List of Colorado state symbols

A map showing the location of the U.S. State of Colorado.
The location of the State of Colorado in the United States of America.

The U.S. State of Colorado has many adopted symbols and emblems. Most of these symbols and emblems were adopted by acts of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Colorado, and after statehood, the General Assembly of the State of Colorado.[1] A few of these symbols were adopted by executive action of the Governor. Federal agencies designated some of these symbols in honor of the state. Each entry explains the manner and date of adoption.

The first insignia of Colorado, the territorial motto: NIL SINE NVMINE,[2] was adopted by the First Session of the Territorial Legislature on November 6, 1861. The seal and coat of arms of the Territory of Colorado were specified by the First Session of the Territorial Legislature but not created until November 11, 1861.[3]

Insignia

See also: List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insignia
Colorado state insignia
Type Symbol Date Image
Coat of arms Coat of Arms of the State of Colorado[a] November 11, 1861
March 15, 1877
CRS 24-80-901[1]
Flag Flag of the State of Colorado[4][b] June 5, 1911
SB 118-1911
February 28, 1928
SB 152-1929
March 31, 1964
Logo Colorado state government logo[5] March 26, 2019[5]
Motto Nil sine numine[2]
(Latin: Nothing without providence) 		November 6, 1861
November 6, 1876
CRS 24-80-901[1]
Nickname Centennial State[6][c] Statehood on
August 1, 1876[7]
Seal Great Seal of the State of Colorado[3] November 11, 1861
March 15, 1877
CRS 24-80-901[1]
Slogan Colorful Colorado[6] 1950
unofficial

Living symbols

Colorado living symbols
Type Symbol Date Image
Amphibian Western tiger salamander
Ambystoma mavortium 		2012[8][9]
Bird Lark bunting
Calamospiza melancorys stejneger 		1931[10][11]
Cactus Claret cup cactus[12]
Echinocereus triglochidiatus 		2014[13][14]
Fish Greenback cutthroat trout
Oncorhynchus clarki stomias 		1994[15][16]
Flower Rocky Mountain columbine
Aquilegia coerulea 		1899[17]
Grass Blue grama grass[18]
Bouteloua gracilis 		May 20, 1987
SJR13-1987
Insect Colorado hairstreak butterfly[19]
Hypaurotis crysalus 		April 17, 1996
SB 122-1996
CRS 24-80-913[1]
Mammal Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep[20]
Ovis canadensis canadensis 		May 1, 1961
SB 294-1961
CRS 24-80-911[1]
Mushroom The Emperor

Agaricus julius

2025[21]
Pets Colorado shelter pets[22]
Canis lupus familiaris & Felis catus 		May 13, 2013
SB13-201
Reptile Western painted turtle[23]
Chrysemys picta bellii 		March 18, 2008
HB08-1017
Tree Colorado blue spruce[24]
Picea pungens glauca 		March 7, 1939
HJR 7-1939

Earth symbols

Colorado earth symbols
Type Symbol Date Image
Fossil Stegosaurus[25] April 28, 1982
Executive Order
Gemstone Aquamarine[26] April 30, 1971
HB 1104-1971
CRS 24-80-912[1]
Mineral Rhodochrosite[27] April 17, 2002
CRS 24-80-912.5[1]
Rock Yule Marble[28] March 9, 2004
HB04-1023
CRS 24-80-912.7[1]
Soil Seitz soil[29] United States Department of Agriculture

Cultural symbols

Colorado cultural symbols
Type Symbol Date Image
Folk dance Square dance[30] March 16, 1992
HB 1058-1992
CRS 24-80-909.5[1]
Songs "Where the Columbines Grow"[31] May 8, 1915
SB 308-1915
CRS 24-80-909[1]
"Rocky Mountain High"[31] March 12, 2007
SJR07-023
CRS 24-80-909[1]
Summer sport Pack burro racing[32] May 8, 2012
HJR12-1021
Tartan Colorado state tartan[33] March 3, 1997
HJR97-1016
Winter sport Skiing and snowboarding[34] April 8, 2008

