62 Colorado Fun Facts: All About The Beautiful Centennial State
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Many might think of Colorado as a skiing haven, and that's all.
But that fact is not all there is to know about Colorado! The scenic state of Colorado is famous for many things, from flora, fauna to cheeseburgers.
Keep on reading to learn some seriously fun facts about Colorado and find out more about the American state. What's more, if you love facts why not check out our interesting facts about Honduras and Lake Titicaca facts right here.
Historically Interesting Facts About Colorado
With this selection of Colorado history facts and Colorado trivia, you are bound to impress all of the family. Take a look at these Colorado facts for kids.
1. Colorado is known as the “Centennial State” because it became a state one hundred years after the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence.
2. The state takes its name after the Colorado River. In Spanish, Colorado means “colored red”.
3. In 1880, the famous town of Glenwood Springs was initially named “Defiance”.
4. From 1943 to 1946, during the Second World War, the Glenwood Springs resort was used exclusively as a US Naval Convalescent Hospital.
5. Colorado is the only US state in history to reject the Olympics as a result of environmental and infrastructure concerns.
6. The gold rush occurred in Colorado between 1858-59. The gold was first discovered in present-day Englewood
7. In 1879 silver was discovered in Leadville. The discovery signaled the start of Silver Boom in the state.
8. The world’s first rodeo show was held on 4 July 1869 in Deer Trail, Colorado.
9. Built in 1913, The Park Theater in Estes Park, was the state’s first cinema and is one of the oldest in the world.
10. In 1893 the women of Colorado were granted the right to vote.
Geographical Facts About Colorado
The geography of Colorado is incredibly diverse, keep on reading to learn some fun facts about Colorado, and find out more about the world-famous state. We have also added some facts about Colorado Springs well worth memorizing.
11. The physical features of Colorado include various types of terrain, such as arid dry desert, the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, and plenty of river canyons.
12. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway in Colorado is the highest paved road in North America at 14,130 feet.
13. Known as the world’s largest continental divide, The Continental Divide of the Americas runs through Colorado.
14. Water that travels west of the Continental Divide goes to the Pacific Ocean while water that falls to the east travels to the Atlantic Ocean.
15. The city of Leadville sits at 10,152 feet high, making it the highest city in the US.
16. The Continental Divide Trail is around 650 miles in length spanning across Colorado.
17. The world’s largest flat-top mountain is the Grand Mesa near Grand Junction, Colorado.
18. The state of Colorado is situated in North America, and the land area of Colorado is 269,837 km².
19. Colorado is often sub-divided into five regions: The Colorado Plateau, The Great Plains, The Southern Rocky Mountains, the Wyoming Basin, and the Middle Rocky Mountains.
20. Colorado bordering states include Nebraska and Kansas to the east, Wyoming and Nebraska to the north, Utah to the west and Oklahoma and New Mexico to the south.
21. The Pikes Peak is the highest peak within the Southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, however, of all the 117 mountains in Colorado Mount Elbert bears the highest summit at 4401 meters high.
22. Colorado’s largest lake is the Blue Mesa Reservoir. It is located entirely within the state. The Blue Mesa reservoir has a surface area of 9180 acres.
23. Glenwood Hot Springs is the world’s largest mineral hot springs.
24. The Rocky Mountain range is over a staggering 76 million years old.
25. Almost 70% of Colorado’s population live in the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains range.
26. Over 100 mountains form the Rocky Mountains, across separate ranges.
Cultural Facts About Colorado
If you're looking to up the ante with some Colorado facts, here’s all you need to know all about Colorado, including the Colorado state bird flower and tree.
27. The official Colorado state animal is the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.
28. If you are looking for more information about Colorado, the Colorado Parks commissions 224 full-time wildlife officers ready to help the public.
29. The lark bunting is the official bird in the state of Colorado.
30. Colorado is the 38th state of the United States; it joined the union in 1876.
31. People from Colorado are known as Coloradoans or Coloradans.
32. Colorado does not have official state food, though it does have a trout fish as the only edible state symbol.
33. The Colorado Blue Spruce is the state tree of Colorado. The Latin name Picea pungens.
34. The most famous food from Colorado is Palisade peaches, along with Rocky Mountain Oysters. It’s also renowned for its lamb, and cantaloupe melons.
