The first non-indigenous explorers in Colorado were from Mexico and Spain. When expeditions led by Coronado, Ulibarri, and others ventured into the area now called Colorado, they drew maps and gave Spanish names to various landmarks. The name of our state, Colorado means “red.” Later, when Spanish-speakers were granted land tracts in Colorado to encourage migration, they gave Spanish names to the places where they lived.

Pueblo means “village” or “people” in Spanish.

View of a busy Main Street in Pueblo (Pueblo County), Colorado. Shows pedestrians, parked cars and trolley car (number "74," Streetline: "Fairmount Park"). A banner on the trolley reads: "All of a Sudden Earnest, Centennial Auditorium, April 19th." Signs on buildings read: "Women's Ready To Wear The Unique Sam Moch," "Hotel Hot and Cold running water in every room," "The Grand Movies," "Western U[nion] Telegr[aph] and Ca[ble] Of[fice]," "The Hext Music Co." "Spoors Smokehouse Billiards," "The Ray Moch [C]lothing Co."

Photograph, Main Street, Pueblo

History Colorado

Rio Grande means “large river” in Spanish.

View of Wagon Wheel Gap Valley and the Rio Grande River, including some ranch buildings, in Mineral County, Colorado.
View of Wagon Wheel Gap valley and probably the Rio Grande river and ranch buildings, Mineral County, Colorado.

The date of this photograph was determined when it was digitized and cataloged between the years 1994-1997 as part of the PhotosWest: Western History Imaging Project coordinated by the Denver Public Library. This project was funded through a three-year grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Boettcher Foundation.

Negative, Wagon Wheel Gap below THT Station

Alamosa means “cottonwood” in Spanish.


A postcard with an aerial view of Alamosa, Colorado.

Postcard, Alamosa

A color postcard of Boulder, Colorado, with flatiron mountains in the background, white border.

Picture postcard, Beautiful Boulder, Colo.

A color postcard showing an aerial view of the Fitzsimons Army Hospital in Aurora, Colorado.

Picture postcard, Fitzsimons Army Hospital

Mesa Verde means “green plateau” in Spanish.

Copy print depicting Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park in 1908. Image was photographed by an unidentified photographer during a packhorse trip made by James S. James and honeymooners Mr. and Mrs. Townsend.

Photograph, Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park

A color postcard showing a panorama of Salida Colorado. Rounded corners.
Printed on back, top left corner: "Panorama of Salida, Colorado. On the Arkansas river on U.S. Highways 285 and 50."

Picture Postcard, Salida, Colorado

Sangre de Cristo means “blood of christ” in Spanish.

View of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, clouds, and Poncha Pass in Chaffee County, Colorado. A lake is nearby.

Standards for Spanish Place Names in Colorado

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework