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 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, 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 c ...

, 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 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 ...

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 re ...

is a type of civil division in the State of Colorado, although the cities of Cherry Hills Village 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. 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 ...

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 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 composed of the mayor and four or six additional members elected at large. Colorado statutory towns are similar 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 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 t ...

population estimates for July 1, 2021 are in included in the Population history of Colorado municipalities. 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 highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, in North America. The ultra-prominent fourteener is located in Pike National Forest, west of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. The town of Manitou S ...

., alt=The skyline of Colorado Springs Aurora, CO, USA - panoramio (1).jpg, 3.

, 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., alt=Downtown Fort Collins, Colorado LakewoodCivicCenter.JPG, 5. Lakewood is home of the Denver Federal Center, 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, B ...

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 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 ...

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 nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

., alt=The Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Centennial, Colorado DSCN5800 bouderbelowflatirons e.jpg, 12. Boulder 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 o ...

., 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' ...

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., 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

Notes

References

External links

United States Department of Commerce

United States Census BureauState of Colorado

Department of Local AffairsColorado Municipal LeagueHistory 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