Colorado Genealogy, Facts and Records Resources

Welcome to the Colorado family history research page. Here you'll find record collection links, history, and genealogy resources to help you trace your Colorado ancestors.

If you are seeking details for a Colorado genealogy project, you can do so from home or within a large number of archives and other locations. This is because there is no single route to research, and because there are resources available in both the online and "offline" formats.

In the current era it is exciting to learn that many things once only archived in private locations have been digitized and put on the Internet. We must also accept, however, that some still have yet to be made available to the public. This means that an effective first step in research for Colorado genealogy is to find out which records are available, and how to get them.

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Colorado Facts

First visited by Spanish explorers in the 1500s, the territory was claimed for Spain by Juan de Ulibarri in 1706. The U.S. obtained eastern Colorado as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the central portion in 1845 with the admission of Texas as a state, and the western part in 1848 as a result of the Mexican War. See also Colorado History Page for more Details

Colorado was organized as territory: Feb. 28, 1861 and entered the union as a state on August 1, 1876 as the 38st state. It has 64 Counties. The capital is Denver and the official state website is http://www.colorado.gov/.

Colorado is bordered by Arizona (southwest), Kansas (east), Nebraska (northeast), New Mexico (south), Oklahoma (southeast), Utah (west), Wyoming (north). It has a land area of 104,100 square miles making it the 8th largest state. The 2010 state population was 5,029,196 and the largest cities are Denver, 600,158; Colorado Springs, 416,427; Aurora, 325,078; Fort Collins, 143,986; Lakewood, 142,980; Thornton, 118,772; Westminster, 106,114; Arvada, 106,433 Pueblo, 106,595; Centennial, 100,377.

Colorado's name is Spanish for the "color red," and refers to the muddy Colorado River, which originates in the state. The State Nickname is "Centennial State, Colorful Colorado" (Colorado was admitted to statehood during the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and today its official nickname is the Centennial State).The State Motto is "Nil sine Numine" - Nothing Without Providence.

Most Common Tactics for Colorado Genealogy

The Best Way to Look for Colorado Genealogy Research - Though known for its amazing natural beauty, the state of Colorado is just as well known for its unique history. It is a land of native peoples, great explorations, a huge amount of migration and relocation, and a tremendous amount of diversity.

Neighborhoods in almost any town in the state could contain a huge mix of people from different backgrounds and cultures, and this means that anyone looking for Colorado genealogy data will have a lot of resources too.

Modern Approaches for Colorado Genealogy - It is very helpful to become familiar with the tactics that all researchers for Colorado genealogy will use, and which require accessing online and offline records that can include:

  • State Records – from probate information to land records, maps, marriage details, military or veterans information, newspapers, private manuscripts, state census information, birth certificates, cemetery information, death records, deeds, estate information, genealogical folders, surname lists and more. These are available as online and offline resources for Colorado genealogy.
  • Vital Records – the valuable birth, marriage, divorce and death records from county, state, and national archives. Here you will find newspaper items, military records, immigration and naturalization details, cemetery or obituary information, census records, passenger lists and records as well. These are available as online and offline resources for Colorado genealogy.
  • Local Records –start with the county clerk's office or website, and then move on to the local genealogical societies, small local libraries, historical societies, and school or college libraries for Colorado genealogy data. These are things that are usually offline and viewable by appointment or special arrangement.

Easy and Convenient Tools for Colorado Genealogy - Once you begin using sources for Colorado genealogy work, you learn which have the most information for your needs. For instance, we believe these are some of the best for Colorado genealogy, and can be found in person or online at:

  • Vital Records Section, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, HSVRD-VS-A1, Denver, CO 80246-1530; Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/colorado.htm . This is where anyone can order birth, death, marriage and divorce records via a written request or even online.

Additional state and local records can be found at the:

  • Colorado State Archives, Family History Page, Website: http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/geneal.htm . Here you can find everything from census details, veterans grave information, Civil War registries, all kinds of vital records, jail records, WWI and WWII registrations, Civilian Conservation Corps information, court records, old city directory listings, and more.

Finally, these websites provide a tremendous amount of state-specific details to those in search of facts for Colorado genealogy projects.

 

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