80 Colorado Facts and Weird Laws

Today, you’ll learn exciting facts about the Coloradans and their state.

Colorado is one of the western United States boasting a diverse landscape of river canyons, snow-capped mountains, and arid deserts.

Elsewhere the rich history of Native Americans plus the cultural heritage makes Colorado an interesting state to visit today.

This collection of fun facts covers everything that even locals may not know.

Colorado Facts – Politics And Government

1. The over 13% Joe Biden’s victory margin in the 2020 presidential election is the strongest performance by a Democrat in Colorado since 1964.
2. The slightly over 13% victory margin was double-digit. The other election to have achieved this feat was the 1984 presidential election.
3. In the 2020 presidential election, Colorado was 9.1% more Democratic than the entire United States.
4. The 2020 elections saw Colorado shift from a battleground to a Democratic Party stronghold.
5.  Colorado carries nine electoral votes in the US electoral college.
6. Joe Biden’s win in Colorado marked the first time Colorado voted four times for the Democratic presidential candidates, having voted Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.
7. US President Joe Biden is the first Democrat to win over 40% votes in El Paso county since 1964.
8. Since 1912, only Woodrow Wilson and Joe Biden have won the White House without winning Las Animas County.
9. The Colorado legislature has 100 legislators—65 members of the House of Representatives and 35 members of the Senate.

10. The governor, lieutenant governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and treasurer constitute the executive branch of the Colorado state government. All of the current holders of these executive branch offices are Democrats. Jared Polis is the current governor of Colorado.
11. The Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court is the chief administrator of the judicial system in the State.

Colorado Facts – History

12. The Lindenmeier archeological site in Larimer county houses artifacts dating back to 8710 BC.
13. Colorado was admitted into the Union in 1876, and it maintained its terrestrial boundaries.
14. Colorado means “colored red”.
15. The failed settlement of San Carlos near Pueblo was a Spanish attempt at creating a territory north of the Arkansas River.
16. In Arkada, Colorado, Ralston Creek is the site where Lewis Ralston discovered Colorado’s first gold.
17. The discovery of gold in the Rocky Mountain area led to the popularly known ” pike peak’s gold rush.” About 100,000 people visited the region to seek gold.
18. Burlington, Colorado is home to one of the few remaining wooden carousels, the kit Carson county carousel.
19. Four tribes of the Native Americans in Colorado include Kiowa, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Comanche. 
20. The US Army fought against the Cheyenne and Arapaho in the Battle of Washita River.
21. Colorado is the 38th State to join the United States. The admission took  place 100 days after the United States’s decleration of independence , thus the nickname “Centennial State.”
22. Colorado is the first state in the United States to consent to universal suffrage.
23. Colorado got the name “world sanitarium” in the 1880s because about a third of its population consisted of people infected with Tuberculosis during this time. 
24. Elijah E. Myers designed the Colorado state capitol building .

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Colorado Facts – Geography

25. Colorado’s size is 269 837 square kilometers. It’s the eighth largest state by area.
26. Colorado is neighbors with Nebraska, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
27. The capital city of Colorado, Denver, is popular as the Mile High City because of its elevation above sea level.

28. Four Corners Monument in the southwestern region of Colorado is the only place where four states meet in the entire United States. The four states are Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.
29. Mount Elbert in Lake County is Colorado’s highest point at 14 440 feet.
30. Colorado has over 400 mountain peaks with an elevation above 4000 meters.
31. Colorado is the only state in the entire country with an elevation of more than 1 000 meters. 
32.  The Arkansas River, which is a tributary of the Mississippi River, begins in Colorado.
33. The Western part of Colorado has the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains with peaks such as Pikes Peak, Mount Evans, and Longs Peak.
34. The western half of the Continental Divide, water drains into the Pacific Ocean through the Colorado River.
35. The region which falls to the west of the Continental Divide is called the western slope.
36. Desert Canyons, Mountains, desert lands, and Mesas make up Western Colorado.
37. The Great Sand Dunes, South Colorado, is the tallest sand dune in North America.

Colorado Facts – Demographics.