35. The Colorado state flower is blue columbine, it’s been illegal to pick this flower since 1925.
36. Colorado is famous for its abundance of outdoor sports, such as skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and boating.
37. Colorado symbols include its state flag, which has a large red C, filled with gold, on a blue and white background.
38. In Colorado, it is illegal to harm or hunt a bird of prey, some birds such as eagles are protected federally.
Colorado Fun Facts
There’s plenty of slightly weird facts about Colorado ranging from giant forks to burgers. Here are our top Colorado fun facts.
39. The world’s largest roadside fork is in Colorado. This 40-foot-long, 800-pound piece of aluminium can be found in Creede.
40. Rocky Ford is known as the “melon capital of the world." Situated in the Arkansas Valley, Rocky Ford melons are the cantaloupe variety and have been cultivated for over 100 years.
41. The first trademark for the name “cheeseburger” was awarded to Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver, Colorado.
42. The Royal Gorge Bridge remains the highest suspension bridge in Colorado, standing 956 feet above the wild Arkansas River.
43. In 1902, as a result of holding up trains and slowing the schedule, police at Denver Union Station started enforcing a “no kissing” rule.
44. Spanning across three days, Pueblo, Colorado, holds one of the largest green chili festivals in America. The annual event is called the Chillie and Frijoles Festival.
45. When it comes to cool things about Colorado, situated 60 miles west of Denver, The Eisenhower Tunnel is the highest auto tunnel in the world.
46. Home to some of the world’s most dangerous criminals is The SuperMax prison. It is often nicknamed the “Alcatraz of the Rockies” due to its maximum security, is located in Florence, Colorado.
47. Colorado has one of the strictest vehicle emission regulations in the US.
48. The city of Boulder earned the title the Happiest City in the US.
49. The world’s first shredded wheat originated from Colorado.
50. The first tire clamp in the world was invented by the concert violinist, Frank Marugg in Denver, 1944.
51. After a study on the water of Colorado Springs, it was identified that it was the presence of fluoride in the water caused the residents to have fewer cavities in their teeth.
52. The Government of the United States owns over a third of the land within Colorado.
53. The home of the United States Air Force Academy is in Colorado.
54. Jack Dempsey and Tim Allen are both famous residents of Colorado.
55. Aurora is considered one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Colorado, it has over 60 miles of bicycling paths and routes.
Facts About Denver
Learn more cool facts about Colorado the centennial state by checking out these top facts about Denver, the capital of the region.
56. The vibrant city of Denver is the capital of Colorado.
57. Denver’s Colfax Avenue is believed to be the longest continuous street in the United States at approximately 50 miles long.
58. Denver has over 200 urban parks within the city alone. The largest is City Park.
59. The famous singer Bob Dylan lived at 1336 East 17th Ave, Denver.
60. The “Mile High City” is another name for Denver. This is because it sits at 5,280 feet above sea level, which is exactly one mile.
61. The highest building in Denver is the 56-story Republic Plaza, which rises 717 feet (219 meters).
62. Denver is home to the world’s very first famous Chipotle burrito, which then amassed popularity across the US.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 62 Colorado Fun Facts: All About The Beautiful Centennial State then why not take a look at facts about Iowa, or funny facts about Kansas?
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Bachelor's degree specializing in Speech Therapy and Psychology, Postgraduate degree specializing in Dysphagia
Dayna ClarkeBachelor's degree specializing in Speech Therapy and Psychology, Postgraduate degree specializing in Dysphagia
A true "linguaphile," Dayna's upbringing in rural Devon exposed her to three languages spoken at home. After pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Reading, she embarked on a fulfilling career as a Speech and Language Therapist, specializing in early intervention for children with special educational needs. Additionally, she provides support to adults and teenagers dealing with dysfluency. She also has a postgraduate degree in Dysphagia from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
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