List of Colorado state symbols

The U.S. State of Colorado has many adopted symbols and emblems. Most of these symbols and emblems were adopted by acts of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Colorado, and after statehood, the General Assembly of the State of Colorado.^[1] A few of these symbols were adopted by executive action of the Governor. Federal agencies designated some of these symbols in honor of the state. Each entry explains the manner and date of adoption.

The location of the State of Colorado in the United States of America.

The first insignia of Colorado, the territorial motto: NIL SINE NVMINE,^[2] was adopted by the First Session of the Territorial Legislature on November 6, 1861. The seal and coat of arms of the Territory of Colorado were specified by the First Session of the Territorial Legislature but not created until November 11, 1861.^[3]

Insignia

See also: List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insignia

Colorado state insignia

Type	Symbol	Image	Adopted
Coat of arms	Coat of Arms of the State of Colorado[a]		November 11, 1861 March 15, 1877 CRS 24-80-901[1]
Flag	Flag of the State of Colorado[4]		June 5, 1911 SB 118-1911 February 28, 1928 SB 152-1929 March 31, 1964
Logo	Colorado state government logo[5]		March 26, 2019[5]
Motto	Nil sine numine[2] (Latin: Nothing without providence)	NIL SINE NVMINE	November 6, 1861 November 6, 1876 CRS 24-80-901[1]
Nickname	Centennial State[6][b]	The Centennial State	Statehood on August 1, 1876[7]
Seal	Great Seal of the State of Colorado[3]		November 11, 1861 March 15, 1877 CRS 24-80-901[1]
Slogan	Colorful Colorado[6]		1950 unofficial

Living symbols

Colorado living symbols

Type	Symbol	Image	Adopted
Amphibian	Western tiger salamander[8] Ambystoma mavortium		March 16, 2012 HB12-1147
Bird	Lark bunting[9] Calamospiza melanocorys		April 29, 1931 HB 222-1931 CRS 24-80-910[1]
Cactus	Claret cup cactus[10] Echinocereus triglochidiatus		March 7, 2014 HB14-1024
Fish	Greenback cutthroat trout[11] Oncorhynchus clarki stomias		March 15, 1994 HB 1164-1994 CRS 24-80-911.5[1]
Flower	Rocky Mountain columbine[12] Aquilegia coerulea		April 4, 1899 SB 261-1899 CRS 24-80-905[1]
Grass	Blue grama grass[13] Bouteloua gracilis		May 20, 1987 SJR13-1987
Insect	Colorado hairstreak butterfly[14] Hypaurotis crysalus		April 17, 1996 SB 122-1996 CRS 24-80-913[1]
Mammal	Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep[15] Ovis canadensis canadensis		May 1, 1961 SB 294-1961 CRS 24-80-911[1]
Mushroom	The Emperor (formally known as Prince) Agaricus julius		March 31, 2025 HB25-1091
Pets	Colorado shelter pets[16] Canis lupus familiaris & Felis catus		May 13, 2013 SB13-201
Reptile	Western painted turtle[17] Chrysemys picta bellii		March 18, 2008 HB08-1017
Tree	Colorado blue spruce[18] Picea pungens glauca		March 7, 1939 HJR 7-1939

Earth symbols

Colorado earth symbols

Type	Symbol	Image	Adopted
Fossil	Stegosaurus[19]		April 28, 1982 Executive Order
Gemstone	Aquamarine[20]		April 30, 1971 HB 1104-1971 CRS 24-80-912[1]
Mineral	Rhodochrosite[21]		April 17, 2002 CRS 24-80-912.5[1]
Rock	Yule Marble[22]		March 9, 2004 HB04-1023 CRS 24-80-912.7[1]
Soil	Seitz soil[23]		United States Department of Agriculture

Cultural symbols

Colorado cultural symbols

Type	Symbol	Image	Adopted
Folk dance	Square dance[24]		March 16, 1992 HB 1058-1992 CRS 24-80-909.5[1]
Songs	"Where the Columbines Grow"[25]		May 8, 1915 SB 308-1915 CRS 24-80-909[1]
	"Rocky Mountain High"[25]		March 12, 2007 SJR07-023 CRS 24-80-909[1]
Summer sport	Pack burro racing[26]		May 8, 2012 HJR12-1021
Tartan	Colorado state tartan[27]		March 3, 1997 HJR97-1016
Winter sport	Skiing and snowboarding[28]		April 8, 2008

Highway route markers

Colorado highway route markers

Type	Symbol	Image	Adopted
State highways	Colorado state highway route marker[29]		1967 Colorado Highway Commission
Scenic byways	Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway route marker[29]		1989 Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways Commission

Motor vehicle license plates

Typical Colorado state motor vehicle license plate

Type	Symbol	Image	Adopted
License plate	Colorado passenger automobile registration plate[30]		1913 2018 Colorado Department of Revenue

United States naval vessels

United States naval vessels named USS Colorado

Type	Symbol	Image	Commissioned
Screw frigate	USS Colorado (1856)[31][d]		March 13, 1858 to June 8, 1875 United States Navy
Armored cruiser	USS Colorado (ACR-7)[36]		January 19, 1905 renamed USS Pueblo[e] November 9, 1916 to September 28, 1927 United States Navy
Battleship	USS Colorado (BB-45)[37]		August 30, 1923 to January 1947 United States Navy
Nuclear submarine	USS Colorado (SSN-788)[38]		Commissioned March 17, 2018 United States Navy

United States stamp

Colorado state centennial United States postage stamp

Type	Symbol	Image	Issued
U.S. postage stamp	Colorado state centennial stamp[39]		May 21, 1977[f] United States Postal Service

United States coin

2006 United States quarter dollar featuring Colorado

Type	Symbol	Image	Released
U.S. quarter dollar	Colorado State Quarter[40]		June 14, 2006 United States Mint

See also

• Heraldry portal
• Geography portal
• History portal
• United States portal
• Colorado portal

• Bibliography of Colorado
• Geography of Colorado
• History of Colorado
• Index of Colorado-related articles
• List of Colorado-related lists
• Outline of Colorado

Notes

1. The Coat of Arms of the State of Colorado was implicitly defined by the legislation creating the Seal of the Territory of Colorado on November 11, 1861, and the Great Seal of the State of Colorado on March 15, 1877.
2. The State of Colorado is nicknamed the Centennial State because to joined the Union on August 1, 1876, four weeks after the centennial of the United States Declaration of Independence.
3. The Colorado River did not officially flow through the State of Colorado until July 25, 1921, when President Warren G. Harding signed House Joint Resolution 32 – To change the name of the Grand River in Colorado and Utah to the Colorado River.^{[32][33][34][35]} Prior to this date, the origin of the Colorado River was officially the confluence of the Grand and Green rivers at 38.1892°N 109.8857°W / 38.1892; -109.8857 (Confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers) in what is now Canyonlands National Park of Utah.
4. USS Colorado was named for the Colorado River,^[c] and predated the creation of the Territory of Colorado in 1861.
5. USS Colorado was renamed USS Pueblo on November 9, 1916 to free up the name for a new battleship to be named USS Colorado.
6. The United States Postal Service delayed the issue of the Colorado state centennial stamp from the Colorado Centennial on August 1, 1976, until May 21, 1977. The Colorado Sesquicentennial will be observed on August 1, 2026, four weeks after the United States Semiquincentennial.