Colorado Census

Additional Information may be found on the United States Census Portal page.

Availability
1880-1930--Federal censuses for the state of Colorado are available.

1890--The federal census was destroyed.

Historical Background
Colorado became a state in 1876. Prior to statehood, Colorado was part of divided among the territories of Kansas, Nebraska, Utah, and New Mexico.

Online Indexes
Use available online indexes to locate your Colorado ancestors. Online indexes are available at:

Ancestry: http://www.ancestry.com

Heritage Quest Online: http://www.heritagequestonline.com

Soundex (phonetic) Indexes
1880--partial Soundex index exists

1900--Soundex index available

1910--Use the Denver Street Index (FHL fiche 6331481) to help locate individuals in the census.

1920--Soundex index available

Special Indexes
Colorado Historical Society has a card index to the 1860 census. Separate indexes for the Nebraska and New Mexico portions are included in the 1860 indexes for those territories. An index to Arapahoe County, Kansas (where most of Colorado's 1860 population lived) is found in search 7A on the AIS census index on microfiche. An 1870 Colorado Territory census and index are also at the Family History Library.

Mortality Schedule
Both the 1860 and 1870 censuses include mortality schedules.

State Censuses
1885--Colorado took a state census.

Territorial Censuses
An 1860 federal territorial census was taken in the four territories from which Colorado was created.

Northeastern Section-- enumerated with Nebraska 1860 census schedules designated "unorganized territory."

Central Eastern section-- enumerated with Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory.

Southeast section-- enumerated in parts of Taos and Mora Counties of New Mexico Territory.Since half of the state of Colorado, included in the Utah Territory was not settled, no census was taken in that area.

Web Sites
Ancestry: http://www.ancestry.com

Heritage Quest Online: http://www.heritagequestonline.com

Census Online: http://www.census-online.com/links/CO/

Genealogy Today: http://dir.genealogytoday.com/usa/co/census.html

Access Genealogy: http://www.accessgenealogy.com/census/colorado.htm

Census Finder: http://www.censusfinder.com/colorado.htm

RootsWeb: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/tx/colorado/census/1930/

RootsWeb: http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/tx/colorado/census/1870/ use with:

Colorado State Archives: http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/1870/index.htm

Colorado Historical Society: http://www.coloradohistory.org/chs_library/research_coll_files/rc_genealogy.htm

Bibliographic Citations
Colorado Research Outline. Salt Lake City, Utah: Intellectual Reserve Inc., 1988, 1997.