View source for Boulder, Colorado

{{Short description|Home-rule city and seat of Boulder County, Colorado, USA}}
{{other uses|Boulder (disambiguation)}}
{{infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info --------------->
| name               = Boulder, Colorado
|official_name       = City of Boulder
| settlement_type    = [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality|home rule city]]<ref name=COMun>{{cite web|url=https://dola.colorado.gov/dlg_lgis_ui_pu/publicMunicipalities.jsf|title=Active Colorado Municipalities|publisher=[[Colorado Department of Local Affairs]]|access-date=February 13, 2025}}</ref>
| motto              = <!-- images and maps ---------->
| image_skyline      = Pearl Street Mall.jpg
| image_caption      = [[Pearl Street Mall]] in downtown Boulder
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = Boulder, Colorado logo.svg
| image_shield       = 
| image_map          = File:Boulder County Colorado Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Boulder Highlighted 0807850.svg
| map_caption        = Location of Boulder in Boulder County, Colorado
<!-- Pushpin map -->
| pushpin_map        = USA#USA Colorado
| pushpin_relief     = 
| pushpin_label      = Boulder
| pushpin_label_position = right
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the United States##Location within Colorado
<!-- Location -->
| coordinates        = {{coord|40.0150|-105.2705|type:city_region:US-CO_source:GNIS-178680|display=it}}
| coordinates_footnotes = <ref name=GNIS>{{cite gnis|id=178680|name=Boulder, Colorado|access-date=January 30, 2025}}</ref>
| elevation_ft       = 5319
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=GNIS/>
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Colorado]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Colorado|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Boulder County, Colorado|Boulder]]<ref name=COcounty>{{cite web|url=https://dola.colorado.gov/dlg_lgis_ui_pu/publicCounties.jsf|title=Colorado Counties|publisher=[[Colorado Department of Local Affairs]]|access-date=January 31, 2025}}</ref>
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = 1858 as Boulder&nbsp;City, [[Nebraska Territory|N.T.]]
| established_title2 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date2  = November 4, 1871<ref name="MuniIncCO">{{Cite web |url=http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html |title=Colorado Municipal Incorporations |date=December 1, 2004 |publisher=[[State of Colorado]], Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives |access-date=September 2, 2007 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200920/http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality|Home rule city]]<ref name=COMun/>

<!-- Politics ----------------->
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Aaron Brockett ([[Democratic Party (U.S.)|D]])<ref>{{cite web |title=Shay Castle |url=https://twitter.com/shayshinecastle/status/1460780367791546369 |website=twitter.com |access-date=November 16, 2021 |archive-date=November 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117012240/https://twitter.com/shayshinecastle/status/1460780367791546369 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| leader_title1      = [[Mayor Pro Tem]]
| leader_name1       = Lauren Folkerts<ref>{{cite web|title=Councilmember Lauren Folkerts elected as Boulder's next mayor pro tem|url=https://boulderreportinglab.org/2024/12/05/councilmember-lauren-folkerts-elected-as-boulders-next-mayor-pro-tem/|website=Boulder Reporting Lab|access-date=April 26, 2025}}</ref>

<!-- Area --------------------->
| unit_pref          = US
| area_footnotes     = <ref name=2020_Census>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo/summary-files.html|title=Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], [[United States Department of Commerce]]|date=August 12, 2021|access-date=September 7, 2021|archive-date=December 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211217145203/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/rdo/summary-files.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 70.877
| area_land_km2      = 68.188
| area_water_km2     = 2.689
<!-- Population --------------->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name=2020_Census/>
| population_total   = 108,250
| pop_est_as_of      = 2024
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="US Census Bureau City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024">{{cite web | url= https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html#v2024| title=US Census Bureau City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024|website=census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 15, 2025}}</ref>
| population_est     = 106,803 {{loss}}
| population_rank    = [[List of municipalities in Colorado|12th]] in Colorado<br />[[List of United States cities by population|324th]] in United States
| population_density_sq_mi = 4,112
| population_demonym = Boulderite
| population_metro   = 330,758 ([[List of metropolitan statistical areas|155th]])
| population_blank1_title = [[Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area|CSA]]
| population_blank1  = 3,623,560 ([[List of primary statistical areas|17th]])
| population_blank2_title = [[Front Range Urban Corridor|Front Range]]
| population_blank2  = 5,055,344
| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Boulder, CO (MSA)|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP14500|work=[[Federal Reserve Economic Data]] |publisher=[[Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis]]}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Metro
| demographics2_info1 = $35.608 billion (2022)
<!-- General information ----------------------->
| timezone1          = [[Mountain Time Zone|MST]]
| utc_offset1        = −07:00
| timezone1_DST      = [[Mountain Time Zone|MDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST    = −06:00
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]s<ref name="ZIPcode">{{Cite web |url=https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action |title=ZIP Code Lookup |publisher=[[United States Postal Service]] |access-date=October 20, 2014 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225014355/https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action |url-status=live }}</ref>
| postal_code        = 80301-80310, 80314, 80321-80323, 80328, 80329
| area_code_type     = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area codes]]
| area_code          = [[Area codes 303, 720, and 983|303/720/983]]
| blank_name         = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS pop ID]]
| blank_info         = {{GNIS 4|178680}}
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS city ID]]
| blank1_info        = {{GNIS 4|2409883}}
| blank2_name        = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank2_info        = {{FIPS|08|07850}}
| website            = [https://bouldercolorado.gov/ City of Boulder]
}}

'''Boulder''' is a [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality|home rule city]] in [[Boulder County, Colorado]], United States, and its [[county seat]].<ref name=COMun/> With a population of 108,250 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], it is the most populous city in the county and the [[List of municipalities in Colorado|12th-most populous city]] in Colorado.<ref name=2020_Census/> It is the principal city of the Boulder [[metropolitan statistical area]], which had 330,758 residents in 2020 and is part of the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]].

Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the [[Rocky Mountains]], at an elevation of {{convert|5430|ft|m|0}} above sea level.<ref name="GR6">{{Cite web |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=June 7, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/about-boulder/boulder-weather/ |title=Boulder Elevation |publisher=www.BoulderColoradoUSA.com |access-date=February 10, 2016 |archive-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807210737/http://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/about-boulder/boulder-weather/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city is {{convert|25|mi|km|0}} northwest of the Colorado state capital of [[Denver]]. Boulder is a [[college town]], hosting the [[University of Colorado Boulder]], the flagship and largest campus of the [[University of Colorado]] system as well as numerous [[research institute]]s. Starting in 2027, Boulder will become the new home of the [[Sundance Film Festival]].

==History==
{{For timeline}}
Archaeological evidence shows that Boulder Valley has been continuously inhabited by [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes for over 13,000 years, beginning in the late [[Pleistocene era]]. Throughout the Paleo-Indian, Archaic, and Late Prehistoric periods, indigenous peoples moved seasonally between the mountains and plains, taking shelter in winter along the Front Range trough where Boulder now lies. By the 1500s, the area was occupied by Ute tribes, joined by [[Arapaho]] tribes in the early 1800s.<ref name="COEncyclopedia">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Boulder, Colorado |url=https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/boulder |encyclopedia=Colorado Encyclopedia |access-date=October 17, 2023 |archive-date=June 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607012937/https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/boulder |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Indigenous Nations who have ties to the Boulder Valley include the [[Apache]], [[Arapaho]], [[Cheyenne]], [[Comanche]], [[Kiowa]], [[Pawnee people|Pawnee]], [[Shoshone]], [[Sioux]], and [[Ute people|Ute]] peoples. In the 1800s, Euro-American settlers colonized the area.<ref>{{cite web |website=City of Boulder |title=Boulder Land Acknowledgment |url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/staff-land-acknowledgment|access-date=October 17, 2023}}</ref>

