Featured Colorado Cities and Counties

Boulder

Colorado Quick Facts

Part of the Western and Southwestern regions of America in the Rocky Mountain region, Colorado is home to a population of around 4.8 million residents. Denver is the capital and most populous city, with other large cities including Colorado Springs, Aurora, Lakewood and Fort Collins. Colorado is the only state lying entirely above 1,000 meters elevation, and it has more than 50 mountain peaks higher than 4,000 meters. The summit of Mount Elbert is 14,440 feet. Located in Lake County, it is the highest point in the state, and the highest point throughout the Rocky Mountains.The mountains make the state the home of some of the world's best skiing, and major ski resort towns like Aspen, Vail and Breckenridge drawing thousands of tourists annually. The majority of the population of the state lives along the eastern portion of the mountains, and two-thirds of the state's population is in the Denver metro area.

Several studies cite the state as having the some of the lowest rates of obesity in country, which many attribute to the large number of outdoor recreational opportunities that abound. The climate varies in the state, and the the typical south-north/cooler-warmer rule that applies in most places does not apply here because of the mountains and valleys. Generally speaking though, the climate is mild, with cold winters and warm summers. Colorado is home to a number of federal facilities including the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the United States Air Force Academy and Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder; the U.S. Geological Survey in Lakewood; and the Denver Mint, Buckley Air Force Base and 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver. There is abundant National Forest land here and four national parks. Colorado also produces more beer than any other state.