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.

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
The following location is in Denver county. Denver, officially the City and County of Denver, is the capital and most populous municipality of the U.S. state of Colorado, and the only populated place in Denver County.

Cemeteries
The William P. Horan Burial Records online index for Denver area burials from 1900 to 1956 can be accessed here.
 * Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver BillionGraves
 * Hampden Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Denver BillionGraves

State and Territory Census Records

 * 1860-1940 Colorado Census Records from 1860 to 1940 at FamilySearch.org — index/images
 * 1885 - Colorado State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch - Index and images
 * 1885 - Colorado State Census, 1885 at Ancestry - ($), Index and images

Federal Census Records
In 1860, present-day Colorado was enumerated in the Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah Territories. Colorado Territory was created in 1861 and was enumerated as such in the 1870 Census. The 1880 Census was the first federal census after Colorado became a state in 1876. For links to Federal census indexes, see Colorado Census

Church Records
Lutheran


 * Records of Trinity Lutheran Church, Denver, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

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
Fold3.com ($) has Denver City Directories 1862, 1866, and 1871-1923 (only 2 yrs. missing) available online. Fold3 is free at some libraries.

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
 * 1861-1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
 * 1862-1908 - Denver Land Office Records, 1862-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index only

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

Military Records
1916-1919 Colorado State Archives has put the Denver War Risk Insurance Applicants Index for the years 1916-1919 on-line.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Records
 * 1868-1990 - Colorado, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1868-1990 at Ancestry ($); Index and images
 * 1876-1990 - at FamilySearch - Browseable images only; District Court records

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

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

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

Vital Records
'''Colorado Vital Records Search

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.

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 and1939, 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
 * 1809-2011 - Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011 - Index, incomplete, list of counties included
 * 1853-2006 - at FamilySearch.org - Index and images
 * 1862-2006 - Colorado, County Marriages and State Indexes, 1862-2006 at Ancestry ($), Index and images
 * 1864-1995 - at FamilySearch - Index and images
 * 1900-1939 - Colorado, Statewide Marriage Index, 1900-1939 at Ancestry.com - ($); Browseable images of original index

Death
Death records may become public records when 75 years have elapsed after the date of death.

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
 * 1900-1939 - at FamilySearch - Browseable images of original index

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

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)