194 Fun Facts About Colorado

What is the highest mountain peak in Colorado?

Mount Elbert, located in the Sawatch Range, is the highest peak in Colorado and the second-highest peak in the contiguous United States.

Which of these birds is the official state bird of Colorado?

The Lark Bunting, a migratory prairie bird with distinctive white wing patches on males, was adopted as Colorado's state bird on April 29, 1931.

Which flower is the official state flower of Colorado?

The Rocky Mountain Columbine, white and lavender, became the state flower on 4 April 1899, and it is illegal to uproot one on public land.

What is the official state animal of Colorado?

The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, known for its massive, curling horns and agility in rugged terrain, was adopted as the official state animal on May 1, 1961.

What is the Latin phrase that serves as Colorado's state motto?

Colorado's state motto, 'Nil Sine Numine,' is Latin for 'Nothing without Providence' or 'Nothing without the Deity,' and appears on the state seal.

Which state is NOT one of the four that meet at the Four Corners Monument?

Nevada sits one state too far west: Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico are the four that touch at the monument, the only such spot in the United States.

Which city has been Colorado's state capital since an 1881 referendum?

Denver became capital of Colorado Territory in 1867, and an 1881 statewide referendum confirmed it as the permanent state capital; the gold-domed State Capitol was built there between 1886 and 1894.

Colorado's 'Centennial State' nickname is linked to what event 100 years before its statehood?

The signing of the Declaration of Independence came 100 years before Colorado's statehood on 1 August 1876, and the flag's red 'C' is said to stand for 'centennial' too.

The name 'Colorado' comes from a Spanish word meaning what, first applied to a silt-laden river?

'Colored red' is the Spanish colorado, which explorers gave the river for its reddish silt; the state later took the river's name.

Which conifer, adopted after a schoolchildren's vote and a 1939 resolution, is the state's official tree?

Schoolchildren voted for the blue spruce on Arbor Day in 1892, but the legislature did not make it official until 1939, and from 1933 to 2014 it was Utah's state tree too.

Which professional sports team in Denver plays in the NBA?

The Denver Nuggets are the professional basketball team representing Colorado in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Colorado has two official state songs; which of these was adopted as the second of them in 2007?

'Rocky Mountain High' joined 'Where the Columbines Grow' (1915) in 2007; John Denver's 1972 hit got the honour even though 'America the Beautiful' was inspired by the view from Pikes Peak.

What sets Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) apart from other Colorado peaks?

Mount Blue Sky has the highest paved road in North America: the Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway tops out at about 14,130 feet near the summit and is open only in summer.

On Colorado's flag, blue is sky, white is snow and gold is sunshine; what does the red of the 'C' stand for?

The ruddy earth is the red; the 'C' itself stands for Colorado, centennial and columbine, and the gold doubles as a nod to gold mining.

What is the official summer heritage sport of Colorado?

Pack Burro Racing, a unique sport involving racers running alongside burros laden with mining gear, was adopted as Colorado's official summer heritage sport in 2012.

In what year was the Colorado Territory officially created?

Congress created Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861, carving it from parts of the Kansas, Nebraska, Utah and New Mexico territories; President Lincoln appointed William Gilpin as its first governor.

Which major mountain range covers a significant portion of Colorado?

Colorado is largely dominated by the Southern Rocky Mountains, which include many of the state's highest peaks and iconic landscapes.

Which former silver boomtown is the highest incorporated city in the United States?

Leadville sits at about 10,150 feet, the highest incorporated city in the United States; founded in 1877 during the Colorado Silver Boom, it was one of the richest silver camps in the world by 1880.

What is the official state gemstone of Colorado?

Aquamarine, a blue-green variety of beryl, was adopted as Colorado's official state gemstone on April 30, 1971, with significant deposits found in the state's mountain peaks.

Which dinosaur is the official state fossil of Colorado?

Stegosaurus became Colorado's state fossil on April 28, 1982, by executive order of Governor Richard Lamm, after fourth-graders at McElwain Elementary School in Thornton campaigned for it.

What are the two official winter sports of Colorado?

Skiing and snowboarding were designated as Colorado's official winter sports in 2008, reflecting the state's renowned winter recreation industry.

Who made the first recorded ascent of Mount Elbert in 1874?

Stuckle climbed it in 1874 as a member of the Hayden Survey, then mapping the Rocky Mountains.

Which U.S. President signed the proclamation admitting Colorado to the Union?

Grant signed Proclamation 230 on August 1, four weeks after the nation's hundredth birthday, and Colorado's flag still nods to that timing with a 'C' for 'centennial'.

What natural phenomenon is believed to have led to the abandonment of Mesa Verde's cliff dwellings?

Tree-ring evidence points to a severe drought, the 'Great Drought' of 1276 to 1299, which dried up crops and springs and drove the cliff dwellings' builders to leave Mesa Verde by 1300.

Colorado's last great gold rush began in 1890 when Bob Womack struck rich ore near which town?

Bob Womack's 1890 strike in Poverty Gulch set off the Cripple Creek gold rush; prospectors had avoided the area since the 1884 Mount Pisgah hoax, when worthless rock was 'salted' with gold.

Which colonel led the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre of a Cheyenne and Arapaho village?

John Chivington claimed 500 to 600 warriors killed, but most estimates put the dead at around 150, two-thirds of them women and children; the fallout forced Governor Evans to resign.

What is the approximate elevation of Denver, the state capital known as the 'Mile High City'?

Denver is famously known as the 'Mile High City' because its official elevation is exactly one mile, or 5,280 feet, above sea level.

The historical cliff dwellings found in Mesa Verde National Park were built by which ancient culture?

The impressive cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park were built and inhabited by the Ancestral Puebloans, an ancient Native American culture.

Which of the state's professional sports teams competes in the NFL?

The Denver Broncos are the professional American football team based in Denver, competing in the National Football League (NFL).

What is the official state fish of Colorado?

The Greenback Cutthroat Trout was adopted as Colorado's official state fish on March 15, 1994, after once being widespread throughout the state's waters.

Which famous natural amphitheater near Morrison, Colorado, is known for its unique geology and acoustics?

Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a world-renowned outdoor concert venue carved into a natural rock formation, famous for its stunning geology and exceptional acoustics.

Which Colorado gorge is named for sheer walls that leave some stretches only 33 minutes of sunlight a day?

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is named for its gloom: the river drops 34 feet a mile through it, more than four times the Colorado's gradient through the Grand Canyon.

Since 1950, which slogan has greeted drivers on the state's highway welcome signs?

'Colorful Colorado' has greeted drivers on the state's wooden highway welcome signs since 1950, and the phrase appeared on license plates for decades; the state's name is Spanish for 'colored red', so it is something of a pun.

What is the scenic byway crossing the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park?

Trail Ridge Road tops out at 12,183 feet, making it the highest continuous paved road in North America, and crosses the Continental Divide at Milner Pass.

Which city in Colorado is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy?

The United States Air Force Academy, a prestigious military service academy, is located just north of Colorado Springs.

Which narrow-gauge line uses a corkscrew route and 95-foot trestle to climb 640 feet near Silver Plume?

The Georgetown Loop Railroad links Georgetown and Silver Plume, towns about two miles apart, with roughly 4.5 miles of spiralling track and the Devil's Gate High Bridge; it opened in 1884 as an early tourist attraction.

The tilted sandstone Flatirons rise above which Colorado city?

Boulder's western skyline is the Flatirons, slabs tilted up by the rise of the Rockies and named for their resemblance to old-fashioned clothes irons.

What major event in the late 1850s spurred significant migration to the Colorado Territory?

The Pike's Peak Gold Rush of 1858–59 sent prospectors west under the slogan 'Pikes Peak or Bust', and the influx led Congress to create the territory in 1861.

Which butterfly is Colorado's official state insect?

The Colorado hairstreak, whose males flash vivid purple wings edged in black, was adopted as the official state insect on April 17, 1996.

What is the name of the massive underground military complex located near Colorado Springs?

The Cheyenne Mountain Complex is a highly secure underground military installation that serves as a command and control center for NORAD and U.S. Space Command.

Which downtown Denver block, laid out in 1858, became the city's first historic district?

Larimer Square, laid out by William E. Larimer in 1858, is Denver's oldest commercial block; its Victorian buildings were designated the city's first historic district in 1971.

Which Colorado national park protects North America's tallest formations of their kind, up to 750 feet?

Great Sand Dunes reach 750 feet because opposing winds, a huge supply of valley-floor sand and creeks that recycle the sand back upwind keep them piled against the Sangre de Cristo Range.

What is the name of the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in Colorado?

San Luis, founded in 1851, is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Colorado, known for its rich Hispanic heritage and communal land grants.

What is the official state reptile of Colorado?

The western painted turtle, a pond turtle with red and yellow markings on its shell and legs, became Colorado's state reptile in 2008 after fourth-graders lobbied the legislature for two years.

What is Colorado's official state amphibian?

The Western tiger salamander, one of North America's largest, got the title in 2012.

What historic event in 1859 led to the founding of Central City, a prominent mining town?

Central City's founding and growth were spurred by John Gregory's discovery of gold in Gregory Gulch in 1859, making it one of Colorado's richest mining districts.

Which former mining town has hosted a film festival every Labor Day weekend since 1974?

The Telluride Film Festival has run every Labor Day weekend since 1974, in a former mining town that installed its first ski lift only in 1972.

Which dance became Colorado's official state folk dance in 1992?

Square dancing became Colorado's official state folk dance in 1992, as it is in most U.S. states that have one; four couples in a square follow a caller's commands.

Colorado ranks where among US states by area?

Colorado is the eighth-largest state by area at about 104,100 square miles, behind Alaska, Texas, California, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada.

Which president signed the act creating the Colorado Territory in February 1861?

James Buchanan signed the act organizing Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861, one of his last acts in office; Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated just four days later.

Roughly what share of Coloradans live along the Front Range Urban Corridor?

About 84% of Coloradans live in the Front Range Urban Corridor, the strip of cities from Fort Collins through Denver and Colorado Springs to Pueblo along the eastern edge of the Rockies.

What happened to Zebulon Pike and his men in the San Luis Valley in February 1807?

Spanish cavalry arrested Pike's party at his stockade on the Conejos River on February 26, 1807, for crossing into Spanish territory; they were taken to Santa Fe and Chihuahua and escorted back to Louisiana that July.

Which famous frontier scout died at Fort Lyon, Colorado, in May 1868?

Kit Carson died of an aortic aneurysm at Fort Lyon on May 23, 1868, a month after his wife Josefa; he was buried in Taos, New Mexico, and a Colorado county bears his name.

