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Denver
- The City and its History
Credit
to Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau
HISTORY
 Denver
was born during the great "Pikes Peak or Bust
Gold Rush" of 1859 when some flakes of placer
gold were found where the South Platte River meets
Cherry Creek.
In its first few years, the city survived a flood,
two major fires, several Indian attacks and even
raised an army that defeated an invading force of
Confederates from Texas during the Civil War.
With the discovery of more gold in the mountains,
Denver became a boomtown. Saloons, gambling halls
and wagon trains lined the mud-filled streets, and
every outlaw, lawman and desperado in the West made
a visit to the Mile High City.
The turn-of-the-century brought respectability and
the wealth of the mountains was poured into parks,
fountains, statues, tree-lined streets and elaborate
mansions. Denver became the most elegant city in a
thousand mile radius -- the "Queen City of the
Plains."
The building boom in recent years has seen Denver
more than double in population since 1960. In 1983
alone, as much office space was added to the city as
already existed. Recession and a drop in the energy
industry caused Denver to slow down in the late
1980’s, but in 1997, the city experienced its
highest hotel occupancy in eight years and the
highest average room rate ever, a sure sign that the
economy in Mile High Denver had recovered once
again.
Nothing about Denver is more misunderstood
than the city’s climate. Located just east of a
high mountain barrier and a long distance from any
moisture source, Denver has a mild, dry and arid
climate. The city receives only 8-15 inches (20.3 -
38 cm) of precipitation a year (about the same as
Los Angeles), and records 300 days of sunshine a
year -- more annual hours of sun than San Diego or
Miami Beach.
Winters are mild with an average daily high of 45
degrees Fahrenheit, 7 degrees Celsius in February,
warmer than New York, Boston, Chicago or St. Louis.
Snow does fall, but it usually melts in a short
time. Golf courses remain open all year and have
been played on as many as 30 days in January.
Chinook winds (a wind blowing down from a mountain
that gains heat as it loses elevation) can bring 60
degree F (16 degrees C) weather to Denver at any
time throughout the winter.
In summer, dry relative humidity makes Denver feel
cool and comfortable, offering natural air
conditioning. Fall is a particularly delightful time
to visit the city and make day excursions to the
mountains to view the colorful changing of the
aspens, an event that takes place from mid-September
until mid-October.
Contrary
to popular belief, Denver is not in the mountains;
it is near them. The "Foothills" (a gentle
series of peaks ranging from 7,000 to 11,000 feet
high (2,133 to 3,353 meters high) start to rise 15
miles (24 kilometers) west of the city. Slightly
beyond that is the Continental Divide and a series
of peaks soaring to heights of 14,000 feet,(4,267
meters) known locally as the "Front
Range." Denver itself is located on high,
rolling plains.
Although considered "Western" in
character, Denver is actually located in the center
of the country, just 346 miles (557 km) west of the
exact center of the continental United States. With
the exception of Kansas City, Denver is closer to
the exact center of the nation than any other
metropolitan area. The 15th step on the west side of
the State Capitol Building is exactly 5,280 feet
(1,609 m) -- one mile -- above sea level.
Denver has more than doubled in population since
1960. The City & County of Denver has a
population of 510,000 making it larger than the
entire population of Wyoming (which has 480,000
people). The six-county metro area has a population
of 2.3 million. Denver’s population has increased
by 23% since 1990. Denver is the 20th largest metro
area in America, and has the 10th largest downtown
area. The city and county of Denver has a minority
population of 44.7% with 15% African American; 27.8%
Hispanic; 3.3% Asian; and 1.4% Native American. The
median age is 32.9 slightly below the U.S. median of
33.2. All of Colorado is experiencing a population
boom with over 700,000 people moving to the state in
the last decade. This makes for terrible traffic and
is why we moved to Canon City!!!
Highest Educated City: Denver is the most educated
city in the U.S. Denver has the greatest percentage
of high school and college graduates of any major
metropolitan area in the U.S.; 92.1% of the
population in the metro area have high school
diplomas and 35% have at least a bachelor's degree,
according to the U.S. Census. The national average
is 81.7% for high school diplomas and 23% with a
college degree.
Baby Boomer Capital: Denver also is the nation’s
baby boomer capital, with the highest percentage of
boomers of any major city, according to the 1998
U.S. Census. One third of the city is between age 35
and 54. Including small cities, only two had a
higher percentage than Denver -- Santa Fe and
Anchorage. Among major cities, percentage of boomers
is: Denver 32.8%; Seattle 31.5%; Atlanta 31.4%;
Washington 31.4%; Portland OR 31.4%; San Francisco
30.8%.
Thin City: Denver is also the "thinnest"
city in America, and Colorado is tied as the
"thinnest" state with Hawaii. A federal
report in late 1996 declared that half of American
adults have a weight problem, but Colorado is the
exception with less than 20% of Colorado adults
being overweight. The active lifestyle in Denver,
the great weather, the abundance of recreational
opportunities and the high education level are
credited for this fact. Colorado has a population of
4,016,306.
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