Welcome to Denver

Denver is the largest city in a 600-mile radius--an area almost the size of Europe. For more than 125 years it has been the cultural, shopping and entertainment capital of this vast region. The city intends to continue its leadership into the next century by building the world's largest airport, a light rail system, a 50,000-seat Major League baseball stadium, a downtown theme park, a new library to house five million volumes, and a new exhibit at the zoo to enclose a complete two-acre tropical rain forest.

Downtown Denver is the entertainment, shopping and business center of the metro area.

History

Denver was born during the great "Pike's Peak or Bust" gold rush of 1859 after flakes of placer gold were found at the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek. In its first few years, the city survived a flood, several major fires, Indian attacks, and even raised an army that defeated in invading force of Confederates from Texas during the Civil War. With the discovery of more gold in the mountains, Denver became a boom town. Saloons, gambling halls and wagon trains lined the mud-filled streets and every outlaw, gunman and desperado in the West made at least one visit to the Mile High City. The turn of the century brought respectability as the wealth of the mountains was poured into parks, fountains, statues, tree-lined boulevards and elaborate mansions, making Denver the most elegant city in a thousand-mile radius-the "Queen City of the Plains." The most recent boom was spurred in the 1980s by energy development, during which Denver's population nearly doubled. After the oil bust of the late '80s, Denver's economy has seen six years of steady growth, at a time when the rest of the country has been less financially stable.

City Park

Location

Geographically, Denver is in the middle of the country, just 340 miles from the exact center of the continental United States. The city sits on high, flat plains 12 miles east of the Rockies. One hour west of Denver, you can drive 14,240 feet above sea level on the highest auto road in North America, but the city itself is flatter than Manhattan.

The Shops at Tabor Center

Population

Denver is one of America's fastest growing metro regions, with 500,000 people in the city limits and 1.9 million in the metro area. Teh median age is 32.6 and more than a third of the residents are between 15 and 35, giving the city a youthful look and flavor. Denver has the second highest number of college graduates per capita (after Washington, D.C.) and the nation's most highly educated downtown workforce. All segments of the active population enjoy the nation's largest city park system.

Colorado State Capitol

The Mile High Experience

Denver really is exactly one mile high. You can stand exactly 5,280 feet above sea level on the west steps of the State Capitol. Most people don't feel the altitude in Denver, but some feel it in the mountain resorts, which are 8,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level. If you are coming from sea level, here are a few tips to help you adjust to the altitude: (1) Restrict your activities to less than normal the first day. This gives your body a chance to adjust. (2) Consume less alcohol than normal. Each alcoholic drink will have a greater effect at high altitudes. (3) Drink more non-alcoholic liquids than normal to keep your body from dehydrating. (4) Be sure to use sunscreen and wear sunglasses during outdoor activities. The sun's rays are more intense here.

Civic Center Park

Keith Instone // instone@acm.org // 95-01-10