Boulder was founded in late 1858 when prospectors led by Thomas Aikins arrived at Boulder Canyon during the Colorado Gold Rush. Arapaho leader Niwot allowed them to stay for the winter, but the settlers abused this peaceful approach, and some later took part in the [[Sand Creek massacre]] of Arapaho.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Drugan |first=Tim |date=2022-12-16 |title=Southern Arapaho elder says Boulder should amend Fort Chambers sign but leave it up |url=http://boulderreportinglab.org/2022/12/15/fred-mosqueda-in-his-own-words-southern-arapaho-elder-says-boulder-should-amend-fort-chambers-sign-but-leave-it-up/ |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=The Boulder Reporting Lab |language=en-US |archive-date=July 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709125837/https://boulderreportinglab.org/2022/12/15/fred-mosqueda-in-his-own-words-southern-arapaho-elder-says-boulder-should-amend-fort-chambers-sign-but-leave-it-up/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In early 1859, gold was discovered along Boulder Creek, drawing more miners and merchants to the area. The Boulder City Town Company was formed in February 1859 to establish a settlement at the canyon mouth. The Boulder, Nebraska Territory, post office opened on April 22, 1859.<ref name=CPO>{{cite book|title=Colorado Post Offices 1859–1989|first1=William H.|last1=Bauer|first2=James L.|last2=Ozment|first3=John H.|last3=Willard|date=1990|publisher=[[Colorado Railroad Museum|Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation]]|location=[[Golden, Colorado]]|isbn=0-918654-42-4}}</ref>

On August 24, 1859, voters of the [[Pike's Peak Gold Rush|Pike's Peak mining region]] approved the formation of the [[Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson]],<ref name="Jefferson Territory">{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hkkRAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA16|journal=The University of Colorado Studies: General Series A|publisher=[[University of Colorado]]|location=Boulder, Colorado|pages=15–18|author=Frederic L. Paxson |title=The Territory of Jefferson: A Spontaneous Commonwealth|year=1906|volume=3|editor=Francis Ramaley|access-date=November 7, 2024}}</ref> and on November 28, 1859, the extralegal Jefferson Territory created [[Jackson County, Jefferson Territory|Jackson County]] with Boulder City as its seat.<ref name=JT>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kBc4AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA190|chapter=An Act Defining the Boundaries of Counties and for other purposes|title=Provisional Laws and Joint Resolutions of the General Assembly of Jefferson Territory|publisher=General Assembly of the Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson|date=November 28, 1859|access-date=November 7, 2024}}</ref> By 1860, Boulder City had 70 cabins, occupied mainly by Anglo families. Non-whites like Chinese miners and black residents were part of early Boulder, but were rarely pictured.<ref name="COEncyclopedia"/>

The [[Slave states and free states|free]] [[Territory of Colorado]] was organized on February 28, 1861,<ref name="Colorado Origin Act">{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/law/help/statutes-at-large/36th-congress/session-2/c36s2ch59.pdf|title=An Act To provide a temporary Government for the Territory of Colorado|author=Thirty-sixth United States Congress|website=[[Library of Congress]]|author-link=36th United States Congress|date=February 28, 1861|access-date=December 24, 2024}}</ref> and Boulder County was created on November 1, 1861, with Boulder City as its seat. The Arapaho were forced to relocate by the Treaty of Fort Wise. With declining numbers, Niwot's band soon moved to the Cheyenne-Arapaho Reservation. By 1862, the creek had yielded $100,000 in gold, and Boulder's population exceeded 300.

On November 7, 1861, the [[Colorado General Assembly]] passed legislation to locate the University of Colorado in Boulder.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.colorado.edu/catalog/2013-14/information/intro|title = University of Colorado History|website = University of Colorado |access-date = February 10, 2016|archive-date = July 17, 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170717215550/http://www.colorado.edu/catalog/2013-14/information/intro|url-status = live}}</ref> The City of Boulder City was incorporated on November 4, 1871.<ref name=MuniIncCO/> On September 20, 1875, the first cornerstone was laid for the first building (Old Main) on the CU campus. Colorado became a state on August 1, 1876,<ref name=Colorado_Statehood_Proclamation>{{cite web |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-230-admission-colorado-into-the-union|title=Proclamation 230—Admission of Colorado into the Union|author=[[Ulysses S. Grant]] |date=August 1, 1876|publisher=The American Presidency Project|access-date=December 24, 2024}}</ref> and the university officially opened on September 5, 1877.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://boulder-colorado-travel.com/boulder-history/c-u-history |title=C.U. History |publisher=BoulderGuide |date=June 30, 2009 |access-date=December 9, 2010 |archive-date=November 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105174241/http://boulder-colorado-travel.com/boulder-history/c-u-history/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The City of Boulder City shortened its name to the City of Boulder.

In 1907, Boulder adopted an anti-[[western saloon|saloon]] ordinance.<ref>{{cite web | title = A Boulder Timeline | website= Boulder History Museum | access-date = January 17, 2010 | url = http://boulderhistory.org/boulder-history/ | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141010084603/http://boulderhistory.org/boulder-history/ | url-status = usurped | archive-date = October 10, 2014 }}</ref> In 1916, statewide [[prohibition]] started in Colorado, and ended with the repeal of national prohibition in 1933.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ghostseekers.com/Timeline.htm |title=Brief History of Colorado |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307061152/http://www.ghostseekers.com/Timeline.htm |archive-date=March 7, 2008 |website=ghostseekers.com}}</ref>
{{wide image|Boulder, Colorado, ca. 1900.jpg|700px|align-cap=center|Boulder in 1900}}

=== Housing ===
Median home prices rose 60% from 2010 to 2015 to $648,200.<ref name="NYT7316">{{cite news |first=Conor |last=Dougherty |date=July 3, 2016 |title=How Anti-Growth Sentiment, Reflected in Zoning Laws, Thwarts Equality |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/04/business/how-anti-growth-sentiment-reflected-in-zoning-laws-thwarts-equality.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607185844/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/04/business/how-anti-growth-sentiment-reflected-in-zoning-laws-thwarts-equality.html |archive-date=June 7, 2021 |access-date=July 4, 2016 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> In 2024, the City Council of Boulder repealed a long-standing law that prevented Boulder from increasing new residential units by more than 1% in a year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Portillo |first=Ashley |date=January 19, 2024 |title=City Council in Boulder, one of Colorado's least affordable cities, votes to remove cap on residential growth |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/boulder-remove-residential-growth-cap-city-council-vote-housing-affordable-colorado/ |website=CBS News |language=en-US |access-date=January 23, 2024 |archive-date=January 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240123135953/https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/boulder-remove-residential-growth-cap-city-council-vote-housing-affordable-colorado/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1959, city voters approved the "Blue Line" city-charter amendment, which restricted city water service to altitudes below {{convert|5750|ft|m}}, to protect the mountain backdrop from development. In 1967, city voters approved a dedicated sales tax to acquire open space to contain [[urban sprawl]]. In 1970, Boulder created a "comprehensive plan" to dictate future zoning, transportation, and urban planning decisions. Hoping to preserve residents' views of the mountains, in 1972, the city enacted an ordinance limiting the height of newly constructed buildings. In 1974, a Historic Preservation Code was passed. In 1976, a ''residential-growth management'' ordinance, the Danish Plan, was passed.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historic Preservation Program Background |url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/planning/historic-preservation-program-background |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025214639/https://bouldercolorado.gov/planning/historic-preservation-program-background |archive-date=October 25, 2013 |access-date=September 3, 2012 |website=City of Boulder}}</ref><ref name="boulder1">{{cite web |title=Did You Know?... The Story of Boulder, Colorado: Its Struggles To Reconcile Growth With Environmental Preservation |url=http://bcn.boulder.co.us/lwv/lwvknow.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060726204019/http://bcn.boulder.co.us/lwv/lwvknow.html |archive-date=July 26, 2006 |website=League of Women Voters of Boulder Valley}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Flatirons Winter Sunrise edit 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Boulder's rock formations, the [[Flatirons]]]]

The city of Boulder is located in the Boulder Valley, where the [[Rocky Mountains]] meet the [[Great Plains]]. The [[Flatirons]], slabs of sedimentary stone tilted up on the foothills, are located west of the city and are a widely recognized symbol of Boulder.<ref name="Reilly-McNellan">{{cite web|url=http://www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/history-of-mt-parks-mary-reilly-mcnellan-1-201305101210.pdf|author=Mary Reilly-McNellan|title=History of Boulder Mountain Parks|access-date=October 2, 2013|archive-date=September 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923195415/https://www-static.bouldercolorado.gov/docs/history-of-mt-parks-mary-reilly-mcnellan-1-201305101210.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Boulder Creek (Colorado)|Boulder Creek]] is the primary flow of water through Boulder. The creek was named before the city's founding and its etymology is unknown. It is from Boulder Creek that the city is believed to have taken its name.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} Boulder Creek has significant water flow, derived primarily from snow melt and minor springs west of the city.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} The creek flows into [[St. Vrain Creek]] east of [[Longmont]], which is a tributary of the [[South Platte River]].

