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"Denver" redirects here. For other uses, see Denver (disambiguation).

The City and County of Denver is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located on the plains just east of the Rocky Mountains and forms the heart of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. The central downtown district is on the east side of the South Platte River, near its confluence with Cherry Creek, approximately fifteen miles from the foothills.

Denver is the county seat of, and shares the same borders with, Denver County — one of the few consolidated city-counties. According to 2004 census estimates [1], the city is the 25th-largest in the United States, and 12th west of the Mississippi River. The Denver Regional Council of Governments estimates the 2005 population of the city is 579,744 [2]. The population of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area was about 2,830,000, making it the 22nd-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. [3]

Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation, measured on the fifteenth step of the state capitol building's west side, is one statute mile (5,280 feet or 1,609 meters) above sea level. Also, a row of seats in the upper deck of Coors Field, home of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies (NL), is marked in purple (one of the team's colors) to indicate that the row is one mile above sea level. The city's elevation, as surveyed at Denver International Airport, is 5,431 ft (1,655 m).

Denver has also been known historically as the Queen City of the Plains because of its important role in the agricultural industry of the plains regions along the foothills of the Front Range. Several US Navy ships have been named USS Denver in honor of the city.

History

Denver was founded in the Kansas Territory in 1858. On November 22 of that year, General William Larimer, a land speculator from eastern Kansas, placed cottonwood logs to stake a square-mile claim on the hill overlooking the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek, across the creek from the existing mining settlement of Auraria.

The site was accessible to existing trails and had previously been the site of seasonal encampments of the Cheyenne and Arapaho. Larimer, along with associates in the Denver City Land Company, sold parcels in the town to merchants and miners, with the intention of creating a major city that would cater to new emigrants. The name "Denver City" was chosen to honor Kansas territorial governor James W. Denver, in order to ensure that the city would become the county seat of then Arapaho County, Kansas. Ironically, when Larimer named it after Denver, he was unaware that James Denver had already resigned as governor.

In the first few years, while the town grew, land parcels were often traded freely for grubstakes and in the course of gambling by miners in Auraria. The city was incorporated on November 7, 1861, several months after the formation of the Colorado Territory. By 1890, Denver had grown to be the fifth-largest city west of the Mississippi River, and surpassed Omaha in population by the turn of the 20th century. [4]. The era of the 1890s played an important role in Denver's history, as this is when the city began to really take on a big city image. Denver was the county seat of Arapahoe County, Colorado until the creation of Denver County in 1902.

Denver was selected to host the 1976 Winter Olympics to coincide with Colorado's centennial anniversary, but Colorado voters struck down ballot initiatives allocating public funds to pay for the high costs of the games, so they were moved to Innsbruck, Austria. The movement against hosting the games was based largely on environmental issues and was led by then State Senator Richard Lamm. Lamm was subsequently elected as Colorado governor in 1974.

On April 20, 1999, the Columbine High School massacre occurred at Columbine High School, which is located immediately southwest of Denver in unincorporated Jefferson County; the school is in a ZIP code assigned to Littleton and is thus commonly associated with that city.

The cheeseburger was invented in Denver by Louis Ballast who operated the Humpty Dumpty Barrel drive-in. He applied for a patent on his now famous invention in 1935. It has been speculated that he wasn’t the first person to add cheese to a hamburger, but nobody has an earlier patent, and no evidence to debunk his claim has emerged.[5] It was an important place for the "beat generation." Beat icon Neal Cassady was raised on Larimer Street in Denver, and a portion of Jack Kerouac's beat masterpiece On the Road takes place in the city, and is based on the beat's actual experiences in Denver during a road trip. Beat poet Allen Ginsberg lived for a time in the Denver suburb of Lakewood, Colorado, and he helped found the Buddhist college, Naropa University or the "Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa" in nearby Boulder, Colorado.

Geography and climate

Geography

Denver is located at 39°43'35" North, 104°57'56" West (39.726287, -104.965486)^GR1 in the Colorado Front Range region. It has the Rocky Mountains to the west and the great plains to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 401.3 km² (154.9 mi²). 397.2 km² (153.4 mi²) of it is land and 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.03% water.

Climate

Denver has a semi-arid climate characterized by dry winters, wetter springs, low-humidity summers, and pleasant falls. While Denver is located on the Great Plains, the weather of the city and surrounding area is heavily influenced by the proximity of the Rocky Mountains to the west. In the winter, the storms dump huge amounts of snow in the mountains on the western edge of the range and get blocked by the towering Front Range mountains. So, Denver tends to have dry winters that receive less snow than one may expect. In the late spring and early summer, the warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico influences the area and thunderstorms are prevalent, especially in the afternoon. Late summer thunderstorms are also common, fueled by tropical moisture from Mexico called the "monsoonal flow."