Which territorial governor founded the University of Denver in 1864?

John Evans, the second territorial governor, founded the Colorado Seminary in 1864, later renamed the University of Denver; he had earlier founded Northwestern University, and Evanston, Illinois, is named for him.

In which New Mexico battles did the 1st Colorado Infantry fight in 1862?

The 1st Colorado Infantry fought at Apache Canyon, Glorieta Pass and Peralta in March and April 1862, helping end the Confederate invasion of New Mexico; Colonel John Slough then resigned and John Chivington replaced him.

Which railroad reached the capital in June 1870, giving it a link to the transcontinental line?

The Denver Pacific Railway reached Denver from Cheyenne in June 1870, tying the city to the Union Pacific's transcontinental line; the Kansas Pacific arrived from the east that August.

On what date were Colorado women granted the right to vote?

Colorado voters approved women's suffrage in a referendum on November 7, 1893, making it the second state with full women's suffrage after Wyoming and the first to adopt it by popular vote.

Which Denver newspaper, founded in 1859, printed its final edition in 2009?

The Rocky Mountain News, started by William Byers in April 1859, was Colorado's oldest newspaper; owner E.W. Scripps printed its final edition on February 27, 2009, 55 days short of its 150th birthday.

Which 1927 clash between strikers and Colorado Rangers left six miners dead?

The Columbine Mine massacre took place on November 21, 1927, at Serene, north of Denver, when state police fired on unarmed IWW strikers during the 1927-28 coal strike, killing six.

Which Denver district attorney fought the Ku Klux Klan's grip on 1920s Colorado politics?

Philip Van Cise, Denver's district attorney from 1921 to 1925, fought the Klan in court and in print; at its 1924 peak the Klan had Governor Clarence Morley and Denver mayor Ben Stapleton as allies.

Colorado became the first western state to host a major political convention when which party met in Denver in 1908?

The Democratic National Convention met in Denver's new Auditorium in July 1908 and nominated William Jennings Bryan, the first major-party convention held in a western state.

What happened at the Rocky Flats Plant on September 11, 1957?

A plutonium fire broke out in a glovebox in Building 71 on September 11, 1957, burning for hours and sending plutonium through the stack filters toward Denver's suburbs.

Which governor signed the 1967 law that made Colorado the first state to loosen abortion restrictions?

Governor John Love signed the bill, sponsored by Representative Richard Lamm, on April 25, 1967; it allowed abortion for rape, incest, severe fetal defects or threats to the woman's physical or mental health.

Which Denver organization founded by Rodolfo 'Corky' Gonzales hosted the 1969 Chicano Youth Liberation Conference?

Gonzales founded the Crusade for Justice in Denver in 1966; its March 1969 National Chicano Youth Liberation Conference produced El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán, a founding document of the Chicano Movement.

How many US Navy warships have been named USS Colorado?

Four ships have borne the name: an 1856 steam frigate, the armored cruiser ACR-7 of 1905, the battleship BB-45 of 1923 and the Virginia-class submarine SSN-788, commissioned in 2018.

How many boundary markers officially define Colorado's borders?

Surveyors fixed Colorado's lines of latitude and longitude with 697 official boundary markers, and because the 19th-century surveys wandered, the 'rectangle' is really a 697-sided polygon.

Which two states share with Colorado the distinction of borders made only of straight lines?

Wyoming and Utah, like Colorado, have borders defined only by lines of latitude and longitude; Congress drew Colorado Territory that way in 1861, though survey errors left its 'rectangle' with hundreds of tiny kinks.

How many named peaks over 14,000 feet does Colorado have?

Colorado has 58 named summits above 14,000 feet, more than any other state; 53 of them rise at least 300 feet above their connecting saddles and count as ranked fourteeners.

Colorado is the only state lying entirely above what elevation?

Colorado's lowest point is 3,317 feet (1,011 metres), so the whole state sits above 1,000 metres, the only one that does; that low point beats the high points of 18 states.

Which waterway marks Colorado's lowest point where it exits Yuma County into Kansas?

The Arikaree River leaves Yuma County for Kansas at 3,317 feet, Colorado's lowest point and the highest state low point in the country.

Which high basin holds the headwaters of the river that flows through Denver?

South Park, the high grassland basin around Fairplay, gathers the headwaters of the South Platte River, which flows northeast through Denver; North Park drains to the North Platte and Middle Park to the Colorado.

Which major river rises in Colorado's San Luis Valley?

The valley sits between the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountains along the Rio Grande rift.

Which Amtrak train crosses the Rockies between Denver and Grand Junction?

The California Zephyr runs daily between Chicago and Emeryville, crossing the Rockies through the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel on Union Pacific track between Denver and Grand Junction.

What warm downslope gusts can push Front Range temperatures to 70°F in winter?

Chinooks are warm, dry winds that descend the eastern slopes of the Rockies, heating as they sink; they can lift Front Range temperatures by 30 degrees or more in hours and melt snow fast.

The Lindenmeier site in Colorado holds artifacts from roughly which date?

The Lindenmeier site near Fort Collins is a Folsom-culture camp whose artifacts date to about 8720 BCE, roughly 10,700 years ago; the Smithsonian excavated it in the 1930s.

At the 2020 census, Denver ranked where among US state capitals by population?

With 715,522 residents at the 2020 census, Denver was the fifth most populous state capital, behind Phoenix, Austin, Columbus and Indianapolis.