At the [[2020 United States census]], the city had a total area of {{convert|70.877|km2|acre|order=flip}}, including {{convert|2.689|km2|acre|order=flip}} of water.<ref name=2020_Census/>

The [[40th parallel north|40th parallel]], 40 degrees north latitude, runs through Boulder and can be easily recognized as [[Baseline Road (Colorado)|Baseline Road]] today.

Boulder lies in a wide basin beneath [[Flagstaff Mountain, Boulder, Colorado|Flagstaff Mountain]] just a few miles east of the continental divide and about {{convert|25|mi|km}} northwest of Denver. Arapahoe Glacier provides water for the city, along with Boulder Creek, which flows through the center of the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bcn.boulder.co.us/basin/ |title=Boulder Area Sustainability Information Network |publisher=Boulder Community Network |date=August 27, 1999 |access-date=December 9, 2010 |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928141035/http://bcn.boulder.co.us/basin/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Denver International Airport]] is located {{convert|33|mi}} east-southeast of Boulder.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20041208180524/http://www.sirna.com/about/contact.html Contact]." [[Sirna Therapeutics]]. December 8, 2004. Retrieved March 3, 2012. "2950 Wilderness Place Boulder, CO 80301"</ref>

===Environment===
In 1899, government preservation of open space around Boulder began, with the [[Congress of the United States]] approving the allocation of {{convert|1800|acre|km2}} of mountain backdrop and watershed extending from South Boulder Creek to Sunshine Canyon.{{cn|date=August 2025}}

====Wildlife protection====
Boulder has created an Urban Wildlife Management Plan which sets policies for managing and protecting urban wildlife.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/wildlife/ |title=Urban Wildlife |publisher=Bouldercolorado.gov |access-date=July 23, 2013 |archive-date=October 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026005308/https://bouldercolorado.gov/wildlife |url-status=live }}</ref> The city's Parks and Recreation and Open Space and Mountain Parks departments have volunteers who monitor parks, including wetlands, lakes, etc., to protect ecosystems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/parks-rec/parks-volunteer-opportunities |title=Park Volunteer Opportunities |publisher=Bouldercolorado.gov |date=September 25, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026003354/https://bouldercolorado.gov/parks-rec/parks-volunteer-opportunities |archive-date=October 26, 2013 }}</ref> From time to time, parks and hiking trails are closed to conserve or restore ecosystems.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/closures |title=OSMP closures |publisher=Bouldercolorado.gov |access-date=July 23, 2013 |archive-date=August 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824033822/https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/closures |url-status=live }}</ref>
Traditionally, Boulder has avoided using chemical [[pesticides]] to control the insect population. However, with the threat of [[West Nile virus]], the city began an integrative plan<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060306113749/http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/environmentalaffairs/ipm/documents/FinalWNVMosquitoPlan.pdf]</ref> to control the mosquito population in 2003 that includes chemical pesticides. Residents can opt out of the program by contacting the city and asking that their areas not be sprayed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/ipm/mosquito-control-program |title=Mosquito Control Program |publisher=Bouldercolorado.gov |date=July 6, 2012 |access-date=July 23, 2013 |archive-date=October 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025223206/https://bouldercolorado.gov/ipm/mosquito-control-program |url-status=live }}</ref>

Under Boulder law, exterminating [[prairie dogs]] requires a permit.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://user.govoutreach.com/boulder/faq.php?cid=23415 |title=Prairie Dogs & Wild Birds Wildlife Protection Ordinance |publisher=City of Boulder |date=January 18, 2005 |access-date=December 9, 2010 |archive-date=June 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630092111/http://user.govoutreach.com/boulder/faq.php?cid=23415 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2005, the city experimented with using goats for weed control in environmentally sensitive areas. Goats naturally consume diffuse [[knapweed]] and [[Canada thistle]], and although the program was not as effective as it was hoped, goats will still be considered in future weed control projects. In 2010, goats were used to keep weeds under control at the Boulder Reservoir.<ref>{{cite news
 |title=Goats keep weeds under control at Boulder Reservoir
 |newspaper=Daily Camera
 |date=July 28, 2010
|url=http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15625225
 |access-date=September 3, 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725194601/http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15625225
 |archive-date=July 25, 2013
|url-status=live
 
}}</ref>

The city's Open Space and Mountain Parks department manages approximately {{Convert|8,000|acre|km2}} of protected forest land west of the city, in accordance with a 1999 Forest Ecosystem Management Plan. The plan aims to maintain or enhance native plant and animal species, their communities, the ecological processes that sustain them and to reduce the wildfire risk to forest and human communities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/forest-ecosystem-management-plan |title=Forest Ecosystem Management Plan |publisher=Bouldercolorado.gov |access-date=May 28, 2018 |archive-date=May 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529130022/https://bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/forest-ecosystem-management-plan |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Climate===
{{climate chart
| Boulder, Colorado
| 21.5 | 47.0 | 0.83
| 22.3 | 48.3 | 0.99
| 29.0 | 57.0 | 1.99
| 34.5 | 62.8 | 3.05
| 42.7 | 71.3 | 3.21
| 51.1 | 82.5 | 1.95
| 57.0 | 88.0 | 1.83
| 55.5 | 86.0 | 1.68
| 48.1 | 78.8 | 2.09
| 37.2 | 65.9 | 1.62
| 28.1 | 54.5 | 1.18
| 21.1 | 46.3 | 0.81
| units  = imperial
| float  = right
| clear  = none
| source = NOAA}}

[[File:The Flatirons in autumn..JPG|thumb|left|Autumn in Boulder]]
[[File:Boulder after a snowfall..JPG|thumb|left|Snowfall is common in Boulder throughout the winter.]]
Boulder has a temperate climate typical for much of the state and receives many sunny or mostly sunny days each year. Boulder is considered [[semi-arid]] (Köppen: ''BSk'') or [[humid subtropical]] (Köppen: ''Cfa'') within the [[Köppen climate classification]] due to its relatively high yearly precipitation and average temperatures remaining above {{convert|32|F|C}} year-round.<ref name="weather.gov">{{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=bou |title=Denver/Boulder Weather Forecast Office |access-date=August 10, 2015 |archive-date=May 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508060530/https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=bou |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Zipcode 80303 – Boulder Colorado is in Hardiness Zones 5b and 6a|website=PlantMaps|access-date=March 21, 2020|url=https://www.plantmaps.com/80303|archive-date=December 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216034535/https://www.plantmaps.com/80303|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Boulder, Colorado|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=51137&cityname=Boulder%2C+Colorado%2C+United+States+of+America&units=|access-date=March 21, 2020|website=weatherbase|archive-date=March 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331133347/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=51137&cityname=Boulder%2C+Colorado%2C+United+States+of+America&units=|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Western Regional Climate Center">{{cite web |url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliNORMNCDC2010.pl?co0848 |title=Boulder, Colorado NCDC 1981–2010 Monthly Normals |website=WRCC |access-date=November 17, 2017 |archive-date=September 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910095246/http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliNORMNCDC2010.pl?co0848 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Winter conditions range from generally mild to the occasional bitterly cold. Highs average in the mid to upper 40s °F (7–9&nbsp;°C). There are 4.6 nights annually where the temperature drops to {{convert|0|°F|0}}. Because of [[orographic lift]], the mountains to the west often dry out the air passing over the [[Front Range]], shielding the city from precipitation in winter, though heavy snowfalls may occur. Snowfall averages {{convert|88|in|cm}} per season. Snow depth is usually shallow. Due to the high elevation, a strong warming sun can quickly melt snow cover during the day and [[Chinook wind]]s bring rapid warm-ups throughout the winter months.<ref name=NOAA/>

Summers are warm, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. There are roughly 30 days of {{convert|90|°F|0}} or above each year.<ref name=NOAA/> [[Diurnal temperature variation]] is typically large due to the high elevation and semi-arid climate. Daytime highs are generally cooler than those of most Colorado cities with similar elevations.

The highest recorded temperature of {{convert|104|°F}} was on June 25, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=Weather History: Boulder Airport|url=http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KBDU/2012/6/9/MonthlyCalendar.html?req_city=Boulder&req_state=CO&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=80301&reqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=99999|access-date=June 9, 2015|archive-date=July 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712083953/http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KBDU/2012/6/9/MonthlyCalendar.html?req_city=Boulder&req_state=CO&req_statename=&reqdb.zip=80301&reqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=99999|url-status=live}}</ref> The record low was {{convert|-33|°F|0}} on January 17, 1930. The coldest high temperature, {{convert|-12|°F}}, was on February 4, 1989. The warmest overnight low was on July 20, 1998, with a temperature of {{convert|82|°F}}<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/boulder/dailyrecords| title=Boulder Daily Climatology and Daily Records| access-date=July 10, 2019| archive-date=July 11, 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711015911/https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/boulder/dailyrecords/| url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Boulder, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present
| single line = Y
|collapsed = Yes
|Jan record high F = 73
|Feb record high F = 79
|Mar record high F = 90
|Apr record high F = 88
|May record high F = 95
|Jun record high F = 104
|Jul record high F = 104
|Aug record high F = 102
|Sep record high F = 100
|Oct record high F = 90
|Nov record high F = 80
|Dec record high F = 76

|Jan avg record high F = 65.4
|Feb avg record high F = 66.4
|Mar avg record high F = 73.9
|Apr avg record high F = 79.5
|May avg record high F = 86.6
|Jun avg record high F = 94.2
|Jul avg record high F = 97.9
|Aug avg record high F = 95.3
|Sep avg record high F = 91.5
|Oct avg record high F = 83.1
|Nov avg record high F = 72.8
|Dec avg record high F = 65.4
|year avg record high F = 98.5

|Jan high F = 47.0
|Feb high F = 48.3
|Mar high F = 57.0
|Apr high F = 62.8
|May high F = 71.3
|Jun high F = 82.5
|Jul high F = 88.0
|Aug high F = 86.0
|Sep high F = 78.8
|Oct high F = 65.9
|Nov high F = 54.5
|Dec high F = 46.3
|year high F = 65.7

|Jan mean F = 34.3
|Feb mean F = 35.3
|Mar mean F = 43.0
|Apr mean F = 48.7
|May mean F = 57.0
|Jun mean F = 66.8
|Jul mean F = 72.5
|Aug mean F = 70.7
|Sep mean F = 63.5
|Oct mean F = 51.6
|Nov mean F = 41.3
|Dec mean F = 33.7
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 21.5
|Feb low F = 22.3
|Mar low F = 29.0
|Apr low F = 34.5
|May low F = 42.7
|Jun low F = 51.1
|Jul low F = 57.0
|Aug low F = 55.5
|Sep low F = 48.1
|Oct low F = 37.2
|Nov low F = 28.1
|Dec low F = 21.1
|year low F = 37.3

|Jan avg record low F = -0.5
|Feb avg record low F = 0.9
|Mar avg record low F = 10.7
|Apr avg record low F = 19.4
|May avg record low F = 30.1
|Jun avg record low F = 41.3
|Jul avg record low F = 50.0
|Aug avg record low F = 47.4
|Sep avg record low F = 34.7
|Oct avg record low F = 20.1
|Nov avg record low F = 7.9
|Dec avg record low F = 0.4
|year avg record low F = -7.5

|Jan record low F = −33
|Feb record low F = −28
|Mar record low F = −13
|Apr record low F = −3
|May record low F = 17
|Jun record low F = 20
|Jul record low F = 40
|Aug record low F = 40
|Sep record low F = 15
|Oct record low F = −2
|Nov record low F = −12
|Dec record low F = −24

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.83
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.99
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.99
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.05
|May precipitation inch = 3.21
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.95
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.83
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.68
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.09
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.62
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.18
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.81
|year precipitation inch=

|Jan snow inch = 11.3
|Feb snow inch = 15.0
|Mar snow inch = 15.7
|Apr snow inch = 14.7
|May snow inch = 2.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 1.0
|Oct snow inch = 7.0
|Nov snow inch = 13.1
|Dec snow inch = 13.0
|year snow inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 5.8
|Feb precipitation days = 6.9
|Mar precipitation days = 8.1
|Apr precipitation days = 10.1
|May precipitation days = 12.6
|Jun precipitation days = 10.1
|Jul precipitation days = 10.6
|Aug precipitation days = 10.5
|Sep precipitation days = 7.9
|Oct precipitation days = 7.1
|Nov precipitation days = 5.9
|Dec precipitation days = 5.4
|year precipitation days = 101.0

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 5.6
|Feb snow days = 6.5
|Mar snow days = 6.0
|Apr snow days = 4.9
|May snow days = 0.9
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.5
|Oct snow days = 2.1
|Nov snow days = 4.8
|Dec snow days = 5.5
|year snow days =

|Jan snow depth inch = 5.9
|Feb snow depth inch = 6.6
|Mar snow depth inch = 6.5
|Apr snow depth inch = 4.6
|May snow depth inch = 0.8
|Jun snow depth inch = 0.0
|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0
|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0
|Sep snow depth inch = 0.3
|Oct snow depth inch = 3.9
|Nov snow depth inch = 7.0
|Dec snow depth inch = 6.9
|year snow depth inch = 12.9

<!-- Average daylight hours, including cloudy hours. -->
|Jan light = 9.7
|Feb light = 10.7
|Mar light = 12.0
|Apr light = 13.3
|May light = 14.4
|Jun light = 15.0
|Jul light = 14.7
|Aug light = 13.7
|Sep light = 12.4
|Oct light = 11.1
|Nov light = 10.0
|Dec light = 9.4
|year light=
|Jan uv = 2
|Feb uv = 3
|Mar uv = 5
|Apr uv = 7
|May uv = 9
|Jun uv = 11
|Jul uv = 11
|Aug uv = 10
|Sep uv = 7
|Oct uv = 5
|Nov uv = 3
|Dec uv = 2
<!-- Mandatory fields, source -->
|source = NOAA<ref name="National Weather Service">{{cite web
|url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=bou
|title=NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data
|publisher=NOAA
|access-date=September 8, 2020
|archive-date=May 8, 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508060530/https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=bou
|url-status=live
}}</ref><ref name=NOAA>{{cite web
|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00050848&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|title=U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access
|access-date=August 8, 2022
|archive-date=August 8, 2022
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808215941/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00050848&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|url-status=live
}}</ref>
<!-- For a second source -->
| source 2 = Weather Atlas (daylight)<ref name="WA">{{cite web |url=https://www.weather-us.com/en/colorado-usa/boulder-climate |title=Monthly weather forecast and climate: Boulder, CO |publisher=Weather Atlas |access-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-date=June 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621162717/https://www.weather-us.com/en/colorado-usa/boulder-climate |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}<!-- Infobox ends -->

{{notelist-ua}}

==Demographics==

[[File:Race and ethnicity 2020 Boulder, CO.png|thumb|A map of racial distribution in Boulder, 2020 US census. Each dot is one person: {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=rgb(115, 178, 255)|White}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=rgb(159, 212, 0)|Black}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=rgb(255, 0, 0)|Asian}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=rgb(255, 170, 0)|Hispanic}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=rgb(140, 81, 181)|Multiracial}} {{legend inline|outline=white|white|text=⬤|textcolor=rgb(153, 102, 51)|Native American/other}}]]

Boulder is the principal city of the [[Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

