Denver
Denver is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado, officially a consolidated city and county, located in the South Platte River valley on the western edge of the High Plains, just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The city ranks as the 19th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 715,522 at the 2020 census. The ten-county Denver metropolitan area, with over 3.05 million residents, is the 19th-largest metropolitan area in the country and functions as the economic and cultural center of the broader Front Range Urban Corridor. Universally recognized by its nickname, the "Mile High City," Denver earned that moniker because its official elevation is exactly 5,280 feet above sea level. Today it is the most populous city within a 500-mile radius.
Founding and Early History
For eons, Colorado served as home to a wide array of Indigenous tribes whose descendants continue to carry on their traditions today. The greater Denver area was inhabited by several Indigenous peoples such as Apaches, Utes, Cheyennes, Comanches, and Arapahoes. By the terms of the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie between the United States and various tribes including the Cheyenne and Arapaho, the United States recognized Cheyenne and Arapaho territory as ranging from the North Platte River southward to the Arkansas River in present-day Colorado and Kansas.
Things would change forever in the summer of 1858 when a small group of prospectors from Georgia crossed the great plains of the Colorado Territory and made a region-changing discovery at the base of the Rocky Mountains: gold. Although not much of the precious metal was found, the mere whisper of the word was enough to start a veritable stampede into the region. The search for gold brought the area's first permanent settlement in 1858: Auraria was established on the west side of Cherry Creek, Denver City was founded on the east, and the townsite of Highland was created on the bluffs to the north.
The claim of St. Charles was soon jumped by William Larimer, Jr., who in November 1858 renamed it Denver City for James W. Denver, governor of the Kansas Territory, of which the city was then a part. Local boosters named the frontier mining camp "Denver" after Kansas Territorial Governor James Denver in hopes of gaining political favor—unfortunately, Denver had retired by the time they named the town. The communities were formally united in April 1860, selecting the name that honored the Kansas Territorial Governor.
The city was devastated by fire in 1863, and a year later a flash flood swept away many buildings, including the city hall. Despite these early disasters, the city persevered. Formally incorporated in 1861, Denver became the county seat of Arapahoe County in the same year and capital of the territory in 1867. The city's link to a transcontinental railroad in 1870 ensured Denver's continued regional dominance, and it became the state capital in 1876.
When the Union Pacific Railroad bypassed Colorado on its transcontinental route, Denverites raised $300,000 and built their own railroad to meet the Union Pacific in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The resulting economic boom increased the population from 4,759 in 1870 to 106,713 in 1890. During the 1870s and 1880s, silver became more important economically than gold. Mining fortunes were created almost overnight, and an opera house was built. This period of opulence ended in 1893 with the crash of the silver markets. Banks failed, smelters shut down, and silver kings became paupers.
Geography and Climate
The City of Denver is located on the South Platte River at its confluence with Cherry Creek, some twelve miles east of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Denver is near the mountains, not in them. The Mile High City is located on high rolling plains, 12 miles east of the "foothills," a series of gentle mountains that climb to 11,000 feet. Just beyond is the "Front Range of the Rocky Mountains," a series of formidable snowcapped peaks that rise to 14,000 feet. The picturesque mountain panorama from Denver is 140 miles long, with 200 visible named peaks, including 32 that soar to 13,000 feet and above.
Located east of a major mountain range, Denver has a mild, dry, and sunny climate with more annual hours of sun than San Diego or Miami Beach. Denver records an average of over 300 days of sunshine per year. Denver has more than 200 parks within the city and 20,000 acres of parks in the nearby mountains, including spectacular Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre. Other mountain parks include Echo Lake, at the base of the Mount Blue Sky highway — the highest paved road in North America — and Buffalo Bill's Grave on top of Lookout Mountain.
The city and county were consolidated as a single administrative unit in 1902. Metropolitan growth after World War II created a ring of suburban communities, including Arvada, Aurora, Brighton, Broomfield, Cherry Hills Village, Englewood, Lakewood, Littleton, Northglenn, Thornton, Westminster, and Wheat Ridge; Golden, about 12 miles west of Denver, and Boulder, about 25 miles northwest, are also part of the metropolitan region.
