![Colorado in United States](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Colorado_in_United_States.svg)
The
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
State of Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
has 272
active incorporated municipalities, comprising 197
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
s, 73
cities
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
, and two
consolidated city and county governments.
At the
2020 United States Census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, 4,299,942 of the 5,773,714 Colorado residents (74.47%) lived in one of these 272 municipalities. Another 714,417 residents (12.37%) lived in one of the 210
census-designated places
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
, while the remaining 759,355 residents (13.15%) lived in the many rural and mountainous areas of the state.
Colorado municipalities range in population from the
City and County of Denver, the
state capital
Below is an index of pages containing lists of capital cities.
National capitals
*List of national capitals
*List of national capitals by latitude
*List of national capitals by population
*List of national capitals by area
*List of capital citie ...
,
with a 2020 population of 715,522, to the
Town of Carbonate, which has had no year-round population since the
1890 Census due to its severe winter weather and difficult access.
[ The City of Black Hawk with a 2020 population of 127 is the least populous Colorado city, while the Town of Castle Rock with a 2020 population of 73,158 is the most populous Colorado town.][
Only of Colorado's of land area (1.90%) are incorporated in the 272 municipalities. The ]City of Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...
with of land area is the most extensive municipality, while the Town of Sawpit with of land area is the least extensive. The City of Glendale with a 2020 population density of 8,117 residents per square mile (3,134/km2) is the most densely populated municipality, while the Town of Bonanza with a 2020 population density of 38 residents per square mile (15/km2) is the least densely populated municipality after Carbonate.
Municipal government
Colorado law makes relatively few distinctions between a city and a town. The charter of a home rule municipality
Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories ...
may designate either a city or town municipal title.[ In general, cities are more populous than towns, although long-term population changes may skew this considerably, as illustrated by the City of Black Hawk and the Town of Castle Rock.
The City of Central is the only Colorado municipality that does not have its full place name at the end of its municipal title. The towns of Garden City, Lake City, Orchard City, and Sugar City are statutory towns despite the word "city" at the end of their names. The municipality of Creede uses the official title "City of Creede" despite its status as a Colorado statutory town.][
Neither ]village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
nor civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England, New York, and Wisconsin to ref ...
is a type of civil division in the State of Colorado, although the cities of Cherry Hills Village
The City of Cherry Hills Village is a home rule municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 6,442 at the 2020 United States Census. Cherry Hills Village is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, C ...
and Greenwood Village and the towns of Log Lane Village, Mountain Village, and Snowmass Village have the word "village" at the end of their names.[ Several resort communities use the word "village" to describe their ]central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
.
Nineteen Colorado municipalities extend into two counties, but only the cities of Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
and Littleton extend into three counties.[
Colorado municipalities operate under one of the following five types of municipal governing authority:]Colorado Revised Statutes
The ''Colorado Revised Statutes'' (C.R.S.) are a legal code of Colorado, the codified general and permanent statutes of the Colorado General Assembly.
Publication
The ''Colorado Revised Statutes'' are revised and published by the Revisor of ...
Constitution of the State of Colorado
The Constitution of the State of Colorado is the foundation of the laws and government of the U.S. state of Colorado. The current, and only, Colorado State Constitution was drafted on March 14, 1876; approved by Colorado voters on July 1, 1876; ...
Consolidated city and county
In the State of Colorado, only Denver and Broomfield have consolidated city and county governments. The City and County of Denver operates under Article XX, Section 4 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado; and Title 30, Article 11, Section 101 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. Denver has an elected mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
and a city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
of 13 members with 11 members elected from council districts and two members elected at large.[ The City and County of Broomfield operates under Article XX, Sections 10–13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. Broomfield has an appointed city and county manager, an elected mayor, and a city council of 11 members composed of the mayor and two members elected from each of five wards.][
]
Home rule municipality
Colorado has 62 cities and 37 towns that are home rule municipalities that are self-governing
__NOTOC__
Self-governance, self-government, or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any form of ...
under Article 20 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado; Title 31, Article 1, Section 202 of the Colorado Revised Statutes; and the home rule charter of each municipality. The state-authorized home rule charter determines the form of government.[
]
Statutory city
Colorado has 11 statutory cities that operate under Title 31, Article 1, Section 203 and Article 4, Section 100 or Section 200 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. Statutory cities have an elected mayor and a city council composed of the mayor and two members elected from each ward. A statutory city may petition to reorganize as a Section 200 statutory city with an appointed city manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a "Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief execu ...
and a city council with two members elected from each ward and one member elected at large. The mayor may be the city council member elected at large or the city council may appoint a mayor.[
]
Statutory town
Colorado has 159 statutory towns that operate under Title 31, Article 1, Section 203 and Article 4, Part 3 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. Statutory towns have an elected mayor and a board of trustees
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
composed of the mayor and four or six additional members elected at large.[ Colorado statutory towns are similar to ]village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
s in other states such as the villages of the State of New York.
Territorial charter municipality
The Town of Georgetown is the only municipality that still operates under a charter granted by the Territory of Colorado
The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado.
The territory was organized in the w ...
. The town operates under Article 14, Section 13 of the Charter & Constitution of the Colorado Territory enacted on January 28, 1868. The town mayor is called the Police Judge and the town council is called the Board of Selectmen.
Municipalities
Municipalities in multiple counties
The following table contains the 2020 population of each of the 21 active incorporated municipalities that currently extend into more than one Colorado county.
Population estimates
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
population estimates for July 1, 2021 are in included in the Population history of Colorado municipalities
This is a population history of the 272 active incorporated municipalities of the US State of Colorado since the 2000 United States census as estimated by the United States Census Bureau.
With a 2021 population estimate of 711,463 residents, ...
.
With a 2021 population of 711,463 residents, the City and County of Denver remains the most populous municipality in Colorado, while the Town of Carbonate still has no year-round residents. Colorado now has 13 municipalities with more than 100,000 residents, and 17 with fewer than 100 residents.
Gallery
Denver skyline.jpg, 1. Denver, the “Mile-High City”, is the state capital and the most populous regional city.[, alt=The evening skyline of Denver
CC COSPRINGS.jpg, 2. Colorado Springs is the center of a military, technical, and recreational complex at the foot of ]Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is the List of mountain ranges of Colorado#Mountain ranges, highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, in North America. The Ultra-prominent peak, ultra-prominent fourteener is located in Pike National Forest ...
., alt=The skyline of Colorado Springs
Aurora, CO, USA - panoramio (1).jpg, 3. Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
, Denver's twin city, is home of the regional Anschutz Medical Campus
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is the academic health sciences campus in Aurora, Colorado that houses the University of Colorado's six health sciences-related schools and colleges, including the University of Colorado School ...
., alt=A shopping district in Aurora, Colorado
Downtown Fort Collins Colorado.jpg, 4. Fort Collins
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
is a research center and home of Colorado State University
Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...
., alt=Downtown Fort Collins, Colorado
LakewoodCivicCenter.JPG, 5. Lakewood is home of the Denver Federal Center
The Denver Federal Center, in Lakewood, Colorado, is part of the General Services Administration and is home to about 6,200 employees of agencies of the federal government of the United States. The Center encompasses an area of about and has 90 ...
, the largest federal complex outside Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, alt=The Lakewood, Colorado Civic Center
Thornton, CO, welcome sign IMG 5209.JPG, 6. Thornton is a residential community that is the northern gateway to Metropolitan Denver
Denver, Colorado, Denver is the central city of a conurbation region in the U.S. state of Colorado. The conurbation includes one continuous region consisting of the six central counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jeffers ...
., alt=A Thornton, Colorado welcome sign
Aerial image of Arvada, Colorado.jpg, 7. Arvada
Arvada () is a home rule municipality located in Jefferson and Adams counties, Colorado, United States. The city population was 124,402 at the 2020 United States Census, with 121,510 residing in Jefferson County and 2,892 residing in Adams Cou ...
is the site of the first recorded gold discovery in the Rocky Mountain
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
region., alt=An aerial view of Arvada, Colorado
Sunset over Stanley Lake.jpeg, 8. Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
is a northwestern Denver suburb with a trail and open space system., alt=A sunset over Stanley Lake in Westminster, Colorado
Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo.JPG, 9. The Historic Arkansas Riverwalk
The Historic Arkansas Riverwalk is a riverwalk in the US city of Pueblo, Colorado, along the Arkansas River. The riverwalk was constructed as part of an effort to attract tourists and trade to the city. Its construction was inspired by the San An ...
in downtown Pueblo
In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...