The climate, while considered mild compared to the mountains to the west and the plains further east, can often be very unpredictable. An often-repeated saying made famous by Denverites is "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." Measurable amounts of snow have fallen in Denver as late as Memorial Day and as early as Labor Day, although trace amounts have been recorded in June. September snowstorms of two feet or more have occurred.

Denver averages 15.4 inches (391 mm) of precipitation per year. The average annual snowfall is around 60 inches. Although Denver's Convention and Visitor Bureau claims Denver receives over 300 sunny days a year [6], the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says Denver receives about 250 days of sunshine a year [7]. January's average daily high is 43° F with a daily low of 15°F. July's average high is 88°F with a low of 59°F. [8]

Neighborhoods

Denver has 79 neighborhoods that the City and community groups use for planning and administration. Although the City's delineation of the neighborhood boundaries is somewhat arbitrary, the City's definitions of its neighborhoods roughly correspond to those used by residents.

Denver also has a number of neighborhoods not reflected in the City's administrative neighborhoods. Sometimes these neighborhoods reflect the way people in an area identify themselves; sometimes they reflect how others, such as real estate developers, have defined those areas.

Among the neighborhoods commonly spoken of are historic and trendy LoDo (short for "Lower Downtown"), part of the City's Union Station neighborhood; Capitol Hill, Washington Park; Uptown, part of the North Capitol Hill neighborhood; Curtis Park, part of the Five Points neighborhood; Alamo Placita, the northern part of the Speer neighborhood; and the Golden Triangle, roughly the Civic Center neighborhood.

See List of Neighborhoods in Denver

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2005, there are an estimated 579,744 people, 250,906 households, and 119,378 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,396.5/km² (3,616.8/mi²). There are 268,617 housing units at an average density of 633.1/km² (1,639.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 51.9% White, 11.1% Black or African American, about 2.2% Native American, 2.81% Asian American, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 15.59% from other races, and 3.75% from two or more races. 31.68% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race, giving Denver one of the highest populations of Hispanics or Latinos in the U.S.. The Denver Metropolitan Area also has one of the largest Jewish communities in the U.S., with a population of roughly 100,000. In the city of Denver, the largest populations of Jews are found in the West Colfax and Hilltop neighborhoods. [10]

There are 250,906 households out of which 23.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% are married couples living together, 10.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 50.1% are non-families. 39.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.27 and the average family size is 3.14.

In the city the population is spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 36.1% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 102.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $39,500, and the median income for a family is $48,195. Males have a median income of $34,232 versus $30,768 for females. The per capita income for the city is $24,101. 14.3% of the population and 10.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.3% of those under the age of 18 and 9.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Economy

Denver's economy is based partially on its geographic position and its connection to some of the major transportation systems of the country. Denver's history is a reflection of the boom and bust cycles of the old west. Because Denver is the largest city within 600 miles, it has become a natural location for storage and distribution of goods and services to the Mountain States. Denver is also approximately halfway between the large cities of the Midwest like Chicago and St. Louis and the cities of the West Coast, another benefit for distribution. Over the years, the city has been home to some large corporations in the central United States, making Denver a key trade point for the country.

Geography also allows Denver to have a considerable government presence with many federal agencies based or having offices in the Denver area. In fact, the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area has more federal workers than any other metropolitan area except for the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Along with the plethora of federal agencies come many companies based on US defense and space projects. Lockheed-Martin and Ball Aerospace are examples. Of course, being the capital of the state of Colorado also gives many state jobs to Denver.

Denver's position near the mineral-rich Rocky Mountains, encouraged mining and energy companies to spring up in the area. In the early days of the city, gold and silver booms and busts played a large role in the economic success of the city. In the 1970s and early '80s, the energy crisis in America created an energy boom in Denver captured in the soap opera Dynasty. During this time, Denver was built up considerably, with many new downtown skyscrapers built during this time. Eventually the oil prices dropped from $34 a barrel in 1981 to $9 a barrel in 1986, and the Denver economy dropped with it, leaving almost 15,000 oil industry workers in the area unemployed (including mayor John Hickenlooper, a former geologist), and the highest office vacancy rate in the nation (30%). Energy and mining are still important in Denver's economy today, with companies such as Newmont Mining, Patina Oil and Gas, and Western Gas Resources.

