Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality and the county seat of El Paso County, situated on Fountain Creek in east-central Colorado approximately 70 miles south of Denver.[1] Located 70 miles south of Denver, the city stands at an elevation of 6,035 feet above sea level and sits near the base of Pikes Peak, which rises 14,115 feet above sea level on the eastern edge of the Southern Rocky Mountains. The city recorded a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous and most extensive city in the state of Colorado and the 40th-most-populous city in the United States. The city's economy is driven primarily by the military, the high-tech industry, and tourism, in that order. Renowned for its dramatic natural scenery, its dense concentration of military installations, and its identity as "Olympic City USA," Colorado Springs occupies a singular place in the history of the American West.
History
Indigenous Peoples and Early Exploration
Long before European settlers arrived, the region that became Colorado Springs was home to several Native American nations. Artifacts found at Garden of the Gods from up to 3,500 years ago, including grinding stones dating to approximately 1330 B.C., were used by the Ute people. The Arapaho, Cheyenne, and other tribes also gathered in the Manitou Springs and Garden of the Gods areas, and Cheyenne Mountain, named after the Cheyenne people, was considered a great source of timber for teepee poles.
The land that is now Colorado Springs was part of New France under the 1682 treaty, passed to New Spain in 1762, and became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase beginning in 1803, when explorers entered the area. Zebulon Pike explored the region in November 1806. Colorado City, now called Old Colorado City, was founded at the confluence of Fountain and Camp creeks on August 13, 1859, making it the first Pikes Peak region settlement.
Founding and the Palmer Era
General William Jackson Palmer, a Civil War hero and railroad magnate, established Colorado Springs in 1871. A planned community from its very beginnings, the city was without an industrial or manufacturing base but it prospered just the same. Having viewed the valley in the shadow of Pikes Peak as an ideal town site in July 1869, Palmer and his associate Dr. William Abraham Bell founded Fountain Colony, downstream of Colorado City, on July 31, 1871, and it was laid out by the Colorado Springs Company that year. Living up to Palmer's plans, on July 31, 1871, colony officials struck the first stake at the corner of Cascade and Pikes Peak avenues, and the following day they began selling lots.
Palmer used the area's enticing scenery, nearby mineral springs, and other amenities to attract residents. He laid out broad streets, hauled in 10,000 trees to make the city green and lush, and built lavish buildings with a European sense of style. From the start, the city attracted wealthy residents and capitalists, as well as intellectuals, artists, writers, and inventors, and it served as a destination for tens of thousands of health seekers hoping that the community's abundant sunshine and fresh air would cure tuberculosis.
The El Paso County seat was transferred from Colorado City to the Town of Colorado Springs in 1873. The town was formally named Colorado Springs by 1879, taking its name from springs found along Monument Creek as early as 1871; four chalybeate mineral springs were later discovered along Monument Creek in October 1880.
After the 1891 discovery of gold in Cripple Creek, just to the west of Pikes Peak, even more wealth came to Colorado Springs, and for a time the city had more millionaires per capita than any other place in the county. As the nineteenth century gave way to the twentieth, figures such as Spencer Penrose and Charles Learning Tutt, Jr., who had struck it rich in the gold rush, used their profits to build the famous Broadmoor Hotel, which opened in 1918, as well as the Pikes Peak Auto Highway, the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog and incline railways, and Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
A celebrated chapter in the city's cultural history unfolded in 1893. Poet and author Katharine Lee Bates traveled to Colorado Springs to serve as a guest lecturer at Colorado College, and during her stay she made her way to the top of Pikes Peak. The view from the summit inspired her to write the poem "America the Beautiful," whose vivid descriptions of purple mountains' majesty became, for many, the nation's unofficial anthem.
Twentieth Century Growth
In the 1940s, the U.S. Army opened Camp Carson, marking the beginning of what is now a strong military presence in the region. In 1954, the Air Force broke ground for the United States Air Force Academy to continue this military tradition. Throughout World War II, over 100,000 soldiers trained at Camp Carson, and the camp was also home to thousands of prisoners of war.
In 1977, most of the former Ent Air Force Base became the first U.S. Olympic Training Center, and the U.S. Olympic Committee moved there in 1978. Between 1965 and 1968, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Community College, and the Colorado Technical University were all established in the city.
In 1991, James Dobson's Focus on the Family, one of the nation's most prominent evangelical organizations, moved to Colorado Springs, further cementing the city's reputation as a hub of conservative Christian activity alongside its military identity.
In 2012, the Waldo Canyon fire destroyed 346 homes and killed two people in the city, a stark reminder of the wildfire risk faced by communities along Colorado's Front Range.