===2020 census===
{{US Census population
| 1870 = 343
| 1880 = 3069
| 1890 = 3330
| 1900 = 6150
| 1910 = 9539
| 1920 = 11006
| 1930 = 11223
| 1940 = 12958
| 1950 = 19999
| 1960 = 37718
| 1970 = 66870
| 1980 = 76685
| 1990 = 83312
| 2000 = 94673
| 2010 = 97385
| 2020 = 108250
| estyear = 2024
| estimate = 106803
| estref = <ref name="US Census Bureau City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024">{{cite web | url= https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html#v2024| title=US Census Bureau City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024|website=census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 15, 2025}}</ref>
| footnote = [[United States census|U.S. Decennial Census]]
}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Boulder, Colorado – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Boulder city, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?g=160XX00US0807850|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Boulder city, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0807850&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop. 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Boulder city, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0807850&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|79,721
|80,873
|style='background: #ffffe6; |82,700
|84.21%
|83.04%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |76.40%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|1,085
|828
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,305
|1.15%
|0.85%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.21%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|363
|297
|style='background: #ffffe6; |394
|0.38%
|0.30%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.36%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|3,772
|4,558
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6,934
|3.98%
|4.68%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.41%
|-
|[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|46
|60
|style='background: #ffffe6; |122
|0.05%
|0.06%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.11%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|206
|198
|style='background: #ffffe6; |582
|0.22%
|0.20%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.54%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|1,679
|2,064
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,773
|1.77%
|2.12%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.41%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|7,801
|8,507
|style='background: #ffffe6; |11,440
|8.24%
|8.74%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |10.57%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''94,673'''
|'''97,385'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''108,250'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

In the 2010 census, there were 97,385 people, 41,302 households, and 16,694 families in the city. The population density was {{convert|3,942.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 43,479 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,760.3|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The [[Race (United States Census)|racial makeup]] of the city was 88.0% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.2% some other race, and 2.6% from two or more races. 8.7% of the population were [[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanic]] or Latino of any race.<ref name="Census 2010 DP">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US0807850| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212135814/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US0807850| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Boulder city, Colorado| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=February 5, 2013}}</ref>

There were 41,302 households, of which 19.1% had children under 18 living with them, 32.2% were headed by married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 59.6% were non-families. 35.8% of all households comprised individuals, and 7.1% were someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.16, and the average family size was 2.84.<ref name="Census 2010 DP"/>

Boulder's population is younger than the national average, largely due to the presence of university students. The median age at the 2010 census was 28.7 years compared to the U.S. median of 37.2 years. In Boulder, 13.9% of the residents were younger than 18, 29.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and older, there were 106.2 males.<ref name="Census 2010 DP"/>

In 2011, the estimated median household income in Boulder was $57,112, and the median family income was $113,681. Male full-time workers had a median income of $71,993 versus $47,574 for females. The per capita income for the city was $37,600. 24.8% of the population and 7.6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.4% of those under 18 and 6.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/DP03/1600000US0807850| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212084656/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/DP03/1600000US0807850| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Selected Economic Characteristics: 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates (DP03): Boulder City, Colorado| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=February 5, 2013}}</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:The Hill in Boulder Colorado Shot 2.JPG|thumb|"The Hill" is one of the centers of off-campus life for students at the [[University of Colorado, Boulder|University of Colorado]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}]]
In 2010, the Boulder MSA had a gross metropolitan product of $18.3 billion, the 110th largest metropolitan economy in the United States.<ref name=metrogdp>{{cite web|title=Gross Metropolitan Product|url=http://greyhill.com/gross-metropolitan-product|publisher=Greyhill Advisors|access-date=September 29, 2011|archive-date=November 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106073959/http://greyhill.com/gross-metropolitan-product/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2007, Boulder became the first city in the United States to levy a [[carbon tax]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Where Carbon is Taxed|url=http://www.carbontax.org/progress/where-carbon-is-taxed/|access-date=September 3, 2013|archive-date=August 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820180507/http://www.carbontax.org/progress/where-carbon-is-taxed/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2013, Boulder appeared on ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine's list of Best Places for Business and Careers.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Best Places For Business and Careers – Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/best-places-for-business/|magazine=Forbes|access-date=January 18, 2014|archive-date=August 8, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808004953/http://www.forbes.com/best-places-for-business|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Top employers===
In the city's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/media/12532/download?inline|title=Boulder, Colorado ACFR 2022|website=bouldercolorado.gov|access-date=June 8, 2024|archive-date=June 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608165140/https://bouldercolorado.gov/media/12532/download?inline|url-status=live}}</ref> the top employers are:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of employees
|-
| 1
|[[University of Colorado Boulder]]
|6,200
|-
| 2
|[[Ball Corporation]]
|4,800
|-
| 3
|[[Boulder Valley School District]]
|3,832
|-
| 4
|[[St. Vrain Valley School District]]
|3,570
|-
| 5
|[[Boulder Community Health]]
|2,360
|-
| 6
|Boulder County
|2,040
|-
| 7
|City of Boulder
|1,461
|-
| 8
|[[National Center for Atmospheric Research]]
|1,187
|-
| 9
|[[University Corporation for Atmospheric Research]]
|1,187
|-
|10
|[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|870
|}

==Arts and culture==
===Bolder Boulder===
Boulder has hosted a [[10K run|10&nbsp;km road run]], the [[Bolder Boulder]], on [[Memorial Day]] every year since 1979. The race involves over 50,000 runners, joggers, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it one of the largest road races in the world. It has the largest non-[[marathon]] prize purse in road racing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bolderboulder.com/Media%20Guide3.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040331011921/http://bolderboulder.com/Media%20Guide3.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 31, 2004 |title=Media Guide }}</ref> The race culminates at [[Folsom Field]] with a Memorial Day Tribute. The 2007 race featured over 54,000<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007/may/30/running-bosley-hopes-race-no-30-runs-smoother |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811170240/http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007/may/30/running-bosley-hopes-race-no-30-runs-smoother/ |archive-date=August 11, 2007 |date=May 30, 2007 |newspaper=Daily Camera |author=Ryan Thorburn |title=Bosley hopes race No. 30 runs smoother}}</ref> runners, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it the largest race in the US in which all participants are timed and the fifth largest road race in the world.<ref name=largest>{{cite web |url=http://www.runningusa.org/largest-races |title=Largest Races |publisher=Running USA |access-date=December 1, 2013 |archive-date=December 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202124608/http://www.runningusa.org/largest-races |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Music===
Founded in 1958, the [[Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra]] is a professional orchestra under the leadership of its Music Director Michael Butterman.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hickman |first=Holly |url=http://www.boulderphil.org/about/about-boulder-phil |title=About Boulder Phil |publisher=Boulderphil.org |date=September 7, 2009 |access-date=September 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808060013/http://www.boulderphil.org/about/about-boulder-phil |archive-date=August 8, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Founded in 1976 by [[Giora Bernstein]], the [[Colorado Music Festival]] presents a summer series of concerts in [[Chautauqua Auditorium (Boulder, Colorado)|Chautauqua Auditorium]].<ref>Shulgold, Marc, [https://web.archive.org/web/20121102180009/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67782158.html 20 Years of High Notes, Giora Bernstein Ignores Naysayers to Build the Award-winning Colorado Music Festival], ''[[Rocky Mountain News]]'', June 12, 1996 (accessed December 13, 2009, via subscription)</ref>

Founded in 1981, the Boulder Bach Festival is an annual festival celebrating the life, legacy, and music of [[J.S. Bach]]. The festival is led by Executive Director [[Zachary Carrettin]] and Artistic Director [[Mina Gajić]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boulder Bach Festival |url=https://www.coloradogives.org/boulderbachfestival/overview?step=step1 |access-date=March 28, 2022 |website=www.coloradogives.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 13, 2019 |title=Boulder Bach Festival Goes Beyond Bach |url=https://www.earlymusicamerica.org/boulder-bach-festival/ |access-date=March 28, 2022 |website=Early Music America |language=en-US |archive-date=January 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118225720/https://www.earlymusicamerica.org/boulder-bach-festival/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Founded in 1988, [[Colorado MahlerFest]] celebrates the legacy of composer Gustav Mahler through an annual festival. Under Artistic Director [[Kenneth Woods]], The Colorado MahlerFest Orchestra draws together young professionals, conservatory and university students, and advanced amateurs.

