List of Colorado state symbols

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The location of the State of Colorado in the United States of America. Colorado in United States.svg
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.

Contents

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

Colorado state insignia
TypeSymbolYearImage
Coat of arms Coat of Arms of the State of Colorado [a] November 11, 1861
March 15, 1877
CRS 24-80-901 [1] 		Coat of arms of Colorado.svg
Flag Flag of the State of Colorado [4] June 5, 1911
SB 118-1911
February 28, 1928
SB 152-1929
March 31, 1964		 Flag of Colorado.svg
LogoColorado state government logo [5] March 26, 2019 [5] Logo of the State of Colorado.png
Motto Nil sine numine [2]
(Latin: Nothing without providence)		November 6, 1861
November 6, 1876
CRS 24-80-901 [1]
Nickname Centennial State [6] [b] 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] 		Seal of Colorado.svg
Slogan Colorful Colorado [6] 1950
unofficial		 "Welcome to Colorful Colorado" state welcome sign along Interstate 70, entering from Utah (2006).jpg

Living symbols

Colorado living symbols
TypeSymbolYearImage
Amphibian Western tiger salamander
Ambystoma mavortium		2012 [8] [9] Ambystoma mavortium 2006.jpg
Bird Lark bunting
Calamospiza melancorys stejneger		1931 [10] [11] IMG 7043 lark bunting.jpg
Cactus Claret cup cactus [12]
Echinocereus triglochidiatus		2014 [13] [14] Echinocereus triglochidiatusUGA0807034.jpg
Fish Greenback cutthroat trout
Oncorhynchus clarki stomias		1994 [15] [16] Greenbackcutthroat.jpg
Flower Rocky Mountain columbine
Aquilegia coerulea		1899 [17] Aquilegia coerulea.jpg
Grass Blue grama grass [18]
Bouteloua gracilis		May 20, 1987
SJR13-1987		 Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis MN 2007.JPG
Insect Colorado hairstreak butterfly [19]
Hypaurotis crysalus		April 17, 1996
SB 122-1996
CRS 24-80-913 [1] 		Colorado Hairstreak, MM.JPG
Mammal Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep [20]
Ovis canadensis canadensis		May 1, 1961
SB 294-1961
CRS 24-80-911 [1] 		Bighorn ram full curl.jpg
Mushroom The Emperor

Agaricus julius

2025 [21] Agaricus julius.jpg
Pets Colorado shelter pets [22]
Canis lupus familiaris & Felis catus 		May 13, 2013
SB13-201 		Black cat Animal Rescue GalawebDesign.jpg
Reptile Western painted turtle [23]
Chrysemys picta bellii		March 18, 2008
HB08-1017		 Painted turtle.jpg
Tree Colorado blue spruce [24]
Picea pungens glauca		March 7, 1939
HJR 7-1939		 Picea pungens USDA1.jpg

Earth symbols

Colorado earth symbols
TypeSymbolYearImage
Fossil Stegosaurus [25] April 28, 1982
Executive Order		 Stegosaurus stenops mounted skeleton.jpg
Gemstone Aquamarine [26] April 30, 1971
HB 1104-1971
CRS 24-80-912 [1] 		Aquamarin cut.jpg
Mineral Rhodochrosite [27] April 17, 2002
CRS 24-80-912.5 [1] 		The Searchlight Rhodochrosite Crystal.jpg
Rock Yule Marble [28] March 9, 2004
HB04-1023
CRS 24-80-912.7 [1] 		Lincoln-Memorial WashingtonDC Crop.jpg
Soil Seitz soil [29] United States Department of Agriculture Sloan Lake View from American Basin Trail.jpg

