80+ Fun Facts About Colorado Beyond The Rockies
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Colorado is a popular holiday destination for anyone outdoorsy.
The natural beauty you can find in the state is totally breathtaking. With national parks, forests, mountains, plains and canyons, there are loads of cool things about Colorado you need to know.
These Colorado facts and history cover loads of different information about Colorado, including where the name came from, what you can find there and why we call Colorado the Centennial State. Of course, we have added in some weird facts about Colorado, because without these Colorado strange facts this article might not be as fun!
If you want to learn more about another cool state, check out our facts about Oregon, or get to know some facts about the Appalachian Mountainsif you can't get enough of the rocky wonders of the United States.
Basic Colorado Facts
We have loads of interesting facts about Colorado, but first you need to know all of the basics. These Colorado facts will make sure there's no gaps in your Colorado knowledge.
1. Colorado is the 38th state of the United States.
2. It is nicknamed The Centennial State. This is because it officially became a state 100 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
3. Colorado became a state of the United States in the year 1876.
4. As of 2020, the population of Colorado is 5.759 million people.
5. The biggest city in Colorado is Denver.
6. Denver is also the state capital of Colorado.
7. The state flower is a white and lavender columbine.
8. The state bird is a lark bunting.
9. Colorado's state animal is the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.
10. The flag of Colorado is red, blue, yellow and white.
11. The Colorado bordering states are Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming.
12. In the Rocky Mountains you will find bighorn sheep, mountain goats, mountain lions, beavers and black bears.
13. The birds that live in the Rocky Mountains include great horned owls and golden eagles.
14. If you're lucky you may spot the endangered boreal toad in the Rocky Mountains too.
15. In the Great Plains there are bison, prairie dogs, rattlesnakes, lark buntings and burrowing owls.
16. The trees that are native to Colorado are mostly conifers, which means that they are evergreen and have needles and cones.
17. One of the most common trees in the state of Colorado is the ponderosa pine, which has bark that smells like butterscotch and vanilla.
18. Mining for natural gas, oil and coal happens in Colorado. Gold and uranium can be found there too.
Historical Facts About Colorado
If you're looking for some Colorado facts and Colorado trivia, we've got all about Colorado and its history in this section.
19. The first long term settlers of Colorado lived there thousands of years ago.
20. In the 1500s, Spanish people arrived in Colorado.
21. In the year 1858, gold was discovered in Cherry Creek, which is the old name for the city of Denver. This brought lots of new people to the area in search of their fortune.
22. Colorado is the only state in history to say no to hosting the Olympic games.
23. The name Colorado means "colored red."
24. Colorado was named by Spanish explorers because a lot of the land in the state is red colored.
25. The nickname The Centennial State came from Colorado becoming a state on the same year the United States turned 100 years old.
26. The oldest wooden carousel in the United States is the Kit Carson County Carousel in Burlington, which was made in 1905.
27. The first stone hotel to be built west of the Mississippi River was in Golden, Colorado. It was built in 1867.
28. The city of Denver was home to the invention of the cheeseburger. It was invented in 1935 by a man called Louis Ballast.
29. More than a third of the land in Colorado is owned by the United States Federal Government.
30. The first rodeo in the world was held in Deer Trail in Colorado. It was on 4 July, 1869.
31. In the Second World War some of the army went to Colorado to train in the mountains. Lots of them decided to come back after the war and start ski resorts where they trained.
Colorado Fun Facts
There are tons of cool thing about Colorado that we bet you didn't know before. These fun Colorado facts for kids are sure to get children interested in learning more.
32. The Lower Downtown region of Denver, Colorado is known as LoDo.
33. The highest suspension bridge in the world is over the top of the Royal Gorge near to Canon City, Colorado.
34. The 13th step of the State Capitol building is exactly one mile above sea level.
35. Because of its height, the city of Denver has been nicknamed the Mile High City.
36. Every year over 100,000 Valentines cards are re-mailed from the town of Loveland in Colorado.
37. If you are looking for The United States Air Force Academy, you will find it in Colorado Springs.
38. The longest continuous street in the U.S. is traditionally known to be Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado.
39. Whilst it is perceived to be the longest continuous street in the United States, Colfax Avenue is not actually the longest continuous street.