Economy
The riches extracted from Colorado mines fueled a major period of growth, during which the city became an agricultural supply center and a focus of industrial, manufacturing, and financial activity for the Rocky Mountain region. Today, Denver's economy is among the most diversified of any major American city.
Major industry sectors include aerospace, broadcast and telecommunications, healthcare and wellness, financial services, bioscience, energy, and IT-software. The energy sector is tremendously important to Denver's economy. Colorado's energy and natural resources industry supports about 150,000 workers and accounts for nearly $11.4 billion annually, according to the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Denver has established itself as one of the world's premier energy cities.
Denver's healthcare and life sciences industry is vital for the local population and economy. The region's businesses employed 5,610 biotechnology and pharmaceuticals workers and 9,480 workers in medical devices and instrument production. With ten local higher education institutions supporting the cluster with bioscience programs and research assets, Denver is a hub for healthcare and life sciences.
Several notable companies trace their origins to Denver. Samsonite began in Denver in 1910 as Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company. Qwest Corporation, founded in Denver in 1911 as Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Company, is now a part of Lumen Technologies. The city is also a noted hub for craft brewing. Denver brews more beer than any other city in the nation, with over 200 different beers brewed daily.
In 2016, Denver welcomed 16.4 million overnight visitors who spent $5 billion, underlining the importance of tourism to the local economy. The Colorado Convention Center welcomed nearly 1 million people at more than 210 events in 2017.
Denver International Airport
Since opening on February 28, 1995, Denver International Airport (DEN) has become one of the world's busiest airports. With over 82.4 million passengers traveling through the airport in 2025, DEN is one of the busiest airline hubs in the world's largest aviation market. DEN is the primary economic engine for the State of Colorado, generating $47.2 billion for the region annually.
The airport sprawls across a staggering 33,531 acres (135.7 square km or 52.4 square miles), earning it the title of the second-largest airport in the world and the largest in the United States by land area. At 53 square miles, Denver International Airport is roughly 6 square miles larger than the entire city of San Francisco. Runway 16R/34L, with a length of 16,000 feet, is the longest public use runway in North America and the fifth longest on Earth.
The Jeppesen Terminal's internationally recognized peaked roof, designed by Fentress Bradburn Architects, resembles snow-capped mountains and evokes the early history of Colorado when Native American teepees were located across the Great Plains. Denver's policy of setting aside 1 percent of any city project over $1 million for public art meant millions for art scattered throughout the terminal and concourses. Most spectacular and controversial was New Mexico artist Luis Jiménez's Blue Mustang — a thirty-two-foot-high, raging, rearing neon blue horse with glaring red eyes that attracted criticism, earning the nickname "Blucifer." The fact that the horse fell on and killed Jiménez, its creator, added to the eeriness.
Culture, Sports, and Landmarks
Denver is a major cultural center for the Mountain West. Within a mile radius, downtown Denver has three major sports stadiums, the nation's second-largest performing arts center, three colleges, an assortment of art and history museums, and a mint that produces 10 billion coins a year.
The Denver Art Museum contains a renowned collection of Native American and Western art; a new wing, designed by Daniel Libeskind, was added in 2006. Music and theatre events are held at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, an outdoor venue in the foothills just west of the city, and the Denver Performing Arts Complex is the home of the state ballet, opera, and symphony orchestra. Today, the Denver Performing Arts Complex has nine theaters seating 10,000 people.
Denver has professional baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer. Fans can catch NFL action with the Denver Broncos, MLB with the Colorado Rockies, NHL with the Colorado Avalanche, and NBA with the Denver Nuggets — all within a three-mile radius. Coors Field, home to the Colorado Rockies, is one of the best ballparks in the nation for home runs; because of its high elevation and dry air, balls fly much farther when hit than in other stadiums.
The annual National Western Stock Show, held in January, includes a rodeo as well as livestock and horse shows. Celebrating its over-100-year history, the National Western Stock Show represents Colorado's largest agricultural convention, bringing more than 600,000 visitors annually.
At just over 26 miles long, Colfax Avenue is the longest continuous street in America. Downtown's 16th Street Mall is another signature landmark. Standing an impressive 40 feet tall, the giant blue bear leaning curiously against the glass of the Colorado Convention Center is officially titled I See What You Mean, created by local artist Lawrence Argent, and has become one of the city's most beloved works of public art.