Geography and Climate
Colorado Springs is located in east-central Colorado on Fountain Creek, 70 miles (113 km) south of Denver. The city's terrain varies considerably, rising from the plains to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, giving it a landscape that transitions from shortgrass prairie to ponderosa pine forest within its city limits. The city encompasses a land area of approximately 185.7 square miles.
The climate is semi-arid and four-season, shaped by the city's high elevation and proximity to the Rockies. The first autumn freeze and the last freeze in the spring occur on average on October 2 and May 6, respectively, while the average window for measurable snowfall runs from October 21 through April 25. Extreme temperatures have ranged from a high of 101 °F (38 °C) on June 26, 2012, down to a record low of −27 °F (−33 °C) on February 1, 1951, and December 9, 1919.
Military Installations
Colorado Springs is one of the most militarized cities in the United States, and the presence of multiple major installations has long defined its character, economy, and population.[2] The city is home to major military installations including Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, U.S. Space Command, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command), Schriever Space Force Base, and the United States Air Force Academy.
Fort Carson was established in 1942 and named after Brigadier General Christopher "Kit" Carson. The installation covers over 137,000 acres, providing extensive training lands for soldiers, and focuses on training, readiness, and deployment of ground forces. Fort Carson alone has an associated population of close to 125,000, with 26,282 on active duty and another 98,409 retirees, family members, and civilian employees.
Peterson Space Force Base shares an airfield with the adjacent Colorado Springs Municipal Airport and is home to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the Space Force's 21st Space Wing, elements of the Space Force's Space Systems Command, and United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) headquarters. Nearby, Schriever Space Force Base is responsible for operating and maintaining military satellite constellations, including the Global Positioning System (GPS), and also houses the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center, located east of Colorado Springs.
Nestled deep within the granite confines of Cheyenne Mountain, the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station serves as a bastion of defense against airborne threats, housing NORAD and the United States Northern Command in an underground complex. The United States Air Force Academy trains future Air Force and Space Force officers, providing a blend of academic excellence, military discipline, and physical conditioning. Defense spending accounts for an estimated 40 percent of the Pikes Peak region's economy.
Natural Attractions and Recreation
Colorado Springs draws millions of visitors annually to its world-class natural landmarks and outdoor recreation opportunities. The red rock formations of Garden of the Gods Park occupy a 1,341.3-acre regional park owned by the city, and the site is a National Natural Landmark, having been recognized by the Department of the Interior as "a nationally-significant natural area." The park was given to the city of Colorado Springs in 1909 by the children of railroad magnate Charles Elliot Perkins, in fulfillment of his wish that it be kept forever open and free to the public. An estimated 6 million visitors enjoy this scenic wonderland each year.
The 300 million years of geological history on display in Garden of the Gods represent one of the most extensive pictures of Earth history found anywhere in the United States. The park offers free admission to sandstone rock formations up to 300 feet high, silhouetted against the backdrop of Pikes Peak and the deep blue Colorado sky.
Pikes Peak itself remains among the region's greatest draws. The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway holds the distinction of being the highest cog railway in the world, and since 1891, millions of passengers have taken the trip to the 14,115-foot summit. The summit may also be reached by the Pikes Peak Highway or on foot via the demanding Barr Trail.
Economy
Colorado Springs's economy is driven primarily by the military, the high-tech industry, and tourism, in that order, with the city also experiencing growth in the service sectors. As of 2023, Colorado Springs had a population of approximately 483,000 people with a median age of 35.6 and a median household income of $83,198.
The economy employs approximately 239,000 people, with the largest industries being Health Care & Social Assistance (34,875 people), Retail Trade (27,128 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (25,636 people).
The defense industry forms a significant part of the Colorado Springs economy, with some of the city's largest employers being defense contractors. Significant defense corporations in the city include Northrop Grumman, Boeing, General Dynamics, L3Harris Technologies, SAIC, ITT, Lockheed Martin, and Bluestaq.
The city is home to approximately 60 national and international sports organizations, including 25 National Governing Bodies, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, earning it the nationally recognized moniker "Olympic City USA."
The Space Foundation was formed in 1983 in Colorado Springs to unite the global space community and advance growth and progress in the industry. The Foundation holds the annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, an event that brings together space professionals from around the globe each year.
Healthcare continues to grow as a sector, with roughly $1 billion invested in hospital expansions in 2016 alone. The Colorado Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area was home to 29 percent of all veterans living in Colorado in 2023, reflecting the enduring influence of the city's military installations on its demographics and service economy.[3]