ZIP Code 80204

Denver is located in the Western United States, in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. It is nicknamed the Mile High City because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5280 feet or 1609.344 meters) above sea level. The 105th meridian west of Greenwich, the longitudinal reference for the Mountain Time Zone, passes directly through Denver Union Station. Denver is ranked as a Beta world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. In 2016, it was named the best place to live in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. The 10-county Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 2,963,821 at the 2020 United States census, making it the 19th most populous U.S. metropolitan statistical area. The 12-counte Denver-aurora, CO Combined Statistical area had aPopulation of 3,623,560 at the2020 United States Census. The most populous city of the 18- county Front Range Urban Corridor, an oblong urban region stretching across two states with a Population of 5,055,344 at the 2010 census. The city is the capital of Colorado and the fifth most populous state capital. It was named after James W. Denver, a governor of the Kansas Territory. In the summer of 1858, a group of gold prospectors from Lawrence, Kansas, established Montana City as a mining town. This was the first historical settlement in what was later to become the city of Denver.

History

Denver is the primary city name, but also Aurora are acceptable city names or spellings. The discovery in November 1858 of gold in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado brought on a gold rush and a consequent flood of white emigration across Cheyenne and Arapaho lands. In 1858, a group of gold prospectors from Lawrence, Kansas, established Montana City as a mining town on the banks of the South Platte River in what was then western Kansas Territory. The site faded quickly, however, and by the summer of 1859 it was abandoned in favor of Auraria and St. Charles City. In 1863, Western Union furthered Denver's dominance of the region by choosing the city for its regional terminus. On August 1, 1876, Denver City shortened its name to Denver, and in 1881 it was chosen as the permanent state capital in a statewide ballot. On November 1, 1861, Colorado, Arapahoe County was formed, and Denver City was incorporated as the county seat on November 7, 1861. In 1902, Denver became the acting capital of Colorado, and became the permanent capital of the state in August of the same year. The city's name was changed to Denver on September 1, 1902. It is now the home of the Denver Broncos football team, the Denver Nuggets, and the Colorado Rockies hockey team. Denver is home to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which opened its doors in 2008. It also hosts the National Museum of American History, which dates back to the 17th century. It was the first U.S. city to be named after a Native American.

Geography

Denver is in the center of the Front Range Urban Corridor, between the Rocky Mountains to the west and the High Plains to the east. At the 2020 United States census, the City and County of Denver had a total area of 99,025 acres (400.739 km²) The elevation of the entire city ranges from 5,130 to 5,690 feet (1,560 to 1,730 m) Denver lies 750 miles from the nearest point of the Gulf of California, the nearest ocean to the city. It has four distinct seasons and receives most of its precipitation from April through August. July is warmest month with an average high temperature of 89.9 °F (32.2 °C). Summers range from warm to hot with afternoon thunderstorms reaching 90 °C (32 °F) on 38 days annually. December is the coldest month and has an average daily temperature of 44 °C. In winter, daytime highs can often fail to rise above 0 °C during periods of cold weather due to the warming effect of Chinook winds. Denver residents use the terms "north", "south", "east", and "west" to refer to their neighborhoods. Denver also has a number of neighborhoods not reflected in the administrative boundaries. These neighborhoods may reflect the way people in an area identify themselves or they might reflect how others, such as real estate developers, have defined those areas. Denver has a continental semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification: BSk) with generally low humidity and around 3,100 hours of sunshine per year.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the population of the City and County of Denver was 715,522, making it the 19th most populous U.S. city. The Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated 2013 population of 2,697,476. Denver is the most populous city within a radius centered in the city and of 550-mile (890 km) magnitude. Approximately 70.3% of the population (over five years old) spoke only English at home. The city has one of the largest populations of Mexican-Americans in the entire United States, with the overwhelming majority of them being of Mexican descent. Due to a skewed sex ratio wherein single men outnumber single women, some protologists had nicknamed the city as Menver. The median household income for the city was $45,438, and the median family income was $48,195. Out of the total population, 25.7% of those living under the age of 18 and 13.6% of people 65 and older were below the poverty line. The population density was 3,922.6 inhabitants per square mile (6,312/km²) including the airport. There were 338.341 housing units at an average density of 1,751 per squaremile (676/ km²) However, the average density throughout most Denver neighborhoods tends to be higher. Without the 80249 zip code (47.3 sq mi, 8,407 residents) near the airport, theAverage density increases to around 5,470 per square miles.

