About Colorado

Colorado takes its name from the Colorado River, which Spanish explorers named "Rio Colorado" meaning "red-colored river," for the reddish-brown silt that gives the river its distinctive color as it flows through the canyons of the Colorado Plateau. Spanish missionaries and explorers used the name for the river beginning in the 1700s. When the United States organized the territory after the Pike's Peak Gold Rush of 1859, Congress named it Colorado Territory in 1861, and it became a state in 1876, earning the nickname the Centennial State for being admitted exactly one hundred years after the Declaration of Independence.

Colorado sits at the crossroads of the American West, a state defined by its dramatic geography, independent spirit, and willingness to lead on national issues before anyone else does. Admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876, just weeks after the nation's 100th birthday, it earned the nickname "The Centennial State" and has been forging its own path ever since.

The Rocky Mountains divide the state in two: to the east, wide open plains roll toward Kansas and Nebraska; to the west, rugged canyons and mesa country stretch toward Utah. The Front Range, Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan corridors in America, attracting tech workers, aerospace engineers, and outdoor enthusiasts from across the country.

Colorado has a long history of going first. It was a leader in environmental protection, became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012, and has consistently ranked among the most educated, healthiest, and economically dynamic states in the nation.