State Overview - Colorado

Colorado was admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876, becoming the 38th state.

Colorado ranks 8th in size with an area of 104,185 miles^2.

Colorado has a median household income of $92,300 ranking 9th.

Demonym of Colorado people is Coloradan.

Colorado's is divided into 64 counties with the most populous county being El Paso (~750k). Colorado's most populous city is Denver, which is also the capital city.

Before being submitted to statehood, Colorado had two territorial capitals, Colorado City and Golden.

The region of Colorado was first inhabited by Native Americans for at least 13,500 years, going up to 37,000 years ago. Plateaus in Colorado was dominated by the Pueblo Indians. The Ute Nation inhabited the mountains, and the Apache and Comanche Indians lived in the plains. These people sometimes went to Wyoming to hunt animals such as Bison.

Spain once claimed Colorado as part of Nuevo Mexico. Later, the United States acquired the majority of Colorado from the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The American claims conflicted with the Spanish claim to the upper Arkansas River. This led to an American explorer being taken prisoner. The US and Spain later made several treaties to solve the land disputes.

Parts of Colorado would be Mexican until the Texian Revolt which led to the Mexican-American War. Colorado became a territory of the United States in the 1850s. On March 3, 1875, Colorado officially obtained statehood and became a US State. In 1878, silver was discovered near Leadville which led to the Colorado Silver Boom. In 1893, women were given the right to vote, making Colorado the second state, behind Wyoming, to grant women the right to vote.

- Colorado is the highest US State by average elevation

- Colorado is part of the Four Corner States

- Colorado means "Colored Red" in Spanish

- Denver claims to have invented the Cheeseburger

- The Stegasaurus was first discovered in Colorado

- Over 1/3 of Colorado is owned by the Federal Government