=== Dance ===
Boulder is home to multiple dance companies and establishments. Boulder Ballet was founded by former [[American Ballet Theatre]] dancer Larry Boyette in the 1970s as part of the Ballet Arts Studios.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://boulderballet.org/our-story/|title=Our Story – Boulder Ballet|language=en-US|access-date=January 13, 2019|archive-date=January 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113232326/http://boulderballet.org/our-story/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet was founded in 2004 by Robert Sher-Machherndl, former principal dancer of the [[Dutch National Ballet]] and [[Bavarian State Ballet]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://lemonspongecake.org/contemporary-ballet-choreographer/|title=contemporary ballet choreographer|website=Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet|language=en-US|access-date=January 13, 2019|archive-date=January 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113232243/https://lemonspongecake.org/contemporary-ballet-choreographer/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Conference on World Affairs===
The [[Conference on World Affairs]], started in 1948, is an annual one-week conference featuring dozens of discussion panels on contemporary issues.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17271639 |title=CU-Boulder's Conference on World Affairs announces 'What Matters' theme |author=Brittany Anas |date=February 2, 2011 |work=Daily Camera |access-date=January 23, 2016 |archive-date=September 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918192141/http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_17271639 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===''eTown''===
The internationally syndicated radio program ''[[eTown]]'' has its headquarters at [[eTown Hall]], at the intersection of 16th and Spruce Streets, in downtown Boulder. Most tapings of this weekly show are done at eTown Hall.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.heyreverb.com/blog/2013/01/04/etown-boulder/59338/ |title=Radio's eTown, a Boulder stage for James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Guy, Neko Case even Al Gore |date=January 4, 2013 |work=Reverb |publisher=Denver Post |access-date=January 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129170054/http://www.heyreverb.com/blog/2013/01/04/etown-boulder/59338/ |archive-date=January 29, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=ANDREW WINEKE |title=BEHIND 'ETOWN'; Music is entree for radio show's message. |publisher=The Gazette (Colorado Springs, CO) |date=January 23, 2016 |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-20071667.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220202449/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-20071667.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 20, 2016}}</ref>

===Polar Bear Plunge===
Beginning in 1983, hundreds of people head to the [[Boulder Reservoir]] on New Year's Day to take part in the annual [[polar bear plunge]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/23/travel/escapes/23ahead.html | work=The New York Times | first=Nick | last=Kaye | title=Polar Bear Club Swims: New Year Parties (Don't Hold the Ice) | date=December 23, 2005 | access-date=February 21, 2017 | archive-date=January 17, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117021859/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/23/travel/escapes/polar-bear-club-swims-new-year-parties-dont-hold-the-ice.html | url-status=live }}</ref> With rescue teams standing by, participants use a variety of techniques to plunge themselves into the freezing reservoir.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tidd |first=Kelly |url=http://yourboulder.com/boulder-polar-plunge/ |title=Boulder Polar Plunge |publisher=Your Boulder |date=February 3, 2014 |access-date=February 25, 2014 |archive-date=February 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215204115/https://yourboulder.com/boulder-polar-plunge/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Naked Pumpkin Run===
Starting in 1998, dozens of people have taken part in a [[Halloween]] run down the city's streets wearing only shoes and a hollowed-out pumpkin on their heads. In 2009, local police threatened participants with charges of [[indecent exposure]], and no naked runners were reported in official newscasts, although a few naked runners were observed by locals. Several illegal attempts, resulting in arrests, have been made to restart the run, but no serious effort has been mounted.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8336308.stm |title=Police squash nude pumpkin run |work=BBC News |date=November 1, 2009 |access-date=December 9, 2010}}</ref>

===Boulder Cruiser Ride===
[[File:Boulder Bike Night 2021.jpg|thumb|alt=Cyclists gathering on a road during night.|Bicycle riders joining together on Happy Thursday Cruiser Ride]]
The Happy Thursday Cruiser Ride is a weekly bicycle ride in Boulder Colorado.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Haggard |first1=Lucy |title=Feeling young and youthful and crazy |url=https://www.boulderweekly.com/special-editions/feeling-young-and-youthful-and-crazy/ |website=Boulder Weekly |date=August 19, 2021 |access-date=October 2, 2022 |archive-date=October 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002213231/https://www.boulderweekly.com/special-editions/feeling-young-and-youthful-and-crazy/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Boulder Cruiser Ride grew from a group of friends and friends of friends in the early '90s riding bicycles around Boulder into the social cycling event it is today.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thursday Night Cruiser Ride - in Boulder - LikeALocal Guide |url=https://www.likealocalguide.com/boulder/thursday-night-cruiser-ride |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=www.likealocalguide.com}}</ref> Some enthusiasts gather wearing costumes and decorating their bikes; themes are an integral part of the cruiser tradition.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} Boulder Police began following the cruiser ride as it gained in popularity in the early 2000s.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

Issues with underage drinking, reckless bicycle riding, and other nuisance complaints led organizers to drop the cruiser ride as a public event.<ref>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Vanessa |url=http://www.dailycamera.com/archivesearch/ci_13081304#axzz0mpwnioaG |title=Cruisers Closing Ride to Public |newspaper=Daily Camera |date=August 14, 2009 |access-date=June 25, 2013 |archive-date=August 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825212415/http://www.dailycamera.com/archivesearch/ci_13081304#axzz0mpwnioaG |url-status=live }}</ref> Returning to an underground format, where enthusiasts must become part of the social network before gaining access to event sites, the Boulder Cruiser Ride has continued as a local tradition.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} On May 30, 2013, over 400 riders attended the Thursday-night Cruiser Ride in honor of "Big Boy", an elk that was shot and killed on New Year's Day by an on-duty<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_26429509/mapleton-elk-sentencing-sam-carter-boulder-police|title=Sam Carter spared prison in Mapleton elk case, sentenced to 4 years probation|access-date=June 29, 2015|archive-date=May 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503075615/http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_26429509/mapleton-elk-sentencing-sam-carter-boulder-police|url-status=live}}</ref> Boulder Police officer.<ref>{{cite news |last=Staff |first=Camera |url=http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_23358275/boulder-cruisers-ride-mapleton-elk |title=Boulder Cruisers Ride for Mapleton Elk |newspaper=Daily Camera |date=May 30, 2013 |access-date=June 25, 2013 |archive-date=August 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826113455/http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_23358275/boulder-cruisers-ride-mapleton-elk |url-status=live }}</ref>

===World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade===
Each year, the [[Independent Order of Odd Fellows]] hosts what they claim is the world's shortest [[St. Patrick's Day]] Parade, which extends just one city block.<ref>{{Cite news| date=2023-03-09|title=Boulder aims to stake its claim for World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade|access-date=2025-06-03|url=https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/03/09/boulder-aims-to-stake-its-claim-for-worlds-shortest-st-patricks-day-parade/ }}</ref>

===Boulder International Film Festival===
Founded in 2005, the [[Boulder International Film Festival]] is held annually in March and showcases films in different venues around Boulder, including the Boulder Theater.<ref>{{Cite news | date=2014-02-07|title=Boulder International Film Festival celebrates 10 years|access-date=2025-06-03|url=https://www.dailycamera.com/2014/02/07/boulder-international-film-festival-celebrates-10-years/ }}</ref>

===Sundance Film Festival===
Starting in 2027, Boulder will become the new host for the [[Sundance Film Festival]]. Under the terms of the contract, the festival will be held in Boulder for 10 years until 2037, with an option to extend. Boulder is around 10x larger than the original (and only) host city Sundance was based in, [[Park City, Utah]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-27 |title=Boulder wins bid to host the Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027 |url=https://kdvr.com/news/local/boulder-wins-bid-to-host-the-sundance-film-festival-starting-in-2027/amp/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=FOX31 Denver |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Barco |first=Mandalit del |date=2025-03-27 |title=The Sundance Film Festival announces its new home: Boulder, Colorado |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/03/27/nx-s1-5342419/sundance-new-home-boulder-colorado |access-date=2025-03-27 |work=NPR |language=en}}</ref> Boulder defeated rival bids from [[Salt Lake City]]-Park City and [[Cincinnati]].<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sundance-boulder-colorado-move-from-park-city-1236135102/ Goodbye Park City: Sundance Film Festival Heading to Colorado]</ref>

