Denver
Founded in 1858 and incorporated in 1861, built by dreamers and speculators and their progeny with passion for the future as big as the Rockies, Denver is now a bustling urban center of modern living, shopping, theater, professional sports, dining, and incredible outdoor recreation. But amidst the modern attractions, Denver still holds the allure, the memory of those passionate prospectors who brought their hopes and their families to the Rocky Mountain Wilderness. The City of Denver is the picture of past and present, guts and glory, booms and busts, hope and pride and the incredible force of endurance.

Today, the City of Denver covers approximately 154 square miles of land bordering the Rocky Mountain foothills and is home to over 550,000 residents. Denver is the heart of a diverse metropolitan area of around 2.5 million people living in the five counties making up the greater Denver, Boulder area. Nearly 35% of the population has completed a college degree and the median family income is over $48,000. The major industries in the area are communications, utilities, and transportation; with the largest employment sectors in services, government and retail.

Sited on high plains at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains, Denver has a sunny, cool, dry climate, averaging 13 inches of precipitation a year. The sun shines 300 days a year, and the usually benign climate and nearby Rocky Mountain playground have made tourism one of the Mile High City’s economic mainstays. Warm chinook winds warm the winters between snowstorms.

Urban renewal projects, speculation and reckless growth spurts have eliminated many of Denver’s notable and historic structures, especially in the Central Business District and Capitol Hill. But since the establishment of the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission in 1967, more than 250 Individual landmarks, and 28 historic districts containing more than 6,000 structures have been designated for preservation. Looking around at Denver’s surviving architecture is a fine way to commemorate the city’s designers, builders and residents and to approach its history. These monuments in brick and stone symbolize an optimism that has characterized the city ever since its gold-rush origins.

The City of Denver is made up of diverse and unique neighborhoods with fascinating and colorful histories. Read the series of spotlights highlighting these neighborhoods in Denver here.