40. It is however the longest commercial street, at 26.5 miles long.
41. Colorado is home to the highest incorporated city in the U.S. It is 10,430 feet above the sea level.
42. The tallest building in Colorado is in Denver. It's called the Republic Plaza and is 57 stories high.
43. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway is the highest paved road in the whole of North America.
44. This highest paved road is 14,130 feet above sea level.
Facts About The Geography Of Colorado
These Colorado interesting facts are all about the landscape. Geography buffs will love these Colorado facts.
45. Grand Mesa in Colorado is home to the largest flat topped mountain in the entire world.
46. The town Two Lakes is found beside two lakes at the foot of Mount Elbert.
47. There are 222 state wildlife areas in Colorado.
48. Pikes Peak in Colorado is 14,110 feet above sea level.
49. The state has an altitude of over 10,000 feet.
50. The city of Denver has 205 parks in it and there are 20,000 acres of parks in the mountains nearby. This makes it the largest city park system in the United States.
51. There are four national parks in Colorado.
52. Colorado is home to the world's largest natural hot springs pool, in Glenwood Springs.
53. The Great Sand Dunes National Monument in Colorado is home to the tallest sand dune in America. It was created more than a million years ago by forces from the ocean and the wind.
54. Colorado has the highest average altitude of all of the states.
55. Most of the west side of the state is covered by the Rocky Mountains.
56. The Rocky Mountains stretch all the way from New Mexico to Canada.
57. The tallest peak in the Rocky Mountains is Mount Elbert, which is 14,440 feet above sea level.
58. In the east of the state you will find the Great Plains, which is a huge grassland covering a lot of North America.
Colorado Culture Facts
Get to know the culture of the Colorado area with these crazy Colorado facts.
59. People in the town of Fruita celebrate 'Mike The Headless Chicken Day' on 10 September.
60. 'Mike The Headless Chicken Day' celebrates a chicken who had its head chopped off in 1945. He was supposed to be eaten for dinner, but lived for 18 months without his head.
61. Every year the largest rodeo in the world is held in Denver. It's called the Western Stock Show.
62. The world's first rodeo was actually held in Deer Trail in the year 1869.
63. The song 'America The Beautiful' was written by Katharine Lee Bates and inspired by the views from Pikes Peak.
64. The city of Pueblo is the only city in the United States that has four living Medal of Honor recipients.
65. The shatterproof Otterbox phone case was invented in the town of Fort Collins, Colorado.
66. The root beer float was apparently invented by a man from Colorado, who thought that the ice cream looked like the snow on the top of the Cow Mountain.
67. The slogan "Pikes Peak or Bust" is famous in Colorado because fortune hunters used to go to Pikes Peak to try and find gold.
68. The first Chipotle was opened in Denver in the year 1993 on 13 July.
69. Every year over 400,000 people climb Pikes Peak.
70. Supposedly Colorado was the first place that someone hugged a plush animal, as the teddy bear was invented here as a gift for president Teddy Roosevelt.
Cool Facts About Colorado
These random facts about Colorado are definitely going to convince you that this state is one of the most wonderful places in North America. We love these funny Colorado facts!
71. In the Southwest corner of the state is an area where four states meet at a single point. This is the only place in the United States where you can stand in four states at once. It's known as the Four Corners.
72. Dove Creek in Colorado is the world's capital for pinto beans.
73. One of the things Colorado is known for is the red marble in the Colorado State Capitol building.
74. The red marble is called "Beulah red" marble.
75. All of the Beulah red marble in the entire world went into the Colorado State Capitol.
76. Colorado is popular with climbers, skiers, bikers and hikers because of the landscape.
77. The highest auto tunnel in the world is the Dwight Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel. This is the highest auto tunnel in the world and it runs between Summit Counties and Clear Creek in Colorado.
78. It is actually legal to taunt or insult a police officer in Boulder, but if they ask you to stop you have to stop.
79. You won't see tall weeds in Pueblo, because they are banned.
80. Colorado's Rocky Ford has been named the melon capital of the world.
81. In Colorado you can't buy a car on Sunday because it's illegal.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for fun facts about Colorado, then why not take a look at these facts about Vermont, or some great facts about Arizona?
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An experienced Londoner, Emily loves to discover new and exciting places in the city, especially with her two younger brothers. She has a passion for fashion and design and is also involved in art charities that facilitate workshops for children with special needs and difficult home lives. Emily is a trained life coach and enjoys writing about general wellness, mindfulness, and healthy relationships.
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