Economy

Denver's economy is based partially on its geographic position and its connection to some of the country's major transportation systems. Because Denver is the largest city within 500 miles (800 km), it has become a natural location for storage and distribution of goods and services to the Mountain States, Southwest states, as well as all western states. The city has been home to other large corporations in the central United States, making Denver a key trade point for the country. The Denver area is home to the former nuclear weapons plant Rocky Flats, the Denver Federal Center, the United States Courthouse, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Colorado Convention Center. The Newmont Mining Corporation, the second-largest gold producer in North America and one of the largest in the world, is headquartered in Denver. The original Frontier Airlines began operations at Denver's old Stapleton International Airport in 1950; Frontier was reincarnated at DIA in 1994. AIMCO (NYSE: AIV) the largest owner and operator of apartment communities in the U.S., with approximately 870 communities comprising nearly 136,000 units in 44 states, employs approximately 3,500 people. The world's largest luggage manufacturer, Samsonite Corp., began in Denver in 1910 as Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company, but Samsonite closed its NE Denver factory in 2001, and moved its headquarters to Massachusetts after a change of ownership in 2006. MediaNews Group purchased the Denver Post in 1987; the company is based inDenver. The Gates Corporation was established in S. Denver in 1919. Russell Stover Candies made its first chocolate candy in Denver, but moved to Kansas City in 1969.

Culture

Denver has many nationally recognized museums, including a new wing for the Denver Art Museum by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. The city acquired the estate of abstract expressionist painter Clyfford Still in 2004 and built a museum to exhibit his works. Denver was recognized for the third year in a row as the best city for singles. Denver has one of the largest populations of Mexican Americans and hosts four large Mexican American celebrations each year. Denver used to be a major trading center for beef and livestock when it hosts the annual Great American Beer Festival each fall. The National Western Stock Show, attracting as many as 10,000 animals and 700,000 attendees every January, is held every January at the National Western Complex of downtown Denver. Because of its proximity to the mountains and generally sunny weather, Denver has gained a reputation as being a very active, outdoor-oriented city. Many Denver residents spend the weekends in the mountains; skiing in the winter and hiking, climbing, kayaking, and camping in the summer. Denver and surrounding cities are home to a large number of local and national breweries, and some larger brewers offer tours, including Co. Belgium Brewing Company. Denver is home to the second largest Performing Arts Center in the nation after Lincoln Center in New York City and bustling neighborhoods such as LoDo, filled with art galleries, restaurants, bars and clubs. In July 1982, Denver hosted the World Theatre Festival, which comprised a program of 114 performances of 18 plays, by theatre companies from 13 countries, across 25 days.

Sports

Denver is one of 13 U.S. cities with teams from four major league sports. The Denver Broncos of the National Football League have drawn crowds of over 70,000 since their origins in the early 1960s. The Colorado Rockies were created as an expansion franchise in 1993 and Coors Field opened in 1995. Denver submitted the winning bid to host the 1976 Winter Olympics but subsequently withdrew, giving it the distinction of being the first city to back out after having won its bid tohost the Olympics. In 2018, the Denver Bandits were established as the first professional football team for women in Colorado and will be a part of the initial season for the Women's National Football Conference (WNFC) in 2019. The Major League Soccer team Colorado Rapids play in Dick's Sporting Goods Park, an 18,000-seat soccer-specific stadium opened for the 2007 MLS season in the Denver suburb of Commerce City. The Rapids won the MLS Cup in 2010. In 2006, Denver established a Major League Lacrosse team, theDenver Outlaws. They play in Empower Field at Mile High. They won their first championship in 2014. They also won in 2016 and 2018 and would fold in 2020 with the MLL-PLL merger. They will be replaced by the Colorado Mammoth in 2022. The Mammoth won championships in 2006 and 2022 and won the National Lacrosse League title in 2006. The Broncos have advanced to eight Super Bowls and won back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998, and won again in 2015. Denver and Colorado Springs hosted the 1962 World Ice Hockey Championships.

Parks and recreation

As of 2006, Denver had over 200 parks, from small mini-parks all over the city to the giant 314-acre (1.27 km²) City Park. Denver also has 29 recreation centers providing places and programming for resident's recreation and relaxation. As of 2022, ParkScore by the Trust for Public Land, a national land conservation organization, reported Denver as having the 18th best park system among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. Denver is also home to a large network of public community gardens, most of which are managed by Denver Urban Gardens, a non-profit organization. Since 1974, Denver and the surrounding jurisdictions have rehabilitated the urban South Platte River and its tributaries for recreational use by hikers and cyclists. The main stem of the South platte River Greenway runs along the south Platte 35 miles (56 km) into Adams County in the north. The Greenway project is recognized as one of the best urban reclamation projects in the U.s., winning, for example, the Silver Medal Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence in 2001. Denver owns the mountain on which the Winter Park Resort ski area operates in Grand County, 67 miles (110 km) west of Denver. Over the years, Denver has acquired, built and maintained approximately 14,000 acres (57km²) of mountain parks, including Red Rocks Park, which is known for its scenery and musical history revolving around the unique Red Rocks Amphitheatre. In addition to the parks within Denver, the city acquired land for mountain parks starting in the 1911s.

Government

Denver is a consolidated city-county with a mayor elected on a nonpartisan ballot, a 13-member city council and an auditor. The mayor can approve or veto any ordinances or resolutions approved by the council, makes sure all contracts with the city are kept and performed, signs all bonds and contracts, and can appoint people to various city departments, organizations, and commissions. The council can override the mayor's veto with a nine out of thirteen member vote, and the city budget must be approved and can be changed by a simple majority vote of the council. In federal elections, Denver is a Democratic stronghold. It has supported a Democrat for president in every election since 1960, excluding 1972 and 1980. The city has swung heavily to the Democrats since the 1980s; Ronald Reagan is the last Republican to garner even 40 percent of the city's vote. In recent years, Denver has taken a stance on helping people who are homeless, particularly under the administrations of mayors John Hlooper and Wellington Webb. At a rate of 19 per 10,000 residents in 2011, Denver's homeless rate is considerably lower than many other major cities. In 2005, Denver became the first major major city to have a homeless rate of less than 10 per 10, 000 residents for the four metro areas with the highest rate of homelessness. The current mayor is Michael Hancock. All elected officials have four-year terms, with a maximum of three terms. The Denver County Court is an integrated Colorado County Court and Municipal Court and is managed by Denver instead of the state. It is the most Democratic district in the Mountain West.

Education

Denver Public Schools (DPS) educates approximately 92,000 students in 92 elementary schools, 44 K-8 schools, 34 middle schools, 18 high schools, and 19 charter schools. Three major public schools constitute the Auraria Campus: the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and Community College of Denver. Other prominent Denver higher education institutions include Johnson & Wales University, Catholic (Jesuit) Regis University and the city has Roman Catholic and Jewish institutions, as well as a health sciences school. The Cherry Creek School District serves some areas with Denver postal addresses that are outside the city limits. The city has a number of schools throughout the surrounding metro area, including schools in Colorado Springs, Denver, Colorado, and Colorado Springs-Arapahoe County, and Denver-Pueblo, Colorado. Denver's many colleges and universities range in age and study programs. The private University ofDenver was the first institution of higher learning in the city and was founded in 1864. It is located in the Denver suburb of Centennial and has an enrollment of more than 100,000 people. Denver has a population of 2.2 million people, making it one of the largest cities in the United States. The population of Denver is 2.3 million, the highest in the U.S. and the third largest in the Western United States, after New York and Los Angeles. Denver is the largest city in the Rocky Mountain region, with an population of 1.7 million.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Denver, Adams County, Colorado = 45. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 87. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 11. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Denver = 4.8 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 715,522 individuals with a median age of 36.8 age the population grows by 7.58% in Denver, Adams County, Colorado population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 4,674 residents per square mile of area (1,805/km²). There are average 2.33 people per household in the 250,586 households with an average household income of $46,704 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.80% of the available work force and has dropped -4.90% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 22.80%. The number of physicians in Denver per 100,000 population = 467.6.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Denver = 12.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 53.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 78. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 245. 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 21.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 57, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Denver, Adams County, Colorado which are owned by the occupant = 48.12%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 45 years with median home cost = $204,040 and home appreciation of -2.06%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.71 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,375 per student. There are 18.8 students for each teacher in the school, 551 students for each Librarian and 713 students for each Counselor. 5.06% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 21.42% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 12.24% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).