Denver County, Colorado Genealogy

Guide to Denver County, Colorado ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The County was named for James W. Denver. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Denver County Courthouse 1437 Bannock Street Ste 200 Denver, CO 80202 Phone: 303-630-3012 Denver County Website

The county clerk has marriage records from 1902 and land records from 1859. The clerk of the district court has divorce records from 1967, probate and court records from 1858.

Clerk and Recorder's Office City and County Building 1437 Bannock Street, Rm 391 Denver, CO 80202 Phone: 720-865-8400

City of Denver Vital Records 605 Bannock Street, Rm 302 Denver, CO 80204 Phone: 303-436-7351

Populated Places
Denver is the state capital of Colorado, as well as a consolidated city-county. This means that the City of Denver and the County of Denver have the same government and jurisdictions. The only city in Denver County is Denver. There are, however, several neighborhoods within the City of Denver.

State and Territory Census Records

 * 1860 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Colorado was included in the 1860 Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah Territories Censuses - How to Use this Collection
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Colorado Territory Census - How to Use this Collection
 * 1885 - Colorado State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch - Index and images
 * 1885 - Colorado State Census, 1885 at Ancestry - ($), Index and images

Federal Census Records
The 1880 Census was the first Federal Census for Colorado after it became a state in 1876. For links to Federal Census indexes, see Colorado Census.
 * 1860-1940 Colorado Census Records from 1860 to 1940 at FamilySearch.org — index/images

Church Records
Online Church Records
 * 1692-1942 - at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Presbyterian Church
 * 1743-1970 - U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1743-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county

'Dutch Reformed Church'' 1955-1974 - U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Montclair Reformed Church in Denver, 1955-1974 Lutheran Church List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Various Dates - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Various churches for various dates in Denver
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
Numerous records are available at Colorado Archives. To use this link scroll down the page to where it asks for Record Type. Click there and scroll down the list to the records you want and select. The next field asks for county. Select the county you want and then click on Search. You can narrow the search by adding the additional information it asks for.

1933-1936 Numerous records are available at [https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/archives/archives-search Colorado Archives. Denver County Old Age Pension Records] 1933-1936. An Index compiled from the offical record of the applications granted by the Denver County Commissioners during these years. Record may show the following:


 * Name of Applicant
 * Date and Amount of pension payment
 * Any adjustments to the pension
 * Person's age
 * Town nearest to where they lived
 * Other Actions done by the County

Directories
Online Directories
 * 1862-1923 - Denver, Colorado, City Directories at Fold3 - ($), Images only, various dates
 * 1866-1979 - U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 at Ancestry - ($), Index and images, Denver City Directories, various dates

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records

For more information see Colorado Land and Property
 * Colorado DPA Land Records - Index only; Choose Record Type, and search either "Land Patents" or "Land Records."
 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796-1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1863-1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
 * 1862-1908 - Denver Land Office Records, 1862-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index only
 * 1862-1917 Denver Lot and Block Index 1862-1917 at Colorado State Archives - index, select record type for search

Local Histories
Online County Histories
 * History of Denver, with Outlines of the Earlier History of the Rocky Mountain Country. 1971, digitized 2013. Evansville, Indiana : Unigraphic. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 1., FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 2., Hathitrust, Google Books;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Colorado - shows boundary changes for Colorado Counties
 * Colorado Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 1914-1917 Denver War Risk Insurance Applications at Colorado State Archives - index, select record type for search

Online Collections
These collections are unique to Colorado. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Colorado Military Records.

All Veterans
 * Colorado State Archives Veterans Grave Registration Index at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Military - Grave

Civil War
 * Colorado Civil War Casualties Index at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Civil War Casualty
 * 1861-1865 - Colorado State Archives Volunteers Transcript of Record Index (1861-1865) at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Transcript of Record

Spanish-American War (1898)
 * 1898 - Colorado Volunteers in the Spanish American War, 1898 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Span-Am War Soldiers

World War I
 * 1916-1919 - Colorado State Archives Denver War Risk Insurance Applicants, 1916-1919 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, War Risk Insurance
 * 1917-1922 - Colorado State Archives World War I Civilian Service Questionnaires, 1917-1922 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, WWI Questionnaire
 * 1917-1918 - Colorado Soldiers in WWI, 1917-1918 at Ancestry.com — ($), index

World War II
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Vietnam War
 * 1966 & 1968 - Colorado State Archives Vietnam War Casualties - June-December 1966 & January-December 1968 - at the Colorado State Archives website - Index only; In the Record Type field, select, Vietnam Deaths

For further information see Colorado Military Records.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Records
 * 1868-1990 - Colorado, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1868-1990 at Ancestry ($); Index and images
 * 1876-1990 - at FamilySearch — index and images; District Court records - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers
Colorado Newspapers Online
 * Colorado Online Historical Newspapers online - in the Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection by the Colorado State Library
 * Colorado Newspapers at Ancestry.com - ($)
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Colorado newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Colorado newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Colorado newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites

Colorado Newspaper Catalogs
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

Other Records
Pension Records
 * 1933-1936 Denver Old Age Pension 1933-1936 at Colorado State Archives - index, select record type for search

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1875–1974 Colorado Wills and Probate Records 1875-1974 at Ancestry.com — ($); Index and images
 * 1900-1925 at FamilySearch - Browseable images only - How to Use this Collection

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records
1909-1912 Colorado State Archives has put the Denver County Inheritance Tax Records Index for the years 1909-1912 on-line.

Birth
Birth records may become public records when 100 years have elapsed after the date of birth. EXCEPTION: The birth record of any individual who is known to be currently alive will remain confidential even if they are 100 years of age or greater.
 * 1875-1909 Denver Birth Index 1875-1909 at Colorado State Archives - index, select record type for search

Marriage
1858-1939 The Colorado Genealogical Society and the Denver Library have compiled a free Marriage Index in a scanned PDF format listing 456,000+ marriages conducted between 1858 and 1939, cross listing the names of both bride and groom, with the date and place of marriage and the license number. Accessible free online at: Colorado Marriages

Online Records
 * 1784-2007 - Colorado, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1809-2011 - Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011 - Index, incomplete, list of counties included
 * 1853-2006 - Colorado Statewide Marriage Index, 1853-2006 at FamilySearch.org - Index and images
 * 1862-2006 - Colorado, County Marriages and State Indexes, 1862-2006 at Ancestry ($), Index and images
 * 1863-2018 - Colorado, Select County Marriages, 1863-2018 at Ancestry.com - index and images, ($)
 * 1864-1995 - at FamilySearch - Index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1900-1939 - Colorado, Statewide Marriage Index, 1900-1939 at Ancestry.com - ($); Browseable images of original index
 * 1940-1974 Denver Public Library City and County of Denver Marriage Application Index 1940-1974 at Denver Public Library - index
 * 1975 - 2004 Colorado, Marriages, 1975 - 2004 at MyHeritage - index and images ($)

Death
Death records may become public records when 75 years have elapsed after the date of death.
 * 1870-1909 Denver Death Index 1870-1909 at Colorado State Archives - index, select record type for search

Divorce
All divorces and divorce records are handled by the Denver County Courts, Colorado Judicial District 2. Please contact their office directly at 720-865-8301.

Online Records
 * 1851-1985 Colorado, Divorce Index, 1851-1985 at Ancestry - ($); Index only
 * 1878 - 2004 Colorado, Divorces, 1878 - 2004 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1900-1939 - at FamilySearch - Browseable images of original index - How to Use this Collection

Archives
1862-1917 Denver Lot and Block Index 1870-1909 Denver Death Index 1875-1909 Denver Birth Index 1909-1912 Denver Inheritance Tax 1914-1917 Denver War Risk Insurance Applications 1933-1936 Denver Old Age Pension

Family History Centers

 * Denver Colorado Family History Center
 * Denver Colorado North Family History Center

Libraries
Denver Public Library 10 W 14th Avenue Parkway Denver, CO 80204 Telephone: 720-865-1111 Denver Public Library website

History Colorado Center Hart Research Library 1200 North Broadway Denver, CO 80203 Phone: 303-HISTORY (303-447-8679) Website

Museums
History Colorado Center 1200 North Broadway Denver, CO Phone: 303-447-8679 Website

Black American West Museum 3091 California St. Denver, CO 80205 Phone: (720) 242-7428 Call for hours and admission information. Website

Lakewood Heritage Center 801 S. Yarrow St. Lakewood, CO 80226 Direct: 303-987-7850 Email: hca@lakewood.org Find your roots in Lakewood at Lakewood Heritage Center... Website

Websites

 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
 * Denver City and County, Colorado Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Denver County Genealogy (Colorado Genealogy)
 * Denver Public Library (Genealogy &amp; Obituaries Database)