Cultural symbols

Colorado cultural symbols
TypeSymbolYearImage
Folk dance Square dance [30] March 16, 1992
HB 1058-1992
CRS 24-80-909.5 [1] 		Square Dance Group.jpg
Songs "Where the Columbines Grow" [31] May 8, 1915
SB 308-1915
CRS 24-80-909 [1] 		Heavycolumbinebloom.jpg
"Rocky Mountain High" [31] March 12, 2007
SJR07-023
CRS 24-80-909 [1] 		Sonnenaufgang an den Maroon Bells.jpg
Summer sport Pack burro racing [32] May 8, 2012
HJR12-1021 		FairplayBurroRacer.JPG
Tartan Colorado state tartan [33] March 3, 1997
HJR97-1016		 Colorado-tartan.png
Winter sport Skiing and snowboarding [34] April 8, 2008 Aspen08.jpg

Highway route markers

Colorado highway route markers
TypeSymbolYearImage
State highways Colorado state highway route marker [35] 1967
Colorado Highway Commission 		Colorado 14.svg
Scenic byways Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway route marker [35] 1989
Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission 		Colorado Scenic Byway.png

Motor vehicle license plates

Typical Colorado state motor vehicle license plate
TypeSymbolYearImage
License plate Colorado passenger automobile registration plate [36] 1913
2018
Colorado Department of Revenue 		Colorado's Sesquicentennial Under 13 License Plate Winner.jpg

United States naval vessels

United States naval vessels named USS Colorado
TypeSymbolYearImage
Screw frigate USS Colorado (1856) [37] [d] March 13, 1858 to
June 8, 1875
United States Navy 		USS Colorado, 1871.jpg
Armored cruiser USS Colorado (ACR-7) [42] January 19, 1905
renamed
USS Pueblo [e]
November 9, 1916 to
September 28, 1927
United States Navy 		U.S.S. Colorado.jpg
Battleship USS Colorado (BB-45) [43] August 30, 1923 to
January 1947
United States Navy 		USS Colorado (BB-45) New York 1932.jpg
Nuclear submarine USS Colorado (SSN-788) [44] Commissioned
March 17, 2018
United States Navy 		USS Colorado (SSN-788) at Groton, Connecticut (USA), on 15 March 2018 (180315-N-JE719-186).JPG

United States stamp

Colorado state centennial United States postage stamp
TypeSymbolYearImage
U.S. postage stamp Colorado state centennial stamp [45] May 21, 1977 [f]
United States Postal Service 		Colorado Statehood 13c 1977 issue U.S. stamp.jpg

United States coin

2006 United States quarter dollar featuring Colorado
TypeSymbolYearImage
U.S. quarter dollar Colorado State Quarter [46] June 14, 2006
United States Mint 		2006 CO Proof.jpg

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 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.
  3. ↑ 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″N109°53′09″W / 38.1892°N 109.8857°W in what is now Canyonlands National Park of Utah.
  4. ↑ USS Colorado was named for the Colorado River, [c] and predated the creation of the Territory of Colorado in 1861.
  5. ↑ USS Colorado was renamed USS Pueblo on November 9, 1916 to free up the name for a new battleship to be named USS Colorado.
  6. ↑ The United States Postal Service delayed the issue of the Colorado state centennial stamp from the Colorado Centennial on August 1, 1976, until May 21, 1977. The Colorado Sesquicentennial will be observed on August 1, 2026, four weeks after the United States Semiquincentennial.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Colorado Revised Statutes". Colorado Legal Resources. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "State Motto". Colorado State Archives. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "State Seal". Colorado State Archives. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  4. ↑ "State Flag". Colorado State Archives. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Colorado State Brand Story". State of Colorado. March 26, 2019. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  6. 1 2 "State Name and Nicknames". Colorado State Archives. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  7. ↑ President of the United States of America (1876-08-01). "Proclamation of the Admission of Colorado to the Union" (php). The American Presidency Project. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 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. ↑ "Colorado Statehood Issue". National Postal Museum, Smithsonian Institution . Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  46. ↑ "Colorado State Quarter". United States Mint . Retrieved May 12, 2023.

38°59′50″N105°32′52″W / 38.9972°N 105.5478°W / 38.9972; -105.5478 (State of Colorado)

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