In which county is the state's second-largest city the seat?

Colorado Springs, the state's second most populous city and its largest by land area, is the seat of El Paso County, home to Pikes Peak and the Air Force Academy.

Aurora spreads across which three counties?

Aurora lies mostly in Arapahoe County but extends north into Adams County and south into Douglas County; it is Colorado's third most populous city after Denver and Colorado Springs.

On which river does Fort Collins sit?

Fort Collins grew from an 1864 army post on the Cache la Poudre River, named for French trappers who cached their gunpowder there; the city is about 60 miles north of Denver.

At what elevation does Boulder sit?

Boulder's official elevation is 5,430 feet, a figure stamped on the city's seal; it sits where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountain foothills, about 150 feet higher than Denver.

At the confluence of which two waterways does Pueblo sit?

It is 112 miles south of Denver.

Grand Junction is the county seat of which county?

Grand Junction, the largest city in western Colorado with 65,560 people in 2020, is the seat of Mesa County, named for the Grand Mesa that rises east of the city.

Aspen sits along which river?

The former mining camp is 11 miles west of the Continental Divide.

Which writer ran for sheriff of Aspen's Pitkin County on the 'Freak Power' ticket in 1970?

Hunter S. Thompson ran for Pitkin County sheriff in 1970 on the 'Freak Power' ticket, promising to rename Aspen 'Fat City', and narrowly lost; he lived at Owl Farm in nearby Woody Creek.

Vail Ski Resort holds what distinction in Colorado?

Vail is the largest ski mountain in the state; the town of 4,835 people also hosts the Vail Film Festival and a summer classical music festival.

In what year were ski trails first cut at Breckenridge?

Breckenridge's first ski trails were cut on Peak 8 in 1961 and the resort opened that December with a double chairlift; the town sits at the base of the Tenmile Range.

Which four-year school calls Durango home?

Fort Lewis College, a public liberal arts college on a mesa above Durango, began as an Indian boarding school at Hesperus and still waives tuition for Native American students under a 1911 agreement.

Estes Park lies along which river?

Estes Park sits on the Big Thompson River, which leaves the mountains through Big Thompson Canyon, scene of the 1976 flash flood that killed more than 140 people; the town hosts the park headquarters.

Which tributary joins the Colorado River at Grand Junction?

The Gunnison River meets the Colorado at Grand Junction; the city took its name from that 'grand junction' because the Colorado above the confluence was called the Grand River until 1921.

Steamboat Ski Resort sits on which mountain?

Steamboat's lifts climb Mount Werner, renamed from Storm Mountain in 1965 to honor Olympic skier Buddy Werner, killed in an avalanche in 1964; the much smaller Howelsen Hill ski area is in town.

Which two fourteeners stand west of Leadville across the Arkansas River valley?

Mount Elbert and Mount Massive, Colorado's two highest peaks, rise west of Leadville in the Sawatch Range; Leadville is the only incorporated municipality in Lake County.

Which Colorado Springs park of red sandstone spires has been free to enter since 1909?

Garden of the Gods was given to Colorado Springs in 1909 by the children of railroad magnate Charles Elliott Perkins on condition it stay free to the public; it became a National Natural Landmark in 1971.

How far northwest of the state capital is Rocky Mountain National Park?

The park sits between Estes Park and Grand Lake.

In what year was Rocky Mountain National Park established?

Rocky Mountain National Park was established on January 26, 1915, after a campaign led by naturalist Enos Mills; Woodrow Wilson signed the act and the park was dedicated that September.

Which president established Mesa Verde National Park in 1906?

Theodore Roosevelt signed the act creating Mesa Verde National Park on June 29, 1906, the first park set aside to protect human-made works; it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

How many cliff dwellings are among Mesa Verde's 5,000-plus archaeological sites?

Mesa Verde holds about 600 cliff dwellings among its more than 5,000 known archaeological sites; Cliff Palace, with about 150 rooms, is the largest cliff dwelling in North America.

Which president designated Great Sand Dunes a national monument in 1932?

Herbert Hoover proclaimed Great Sand Dunes National Monument on March 17, 1932; Congress authorized its expansion in 2000 and it became a national park and preserve in 2004.

In what year was Black Canyon of the Gunnison upgraded from monument to national park?

Congress upgraded Black Canyon of the Gunnison from national monument (1933) to national park on October 21, 1999, and the same act created the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area downstream.

Pikes Peak holds what distinction among US fourteeners?

Pikes Peak, at 14,115 feet, is the easternmost fourteener in the United States, rising straight from the plains; its base is at Manitou Springs, just west of Colorado Springs.

Which poet taught a summer course in Colorado in 1893 and was inspired atop Pikes Peak?

Katharine Lee Bates, a Wellesley professor teaching at Colorado College in summer 1893, rode to the summit of Pikes Peak and drafted 'America the Beautiful', first published in 1895.

Which explorer's 1820 expedition gave its name to the northernmost fourteener in the Rockies?

Stephen Harriman Long led an 1820 army expedition along the Front Range; Longs Peak, 14,255 feet and the northernmost fourteener in the Rockies, was named for him.

Which airport opened in 1995 to replace Denver's Stapleton International?

Denver International Airport opened on February 28, 1995, replacing Stapleton; its 33,531 acres make it the largest airport by land area in North America, and its white tented roof echoes the Rockies.

How high above the Arkansas River does the Royal Gorge Bridge hang?

The Royal Gorge Bridge hangs about 955 feet above the Arkansas River; finished in 1929, it was the world's highest bridge until China's Liuguanghe Bridge opened in 2001.

The Maroon Bells lie about 12 miles southwest of which town?

The Maroon Bells, twin peaks of crumbly maroon mudstone, stand about 12 miles southwest of Aspen above Maroon Lake and are said to be the most photographed mountains in Colorado.

Hanging Lake sits in which gorge?

Hanging Lake is a travertine-dammed lake perched on the wall of Glenwood Canyon east of Glenwood Springs; the trail climbs about 1,000 feet in 1.2 miles beside Dead Horse Creek.

Dinosaur National Monument sits at the confluence of which two rivers?

The Green and Yampa rivers meet at Echo Park inside Dinosaur National Monument, which straddles the Colorado-Utah line; the famous dinosaur quarry is on the Utah side near Jensen.

Roughly how old is the fossil-rich Florissant Formation?

The Florissant Formation dates to the late Eocene, about 34 million years ago, when ash and mudflows from the Thirtynine Mile volcanic field buried a lake, preserving insects, leaves and giant redwood stumps.

Bent's Old Fort was built in 1833 to trade for what?

Bent's Old Fort on the Arkansas traded manufactured goods to Cheyenne and Arapaho hunters for buffalo robes; from 1833 to 1849 it was the only permanent white settlement on the Santa Fe Trail between Missouri and Mexico.

On what date did the Ludlow Massacre take place?

The Ludlow Massacre took place on April 20, 1914, when the Colorado National Guard attacked a striking miners' tent colony near Trinidad; about 21 people died, including eleven children.

Which industrialist was part-owner of the coal company behind the Ludlow Massacre?

John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his father held the controlling stake in the coal company whose strike ended in the Ludlow Massacre; he had testified before a House committee on the strike two weeks earlier.

How much silver was mined during the Colorado Silver Boom?

Over $82 million worth of silver was mined during the Colorado Silver Boom, which began with the Leadville strikes of the late 1870s and collapsed when the Sherman Silver Purchase Act was repealed in 1893.

About how many people took part in the Pike's Peak gold rush of 1858-61?

An estimated 100,000 gold seekers headed for the Pikes Peak country in 1858-61, then the western end of Kansas Territory; the influx led Congress to carve out Colorado Territory.

How large was Chivington's Third Colorado Cavalry force at Sand Creek?

Chivington led about 675 men, mostly hundred-day volunteers of the Third Colorado Cavalry plus part of the First, against the camp on November 29, 1864; chiefs Black Kettle and White Antelope were present.

What extralegal government ruled the Pike's Peak region from 1859 to 1861?

The self-declared Territory of Jefferson governed the Pikes Peak mining camps from October 1859, never recognized by Congress; it dissolved in June 1861 when Colorado Territory's government took over.

In which lifeboat did Margaret 'Molly' Brown urge the crew to return for Titanic survivors?

Margaret Brown was in Lifeboat No. 6, where she argued with Quartermaster Robert Hichens to row back for survivors; friends called her Maggie, and 'Molly' was popularized by Gene Fowler's 1933 book Timber Line.

How much did the Browns pay for their Denver mansion, now the Molly Brown House, in 1894?

J.J. and Margaret Brown paid $30,000 for the Pennsylvania Street house in 1894, about $1.1 million in 2025 dollars; Historic Denver saved it from demolition in 1970 and runs it as a museum.

Where did Baby Doe Tabor spend her last three decades in poverty?

Baby Doe Tabor lived from 1899 until her death in 1935 in a shack at the Matchless Mine above Leadville, which Horace had urged her to hold on to; her life inspired the opera The Ballad of Baby Doe.

What nickname did Horace Tabor earn from his Leadville fortune?

Horace Tabor, the 'Silver King', made millions from the Little Pittsburg and other Leadville mines after 1878; the Panic of 1893 and silver's collapse ruined him and he died broke in 1899.

Where was Buffalo Bill buried in June 1917?

Buffalo Bill Cody was buried on Lookout Mountain above Golden on June 3, 1917; his widow Louisa said he chose the site, though Cody, Wyoming, long claimed he wanted to rest there.

Which Colorado boxer was nicknamed the Manassa Mauler?

Jack Dempsey, born in Manassa in the San Luis Valley in 1895, was world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926; his ferocious style earned him the 'Manassa Mauler' nickname.

Supreme Court justice Byron 'Whizzer' White grew up in which Colorado town?

Byron White grew up in Wellington, a farm town north of Fort Collins, before starring in football at the University of Colorado; he sat on the Supreme Court from 1962 to 1993.

Which mayor of the state capital later served as US Secretary of Transportation and of Energy?

Federico Peña, Denver's mayor from 1983 to 1991, served in Bill Clinton's cabinet as Secretary of Transportation from 1993 to 1997 and then as Secretary of Energy until 1998.

What was John Hickenlooper's profession before politics and brewing?

John Hickenlooper worked as a petroleum geologist for Buckhorn Petroleum until he was laid off in 1986, then opened the Wynkoop Brewing Company in 1988; he became Denver's mayor, governor, and in 2021 a US senator.

Which district did Jared Polis represent in Congress before becoming governor?

