Bordering states
Colorado vs Kansas
Short answer
- CO
- 5,957,493
- KS
- 2,970,606
The two states, county by county
Both maps share one density scale, so the same shade means the same number of people per square mile on either side of the border. Darker counties are denser. Select a county to open its page.
Colorado
Kansas
- < 3
- < 7
- < 14
- < 34
- ≥ 34
Side by side
| Measure | Colorado | Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| Residents, 2024 | 5,957,493 | 2,970,606 |
| Rank by population | 21st | 34th |
| Land, sq mi | 103,637 | 81,759 |
| People per sq mi | 57.5 | 36.3 |
| County-equivalents | 64 | 105 |
| Median county residents | 15,336 | 6,946 |
| Median county income | $72,982 | $62,431 |
| Most populous county | El Paso County | Johnson County |
| Largest county by land | Las Animas County | Butler County |
| Capital | Denver | Topeka |
| Daylight at capital, June 21 | 14 h 59 min | 14 h 55 min |
| Census division | Mountain | West North Central |
Population and density
Colorado has 5,957,493 residents, 2.0 times Kansas's 2,970,606. Colorado ranks 21st and Kansas 34th of the 50 states and DC. Colorado is the more crowded, with 57.5 people per square mile against 36.3, 58% more.
Land area
Colorado has 103,637 square miles of land, 27% more than Kansas's 81,759. The largest county-equivalent in Colorado is Las Animas County at 4,773 square miles; in Kansas it is Butler County at 1,430.
Counties
Kansas is divided into 105 county-equivalents and Colorado into 64, so an average Kansas county covers 779 square miles against 1,619. The typical county in Colorado has 15,336 residents, against 6,946 in Kansas. The most populous are El Paso County (752,772) and Johnson County (632,276).
10 county names appear on both sides of the border: Cheyenne, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Kiowa, Lincoln, Logan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington. Use the FIPS code, not the name, when joining data across the two states.
Household income
The median county in Colorado has a household income of $72,982, 17% above Kansas's $62,431. The highest county incomes are Douglas County ($144,807) in Colorado and Johnson County ($103,085) in Kansas, from SAIPE 2023.
Capitals and daylight
Denver and Topeka are 499 miles apart in a straight line; from Denver the initial bearing is 93°, E. On June 21, 2026, Denver gets 14 h 59 min of daylight and Topeka 14 h 55 min; on December 21 the figures are 9 h 21 min and 9 h 25 min. Month by month tables are on the Denver and Topeka daylight pages.
Where they sit
The border between them is also a Census region boundary: Colorado is in the West and Kansas in the Midwest. By county internal points, Colorado spans 2 UTM zones and Kansas 2.
Questions people ask
Which is bigger, Colorado or Kansas?
Colorado, with 103,637 square miles of land against 81,759, 1.27 times as large.
Which has more people, Colorado or Kansas?
Colorado has 5,957,493 residents, 2.0 times Kansas's 2,970,606.
How far is Denver from Topeka?
499 miles in a straight line, heading E (93°) from Denver.
Do Colorado and Kansas have counties with the same name?
Yes, 10: Cheyenne, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Kiowa, Lincoln, Logan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington.
Sources and data as of
Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.
- 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
- 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
- 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
- 04Census Bureau regions and divisions of the United States (last verified 2026-09-30)
How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.