Denver's west-central geographic location in the Mountain Time Zone (UTC -7) also benefits the telecommunications industry by allowing communication with both North American coasts, South America, Europe, and Asia in the same business day. Denver's location on the 105th meridian at over 1 mile in elevation also enables it to be the largest city in the U.S. to offer a 'one-bounce' real-time satellite uplink to six continents in the same business day. Qwest Communications, EchoStar, Starz-Encore, and Comcast are just a few of the telecommunications companies with operations in the Denver area. These and other high-tech companies had a boom in Denver in the mid to late 1990s, but the technology bust in the new millennium caused Denver to lose many of those technology jobs. Recently the Denver area has started making a comeback, with the October 2005 unemployment at 4.7% the lowest since September of 2001 [11]. Denver government and industry leaders are attempting to diversify the Denver economy so that it is less susceptible to boom and bust cycles.

For a more comprehensive account of Denver companies see List of companies with Denver Area operations.

Politics

Denver is a consolidated city-county with a non-partisan elected mayor (though they may belong to a particular political party), a 13-member city council and an auditor. The city council is elected from 11 districts with two at-large council-members and is responsible for passing and changing all laws, resolutions, and ordinances, usually after a public hearing. They can also call for misconduct investigations of Denver's departmental officials. Denver has a strong mayor/weak city council government. The mayor can approve or veto any ordinances or resolutions approved by the council, makes sure all contracts with the city are kept and performed, signs all bonds and contracts, is responsible for the city budget, and can appoint people to various city departments, organizations, and commissions. However, the council can override the mayor's veto with a nine out of 13 member vote, and the city budget must be approved and can be changed by a simple majority vote of the council. The auditor checks all expenditures and may refuse to allow specific ones, usually based on financial reasons. [12]

All elected officials have four year terms, with a maximum of two terms. While Denver elections are non-partisan, Democrats have long held a virtual monopoly on Denver politics with all elected officials having Democratic Party affiliation. In federal elections, Denverites also tend to vote for Democratic candidates. The office of Denver's Mayor has been occupied by a Democrat since the municipal general election of 1963. The current Mayor, John Hickenlooper, has boasted some approval ratings in the 90% range in recent polls, which could indicate that the Democratic Party will likely remain in control of the office, and Denver's image as a "progressive city" shall continue.

In recent years, Denver has famously taken a stance on helping Denverites who are or become homeless. The city has gained a great reputation from the works of Mayor John Hickenlooper, and Mayor Wellington Webb particularly. Denver's population of homeless residents is considerably lower than many other major cities, but many residents of the city streets have suffered during Denver's infamous long cold winters. As a result, the city has set a national precedent on homeless services, with the creations of a ten year plan to end homelessness (a plan now becoming popular in other cities as well), a task force and commission to end homelessness, and an expansion on human and civil services through the Denver area.

In 2005, Denver became the first major city in the U.S. to make the private use of less than an ounce of marijuana legal for adults 21 and older. The city voted 53.49%-46.51% in favor of the marijuana legalization measure. It should be noted that this initiative does not usurp state law, which currently treats marijuana possession in much the same way as a speeding ticket, with fines of up to $100 and no jail time [13].

Transportation

Grid system

Most of Denver has a straightforward street grid oriented to the four cardinal directions. Blocks are usually identified in hundreds from the median streets, identified as "0", which are Broadway (the north-south median) and Ellsworth Avenue (the west-east median). Colfax Avenue, the major east-west artery through Denver, is 15 blocks (1500 North) of the median. Avenues north of Ellsworth are numbered (with the exception of Colfax Avenue and a few others), while avenues south of Ellsworth are named.

There is also an older downtown grid system that was designed to be parallel to the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek. Most of the streets downtown and in LoDo run northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast. This system also helps with snow removal; if the streets were in a normal N-S/E-W grid, only the N-S streets would get sun. With the grid pointed to the diagonal directions, the NW-SE streets get sun to melt snow in the morning and the NE-SW streets get it in the afternoon. The NW-SE streets are numbered, while the NE-SW streets are named. The named streets start at the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Broadway with the block-long Cheyenne Place. The numbered streets start underneath the Colfax and I-25 viaducts. There are 27 named and 44 numbered streets on this grid. There are also a few vestiges of the old grid system in the normal grid such as Park Avenue, Morrison Road, and Speer Boulevard.

Confusion may arise where the two grid systems meet. Fortunately, traffic in downtown Denver is calmer than in many other large cities, and the mountains to the west provide an easy navigational reference.