==Parks and recreation==
[[File:Bouldercolorado.jpg|right|thumb|Trailheads for many popular hikes are located at Chautauqua Park.]]
Boulder is surrounded by thousands of acres of recreational open space, conservation easements, and nature preserves. Almost 60%, {{convert|35584|acre|km2}}, of open space totaling {{convert|61529|acre|km2}} is open to the public.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bouldercounty.org/os/openspace/pages/posacres.aspx|title=Acres of Open Space|publisher=Boulder County|access-date=September 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230012928/http://www.bouldercounty.org/os/openspace/pages/posacres.aspx|archive-date=December 30, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[unincorporated area|unincorporated]] community of [[Eldorado Springs, Colorado|Eldorado Springs]], south of Boulder, is home to [[rock climbing]] routes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105744246/eldorado-canyon-state-park |title=Eldorado Canyon State Park Rock Climbing |access-date=July 16, 2023 |archive-date=July 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230713160820/https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105744246/eldorado-canyon-state-park |url-status=live }}</ref> There are climbing routes available in the city open space, including climbing routes of varying difficulty on the [[Flatirons]] themselves (traditional protection). [[Boulder Creek (Colorado)|Boulder Canyon]] (sport), directly west of downtown Boulder, has many routes. All three of these areas are affected by seasonal closures for wildlife.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://parks.state.co.us/Parks/EldoradoCanyon/Publications/ |title=Eldorado Canyon State Park Publications |publisher=Colorado State Parks |date=May 27, 2010 |access-date=December 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209073248/http://parks.state.co.us/Parks/EldoradoCanyon/Publications/ |archive-date=February 9, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flatironsclimbing.com/climbing/wildlife.php |title=Flatirons Climbing Council Wildlife Closures |publisher=Flatirons Climbing Council |access-date=December 9, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213120934/http://www.flatironsclimbing.com/climbing/wildlife.php |archive-date=February 13, 2009 }}</ref>

Every year on [[Groundhog Day]], Boulder Parks & Open Space hosts a special event at the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage featuring Flatiron Freddy, a stuffed [[marmot]] instead of a groundhog.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailycamera.com/2025/01/30/boulders-flatiron-freddy-is-ready-with-a-groundhogs-day-prediction/|title=Boulder's Flatiron Freddy is ready with a Groundhog's Day prediction|date=2025-01-31|access-date=2025-06-03 }}</ref>

==Government==
{{see also|List of mayors of Boulder, Colorado}}
Boulder is a [[Colorado municipalities#Home rule municipality|home rule municipality]], being [[self-governing]] under Article XX of the [[Law and Government of Colorado|Constitution of the State of Colorado]]; Title 31, Article 1, Section 202 of the [[Law and Government of Colorado|Colorado Revised Statutes]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Colorado Revised Statutes |url=https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2016/title-31/corporate-class-organization-and-territory/article-1/part-2/section-31-1-202 |website=Justia |access-date=February 4, 2020 |archive-date=February 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204190457/https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2016/title-31/corporate-class-organization-and-territory/article-1/part-2/section-31-1-202 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Politically, Boulder is one of the most liberal and Democratic cities in Colorado when viewed from a Federal and State elections lens. {{as of|July 2019}}, registered voters in [[Boulder County]] were 43.4% Democratic, 14.7% Republican, 1.6% in other parties, and 40.3% unaffiliated.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://election.boco.solutions/CR_WebReporting/VoterReg|title=Boulder County Voter Registration Data|website=election.boco.solutions|access-date=April 29, 2020|archive-date=July 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722023522/https://election.boco.solutions/CR_WebReporting/VoterReg|url-status=live}}</ref> By residents and detractors alike, Boulder is often referred to as the "People's Republic of Boulder".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/06/somethings-rotten-in-the-peoples-republic-of-boulder-three-things-to-be-exact/|title=Something's Rotten in the People's Republic of Boulder. Three Things, to be Exact.|work=Elephant Journal|date=June 1, 2013|access-date=November 29, 2013|author=Waylon Lewis|archive-date=September 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909163647/http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/06/somethings-rotten-in-the-peoples-republic-of-boulder-three-things-to-be-exact/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1974, the Boulder City Council passed Colorado's first ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Boulder voters repealed the measure by referendum within a year. In 1975, Boulder County Clerk Clela Rorex was the second in the United States ever to grant [[same-sex marriage]] licenses, prior to state laws being passed to prevent such issuance.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2004%2F02%2F14%2FMNG3R517N51.DTL |title=San Francisco not the first to marry couples of the same gender |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=February 14, 2004 |access-date=December 9, 2010 |first=Suzanne |last=Herel |archive-date=April 18, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418200631/http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2004%2F02%2F14%2FMNG3R517N51.DTL |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2019, Boulder declared a "climate emergency" and established target dates<ref>{{Cite web|title=Climate|url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/climate|access-date=May 3, 2021|website=bouldercolorado.gov|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503211333/https://bouldercolorado.gov/climate|url-status=live}}</ref> for achieving 100% renewable electricity,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Energy|url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/climate/energy-future|access-date=May 3, 2021|website=bouldercolorado.gov|archive-date=June 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615004043/https://bouldercolorado.gov/climate/energy-future|url-status=dead}}</ref> a reduction in [[greenhouse gas emissions]] from city organizations and facilities,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Greenhouse Gas Emissions From City Operations and Facilities|url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/boulder-measures/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-city-operations-and-facilities|access-date=May 3, 2021|website=bouldercolorado.gov|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503211331/https://bouldercolorado.gov/boulder-measures/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-city-operations-and-facilities|url-status=live}}</ref> an increase in local generation of electricity through renewable sources, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the community.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Local Renewable Generation|url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/boulder-measures/local-renewable-generation|access-date=May 3, 2021|website=bouldercolorado.gov|archive-date=June 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614235505/https://bouldercolorado.gov/boulder-measures/local-renewable-generation|url-status=dead}}</ref> The city created a community-centered process to focus on energy systems, regenerative ecosystems, circular materials economy, land use, and financial systems.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Climate Mobilization Action Plan (CMAP)|url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/climate/cmap|access-date=September 18, 2020|website=bouldercolorado.gov|archive-date=June 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615011648/https://bouldercolorado.gov/climate/cmap|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Education==
{{unreferenced section|date=December 2022}}

===Public schools===
The [[Boulder Valley School District]] (BVSD) administers the public school system in Boulder, aside from a few areas in northeast Boulder, where students attend the St. Vrain Valley School District.

===Charter schools===
[[Charter schools]] within the city of Boulder include Preparatory High School (9–12), [[Summit Middle Charter School|Summit Middle School]] (6–8), and Horizons Alternative School (K–8).

===Private schools===
A variety of private high schools, middle schools and elementary schools operate in Boulder.

[[File:Aerial8 (23928920228).jpg|thumb|Boulder is home to the [[University of Colorado Boulder]], flagship university of the [[University of Colorado]] system.]]

[[File:Naropa University campus.JPG|thumb|Part of the campus of [[Naropa University]]]]

===Colleges and universities===

* [[University of Colorado Boulder]], public university which contributes roughly 46,000 residents (30,000 undergraduate students, 7,000 graduate students and 10,000 staff/faculty) to the population.
* [[Naropa University]] is a private university based on Buddhist principles. It has approximately 400 undergraduate and over 600 graduate students.
* [[Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts]], a culinary school group with campuses in Boulder and [[Austin, Texas]].

===Science institutes===
* [[Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences]] (CIRES)
* [[Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere]] (CIRA)
* Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA)
* [[Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research]] (CCAR)
* [[Geological Society of America]], headquartered at 3300 Penrose Place
* [[Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research]] (INSTAAR)
* [[JILA]] (Formerly Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics)
* [[Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics]] (LASP)
* [[National Ecological Observatory Network]] (NEON)
* [[National Center for Atmospheric Research]] (NCAR) / [[University Corporation for Atmospheric Research]] (UCAR)
** [[High Altitude Observatory]] (HAO)
* [[National Institute of Standards and Technology]] (NIST)
* [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] (NOAA)
** [[Earth System Research Laboratories]] (ESRL)
** [[Space Weather Prediction Center]] (SWPC)
* [[National Snow and Ice Data Center]] (NSIDC)
* [[National Solar Observatory]] (NSO)
* [[National Telecommunications and Information Administration]](NTIA) – Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Boulder
* [[Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute]] (RASEI)
* [[Rocky Mountain Institute]]
* [[Southwest Research Institute]] Department of Space Studies
* [[Space Science Institute]]
* [[UNAVCO]] National Science Foundation's Geodetic Facility
* [[United States Geological Survey]] (USGS)

