Colorado’s 150th anniversary is paired with America250 by the America 250–Colorado 150 Commission.
Colorado’s state initiative combines the United States’ 250th anniversary with the state’s sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary. The twin commemoration reflects two different milestones occurring in the same year: the national anniversary in 2026 and Colorado’s admission to the Union in 1876.
The commission was established by the Colorado General Assembly and Governor Jared Polis, with History Colorado hosting it. Its official period began in July 2025 and ends on December 31, 2026.
Colorado is known as the “Centennial State” because it became a state in 1876, the centennial year of the Declaration of Independence. That nickname makes the pairing especially appropriate: the state’s 150th anniversary coincides with the nation’s semiquincentennial.