Jared Polis represented Colorado's 2nd district, which includes Boulder, from 2009 to 2019 before winning the governorship in 2018.

Who co-wrote 'Rocky Mountain High' with John Denver?

Mike Taylor, John Denver's guitarist, co-wrote 'Rocky Mountain High' in 1972; Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert wrote 'Take Me Home, Country Roads' with Denver, and Dick Kniss 'Sunshine on My Shoulders'.

Who wrote 'Where the Columbines Grow', adopted as state song in 1915?

Arthur John Fynn, a Denver school administrator and folklorist, wrote 'Where the Columbines Grow' after seeing a mountain meadow of columbines; the legislature made it the state song in 1915.

Who designed the Colorado state flag adopted in 1911?

Andrew Carlisle Carson, a Denver lawyer, designed the flag the legislature adopted on June 5, 1911: blue, white and blue stripes with a red C enclosing a gold disk.

What is the length of Denver International Airport's runway 16R/34L?

Runway 16R/34L at Denver International Airport is 16,000 feet (about three miles) long, the longest public-use runway in North America, built for heavy jets taking off in thin mile-high air.

What is grimly notable about the Blue Mustang sculpture at Denver's airport?

A section fell on Luis Jiménez in his studio; the horse's red eyes earned it the nickname Blucifer.

Where is Coors Brewing Company based?

Coors has brewed in Golden, at the mouth of Clear Creek canyon, since Adolph Coors founded the company in 1873; the Golden brewery is the largest single-site brewery in the world.

Who co-founded Coors with Adolph Coors in 1873?

Jacob Schueler, a Denver confectioner, put up most of the money when he and Adolph Coors opened the Golden brewery in 1873; Coors bought out his share in 1880.

How much did the Rockies' downtown ballpark cost to build?

The Rockies played their first two seasons at Mile High Stadium.

What was Ball Arena formerly called?

The arena opened in 1999 as the Pepsi Center and was renamed Ball Arena in 2020 under a naming deal with Ball Corporation; it hosts the Nuggets, Avalanche and Mammoth.

Which brothers from a Greeley meatpacking family became majority owners of the Rockies?

The 1993 expansion team's only World Series appearance through 2025 ended in a 2007 sweep.

Which team swept the Rockies in the 2007 World Series?

The Boston Red Sox ended 'Rocktober' in four straight; Colorado had won 21 of 22 games to get there, including a one-game playoff.

Under what name were the Colorado Avalanche founded in 1972?

The Quebec Nordiques, founded in 1972 in the WHA and in the NHL from 1979, moved to Denver in 1995 and won the Stanley Cup in their very first season as the Avalanche.

Whom did the Avalanche sweep in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final?

The Avalanche swept the Florida Panthers in 1996, Uwe Krupp scoring in triple overtime to end Game 4 1-0; they beat New Jersey in seven games for a second Cup in 2001.

What were the Denver Nuggets originally called at their 1967 founding?

The franchise was announced in 1967 as the Denver Larks but became the Rockets before playing a game, after Bill Ringsby's Ringsby Rocket trucking firm took over; they became the Nuggets in 1974.

Whom did the Nuggets beat for their first NBA title in 2023?

The Nuggets beat the Miami Heat four games to one in the 2023 NBA Finals, with Nikola Jokić named Finals MVP after the franchise's first trip to the Finals.

In which suburb are the Denver Broncos headquartered?

The Broncos' headquarters and training facility sit at Dove Valley with an Englewood address, south of Denver; the team began in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League.

The Colorado Rapids were founded in 1995 as part of which billionaire's company?

Philip Anschutz's Anschutz Corporation owned the Rapids from their 1995 founding as an MLS charter club, through its AEG arm, and later sold the team to Stan Kroenke's Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.

The University of Colorado Boulder was founded how long before statehood?

The legislature chartered the University of Colorado on March 14, 1876, five months before statehood; it is the flagship of the CU system and has been a member of the AAU since 1966.

Which 1874 university offers degrees only in STEM fields plus economics?

The Colorado School of Mines in Golden, founded in 1874, grants degrees only in engineering, the sciences and economics; the whitewashed 'M' on Mount Zion above campus dates from 1908.

In what year did the Air Force Academy graduate its first class?

The Air Force Academy's first class of 207 cadets graduated on June 3, 1959; founded in 1954, it is the youngest of the five service academies but ranks third in protocol order.

Where is NORAD headquartered?

NORAD and US Northern Command are headquartered at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs; the Cheyenne Mountain Complex nearby serves as the alternate command center.

Which Army unit is Fort Carson home to?

Fort Carson, directly south of Colorado Springs, has been home to the 4th Infantry Division since 2009, when the division moved there from Fort Hood, Texas.

Camp Hale, built in 1942, trained troops for which unit?

Camp Hale, at about 9,200 feet in the Pando valley between Red Cliff and Leadville, trained the 10th Mountain Division's ski troops from 1942 to 1944 before they fought in Italy's Apennines.

Stephen King's 1974 stay at which Estes Park landmark inspired The Shining?

Stephen King and his wife stayed at the Stanley Hotel in October 1974 as its last guests of the season, in Room 217, and he plotted The Shining's Overlook Hotel there.

Which Glenwood Springs hotel, opened in 1893, was Theodore Roosevelt's base for a 1905 bear hunt?

Hotel Colorado opened in Glenwood Springs in 1893, modeled on Italy's Villa Medici; Theodore Roosevelt made it his headquarters for a 1905 bear hunt, earning it the nickname 'Little White House'.

