Colorado Towns Who Changed Their Names Over the Years
Because of Colorado's rich history, many of the state's cities and towns have had name changes over the years and the names that we call many of these towns were once something completely different.
Big Denver-Area Cities with Big Name Changes
Some of the biggest and most populous cities in Colorado are now very well-known by their current names, but this was not always the case.
For example, the state's capital of Denver was known as St. Charles, Auraria, and Highland in the 1850s before receiving its current name in 1858.
In addition, many of Denver's suburbs also had different names at one time. For instance, Aurora was once known as Fletcher, Arvada was once Ralston Point, and Westminster was once DeSpain Junction, to name a few.
Other Big Colorado Cities that Changed Names
The second-largest city in Colorado, Colorado Springs, was once known as Colorado City and Fountain Colony until 1872. In addition, popular large Colorado towns such as Fort Collins and Grand Junction also experienced name changes and were once called Camp Collins and River City, respectively.
Smaller Colorado Towns that Changed Names
It's not just Colorado's large cities that once had different names, but smaller Colorado towns have undergone name changes over the years as well. For instance, did you know that Aspen was once called Ute City? How about that the town of Craig went by both Yampa and Windsor before it received its current name?
Colorado's first big population boom was in the 1800s and happened primarily due to mining, and a lot has changed since then.
Check out the original names of many of Colorado's cities and towns: