Colorado is a state that located in the western part of United States. It was named for the Colorado River and the 8th largest state by area. The neighboring states of Colorado are 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 Arizona to the southwest (Four Corners). In this article, let’s talk about interesting Colorado facts.
1. Colorado is the Centennial State
The nickname of Colorado is the Centennial State. It’s called Centennial State because It was admitted as the 38th state of United States one century after the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. Colorado was admitted as a U.S state on August 1, 1876 while Declaration of Independence was published on July 4, 1776.
2. The Capital and Most Populous City of Colorado is Denver
Denver is the capital city of Colorado. Denver became the capital city of Colorado after chosen by 66 percent of voters in a popular vote in 1881 to choose the permanent capital of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is also the largest city of Colorado by population. The Greater Denver Metropolitan Area is also the largest metropolitan area of Colorado and the home of more than half the population of Colorado.
3. 37% Total Area of Colorado are Federal Land
The Federal government owns 24,615,788 acres (99,617 km2) of Federal land in Colorado. It makes up 37% of the total area of Colorado. There are 4 national parks located in Colorado while Colorado also has abundant National Forest Land. The National Parks that are located in Colorado are Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Mesa Verde National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.
4. Rocky Mountain Columbine is the State Flower of Colorado
The state flower of Colorado is Rocky Mountain columbine. Rocky Mountain columbine (Aquilegia coerulea) is also often called Colorado blue columbine. It’s a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Rocky Mountain columbine is a native species to the Rocky Mountains from Montana south to New Mexico and west to Idaho and Arizona.
5. Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep is the State Mammal of Colorado
The state mammal of Colorado is Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). It was designated as the state mammal in 1961. The bighorn sheep is a sheep species native to North America. Bighorn sheep are easily noticed by their large curved horns borne by the rams (male). The female (ewes) also has horn but less curvature and shorter.
6. Colorado Blue Spruce is the State Tree of Colorado
The state tree of Colorado is Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens). Colorado blue spruce is a species of spruce tree native to North America and it is a coniferous tree. It originally can be found from northern New Mexico through Colorado and Utah to Wyoming and into Alberta and British Columbia. It’s named “blue spruce” because of its blue-green colored needles.
7. Mount Elbert is the Highest Elevation of Colorado
The highest point of Colorado is Mount Elbert. Mount Elbert with 4,401 metres (14,440 ft) elevation is also the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains. Mount Elbert is located in Lake County and it’s part of the Sawatch Range in Central Colorado. The 30 highest major summits of Rocky Mountains of North America are also located in Colorado.
8. Colorado is the Only U.S. State that Lies Entirely Above 1,000 Meters Elevation
The lowest point of Colorado is 3,317 feet (1,011 m) elevation in Arikaree River that flows out of Yuma County, Colorado into Cheyenne County, Kansas. It makes Colorado the only U.S state that lies entirely above 1000 meters elevation. We also need to mention that the lowest point of Colorado is still higher than the high point of 18 states and Washington, D.C.
9. Denver is the Largest City within 500 Miles (800 Km)
Denver is located in strategic point for distribution of goods and services to the Mountain States, Southwest states, as well as all western states. Denver is the largest city within 500 miles (800km). It’s nearly equidistant from large cities of the Midwest, such as Chicago and St. Louis and some large cities of the West Coast, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. Denver is also an important financial center.
10. Denver Metro Area is the Smallest Metropolitan Area to Have a Team in All Four Major Sports
There are 13 U.S. cities with teams from four major sports and Denver is the smallest city. Denver has already hosted 4 leagues since 1995. We can find Denver Broncos in NFL (National Football League), Denver Nuggets in NBA (National Basketball Association), Colorado Rockies in MLB (Major League Baseball) and Colorado Avalanche in NHL (National Hockey League).
For sure, there are more facts about Colorado that we don’t mention in this article. It’s a great idea if you share other Colorado facts that you know with us here.