Which four boys star in Trey Parker and Matt Stone's Colorado-set cartoon?

The show, set in a fictional Colorado mountain town, follows Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman and Kenny McCormick; Parker and Stone created it for Comedy Central in 1997.

On what date did Colorado voters pass Amendment 64 legalising recreational cannabis?

Colorado voters approved Amendment 64 on November 6, 2012, by about 55 percent; Washington passed Initiative 502 the same day, making them the first jurisdictions anywhere to legalize recreational cannabis by popular vote.

What is the maximum elevation of the Eisenhower Tunnel on Interstate 70?

The Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel reaches 11,158 feet at its highest point, the highest spot on the Interstate system; the first bore opened in 1973 and the second in 1979.

In what year did the first railroad traffic pass through the Moffat Tunnel?

The first train ran through the Moffat Tunnel on February 26, 1928; the 6.2-mile bore under James Peak cut the Denver-to-Western Slope route by 23 miles and avoided Rollins Pass.

What was Independence Pass originally called?

Independence Pass was first known as Hunter Pass; it took its present name from the Independence mining camp founded on its west side on July 4, 1879, and State Highway 82 crosses it at 12,095 feet.

Which stretch of US Route 550 is called the Million Dollar Highway?

The Million Dollar Highway is the 25-mile stretch of US 550 between Silverton and Ouray over Red Mountain Pass, a shelf road with no guardrails that forms part of the San Juan Skyway.

How long is the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad's track?

The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad runs 45.2 miles along the Animas River on 3-foot-gauge track laid by the Denver & Rio Grande in 1881-82, and has operated continuously since.

The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad connects Antonito, Colorado, with which town?

The Cumbres & Toltec runs 64 miles from Antonito over 10,015-foot Cumbres Pass to Chama, New Mexico; the states of Colorado and New Mexico bought the line jointly in 1970.

When did the first Pikes Peak cog train reach the summit?

The first Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway train reached the 14,115-foot summit on June 30, 1891, making it the highest cog railway in the world; it reopened in 2021 after a three-year rebuild.

How long is the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb course?

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb course runs 12.42 miles from Mile 7 of the Pikes Peak Highway to the 14,115-foot summit, through 156 turns, climbing 4,720 feet at an average 7.2 percent grade.

When did the Denver Mint strike its first coins?

The Denver Mint struck its first coins on February 1, 1906, after operating as an assay office since 1863; by the 1970s it had become the largest coin-producing mint in the world.

Which architect designed the original 16th Street Mall in Denver?

I. M. Pei's firm designed the 16th Street Mall, opened in 1982 as a 1.25-mile transit mall; its red, white and gray granite paving pattern evokes a western diamondback rattlesnake's skin and Navajo weaving.

Denver Union Station's first station on the site opened in 1881 and met what fate in 1894?

The current structure's central portion was completed in 1914.

The Marshall Fire of December 2021 destroyed more than how many structures?

The Marshall Fire of December 30, 2021, driven by hurricane-force winds, destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses in Louisville, Superior and unincorporated Boulder County, the most destructive fire in Colorado history.

What did the Rocky Flats Plant primarily manufacture from 1952 to 1992?

Rocky Flats machined plutonium pits, the fissile cores of nuclear weapons, from 1952 until production stopped in 1989 and the plant closed in 1992; Dow Chemical, Rockwell and EG&G ran the site for the government.

In which Colorado county was the Amache Japanese-American internment camp?

Amache, officially the Granada Relocation Center, sat in Prowers County 1.3 miles southwest of the farming town of Granada; it held more than 7,000 Japanese Americans from 1942 to 1945 and was designated a national historic site in 2022.

Where is footwear company Crocs headquartered?

Crocs has been headquartered in Broomfield, between Denver and Boulder, since 2020, having moved from Niwot; it was founded in Boulder in 2002 and bought HEYDUDE for $2.5 billion in 2022.

Which Boulder tea company, founded in 1969, specialises in herbal teas?

Celestial Seasonings began in 1969 when Mo Siegel and friends gathered herbs in the Rockies and sold them in hand-sewn bags; Sleepytime tea with its bear has been its signature since 1972, and Hain bought the company in 2000.

Who founded New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins in 1991?

Jeff Lebesch, inspired by a bicycle tour of Belgian breweries, and his wife Kim Jordan started New Belgium in their Fort Collins basement in 1991; Fat Tire Amber Ale was one of its first beers.

In what year was the Great American Beer Festival established?

The Great American Beer Festival began in Boulder in 1982 with about 20 breweries, founded by Charlie Papazian; held in Denver since 1984, it is the largest ticketed beer festival in the US.

Rocky Mountain oysters are made from what?

Rocky Mountain oysters are bull (or sometimes sheep or pig) testicles, skinned, floured and deep-fried; ranch country served them after spring castration, and they are sold as a Coors Field concession.

Since what year has the Colorado State Fair been held in Pueblo?

The Colorado State Fair has been held in Pueblo since 1872, four years before statehood, when a livestock show was staged at a local farm; it now runs for about eleven days in late August.

The National Western Stock Show has been held in Denver every January since when?

The National Western Stock Show was first held in January 1906 as a way to promote better breeding and feeding of livestock; it has run in Denver every January since, with a rodeo added in 1931.

