Wikipedia:WikiProject Colorado/List of the highest U.S. town by date

This is a chronological list of the highest elevation town in the United States from 1849 to present. This list includes both incorporated municipalities  and unicorporated communities with a post office.

The California Gold Rush of 1848–1855 and the Pike's Peak Gold Rush of 1858–1861 filled the western United States with eager gold seekers. The first discoveries of placer gold were found in the streams of the mountain foothills, but later searches for hardrock gold and other minerals pushed mining camps ever higher into the mountains. High elevation mining camps appeared rapidly and frequently disappeared just as rapidly. Very few western towns incorporated before 1876 unless they felt their territory was threatened. Most western towns were content just to have a post office. The following list shows the progression of these highest elevation towns in the United States. All but four of these towns (the incorporated municipalities of Santa Fe, Mountain City now Central City, Breckinridge now Breckenridge, and Alma) are now ghost towns.