Highways

Denver is primarily served by the interstate highways I-25 and I-70. I-25 runs north-south from the New Mexico border through Denver to the Wyoming border. Likewise, I-70 runs east-west from Utah to Kansas. The intersection of the two interstates in Denver has been locally termed "the mousetrap." Additionally, I-76 begins from I-70 just west of the city in Arvada. It intersects I-25 north of the city and runs northeast to Nebraska where it ends at I-80.

A highway expansion and transit project, dubbed "T-REX", is currently under construction. The project includes the addition of extra freeway lanes and a light rail line in the I-25 corridor between downtown Denver and the Denver Technological Center. The massive project is slated to be finished in fall of 2006.

Mass Transportation

Mass transportation throughout the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area is managed and coordinated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD). RTD currently operates more than 1,000 buses serving 10,000 bus stops in 38 municipal jurisdictions. Additionally, RTD operates two light rail lines (the C Line and the D Line) with a total of 15.8 miles of track and serving 24 stations. Current RTD local fare is $1.50. FasTracks, an expansion project approved by voters in 2004, will allow light rail to serve cities such as Lakewood, Golden, and Aurora. Commuter rail lines will serve Boulder, Longmont and the Denver International Airport, while light rail is already under construction to the southeast as far as Lone Tree in the I-25 corridor as part of a reconstruction of the highway. The new line will be completed in late 2006.

Trains

Train service to Denver is provided by the Amtrak California Zephyr which runs from Chicago west through Denver to San Francisco. T Additionally, there is the Ski Train provided by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad which takes passengers between Denver and the Winter Park Ski Resort. Denver's early years as a major train hub of the west are still very visible today. Trains stop in Denver at historic Union Station, where travelers can meet up with RTD's 16th Street Free MallRide or use light rail to tour the city.

Airports

• Denver International Airport, the sixth busiest airport in the world, fifth in the U.S.
• former Stapleton International Airport (replaced by Denver International Airport and closed in 1995)
• former Lowry Air Force Base (flights stopped around 1965)

Denver's sister cities

Denver is the second oldest sister city in the United States in its relationship with Brest, France, started in 1948. In 1947, Amanda Knecht, a teacher at East High School, visited WWII ravaged Brest. When she came back, she shared her experiences in the city with her students, and her class raised $32,000 in change to help rebuild the children's wing of Brest's hospital. The gift was proceeded with the development of the sister city program with Brest. Denver's Sister Cities International develops programs to foster relations between all the cities. All of Denver's sister cities have parks in the city named after them (except the newest sister city, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, which will eventually have its own park).

The list of Denver's sister (aka twinned) cities includes Axum (Ethiopia), Brest (France), Chennai (India), Cuernavaca (Mexico), Karmiel (Israel), Kunming (China), Nairobi (Kenya), Potenza (Italy), Takayama (Japan), and Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia).

Education

Public Schools

Denver's public schools are operated by Denver Public Schools. See their Wikipedia page for more information.

Colleges and universities

Denver's many colleges and universities range in age and study programs. The city boasts Catholic and Jewish institutions, as well as a well respected health sciences school, and colleges set in downtown and around the suburbs.

• University of Denver
• Metropolitan State College of Denver
• University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (which shares a campus with the Metropolitan State College of Denver and the Community College of Denver)
• Johnson & Wales University
• Regis University
• Community College of Denver
• Art Institute Of Colorado
• CollegeAmerica-Denver
• Denver Automotive & Diesel College
• Heritage College
• National American University: Denver
• Westwood College Of Technology (which also has a campus in south Denver)
• Yeshiva Toras Chaim Talmudical Seminary

Culture

Landmarks

Denver hosts a great and rich history of culture, and continues to remain a true testament to "Colorful Colorado". Landmarks and historical points of interest include:

• 16th Street Mall, a pedestrian-only street located in the middle of Downtown Denver and home to many shopping, residential, and office buildings.
• Avenue Theater, a professional theater located in the Downtown Denver vicinity.
• Museum of the Black American West, reflects the history of African Americans in the West and Denver.
• Brown Palace Hotel, a historic hotel that has hosted many celebrities, dignitaries, and other important people
• Buckhorn Exchange, Denver's oldest restaurant, a historic old-west steakhouse

• Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is where Pope John Paul II gave mass twice in August, 1993
• Civic Center, a neoclassical park, and the cultural, art and governmental center of Denver
• Colorado Convention Center
• Colorado State Capitol
• Confluence Park, where the city started at the confluence of the South Platte and Cherry Creek.
• D&F Tower, when it was built in 1910, it became the tallest building west of the Mississippi
• Denver's Downtown Aquarium
• Denver Art Museum, the largest art museum between Kansas City and San Francisco
• Denver Botanic Gardens
• Denver Mint, the single largest producer of coins in the world
• Denver Museum of Nature and Science
• Denver Performing Arts Complex — The second largest performing arts center in the US after New York City's Lincoln Center.