Frozen Dead Guy Days celebrates the cryopreservation of whom?

Bredo Morstøl, a Norwegian who died in 1989, is kept packed in dry ice by his family; Nederland held Frozen Dead Guy Days from 2002 to 2019 and the festival moved to Estes Park in 2023.

Which town holds an annual day for Mike the Headless Chicken?

Fruita, near Grand Junction, holds Mike the Headless Chicken Day each spring; the Wyandotte rooster, beheaded by farmer Lloyd Olsen in September 1945, lived another 18 months.

In which Denver suburb is the cult Mexican restaurant Casa Bonita?

Lakewood's Casa Bonita opened in 1974 as part of an Oklahoma City-based chain, complete with cliff divers; Trey Parker and Matt Stone rescued it from bankruptcy.

Which attorney originally proposed the 1922 Colorado River Compact?

Delph Carpenter, a Greeley water lawyer, proposed dividing the river among the basin states by compact; Herbert Hoover chaired the commission, and seven states signed at Bishop's Lodge near Santa Fe on November 24, 1922.

Which conglomerate's Pueblo steel mill was the city's main industry for most of its history?

Colorado Fuel and Iron's Minnequa works in Pueblo was the largest steel mill west of the Mississippi; John D. Rockefeller and the Gould heirs took control of the company in 1903.

How long is the Colorado River?

The Colorado River runs about 1,450 miles from La Poudre Pass in Rocky Mountain National Park to the Gulf of California, draining parts of seven US states and two Mexican states.

The Arkansas River's headwaters come from snowpack in which two Colorado ranges?

The Arkansas rises near Leadville from snowmelt off the Sawatch Range to the west and the Mosquito Range to the east, then flows 1,469 miles through Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas to the Mississippi.

What does 'Sangre de Cristo' mean?

Sangre de Cristo is Spanish for 'Blood of Christ', a name said to come from the red alpenglow on the peaks at dawn; the range runs from Poncha Pass to Glorieta Pass near Santa Fe.

Which state has the second-most fourteeners after Colorado?

Alaska has the second-most fourteeners, about 20 to 30 depending on the prominence rule, led by 20,310-foot Denali; California has 12 and Washington only Mount Rainier.

The Front Range runs between Pueblo and which Wyoming city?

The Front Range stretches about 300 miles from Casper, Wyoming, south to Pueblo, the Laramie Mountains forming its northern end; its peaks rise nearly 10,000 feet above the Great Plains.

Which language family does the Ute language belong to?

Ute belongs to the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan family, which also includes Shoshone, Comanche, Hopi and Nahuatl; historically the Utes formed about a dozen nomadic bands.

Mikaela Shiffrin was the first alpine skier to reach how many World Cup wins?

Mikaela Shiffrin, raised in Vail, became the first alpine skier to reach 100 World Cup wins with a slalom at Sestriere on February 23, 2025; she had passed Ingemar Stenmark's record of 86 in 2023.

How many hits did Todd Helton record, a Rockies club record?

Todd Helton finished with 2,519 hits, all for the Rockies across 17 seasons from 1997 to 2013; he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2024.

Missy Franklin held the long-course world record in which event from 2012 to 2019?

Missy Franklin, raised in Centennial, set the 200-metre backstroke world record of 2:04.06 at London 2012, aged 17, on her way to five medals; Regan Smith broke it in 2019.

Which pink mineral is Colorado's official state mineral?

Rhodochrosite, a rose-pink manganese carbonate, became the state mineral in 2002; the Sweet Home Mine near Alma produced the 'Alma King', a six-inch crystal displayed at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

What is Colorado's official state rock, adopted in 2004?

Yule Marble, quarried near Marble in the Crystal River valley, became the state rock in 2004 under House Bill 04-1023; it clads the Lincoln Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Which succulent became an official Colorado state symbol in 2014?

The claret cup cactus, Echinocereus triglochidiatus, became Colorado's state cactus in 2014; it grows on dry slopes up to about 8,000 feet and its scarlet blooms draw hummingbirds.

Unusually, what did Colorado designate as its official state pet?

Colorado named 'shelter pets', adopted dogs and cats, its official state pet in 2013 to promote adoption from shelters and rescues; the state also has an official tartan, adopted in 1997.

Which Colorado mountain town bills itself as the 'Switzerland of America'?

Ouray, at 7,792 feet in a box canyon on the Uncompahgre River, calls itself the 'Switzerland of America'; it is enclosed on three and a half sides by steep San Juan peaks and hosts the Ouray Ice Park.

Which O.K. Corral gunfighter spent his final months in Glenwood Springs and is buried there?

Doc Holliday, dying of tuberculosis, came to Glenwood Springs for its hot springs and vapor caves and died there on November 8, 1887, aged 36; a memorial stands in Linwood Cemetery though his exact grave is unknown.

Which mining magnate, who also built the Pikes Peak Highway, bought the Colorado Springs property in 1916 that became The Broadmoor?

Spencer Penrose opened the pink Mediterranean Revival Broadmoor in 1918 with his Cripple Creek mining fortune; he also built the Pikes Peak Highway in 1915 and founded the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Which North Fork of the Gunnison town is known for cherries and organic orchards?

Paonia, on the North Fork of the Gunnison River, is Colorado's cherry and organic-fruit hub and has held Cherry Days every July 4 since 1946; its name honors the peony roots its founder carried west in 1881.