., alt=The Historic Arkansas Riverwalk in downtown in Pueblo, Colorado
Neighborhood view of Greeley, Colorado LCCN2011634687.tif, 10. Greeley was settled as part of the agricultural Union Colony of Colorado
The Union Colony of Colorado (also called the Greeley Colony and The Union Temperance Colony) was a 19th-century private enterprise formed to promote agricultural settlements in the South Platte River valley in the Colorado Territory. Organization ...
., alt=A historic neighborhood in Greeley, Colorado
Denver LDSTemple.JPG, 11. Centennial
{{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation)
A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.
Notable events
Notable centennial events at a ...
is home of the Denver Area Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
., alt=The Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Centennial, Colorado
DSCN5800 bouderbelowflatirons e.jpg, 12. Boulder
In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive.
In c ...
is a research center and home of the University of Colorado
The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...
., alt=The Flatirons rock formations above Boulder, Colorado
Longmont, CO, Safety and Justice Center IMG 5217.JPG, 13. Longmont
The City of Longmont is a home rule municipality located in Boulder and Weld counties, Colorado, United States. Longmont is located northeast of the county seat of Boulder and north-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver.
Longmont's ...
is a farm town turned high-tech center., alt=The Longmont, Colorado cityhall
Benson Park Sculpture Garden 03.jpg, 14. Loveland, the “Sweetheart City”, is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is an American national park located approximately northwest of Denver in north-central Colorado, within the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The park is situated between the towns of Estes Park to the east and ...
., alt=The Benson Park Sculpture Garden in Loveland, Colorado
Castle Rock trail signs.jpg, 15. Castle Rock is a residential community between Denver and Colorado Springs., alt=The Castle Rock formation in Castle Rock, Colorado
Broomfield colorado interlocken offices.jpg, 16. Broomfield is a high-tech center located midway between Denver and Boulder., alt=Office buildings in 17. Grand Junction is the most populous city of western Colorado and the entire .">alt=Grand Junction, Colorado with the Colorado River in the foreground and Mount Garfield in the background
Dick's Park.jpg, 18. Commerce City is a residential community near .">alt=Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado
Parker, Colorado.JPG, 19. Parker, Colorado, Parker is a residential community southeast of Denver., alt=Main Street in Parker, Colorado
Littleton Main Street.JPG, 20. Littleton is a farm town turned Denver suburb., alt=Main Street in Littleton, Colorado
See also
*List of populated places in Colorado
**List of census-designated places in Colorado
***Population history of Colorado census-designated places
**List of counties in Colorado
***List of county seats in Colorado
***Population history of Colorado counties
**List of forts in Colorado
This is a list of military and trading forts established in the U.S. State of Colorado.
History
The initial forts, built in the first half of the 19th century, were early communities of commerce between Native Americans, trappers, and trader ...
**List of ghost towns in Colorado
This is a list of some ghost towns in the U.S. State of Colorado. Colorado has over 1,500 ghost towns, although visible remains of only about 640 still exist. Due to incomplete records and legends that are now accepted as fact, no exhaustive l ...
**List of historic places in Colorado
There are more than 1,500 properties and historic districts in Colorado listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They are distributed over 63 of Colorado's 64 counties; only the City and County of Broomfield has none.
__NOTOC__
C ...
**List of municipalities in Colorado
***Population history of Colorado municipalities
This is a population history of the 272 active incorporated municipalities of the US State of Colorado since the 2000 United States census as estimated by the United States Census Bureau.
With a 2021 population estimate of 711,463 residents, ...
**List of populated places in Colorado by county
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
**
**List of statistical areas in Colorado
The U.S. state of Colorado has twenty-one statistical areas that have been delineated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Statistical areas are important geographic delineations of population clusters used by the OMB, the United States ...
Notes
References
External links
United States Department of Commerce
United States Census Bureau
State of Colorado
Department of Local Affairs
Colorado Municipal League
History Colorado
{{DEFAULTSORT:Municipalities in Colorado, List of
Lists of places in Colorado
Lists of populated places in Colorado
Local government in Colorado
Colorado, List of municipalities in
Colorado, List of municipalities in
de:Gemeindeformen Colorados