Long before white settlers from the east crossed the Continental Divide, Breckenridge was part of the summer hunting grounds of the nomadic White River and Middle Park Ute Native Americans. The Town of Breckenridge was born out of America's mid-nineteenth century rush to settle the West during Pike's Peak Gold Rush.

TheTown of “Breckinridge” began in November 1859 and was named  after President James Buchanan's Vice President, John Cabell Breckinridge (1857-1861). At the outbreak of the Civil War Breckinridge's sympathies were clearly with the South. He received a commission as a Confederate Brigadier General and the U.S. Senate expelled Breckinridge for treason. The embarrassed little town of Breckinridge quickly and quietly changed the spelling of its name to "Breckenridge," changing an "i" to an "e".

By mid-1861, Breckenridge boasted several stores, hotels, saloons, and a post office. The post office in Breckenridge became the first post office between the Continental Divide and Salt Lake City, Utah.  On October 11, 1861, the Town secured the Denver, Bradford, and Blue River Road Wagon Company connection, which gave lifeblood to the little gold mining community. Breckenridge's Main Street allowed for ease in turning around freight wagons and became the center of social and athletic activities. During the mining heyday, Breckenridge provided the miners with a variety of attractions.

By 1882, Breckenridge secured a depot site for the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad and thereby brought rail service to Town. The population of Breckenridge peaked at approximately 2000 people. By 1882, Breckenridge had added three newspapers and a cemetery. A major fire in 1884 destroyed a number of buildings along Main Street and Ridge Street. Despite the fire danger, local carpenters continued to build with wood because of the availability of materials and the reduced time, effort, and cost of construction. As a result, few masonry buildings ever appeared in Breckenridge.

Many of Breckenridge's historic buildings were lost during the "post-war" period for a variety of reasons. Some property owners demolished their structures to reduce their tax burden. Other buildings were lost to accidental fires, while others were purposely burned in practice exercises of volunteer fire crews. Some buildings were even torn down for firewood. Breckenridge, however, never achieved ghost town status. Instead, it maintained itself as a small town until the advent of the ski industry. The closest it came to a ghost town was in 1930, when it was decided that Breckenridge had been excluded from maps of the United States. The Breckenridge Women's Club was in session one day in 1936 when they found this strip of land 90-miles long and 30-miles wide had been left out of the United States. Breckenridge was included in this area with points north to Grand County. So, on August 8, 1936, the Governor and an impressive entourage gathered on the courthouse lawn, where a flag of the United States was raised. Today, for one weekend in August, Breckenridge declares itself free and sovereign with the heritage festival, once known as “No Man's Land.”

A new-boom era for the town began In December 1961, when Rounds and Porter, a Wichita, Kansas, lumber company, opened the Breckenridge Ski Area . Transportation improvements fueled the Breckenridge recreation "rush." The Eisenhower Tunnel, on Interstate 70, was completed in 1973 reducing the drive time from Denver to Breckenridge to an hour and a half.  As a result of the relatively easy access from the Front Range and Denver, the recreational activities in the high country including bicycling, hiking, golfing, fishing, snowshoeing, and skiing, has increased in popularity. Record numbers of skiers and visitors now visit the Town of Breckenridge and record numbers of vehicles now pass through the Eisenhower tunnel. During the 2001-2002 ski season a record 4,400 vehicles passed through the tunnel in a one-hour period and the 24-hour winter record was set on December 29, 2001 when 44,000 vehicles passed through the tunnel. High visitor numbers are not limited only to the ski season. The ten highest weekend vehicle counts at the Eisenhower tunnel have all occurred in July and August.

Breckenridge still serves as the county seat and is a center of activity for Summit County. The stunning landscape, cultural heritage, authentic mining vernacular, and Victorian atmosphere have created a thriving community and premier year-round family resort, which attracts both national and international visitors.With world-class skiing, a continuous series of summer-time events, and over 600 restaurants, galleries, and services Breckenridge looks forward to continued economic viability while preserving its unique history and character.