1876[2](38th) |
Capital
(and largest city) |
Denver |
| Largest metro |
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO MSA |
| Government
|
| • Governor |
Jared Polis (D) |
| • Lieutenant Governor |
Dianne Primavera (D) |
| Legislature |
General Assembly |
| • Upper house |
Senate |
| • Lower house |
House of Representatives |
| U.S. senators |
Michael Bennet (D)
Cory Gardner (R) |
| U.S. House delegation |
4 Democrats
3 Republicans (list) |
| Area
|
| • Total |
104,094 sq mi (269,837 km2) |
| • Land |
103,718 sq mi (268,875 km2) |
| • Water |
376 sq mi (962 km2) 0.36% |
| Area rank |
8th |
| Dimensions
|
| • Length |
380 mi (610 km) |
| • Width |
280 mi (450 km) |
| Elevation
|
6,800 ft (2,070 m) |
| Highest elevation
|
14,440 ft (4,401.2 m) |
| Lowest elevation
|
3,317 ft (1,011 m) |
| Population
(2019)
|
| • Total |
5,758,736 |
| • Rank |
21st |
| • Density |
52.0/sq mi (19.9/km2) |
| • Density rank |
37th |
| • Median household income
|
$69,117[7] |
| • Income rank
|
12th |
| Demonym(s) |
Coloradan |
| Language
|
| • Official language |
English |
| Time zone |
UTC−07:00(Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) |
UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| USPS abbreviation |
CO
|
| ISO 3166 code |
US-CO |
| Latitude |
37°N to 41°N |
| Longitude |
102°02′48″W to 109°02′48″W |
| Website |
www.colorado.gov |
Colorado (, other variants)[8][9][10] is a state of the Western United States encompassing most of the southern Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. It is the 8th most extensive and 21st most populous U.S. state. The estimated population of Colorado is 5,758,736 as of 2019, an increase of 14.5% since the 2010 United States Census.[11]
The region has been inhabited by Native Americans for more than 13,000 years, with the Lindenmeier Site containing artifacts dating from approximately 11200 BC to 3000 BC; the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains was a major migration route for early peoples who spread throughout the Americas. The state was named for the Colorado River, which early Spanish explorers named the Río Colorado ("Red River") for the ruddy silt the river carried from the mountains. The Territory of Colorado was organized on February 28, 1861,[12] and on August 1, 1876, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed Proclamation 230 admitting Colorado to the Union as the 38th state.[2] Colorado is nicknamed the "Centennial State" because it became a state one century after the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Colorado is bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas to the east, Oklahoma to the southeast, New Mexico to the south, Utah to the west, and touches Arizona to the southwest at the Four Corners. Colorado is noted for its vivid landscape of mountains, forests, high plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers and desert lands. Colorado is part of the westernand southwestern United States and is one of the Mountain States.
Denver is the capital and most populous city of Colorado. Residents of the state are known as Coloradans, although the antiquated term "Coloradoan" is occasionally used.[13][14]