Colorado State Symbols

Colorado state symbols: the Rocky Mountain columbine, lark bunting, Colorado blue spruce, bighorn sheep, and Centennial State nickname.

Abbreviation

Denver

Capital

1876

Statehood

Symbols

Overview

Colorado's Rocky Mountain columbine is one of the most distinctive official state symbols in the country — a high-altitude wildflower that sets the tone for a list built around mountain and plains life. The lark bunting, Colorado blue spruce, bighorn sheep, red-C flag, and Centennial State nickname complete the picture of a state that spans Great Plains and Rocky Mountain country.

Best-known symbol Colorado State Flag

Oldest in this guide Rocky Mountain Columbine, 1899

Alpine symbol Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep

Colorado State Symbols — Complete List

Category	Official Symbol	Adopted
State Flag	Colorado State Flag	1911
State Bird	Lark Bunting Calamospiza melanocorys	1931
State Flower	Rocky Mountain Columbine Aquilegia coerulea	1899
State Tree	Colorado Blue Spruce Picea pungens	1939
State Motto	Nil Sine Numine Latin	1861
State Nickname	The Centennial State	—
State Animal	Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis canadensis	1961
State Pets	Shelter dogs and cats Canis lupus familiaris & Felis catus	2013
State Colors	Blue, White, Gold, and Red	—
State Dinosaur	Stegosaurus Stegosaurus armatus	1982
License Plate Slogan	Colorful Colorado	1950
State Seal	Great Seal of Colorado	1877

What Does Colorado Mean?

Colorado is the 38th U.S. state, admitted to the Union on August 1, 1876. Its name comes from Spanish, where colorado means colored red, reddish, or ruddy.

Spanish explorers used the name for the Colorado River because of the red-tinted sediment in its water. The territory and then the state took the name from that river, even though the modern state of Colorado does not contain the Grand Canyon stretch most strongly associated with the river today.

Colorado's official nickname is the Centennial State, with Colorful Colorado and Rocky Mountain State also widely used. Its postal abbreviation is CO, and residents are Coloradans.

Key Meaning and Background

Origin: From Spanish colorado, meaning colored red, reddish, or ruddy.
River connection: The name was first associated with the Colorado River because of red sediment in the water.
Statehood: Colorado became the 38th state in 1876, the United States centennial year.

Usage Examples and Context

State: Refers to Colorado, a Mountain West state spanning the Rockies, Front Range, high plains, and western slope.
River: Also used for the Colorado River, whose Spanish name gave the state its name.
Territory: Colorado Territory was organized in 1861 during the mining boom.
People: People from Colorado are called Coloradans.

Nicknames and Short Forms

Centennial State: Official nickname from Colorado's 1876 admission during the U.S. centennial year.
Colorful Colorado: Popular tourism phrase tied to mountains, red rock, blue sky, and seasonal color.
Rocky Mountain State: Informal nickname pointing to the Rockies as Colorado's dominant public image.
Abbreviation: CO; older short form Colo.

Newest and Oldest Symbols

Oldest listed Nil Sine Numine, 1861

Older symbols tend to anchor the state's public identity: flag, bird, flower, motto, or nickname.

Newest listed Shelter dogs and cats (2013), Stegosaurus (1982)

Recent designations often show how states keep adding wildlife, foods, breeds, and cultural traditions.

What Colorado's Symbols Say About the State

The state flag compresses much of Colorado into one design: a red C for Colorado, centennial, and columbine; a gold disk for mining and sunshine; blue for sky; and white for snow and silver. It is more local than a seal-on-blue flag because the parts are tied to Colorado's name and landscape.

The Rocky Mountain columbine, Colorado blue spruce, and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep all reinforce the alpine side of the state. They make sense for a place whose public identity is built around high country, snow, cliffs, and mountain forests.

The lark bunting keeps the symbol set from becoming only a mountain story. It gives the eastern plains a place beside the Rockies, while shelter dogs and cats bring in a modern civic value rather than a wild landscape emblem.

Quick Answers

What is Colorado's most famous state symbol?

The Colorado state flag is one of the state's most recognizable symbols because of its red C, gold disk, and blue-white-blue stripes.

What is Colorado's state bird?

Colorado's state bird is the lark bunting, adopted in 1931 after supporters argued for a plains symbol.

What is Colorado's state flower?

Colorado's state flower is the Rocky Mountain columbine, adopted in 1899 after a schoolchildren's campaign.

Why is Colorado called the Centennial State?

Colorado is called the Centennial State because it joined the Union in 1876, the centennial year of the United States. The nickname is covered on the Colorado nickname page.

How many official state symbols does Colorado have?

Colorado's state symbols list here includes the flag, columbine, lark bunting, blue spruce, motto, nickname, bighorn sheep, and shelter pet symbols.