Colorado has 64 counties and 272 active incorporated municipalities, comprising 197 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments. That’s a lot of places to live, each with their own unique names and ways of life. But where did all of these places get their names? Some town names in Colorado come from native American and Spanish words, while others are made up all together. Here are some oddly named towns in Colorado. Also, if you are looking to buy or sell a home in Colorado, consider Mark Eibner as your agent.
From Bow Mar to Breckenridge
The first town name is Bow Mar. If this town name seems like two unrelated words put together, then you’ve hit the nail on the head. Bow Mar, found in the Denver metro area, is named for two nearby lakes—Bowles Lake and Marston Lake. And then there’s the small town of Del Norte. This town in the San Luis Valley is named after the Rio Grande del Norte. In Spanish, this translates to “great river of the north.” There is a discrepancy of the pronunciation—some use the Spanish pronunciation of “Norte” and some anglicize it to “Nort.”
Some towns are just named after people, like Breckenridge. However, did you know that this town’s was once spelled “breckinridge?” Originally, the town was named after John Cabell Breckinridge, the youngest Vice President of the United States. However, during the Civil War, John Breckinridge joined the Confederate Army which outraged many people in Colorado. Eventually the name was changed (the “i” to an “e”) to strip John Breckinridge of the privilege of having a town named after him.
REZ | Real Estate Zealot 