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.

Indexes

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.  

Special Censuses

Federal Census

1885--  A special federal census was taken.

Mortality Schedule

Both the 1860 and 1870 censuses include mortality schedules.

State Censuses

There are no known state censuses for Colorado.

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

Bibliographic Citations

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

 

 

Mortality schedules (lists of deaths in the year before a census) exist for the 1860 (Kansas Territory), 1870, 1870, and 1880. The schedules and indexes are at the Family History Library.

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)