Are There Really Two Colorado Rivers in America?

Before Colorado became part of the United States, the land belonged to Mexico, and from 1836 to 1845, part of Colorado was claimed by the Republic of Texas. I think Texas misses having Colorado as part of its boundaries. So much so, they named a river after us.

The state of Colorado was home to the world’s first rodeo, while Texas is known for hosting some of the world's largest rodeos. Colorado has green chile; Texas has chili con carne. Colorado’s got the world-famous Colorado River—and Texas has… well, another river with the same name.

America's Colorado Rivers

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America is home to several places, such as Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and even Colorado, that used to belong to the Spanish. They likely used the term 'Colorado' to describe several rivers where silt gives the water a reddish tint. Over the years, two have retained the name. One is in Texas, and the other can be found winding through 5 Southwestern states.

The Colorado River of the West

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The Colorado River is 1,450 miles long from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California. Along the way, the river is home to fish such as the pikeminnow, humpback chub, bonytail, rainbow trout, and smallmouth. Spanish exploration of the river dates to the 16^th century, but the river wasn't officially named 'Colorado' until the 1920s.

Colorado’s river is the larger of the two, and it's a water source for more than 40 million people in seven states.

Read More: How Deep Is The Colorado River?

The Colorado River in Texas

Spanish explorers originally used the term ‘Colorado’ for the Brazos River in Texas as far back as the 1600s. From Dawson County in West Texas, America’s other red river runs 862 miles long to the Gulf of America. The Colorado is a water source for popular reservoirs like Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan.

The Colorado River in Texas (below) runs Southeast through the capital city of Austin, before arriving at Matagorda Bay on the gulf coast.

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LOOK: What is the Longest River in Colorado?

Take a closer look at the 10 longest rivers that flow through the state of Colorado. From the Rio Grande to the San Juan River, scroll on for a look at the 10 longest rivers found in the Centennial State.

Gallery Credit: Wes Adams

NEXT: 10 Cool Facts You May Not Have Known About Colorado’s Gunnison River

Colorado's Gunnison River is the largest tributary of the Colorado River, stretching from the Continental Divide to Grand Junction, Colorado. Keep reading to learn twelve facts you may not have known about one of Western Colorado's most important waterways.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

KEEP GOING: Thirteen Cool Facts About Colorado’s Uncompahgre River

Western Colorado is home to the Colorado River, the Gunnison River, and the Uncompahgre River. As the smallest of the three, most people aren't as familiar with this important waterway serving Ridgway, Montrose, and Delta. Keep going to learn thirteen cool facts about the Uncompahgre River in western Colorado.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

Source: Are There Really Two Colorado Rivers in America?

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