Denver, Colorado

Denver is the capital and largest city in Colorado, the seat of Denver Co., located in the north-central part of the state, 12 miles east of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Denver is also the name of the metropolitan area surrounding the city. The Metropolitan area of 4,531 square miles is the 17th largest in the nation; it includes Adams County, Arapahoe County, Boulder County, City and County of Broomfield, City and County of Denver, Douglas County, and Jefferson County

Denver will host the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Geography

The city itself covers 107 square miles (277 sq km), 5,280 feet (1,610 meters) -- exactly one mile above sea level; it is called the Mile High City. Winding through Denver are the South Platte River and Cherry Creek. The Rockies provide a spectacular backdrop for the city, and they also protect it from high winds.

Denver is a spacious city of parks, tree-lined streets, broad avenues, old buildings, and modern skyscrapers. Its climate is mild and dry, primarily because the Rockies divert moisture-bearing winds away from the area. Formerly known for its clear sky, it was long a destination for people suffering from tuberculosis. Since 1950, however, pollution from automobiles and trucks has caused serious air pollution. The average temperature in July, the warmest month, is 73°F (23°C.), and the average temperature in January, the coldest month, is 28.5°F. (-2°C.). Annual precipitation is only 15 inches (380 mm), and the city has an average of 250 clear or partly cloudy days a year. The sunshine makes it a very popular tourist destination.

Demography

The metropolitan area had a population of 2,663,000 in 2006 in 1,034,000 households; the median age was 34.4 years. The labort force was 1,442,000, of whom 1,303,000 were employed at an average annual wage of $45,629. The growth rate 1996-2006 was 2.1% per year, with a special attraction for young college graduates who are attracted by the life style and the moderate cost of living. The Phoenix metropolitan area is the chief competitor for these migrants.

The city's population was 567,000 in 2006. Minority communities in Denver include a rapidly growing Latino population chiefly of Mexican ancestry

Economy

Metro Denver is a major manufacturing center of the western United States. It is also a major market for the ranch products (especially beef) of the surrounding area and a gateway for skiers headed to the nearby Rockies.

Semiconductors is the top export category, growing 70% (statewide) from $763 million in 2005, to $1.3 billion in 2006. Other top exports are Computers and Peripherals ($937 million), and Office Machine Components ($657 million). The state's exports were $8.0 billion in 2006; the largest trading partners were Canada ($1.85 billion), Mexico ($1.02 billion), China ($800 million), Taiwan ($707 million), and Japan ($400 million). Denver is home to 32 foreign consulates. Six are staffed by career diplomats from the countries of Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Canada and the United Kingdom. The consulates provide information and service regarding international trade promotion, tourism, and cultural exchange.

Employment growth in Metro Denver has outpaced the nation since January 2005. Metro Denver added 26,000 jobs in 2006 for an estimated gain of 1.9%; growth in 2007 will be about 1.6%. All sectors added jobs in 2006 except for the Information sector, which has struggled with losses for six consecutive years. The largest increases were in Natural Resources, Mining & Construction (+4.6%), Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities (+3.2%), and Professional & Business Services (+3.1%) sectors.

Transportation

In 2006 the $1.67 billion T-REX project widened Interstates 25 and I-225 and added 19 miles of light rail connecting Metro Denver's two largest employment centers: The Central Business District and the Denver Tech Center.

Denver International Airport (DIA) is one of the world's ten busiest facilities and is the hub for United and Frontier airlines. DIA has four north-south runways and two east-west runways. The concourses and Jeppesen Terminal (with its Teflon-coated fiberglass roof) are in the center of the airfield. 95 airlines operated 1175 passenger flights daily in 2006, with 130,000 passengers a day. The airport is operating close to capacity and plans to spend $1 billion through 2013 on its concourses, concession areas, security checkpoints, parking lots and baggage system. There are numerous flights to Mexico and Canada, and three to Europe. 44% of the passengers are making connections in Denver; Los Angeles is the chief point of origin. DIA replaced inner-city Stapleton International Airport (1929-1995). Once open range country, the area near DIA is undergoing rapid construction of homes, hotels and warehouses.

Downtown

At the center of downtown is the Denver Civic Center, a 40 acre (16-hectare) complex of parks and government buildings. At opposite ends of the Center are the City-County Building and the State Capitol. The Capitol is 272 feet (83 meters) high and has a dome covered with local gold. Nearby are the Art Museum, and the Denver Public Library (which contains more than one million volumes, especially famous for its research collection in western history). The United States Mint makes half the nation's coins. Until the 1950s buildings in Denver could not be higher than 12 stories, but since then a number of skyscrapers more than 40 stories tall have been added to the city skyline, including the Arco Tower, Anaconda Tower, Great West Plaza, and the Amoco Building. During the 1970s an extensive urban renewal program was undertaken in downtown Denver, leading to the creation of a three-square block convention center and an elaborate theater complex, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

History

Denver was started during the turbulent Pikes Peak gold rush of 1859-1860, when thousands walked across the plains in search of wealth. Two small settlements, Denver City and Auraria, were consolidated in 1860; the city was named after Gov. James W. Denver of the Kansas Territory. The first city hall was built on stilts in the middle of a stream. Boom and bust characterized the early years, 1859-1870. In 1863 a fire destroyed much of Denver, and the next year a flash flood destroyed the precariously built city hall on stilts.

In 1861 Colorado became a territory, with a governor appointed by President Abraham Lincoln. In 1867 Denver became the capital. The major obstacles to the city's growth were its isolation from the East and the Midwest and the lack of a stable income-producing economy. The Indian wars on the plains and heavy winter snowstorms east of the city were a constant threat to the connections with Kansas and points eastward. In 1863 the telegraph arrived. The coming of the railroads integrated the city further with the rest of the nation. The Denver Pacific Railroad to Cheyenne, Wyoming, division point on the transcontinental Union Pacific Railroad, and the Kansas Pacific Railroad to Kansas City, Kansas, were completed in 1870. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad south to Pueblo opened in 1871, thus making Denver the hub of mining and ranching areas in Colorado.

In the 1880s silver was discovered in the nearby mountains, leading Denver to a new surge of gaudiness and opulence, typified by the fancy Denver Opera House. The silver madness was as economically unstable as the gold rush 20 years before. In 1893 financial panic swept the nation, and the silver boom collapsed. By this time, however, the city's economy had a more stable base rooted in the agriculture of the surrounding area. Between 1870 and 1890 the city's population increased from less than 5,000 to over 100,000. The Progressive Era brought an Efficiency movemen, typified in 1902 when the city and Denver County were made coextensive; since then both the city and the county are governed by a nonpartisan mayor and nine-member council. he Democratic National Convention came in 1908, and returned 100 years later.

Up until World War II, Denver's economy was dependent mainly on the processing and shipping of minerals and ranch products, especially beef and lamb. During the war and in the years following, specialized industries were introduced into the city, making it a major manufacturing center. Population expanded rapidly, and many old buildings were torn down to make way for new housing projects. Many of Denver's finest buildings of the frontier era were demolished as the city has expanded upward and outward and acquired new lands for buildings and parking lots. Most notable among the losses have been the Tabor Grand Opera House, built by the silver king H. A. W. Tabor, and the Windsor Hotel.

External Links

• City and County of Denver
• World Travel Guide
• Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation