What is the abbreviation for Colorado, and what region is it in?

Colorado's two-letter postal abbreviation is CO. The U.S. Census Bureau places it in the West region, in the Mountain division, and about 5.77 million people lived there in the 2020 census.

When did Colorado become a state, and what number state was it?

Colorado became the 38th state on August 1, 1876, less than a month after the nation's 100th birthday, which is why it is called "The Centennial State." Congress had created the Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861, after the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1858 and 1859 drew thousands of settlers.

What does the name Colorado mean?

Colorado is a Spanish word meaning "colored red" or "reddish." Spanish explorers first gave it to the Colorado River for its reddish, silt-laden water, and the territory and state took the river's name.

What is the capital of Colorado, and has it always been the capital?

Denver has been the capital since 1867. The territorial legislature first met in Colorado City in 1862, quickly moved to Denver, and then met in Golden from 1862 to 1867 before returning to Denver for good. Voters confirmed Denver as the permanent capital in 1881, and one step of the Capitol's west entrance is marked as exactly one mile above sea level.

What states border Colorado?

Colorado borders Wyoming and Nebraska to the north, Kansas to the east, Oklahoma and New Mexico to the south, and Utah to the west. It also touches Arizona at the Four Corners, the only point where four states meet.

What is Colorado's state motto and state symbols?

Colorado's motto is "Nil Sine Numine," Latin for "Nothing Without Providence." Its state bird is the lark bunting, its flower is the Rocky Mountain columbine, its tree is the Colorado blue spruce, and its animal is the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.

How many representatives and electoral votes does Colorado have?

Based on the 2020 census, Colorado gained a seat and now has 8 in the U.S. House of Representatives, which gives it 10 votes in the Electoral College.

Is Colorado the highest state?

Colorado has the highest average elevation of any state, about 6,800 feet. Its highest point, Mount Elbert, rises to 14,440 feet, and dozens of its peaks top 14,000 feet.

When did women get the right to vote in Colorado?

In November 1893 Colorado's male voters approved women's suffrage, making Colorado the first state to give women the vote through a popular election. Wyoming had granted women the vote earlier, as a territory in 1869, through its legislature.

State Guide38th StateEst. 1876

Colorado CO

"The Centennial State"

Land of towering mountains, wide-open plains, and clear blue skies. Colorado is home to 54 peaks above 14,000 feet, some of the world's greatest ski resorts, a booming tech sector, and a spirit of western independence that has shaped American history since the Gold Rush.

State Debt - FY2024

$23.6 billion

Total state government debt outstanding at the close of fiscal 2024, including long-term bonds and short-term borrowing across state agencies and public universities.

Tax Revenue - FY2024

$19.2 billion

Total Colorado state tax collections in fiscal 2024, led by the individual income tax ($7.5B) and the general sales tax ($4.7B).

Borrowing

Colorado's constitution, through TABOR and earlier limits, bars the state from issuing general obligation debt without a public vote, so it borrows through certificates of participation and lease-purchase agreements instead. Those are sold to investors in the municipal market and repaid from annual appropriations; the state also uses federal transportation loans and GARVEE bonds for highways. The state reported about $1.1 billion in interest on its debt in fiscal 2024.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State Government Finances.

38th

State admitted to the Union

5.9M

Population (2025 est.)

104K

Square miles, 8th largest

Mountain peaks over 14,000 ft

Colorado's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Grab a coffee, Colorado, because this ballot is a long one. On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, you're picking a new governor (Jared Polis can't run again), one of your two U.S. senators, your member of the U.S. House, and deciding 14 statewide ballot measures, from income taxes to fentanyl penalties to school sports.

It's a midterm election, halfway through the president's term, and nationally it decides who controls Congress for the next two years. Colorado's eight House seats are split four and four between the parties right now, so what happens here gets watched nationwide.

Colorado mails a ballot to every active voter. You can mail it back, drop it in an official drop box, or vote in person at a voter service and polling center. You can even register and vote on Election Day itself, in person.

The key dates and how voting works are right below. Use the buttons above to open each type of race. Every ballot measure comes with the real arguments from both sides and what it would cost you. Every candidate is listed in the order the state certified them. We give you the facts; you make up your own mind.

Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026

Key Dates

Key Dates
Counties can start mailing ballots	Friday, October 2
All ballots mailed by	Friday, October 9
Drop boxes open by	Monday, October 12
Voter service and polling centers open by	Monday, October 19
Last day to register online or by mail and still get a ballot in the mail	Monday, October 26
Election Day: ballots must be received by 7 p.m.	Tuesday, November 3

How Voting Works in Colorado

Check that you're registered at your current address at GoVoteColorado.gov. If you register or update by October 26, your ballot comes in the mail. After that, you can still register and vote in person at a voter service and polling center, right up through Election Day.

Fill out your ballot, sign the return envelope, and get it back. Here's the catch: Colorado counts ballots that arrive by 7 p.m. on Election Day, and a postmark doesn't count. So if it's within about a week of the election, skip the mail and use a drop box.

There are 452 drop boxes and 384 voter centers statewide; look up the closest one at GoVoteColorado.gov. If you're in line at a voter center by 7 p.m. on November 3, you get to vote.

If there's a problem with the signature on your envelope, your county will contact you, and you have eight days after the election to fix it. Lost or spoiled your ballot? Your county clerk can send a replacement.

Sources & Further Reading

…

Colorado's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026

Key Dates

Counties can start mailing ballots

Friday, October 2

All ballots mailed by

Friday, October 9

Drop boxes open by

Monday, October 12

Voter service and polling centers open by

Monday, October 19

Last day to register online or by mail and still get a ballot in the mail

Monday, October 26

Election Day: ballots must be received by 7 p.m.

Tuesday, November 3

How Voting Works in Colorado

There are 452 drop boxes and 384 voter centers statewide; look up the closest one at GoVoteColorado.gov. If you're in line at a voter center by 7 p.m. on November 3, you get to vote.

Colorado's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Key Dates

How Voting Works in Colorado

📚 Sources & Further Reading

Colorado's 2026 Midterm Election: Who and What Is on Your Ballot

Key Dates

How Voting Works in Colorado

📚 Sources & Further Reading

Sources & Further Reading

Sources & Further Reading