Denver
Denver, Colorado, United States of America, North America
Founded: 1858; Incorporated: 1861
Location: North-central Colorado near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains
Motto: Nil sine numine (Nothing without providence; state motto)
Flower: Rocky Mountain columbine (state flower)
Time Zone: 5 AMMountain Standard Time (EST) = noon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Ethnic Composition: White 83.6%, Black 12.8%, American Indian 1.2%, Asian/Pacific Islander 2.4%
Elevation: 1,609 meters (5,280 feet) above sea level
Latitude and Longitude: 39°66'N, 104°83'W
Coastline: None
Climate : Mild, dry, arid climate; mild winters and comfortable summers with low humidity
Annual Mean Temperature: 10°C (50°F); January–1°C (30°F); August 22°C (72°F)
Seasonal Average Snowfall: 152 cm (60 in)
Average Annual Precipitation (total of rainfall and melted snow): 39.4 cm (15.5 in).
Government: Mayor-council
Weights and Measures: Standard U.S.
Monetary Units: Standard U.S.
Telephone Area Codes: 303, 720
Postal Codes: 80201–14, 80216–25, 80227, 80229, 80231, 80233–95
Highways
Denver is accessible by I-25 (State Route 87), running north-south, and I-70, running east-west. Merging with I-25 north of the city is I-76, which runs northeast to southwest to the east of the city; I-225 connects I-25 and I-70. Together with State Route 470, I-225 and I-70 form a loop around the city.
Bus and Railroad Service
Amtrak trains stop at Denver's Union Station three times daily on its major east-west route from Chicago to Los Angeles. Greyhound provides all long-distance bus service to Denver. The city is a major inter-city busline hub, with more than 60 arrivals and departures daily.
Airports
Denver International Airport, which opened in 1995, covers 137 square kilometers (53 square miles) and has five full-service runways. The airport, which served over 37 million passengers in 1999 and has a maximum capacity of 110 million passengers, is the second-largest hub nationwide for United Airlines. With "peaks" designed to represent the Rocky Mountains, the airport's main terminal building has become one of Denver's most prominent architectural landmarks.
Denver Population Profile
City Proper
Population: 510,000
Area: 397 sq km (153.3 sq mi)
Ethnic composition: 83.6% white; 12.8% black; 1.2% Native American; 2.4% Asian/Pacific Islander
Nicknames: The Mile High City, The Queen City of the Plains, The City of Silver and Gold
Metropolitan Area
Population: 1,901,156
Description: Area within city limits, plus the suburbs of Arvada, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Aurora, Golden, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, Cherry Hills, Greenwood Villages, Littleton, and Englewood
Area: 9,741 sq km (3,761 sq mi)
World population rank1: 199
Percentage of national population2: 0.6%
Average yearly growth rate: 1.0%
Ethnic composition: 90.1% white; 6.2% black; 2.9% Asian/Pacific Islander
———
- The Denver metropolitan area's rank among the world's urban areas.
- The percent of the total US population living in the Denver metropolitan area.
Shipping
Thanks to its central location, Denver is a major commercial hub for ground transportation, serving four major rail carriers and more than 160 trucking companies, as well as air cargo carriers. It is estimated that more than 30 million people receive goods transported through Denver by air, rail, or truck every year. With its designation as a Free Trade Zone, the city is also a busy import and export center.
Bus and Commuter Rail Service
Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) runs bus routes that carry passengers to every part of the urban area between the hours of 5:30 AM and 10:30 PM. The main bus station is located at Broadway and Colfax, next door to the Civic Center. The RTD also operates a light rail system along a limited route. The Cultural Connection Trolley (which is actually a bus) covers a downtown loop route that takes in many of the city's major cultural attractions.
Sightseeing
Gray Line Tours operates out of the city's main bus terminal at 19th Street and Arapahoe Street and offers sightseeing tours of Denver and the surrounding area. Half-and full-day scenic and historic tours are offered by Best Mountain Tours and Discover Colorado Tours. There is also a special tour available of the area's brewpubs.
7. Government
Denver's government administers both the city and county of Denver under a strong mayor, elected to a four-year term, and a council whose 13 members are also elected for four years.
Websites
Denver City Net. [Online] Available http://city.net/countries/united_states/colorado/denver (accessed November 29, 1999).
Denver City Pages. [Online] Available http://denver.thelinks.com/ (accessed November 29, 1999).
Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau site. [Online] Available http://www.denver.rog/media/releases (accessed November 29, 1999).
Denver Online. [Online] Available http://www.denveronline.com (accessed November 29, 1999).
Government Offices
Denver City Hall
1437 Bannock St.
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 640–5555
Denver County
1437Bannock St.
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 640–2628
Mayor's Office
1437 Bannock St., Rm. 350
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 640–2721
Tourist and Convention Bureaus
Colorado Convention Center
700 14th St.
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 640–8799
Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau
1555 California St., Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 892–1112
Publications
Denver Business Journal
1700 Broadway
Denver, CO 80290
Denver Post
1560 Broadway
Denver, CO 80202
Rocky Mountain News
400 W. Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO 80204
Books
Alley, Jean, and Hartley Alley. Colorado Cycling Guide. Boulder: Pruett Publishing, 1990.
Caruso, Laura, and Robert Ebisch. 1st ed. The Insiders' Guide to Denver. Boulder: Boulder Publishing Co., 1997.
Denver: A Picture Book to Remember Her By. New York: Crescent Books, 1987.
Green, Stewart M. Walking Denver. Helena, MT: Falcon Pub., 1998.
Halls, Kelly Milner. Kids Go! Denver: A Fun-Packed, Fact-Filled, Travel and Activity Book. Santa Fe, NM: John Muir Publications, 1996.
Hornby, William H. Voice of Empire : A Centennial Sketch of The Denver Post. Denver: Colorado Historical Society, 1992.
Iversen, Kristen. Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth. Foreword by Muffet Brown. Boulder: Johnson Books, 1999.
Leonard, Stephen, and Thomas J. Noel. Denver: Mining Camp to Metropolis. 1st ed. Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado, 1990.
Ludmer, Larry. Colorado Guide. New York: Open Road Publishing, 1998.
Mar, M. Elaine. Paper Daughter: A Memoir. 1st ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1999.
Noel, Thomas J. Denver Landmarks and Historic District: A Pictorial Guide. Niwot, CO: University Press of Colorado, 1996.
