Comprehensive guide to Colorado's daily newspapers, weekly publications, and community news sources. Since 1859, newspapers have been documenting the Centennial State's history from the Rocky Mountain News to today's modern publications serving over 5.8 million residents across 64 counties.
176
Total Newspapers
13
Monday-Sunday Dailies
7M+
Digitized Historic Pages
940+
Historic Titles Archived
Historical Note: Over 2,500 newspapers have been published in Colorado throughout its history. The first was the Rocky Mountain News, which published from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009—a 150-year legacy.
Major Daily Newspapers
The Denver Post
Location: Denver (State Capital)
Founded: 1892
Circulation: 57,265 daily / 6 million monthly website visitors
Ownership: MediaNews Group (Alden Global Capital)
Notable: Pulitzer Prize-winning broadsheet, Colorado's largest newspaper
Coverage: In-depth state and national news, Denver metro and beyond
Denver Business Journal - Part of American City Business Journals network
ColoradoBiz Magazine - Statewide business publication
Cultural & Lifestyle Magazines
5280 Magazine - Denver lifestyle and culture monthly
303 Magazine - Denver arts, culture, and entertainment
Newspaper Ownership Groups in Colorado
Major Publishers
MediaNews Group / Digital First Media (Alden Global Capital)
The Denver Post
Daily Camera (Boulder)
Multiple Prairie Mountain Publishing titles
Gannett
Fort Collins Coloradoan
The Pueblo Chieftain
Ogden Newspapers
Vail Daily
Summit Daily News
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
(Acquired from Swift Communications)
Colorado Mountain News Media
The Aspen Times
Glenwood Springs Post Independent
Steamboat Pilot & Today
Sky-Hi News
Eagle Valley Enterprise
Rifle Citizen Telegram
Snowmass Sun
Valley Journal
Clarity Media Group
The Gazette (Colorado Springs)
Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection
The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection (CHNC) provides free public access to digitized historic newspapers, preserving the state's rich journalistic heritage.
Collection Overview
Total Pages Digitized: 7+ million pages
Newspaper Titles: 940+ individual titles
Date Range: 1859 to 2025
Counties Represented: All 64 Colorado counties
Languages: English, German, Italian, Japanese, Serbian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish
Digital Reach: Denver Post receives 6 million monthly website visitors
Social Media Integration: Most newspapers maintain active digital/social presence
Frequently Asked Questions
The Denver Post is Colorado's largest newspaper with a daily circulation of approximately 57,265 and around 6 million monthly website visitors. Founded in 1892, this Pulitzer Prize-winning broadsheet covers state and national news with in-depth reporting across the Denver metro area and beyond. The Gazette in Colorado Springs has higher daily readership at 93,300 but serves a more regional audience in southern Colorado.
The Rocky Mountain News, Colorado's first newspaper, published its final edition on February 27, 2009, after 150 years of operation (April 23, 1859 – February 27, 2009). Founded by William N. Byers, it was one of Colorado's most iconic publications. The closure came during the nationwide decline in print newspaper readership and advertising revenue. Many of its journalists moved to other Colorado publications or helped found the Colorado Sun in 2018.
The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection (CHNC) provides free access to over 7 million digitized pages from 940+ newspaper titles dating from 1859 to 2025. Visit coloradohistoricnewspapers.org to browse and search for free. Additionally, History Colorado holds 22,000+ microfilm reels with 1,700+ titles—the most extensive collection of Colorado newspapers in the world. The Library of Congress' Chronicling America also features nearly 300,000 pages of Colorado newspapers digitized through the National Digital Newspaper Program.
Colorado's mountain resort towns are served by several daily and weekly newspapers. The Vail Daily (founded 1981, circulation 15,000) covers Vail, Avon, Edwards, and Beaver Creek. Summit Daily News (circulation 8,500) serves Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne, and four ski resorts. The Aspen Times (founded 1881, circulation 9,000) covers Aspen and Snowmass Village with a focus on high-end lifestyle and cultural events. Steamboat Pilot & Today serves Steamboat Springs, while Glenwood Springs Post Independent covers Garfield County. Most mountain newspapers are owned by Colorado Mountain News Media or Ogden Newspapers.
Westword is Denver's primary alternative weekly newspaper, founded in 1977. Known for its arts and culture coverage, restaurant reviews, and investigative journalism, Westword is particularly famous for its "Best of Denver" awards and cannabis industry reporting. The Colorado Springs Independent serves as the alt-weekly for Colorado Springs (though it underwent ownership changes in 2024). Boulder Weekly, an independently-owned progressive alt-weekly founded in 1993, ceased publication in 2024 after 32 years. The digital-only Colorado Independent (founded 2013) provides nonprofit investigative journalism focusing on vulnerable communities and government accountability.
The CU Independent serves University of Colorado Boulder and has been digital-only since 2006, making it one of the first major college newspapers to drop its print edition. It has won multiple Online Pacemaker Awards and Society of Professional Journalists awards. The Bold CU is another CU Student Media publication. The historic Colorado Daily (1892-2022) published for 130 years before closing in September 2022; nearly 21,000 pages have been digitized for historical preservation. Colorado State University publishes The Rocky Mountain Collegian, University of Denver publishes The Clarion, and Colorado School of Mines publishes The Oredigger.
The Colorado Sun (founded 2018) is a member-supported digital news organization created by former Denver Post journalists, focusing on statewide investigative reporting and in-depth news coverage. Denverite provides digital-only local news for the Denver metro area with a modern, digitally-native approach to neighborhood and cultural coverage. The Colorado Independent, founded in 2013, merged with the Colorado News Collaborative (COLab) to provide nonprofit journalism amplifying voices of vulnerable Coloradans and holding public officials accountable. These digital-first outlets represent the growing trend toward reader-funded, nonprofit journalism models.
MediaNews Group (owned by Alden Global Capital) operates The Denver Post, Daily Camera, and Prairie Mountain Publishing titles. Gannett owns the Fort Collins Coloradoan and Pueblo Chieftain. Ogden Newspapers acquired Swift Communications' properties including Vail Daily, Summit Daily News, and Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Colorado Mountain News Media owns eight mountain-area newspapers including The Aspen Times, Steamboat Pilot & Today, Glenwood Springs Post Independent, and Sky-Hi News. Clarity Media Group owns The Gazette in Colorado Springs. This consolidation reflects national trends in newspaper ownership.
According to the Library of Congress, over 2,500 newspapers have been published in Colorado throughout its history. The first was the Rocky Mountain News, which began publication on April 23, 1859, just months after the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. Today, 176 newspapers remain active in Colorado, including 13 daily publications that print Monday through Sunday. The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection has digitized more than 7 million pages from 940+ individual newspaper titles spanning from 1859 to 2025, representing publications from all 64 Colorado counties in eight different languages.
Colorado's rural newspapers face consolidation pressures similar to national trends. In 2024, five weekly newspapers in the San Luis Valley (Monte Vista Journal, Del Norte Prospector, South Fork Times, Mineral County Miner, and Center Post-Dispatch) merged into a single weekly subscriber-based publication called SLV Journal. Despite these challenges, many rural weeklies continue serving their communities, including publications in Akron (Washington County), Burlington (serving Bethune, Stratton, Seibert, and Idalia), and various other small towns. Colorado Community Media operates multiple community newspapers across eight Front Range counties, maintaining local coverage in suburban and exurban areas.