• Denver Public Library, serving Denver's educational and entertainment needs from 23 locations and a bookmobile.
• Denver Zoo
• Ellie Caulkins Opera House
• Four Mile House, an important stop on the Cherokee Trail and the oldest standing residential building in the metropolitan area
• Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, A museum featuring works of Vance Kirkland and others.
• Molly Brown House, where Molly Brown lived in Denver
• Red Rocks, This Denver owned park and outdoor amphitheater 15 miles west of Denver near Morrison, CO is world famous for its awe-inspiring red rock formations and its amphitheater with near perfect acoustics that has featured famous concerts by U2, The Beatles, Neil Young and others.
• Richthofen Castle, a castle built by the uncle and godfather of the Red Baron
• Six Flags Elitch Gardens - A rare downtown Amusement Park
• Tattered Cover, a very popular independent bookstore with two locations in Denver (LoDo, and Cherry Creek), and one in the suburb of Highlands Ranch.

• Union Station, a magnificent three-story building and the hub of the new FasTracks commuter rail network.
• Wells Fargo Center, a.k.a. the "cash register" or "mailbox" building, one of the city's most identifiable buildings.

Music

See Music in Denver.

Sports

It is well known that Denver is a true blue sports town. The Denver Broncos of the NFL, particularly have been able to pack in crowds of nearly 70,000 since their AFL origins c. 1959-1966. In the 1980s and '90s, one of the top priorities of Mayor Federico Peña was the construction of Coors Field, and bringing major league baseball to the city and county, the Colorado Rockies. For sports loving America, Denver is more than just the capital of Colorado.

See also: U.S. cities with teams from four major sports

Sports teams

Defunct Teams

• Denver Bears former minor league (AAA) baseball team (1948-1992)
• Denver Zephyrs originally, the Denver Bears (moved to New Orleans, 1992)
• Denver Spurs former World Hockey Association team (1975-76)
• Colorado Rockies former National Hockey League team (1976-82); now known as the New Jersey Devils
• Denver Gold former United States Football League team (1983-1985)
• Denver Dynamite former Arena Football League team (1987, 1989-1991)
• Denver Grizzlies former International Hockey League team (1994-1995)

Hosting

• The National Western Stock Show, the largest stock show in the world, is held annually every January in Denver, and attracts visitors from all over the world.
• Awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics, which voters rejected due to a 300 percent rise in costs and worries about environmental impact
• 1990 NCAA Final Four at McNichols Arena
• 1996 G7 Summit
• The 1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Coors Field
• The 2001 NHL All-Star Game and FanFest at Pepsi Center
• 2005 NBA All-Star Game at the Pepsi Center
• 2008 NCAA Frozen Four Tournament
• The inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship (November 12, 1993)
• Denver is host to a yearly race on the Champ Car World Series circuit, the Grand Prix of Denver
• Denver is one of 11 cities[14] expressing interest in hosting the 2008 Democratic National Convention, which would coincidently be the centennial of the city's first hosting of the convention in 1908 .
• In 1993, Denver hosted World Youth Day, and welcomed Pope John Paul II in one of his rare travels to the United States.

Hostels

• Denver International Youth Hostel
• InnKeeper of the Rockies
• Melbourne International Hotel & Hostel

Famous Denverites

See List of famous Denverites

Books on Denver

• Louisa Ward Arps (1998). Denver in Slices.
• Phil Goodstein. Denver in our time: A people's history of the modern Mile High City.
• Joey Porcelli. Rise and Dine, Breakfast in Denver & Boulder, Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing. ISBN 1555915094.

A large portion of Jack Kerouac's beat classic On the Road takes place in Denver.

External links

• WikiTravel site for Denver
• Official City and County of Denver site
• Official Denver travel guide
• Denver Internet Directory
• Denver Public Library
• Regional Transportation District Homepage
• Denver Post
• Rocky Mountain News
• Westword - Alternative newspaper for Denver
• Haunted Denver - Seasonal haunted house attractions in Denver
• Denver Uncommon - Pictures of Denver neighborhoods
• DenverInfill - Overview of Downtown Denver growth and development

Surrounding municipalities

• Maps and aerial photos
  • Street map from Google Local or Yahoo! Maps
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
  • Satellite image from Google Local or Microsoft Virtual Earth

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