Highway route markers

Colorado highway route markers
Type Symbol Year Image
State highways Colorado state highway route marker[35] 1967
Colorado Highway Commission
Scenic byways Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway route marker[35] 1989
Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission

Motor vehicle license plates

Typical Colorado state motor vehicle license plate
Type Symbol Year Image
License plate Colorado passenger automobile registration plate[36] 1913
2018
2025
Colorado Department of Revenue

United States naval vessels

United States naval vessels named USS Colorado
Type Symbol Date Image
Screw frigate USS Colorado (1856)[37][e] March 13, 1858 to
June 8, 1875
United States Navy 		An image of USS Colorado in China
Armored cruiser USS Colorado (ACR-7)[42] January 19, 1905
renamed
USS Pueblo[f]
November 9, 1916 to
September 28, 1927
United States Navy 		An image of USS Colorado in Hampden Roads
Battleship USS Colorado (BB-45)[43] August 30, 1923 to
January 1947
United States Navy 		An image of USS Colorado in New York City
Nuclear submarine USS Colorado (SSN-788)[44] Commissioned
March 17, 2018
United States Navy

United States postage stamp

Colorado statehood sesquicentennial United States postage stamp
Type Symbol Date Image
U.S. postage stamp 2026 Colorado statehood sesquicentennial postage stamp[h] January 24, 2026
United States Postal Service 		See USPS

United States coin

2006 United States quarter dollar featuring Colorado
Type Symbol Date Image
U.S. quarter dollar Colorado state quarter dollar[47] June 14, 2006
United States Mint

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Coat of Arms of the State of Colorado was implicitly defined by the legislation creating the Seal of the Territory of Colorado on November 11, 1861, and the Great Seal of the State of Colorado on March 15, 1877.
  2. ^ The Colorado state flag was adopted on June 5, 1911. The 1911 legislation that adopted the flag did not stipulate the precise hues of red and blue to be used, and so on February 28, 1929, the General Assembly stipulated that the colors be the same as the colors on the U.S. flag. Controversy arose over the size of the letter 'C,' and on March 31, 1964, the General Assembly further modified the 1911 legislation by revising the distance from the staff for the letter 'C' and its diameter.
  3. ^ The State of Colorado is nicknamed the Centennial State because to joined the Union on August 1, 1876, four weeks after the centennial of the United States Declaration of Independence.
  4. ^ The Colorado River did not officially flow through the State of Colorado until July 25, 1921, when President Warren G. Harding signed House Joint Resolution 32 – To change the name of the Grand River in Colorado and Utah to the Colorado River.[38][39][40][41] Prior to this date, the origin of the Colorado River was officially the confluence of the Grand and Green rivers at 38°11′21″N 109°53′09″W / 38.1892°N 109.8857°W / 38.1892; -109.8857 (Confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers) in what is now Canyonlands National Park of Utah.
  5. ^ USS Colorado was named for the Colorado River,[d] and predated the creation of the Territory of Colorado in 1861.
  6. ^ USS Colorado was renamed USS Pueblo on November 9, 1916 to free up the name for a new battleship to be named USS Colorado.
  7. ^ On Tuesday, August 1, 1876, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant certified that the conditions of the Colorado Enabling Act had been fulfilled and issued Proclamation 230 — Admission of Colorado into the Union.[7] The Territory of Colorado became the State of Colorado, the 38th U.S. state, also known as the Centennial State.
  8. ^ The 2026 Colorado statehood sesquicentennial postage stamp commemorates the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood.[g] The forever stamp was designed by USPS art director Derry Noyes and features a photograph of 13,826-foot (4,214 m) Jagged Mountain by Colorado nature photographer John Feilder entitled Foggy Jagged Mountain, Weminuche Wilderness.[45] The stamp was unveiled by Amber McReynolds, Chair of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service, and Colorado Governor Jared Polis in a ceremony at the History Colorado Center in Denver on Saturday, January 24, 2026.[46]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Colorado Revised Statutes". Colorado Legal Resources. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "State Motto". Colorado State Archives. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "State Seal". Colorado State Archives. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  4. ^ "State Flag". Colorado State Archives. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Colorado State Brand Story". State of Colorado. March 26, 2019. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  6. ^ a b "State Name and Nicknames". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Ulysses S. Grant (August 1, 1876). "Proclamation 230—Admission of Colorado into the Union". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  8. ^ "Colorado State Code | State Amphibian". Justia Law. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  9. ^ "Colorado HB1147 | 2012 | Regular Session". LegiScan. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  10. ^ "The Twenty-Eighth General Assembly | State of Colorado" (PDF). spl.cde.state.co.us/. p. 16. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  11. ^ "Colorado State Code | Lark bunting". Justia law. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  12. ^ "State Cactus". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  13. ^ "1024_enr-State Cactus-2014.pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  14. ^ "Colorado State Code | State cactus". Justia law. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  15. ^ "DIGEST OF BILLS ENACTED BY THE FIFTY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY" (PDF). leg.colorado.gov. p. 109. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  16. ^ "Colorado State Code | State Fish". advance.lexis.com. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  17. ^ "Symbols & Emblems | Colorado State Archives". archives.colorado.gov. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
  18. ^ "State Grass". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  19. ^ "State Insect". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  20. ^ "State Animal". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  21. ^ Mullica, Kyle; Phillips, Jacque, Designation of State Mushroom, retrieved 2025-10-23
  22. ^ "State Pet". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  23. ^ "State Reptile". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  24. ^ "State Tree". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  25. ^ "State Fossil". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  26. ^ "State Gemstone". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  27. ^ "State Mineral". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  28. ^ "State Rock". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  29. ^ "Seitz -- Colorado State Soil". Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. August 23, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  30. ^ "State Folk Dance". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on January 25, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  31. ^ a b "State Songs". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  32. ^ "State Summer Sport". Colorado State Archives. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  33. ^ "State Tartan". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  34. ^ "State Winter Sport". Colorado State Archive. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  35. ^ a b Malek, Matthew E. (November 30, 2014). "Colorado Highways: Route Markers Through the Years". Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  36. ^ "Regular License Plates". Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  37. ^ "Colorado I (Screw Frigate)". Naval History and Heritage Command, United States Navy. June 30, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  38. ^ "Renaming the Grand River, Colo." (PDF), Hearing Before the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce of the House of Representatives, Sixty Sixth Congress, Third Session, on HJ 460, Government Printing Office, February 18, 1921, retrieved May 16, 2023
  39. ^ "House approves H. J. Res. 32-To change the name of the Grand River in Colorado and Utah to the Colorado River." (PDF), Congressional Record - Volume LXI-Part 3, Government Printing Office, p. 3057, June 27, 1921, retrieved May 16, 2023
  40. ^ "Senate approves H. J. Res. 32-To change the name of the Grand River in Colorado and Utah to the Colorado River." (PDF), Congressional Record - Volume LXI-Part 4, Government Printing Office, p. 3450, July 8, 1921, retrieved May 16, 2023
  41. ^ "President signs H. J. Res. 32-To change the name of the Grand River in Colorado and Utah to the Colorado River." (PDF), Congressional Record - Volume LXI-Part 5, Government Printing Office, p. 4274, July 25, 1921, retrieved May 16, 2023
  42. ^ "Colorado I (Screw Frigate)". Naval History and Heritage Command, United States Navy. June 30, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  43. ^ "Colorado I (Screw Frigate)". Naval History and Heritage Command, United States Navy. June 30, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  44. ^ "USS Colorado (SSN 788) Commissioning Committee". USS Colorado (SSN 788) Commissioning Committee. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  45. ^ "U.S. Postal Service Issues New Stamp Celebrating 150 Years of Colorado Statehood". United States Postal Service. January 24, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  46. ^ "John Fielder's Mountains Majesty Showcased in New Exhibition and Commemorative Stamp Unveiling". History Colorado. January 13, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  47. ^ "Colorado State Quarter". United States Mint. Retrieved May 12, 2023.


38°59′50″N 105°32′52″W / 38.9972°N 105.5478°W / 38.9972; -105.5478 (State of Colorado)

allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Colorado_state_symbols