38. As of 2021, Colorado’s population was 5,893,634.
39. Denver  city is the most  populous city in Colorado with approximately 74,903 people.
40. The Greeley metro area is Colorado’s fastest growing city. 
41. Colorado has a population density of 19 people per square kilometer.
42. On the religious front, Colorado has about 64% Christians and 5% non-Christians. People who don’t subscribe to any faith are about 29%.
43. Colorado’s population based on gender shows that about 49% of the State’s population is made of females.  
44. Immigrants make up approximately 11% of the Colorado workforce.
45. According to the estimates, the Latino population in the under 18 age bracket outnumbers the Non-Hispanic whites, Asian Americans, and African Americans in the same age bracket.
46. Pueblo, Greely, Denver, and Colorado Springs have the largest Hispanics.

Colorado Facts – Economy

47. The Colorado economy is as diverse as the State’s geography and people.
48. Tourism is one of the main backbones of the State’s economy. Mining and mineral processing was the earliest industry in Colorado.
49. Denver, the mile high city, has the largest city park system in the state.
50. The United States federal government owns more than a third of Colorado land.
51. Agricultural products include marijuana, hay, cattle, corn, wheat, and dairy products.
52. The Colorado economy has since diversified with the growth of high-end industries.
53. Mount Evans scenic byway is the highest paved road in Colorado.
54. Other notable industries in Colorado include chemical products, transportation equipment, food processing, and machinery.
55.  Colfax avenue in downtown Denver is the only place with the longest continuous street in the country.

Colorado Facts – Animals And Plants Life.

56. Colorado is an amazing state with beautiful native flowers, grasses, shrubs, trees. 
57. The real beauty is out in the national parks and national forests. 
58. Colorado is home to some animals you may not have seen or heard. Colorado boasts American Bison, which almost became extinct due to overhunting. 
59. Colorado’s effort to preserve this large animal is seen in the many reserves in the State. The reserves include Laramie Foothills Bison Conservation Herd, Buffalo Herd Nature Preserve, Terry Bison Ranch, Daniel’s Park, Zapata Ranch, and Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
60. The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep is the only one of the four species of sheep native to North American animals living in Colorado. Mountain goats also live in this state though they are not native to Colorado.

61. Did you know that you can tell the rams from ewes of the Bighorn sheep species by looking at their horns? The males have big curled horns, while ewes have thin horns that only curl slightly.
62. Mountain lions, popularly known as puma, cougar, or panthers,  are some of the biggest cats in North America. 
63. The mountain lions inhabit most of Colorado except for Eastern Colorado. 
64. The lions prefer dense ponderosa pines, low-lying oaks, pinyon pines, and junipers. 
65. Black Bear lives in Gambel’s Oak and Walsenburg in Trinidad. 
66. Colorado has about 280 000 Elks. The Rocky Mountain Elk is a common sight at the Beavers Meadows and Moraine Park in Rocky Mountain National Park.
67. Colorado is home to more than 400 native and migratory birds.
68. Belted Kingfisher, Golden Eagle, Lark Bunting, and Gray Jay are other native Colorado birds.
69. The North American Beaver, though rarely seen, lives in Colorado waterways.
70. Northwest Colorado houses the Sand Wash Basin, home to more than 750 horses. You can also see the wild horses at the Little BookCliff Wild Horse Area.

Colorado Facts – Sports, Recreational Activities and Culture

71. Colorado sports include ice hockey, football, rugby, baseball, soccer, and basketball. Colorado Rockies is a Denver-based baseball team 
72.  The Deer Trail town hosted the first rodeo.
73. Cherry Hill Country Club is home to golf tournaments. It has played host to the US Women Open, PGA Tour, and US Open.
74. You can go hiking in the Rocky Mountain National Park.
75. A trip to Colorado isn’t fishing in the alpine lakes. But you’ll need a fishing permit before you go fishing. 
76. Other recreational sports in Colorado include horse riding, white water rafting, Mountain biking, and rock climbing.
77. “Mike The Headless Chicken” is a feast the people of Fruita celebrate in honor of a headless chicken that lived for 18 months.
78. The annual  Western Stock Show held in Denver is the largest Rodeo show globally.
79. Pueblo City is home to four living recipients of the medal of honor.
80. To give President Teddy Roosevelt a gift, the people of Colorado invented the Teddy Bear.  

