The U.S. State of Colorado has 272 active incorporated municipalities, comprising 197 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.[1][2] At the 2020 United States Census, 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.[3]
Colorado municipalities range in population from the City and County of Denver, the state capital,[4][5] 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.[3] 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.[1][3]
Only 1,969 square miles (5,100 km2) of Colorado's 103,642 square miles (268,431 km2) of land area (1.90%) are incorporated in the 272 municipalities. The City of Colorado Springs with 195 square miles (506 km2) of land area is the most extensive municipality, while the Town of Sawpit with 19 acres (0.078 km2) of land area is the least extensive.[6] 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.
Colorado law makes relatively few distinctions between a city and a town. The charter of a home rule municipality may designate either a city or town municipal title.[7] 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.[1]
Neither village nor civil township 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.[7][1] 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 and Littleton extend into three counties.[1]
Colorado municipalities operate under one of the following five types of municipal governing authority:[7][8]
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 and a city council of 13 members with 11 members elected from council districts and two members elected at large.[7] 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.[7]
Colorado has 62 cities and 37 towns that are home rule municipalities that are self-governing 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.[7]
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.[7]
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.[7] Colorado statutory towns are similar to villages in other states such as the villages of the State of New York.
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.[9]
See also: List of counties in Colorado, List of census-designated places in Colorado, and List of populated places in Colorado |
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The following table contains the 2020 population of each of the 21 active incorporated municipalities that currently extend into more than one Colorado county.
Municipality[1] | 2020 Census[3] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | County | by county | % | |
Arvada | 124,402 | Jefferson | 121,510 | 98% |
Adams | 2,892 | 2% | ||
Aurora | 386,261 | Arapahoe | 336,035 | 87% |
Adams | 47,720 | 12% | ||
Douglas | 2,506 | 1% | ||
Basalt | 3,984 | Eagle | 2,917 | 73% |
Pitkin | 1,067 | 27% | ||
Bennett | 2,862 | Adams | 2,443 | 85% |
Arapahoe | 419 | 15% | ||
Berthoud | 10,332 | Larimer | 10,071 | 97% |
Weld | 261 | 3% | ||
Bow Mar | 853 | Arapahoe | 587 | 69% |
Jefferson | 266 | 31% | ||
Brighton![]() |
40,083 | Adams[m] | 39,718 | 99% |
Weld | 365 | 1% | ||
Center | 1,929 | Saguache | 1,885 | 98% |
Rio Grande | 44 | 2% | ||
Central City![]() |
779 | Gilpin[t] | 779 | 100% |
Clear Creek | 0 | 0% | ||
Erie | 30,038 | Weld | 17,387 | 58% |
Boulder | 12,651 | 42% | ||
Green Mountain Falls | 646 | El Paso | 622 | 96% |
Teller | 24 | 4% | ||
Johnstown | 17,303 | Weld | 12,547 | 73% |
Larimer | 4,756 | 27% | ||
Littleton![]() |
45,652 | Arapahoe[aq] | 42,702 | 94% |
Jefferson | 2,310 | 5% | ||
Douglas | 640 | 1% | ||
Lochbuie | 8,088 | Weld | 8,087 | 99.99% |
Adams | 1 | 0.01% | ||
Longmont | 98,885 | Boulder | 97,587 | 99% |
Weld | 1,298 | 1% | ||
Northglenn | 38,131 | Adams | 38,106 | 99.93% |
Weld | 25 | 0.07% | ||
Superior | 13,094 | Boulder | 13,094 | 100% |
Jefferson | 0 | 0% | ||
Thornton | 141,867 | Adams | 141,867 | 100% |
Weld | 0 | 0% | ||
Timnath | 6,487 | Larimer | 6,482 | 99.92% |
Weld | 5 | 0.08% | ||
Westminster | 116,317 | Adams | 71,240 | 61% |
Jefferson | 45,077 | 39% | ||
Windsor | 32,716 | Weld | 24,997 | 76% |
Larimer | 7,719 | 24% |
United States Census Bureau 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.[bc] Colorado now has 13 municipalities with more than 100,000 residents, and 17 with fewer than 100 residents.[bc]