Famous Locations

1. The Rocky Mountains National Park –is popular in Colorado.
2. Mesa Verde National Park, lying close to the towns of Mancos and Cortez,  houses the famous Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings.
3. The Pikes National Forest is the getaway to Pikes Peak, a top tourist destination.
4. The Garden of Gods near Colorado Springs is a spectacular landmark.
5. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
6. Great Sand Dunes National Park and preserve.
7. Dinosaur National Monument lies in Northwest Colorado.
8. Royal Gorge Bridge.
9. Idaho Springs.
10. Cherry Creek.

Famous People

• Tim Allen –actor.
• Christian McCaffrey –American Football Player.
• Donald Cerrone –Thai boxer, kickboxer, and a mixed martial artist.
• Rose Lynch –singer.
• Jack Dempsey–professional boxer.

Common Misconceptions About Colorado

You probably might have heard of falsehoods about life in Colorado, including:

Colorado sits on the mountains

While some regions of Colorado are indeed located in the mountains, the Western plains, Front Ridge, and Eastern places make up more than half of the State.

Coloradans are all stoners

Well, that’s only in the movies. When visiting Colorado, you’ll be surprised.

Every Coloradan skis

I know of many residents of Colorado who have never attempted to ski. Only those who love skiing go for it.

Weird Laws in Colorado 

Many of the laws below were passed a long time ago, but they still exist in many Colorado cities, but many of them go unenforced. It is easier to pass laws than to revoke them, so some very strange laws remain on the books. Read the Craziest Laws in the United States, if you want more.

Here are some of our favorites.

1. Dealers cannot show cars on Sundays.
2. Horses or pack mules are not allowed above the ground floor of any building in Cripple Creek.
3. Rats cannot be mistreated.
4. You may not drive a black car on Sundays.
5. It is against the law to taunt, insult, harass, or annoy someone in a way likely to cause a disorderly reaction unless that person is a police officer and has asked you to stop in Boulder.
6. It is illegal to lend your vacuum cleaner to your neighbor.

Final Thought

We’ve carefully compiled a list of facts about Colorado, including its history, politics, and the top tourist attractions sites that make it a popular place.

Of course, we’ve added a few weird facts to make this article more fun. 

As thorough as it seems, this article does not cover all the facts you may want to know about this Centennial state. If you want to learn more about Colorado, watch this video

Colorado Facts And Stats.

Capital	Denver
Population	2021(5 893 634)
Governor	Jared Polis (Democratic Party)
Date Of Admission	August 1, 1876
US Senators	Michael Bennett (D)John Hickenlooper (D)
US House of Representatives	7 (of 435 Seats)
State Nickname	The Centennial State
State Motto	“Nil Sine Numine” Latin for “Nothing without Providence or Deity”
State Song	Where the Columbines Grow by Dr. Arthur John FynnRocky Mountain High by John Denver
State Flower	Colorado Blue Columbine
State Fish	Green Cutthroat Trout
State Bird	Lark Bunting
State Tree	Blue Spruce
State Mammal	Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
State Sport	Pack Burro Racing
State Mineral	Rhodochrosite
State Gem	Aquamarine
State Fossil	Stegosaurus
Neighbor States	Kansas Nebraska Wyoming Idaho Utah Oklahoma New Mexico

Frequently Asked Questions About Colorado

What is Colorado’s nickname? 

The Centennial state because it joined the Union exactly 100 years after signing the United States declaration of independence.

What are the five interesting things about Colorado? 

• Downtown Denver has the longest continuous street in the US, the Colfax avenue.
• Colorado has the number one flat-peaked mountain in the world.
• Colorado is home to the highest paved road in the country.
• Denver city sits at 5280 feet above sea level.
• Colorado’s Royal Gorge Bridge is the highest suspension bridge in the US.

What is Colorado best known for?

• Beautiful landscapes and scenic mountain ranges.
• Wildlife
• Mesas such as grand mesa.
• Hot springs
• Forests.
• Recreational activities.

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