==Media==
{{main|Media in Boulder, Colorado}}
Boulder's main daily newspaper, the ''[[Daily Camera]]'', was founded in 1890 as the weekly ''Boulder Camera'', and became a daily newspaper in 1891. The ''[[Colorado Daily]]'' was started in 1892 as a university newspaper for CU Boulder. Following many heated controversies over ''Colorado Daily''{{'s}} political coverage, it severed its ties to the university in 1971. From 1996 to 2000, the ''Boulder Planet'' competed with the ''[[Boulder Weekly]]'' as a free weekly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A57059?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=c166c0c2b04af831920f&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=4|title=Carnegie Library – Boulder Planet, 1996–2000|access-date=September 18, 2018|archive-date=August 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817124955/https://localhistory.boulderlibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A57059?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=c166c0c2b04af831920f&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=4|url-status=live}}</ref>

Newspaper conglomerate [[The E. W. Scripps Company|Scripps]] acquired the ''Colorado Daily'' in 2005 after its acquisition of the ''Camera'' in 1997, leaving the ''Boulder Weekly'' as the only locally owned newspaper in Boulder. Scripps relinquished its 50 percent ownership in both daily papers in early 2009 to Media News Group. ''Boulder Magazine'', a lifestyle magazine, was founded in 1978.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://brockpub.com/publications/boulder-magazine/|title=Boulder Magazine {{!}} Brock Publishing|language=en-US|access-date=September 18, 2018|date=May 8, 2014|archive-date=September 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918231118/http://brockpub.com/publications/boulder-magazine/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Boulder Magazine'' is published three times per year.

Boulder is part of the [[Denver]] market for television stations, and it receives many radio stations based in Denver or [[Ft. Collins]]. For cable television, Boulder is served by [[Comcast Cable]]. The city operates public service Boulder 8 TV on cable (high- and standard-definition), which airs, live-streams and archives council meetings. With its in-house video production facilities, it also produces news, talk and informational programming.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/boulder8|title=Boulder 8 TV|website=bouldercolorado.gov|access-date=September 18, 2018|archive-date=September 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917222254/https://bouldercolorado.gov/boulder8|url-status=live}}</ref> Over-the-air television reception is poor in the western part of the city because of interference from mountains.

Non-commercial [[community radio]] station [[KGNU]] was founded in 1978<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kgnu.org/ht/aboutus.html|title=About us|publisher=KGNU|access-date=June 24, 2009|archive-date=April 23, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423071618/http://www.kgnu.org/ht/aboutus.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and commercial music station [[KBCO]] in 1977. KBCO programs an [[adult album alternative]] format and is owned and operated by [[iHeartMedia]]. KBCO moved its studios from Boulder to the [[Denver Tech Center]] in 2010.<ref name="HuffPost 2010">{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/claire-walter/kbco-abandoning-boulder_b_425142.html|title=KBCO Abandoning Boulder|last1=Walter|first1=Claire|date=March 18, 2010|website=Huffington Post|access-date=May 14, 2018|archive-date=March 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130331042156/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/claire-walter/kbco-abandoning-boulder_b_425142.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It maintains the Boulder license and transmits from atop [[Eldorado Mountain]] south of Boulder.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://radio-locator.com/info/KBCO-FM|title=KBCO-FM Radio Station Information|access-date=September 3, 2012|archive-date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107011423/http://www.radio-locator.com/info/KBCO-FM|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[KVCU]], also known as Radio 1190, is a non-commercial radio station run with the help of university-student volunteers. KVCU started broadcasting in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radio1190.org/press/|title=Press|date=November 4, 1998|publisher=Radio1190.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203050845/http://www.radio1190.org/press/|archive-date=December 3, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[NPR]] programming is heard over [[KCFC]] 1490 AM, operated by [[Colorado Public Radio]], and simulcasting Denver station [[KCFR]] 90.1.

[[KRKS-FM]] 94.7, owned and operated by [[Salem Media Group]] and affiliated with SRN News, offers a [[Christian talk and teaching]] format, and has its transmitter located on Lee Hill, northwest of Boulder.

The University of Colorado Press, a non-profit co-op of various western universities, publishes academic books, as do [[Lynne Rienner Publishers]], [[Paradigm Publishers]], and [[Westview Press]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://upcolorado.com/|title=University Press of Colorado – University Press of Colorado, including Utah State University Press|website=upcolorado.com|language=en-gb|access-date=September 18, 2018|archive-date=September 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919145328/https://upcolorado.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Paladin Press]] book/video publishers and [[Soldier of Fortune (magazine)|''Soldier of Fortune'']] magazine both have their headquarters in Boulder.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paladin-press.com/ |title=Paladin Press |publisher=Paladin Press |access-date=April 25, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060425212331/http://www.paladin-press.com/ |archive-date=April 25, 2006 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sofmag.com/website-advertising |title=Soldier of Fortune |publisher=Sofmag.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829140337/http://www.sofmag.com/website-advertising |archive-date=August 29, 2012 }}</ref> Paladin Press was founded in September 1970 by Peder Lund and Robert K. Brown. In 1974, Lund bought out Brown's share of the press, and Brown founded ''Soldier of Fortune'' magazine in 1975.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.paladin-press.com/company_history |title=Paladin Press Company History |publisher=Paladin-press.com |access-date=September 3, 2012 |archive-date=September 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921105554/http://www.paladin-press.com/company_history |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
[[File:Descending Boulder Denver Turnpike Into Boulder.jpg|thumb|The city from northbound US 36 as the highway descends into Boulder]]
Since Boulder has operated under residential growth control ordinances since 1976, the growth of employment in the city has far outstripped population growth. Considerable road traffic enters the city each morning and leaves each afternoon, since many employees live in [[Longmont]], [[Lafayette, Colorado|Lafayette]], [[Louisville, Colorado|Louisville]], [[Broomfield, Colorado|Broomfield]], [[Westminster, Colorado|Westminster]], and [[Denver]]. Boulder is served by [[U.S. Route 36 in Colorado|US 36]] and a variety of state highways. Parking regulations in Boulder have been explicitly designed to discourage parking by commuters and to encourage the use of mass transit, with mixed results.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Camera {{!}} |first=Boulder Daily |date=April 1, 2019 |title=Heavy commuting into Boulder drives challenges for city |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/01/boulder-commuting-climate-change/ |access-date=May 23, 2023 |website=The Denver Post |language=en-US |archive-date=July 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725204428/https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/01/boulder-commuting-climate-change/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Over the years, Boulder has made significant investments in the multi-modal network. The city is now well known for its grade-separated bicycle and pedestrian paths, which are integrated into a network of bicycle lanes, cycle tracks, and on-street bicycle routes. Boulder provides a community transit network that connects downtown, the University of Colorado campuses, and local shopping amenities. Boulder has no rail transit. Local and regional shuttle busses are funded by a variety of sources. Due in part to these investments in pedestrian, bicycle, and transit infrastructure, Boulder has been recognized both nationally and internationally for its transportation system.<ref>Henao, Alejandro, et al. "Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure Investments And Mode Share Changes: A 20-Year Background Of Boulder, Colorado." Transport Policy 37.(2015): 64–71. Academic Search Complete. Web. February 16, 2016.</ref>

In 2009, the Boulder metropolitan statistical area (MSA) ranked as the fourth highest in the United States for percentage of commuters who biked to work, at 5.4 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acs-15.pdf|series=American Community Survey Reports|title=Commuting in the United States: 2009|access-date=December 26, 2017|date=September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726134351/https://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acs-15.pdf|archive-date=July 26, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2013, the Boulder MSA ranked as the fourth lowest in the United States for percentage of workers who commuted by private automobile, at 71.9 percent. During the same time period, 11.1 percent of Boulder area workers had no commute whatsoever: they worked out of the home.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/acs/acs-32.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813230230/http://census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/acs/acs-32.pdf |archive-date=August 13, 2015 |url-status=live |title= Who Drives to Work? Commuting by Automobile in the United States: 2013 |series= American Survey Reports |access-date= December 26, 2017 |date= August 2015 |author= McKenzie, Brian}}</ref>

====Bus service====
Boulder has an extensive bus system operated by the [[Regional Transportation District]] (RTD). The HOP, SKIP, JUMP, Bound, DASH and Stampede routes run throughout the city and connect to nearby communities with departures every ten minutes during peak hours, Monday-Friday. Other routes, such as the 204, 205, 206, 208 and 209 depart every 15 to 30 minutes. Regional routes, traveling between nearby cities such as Longmont (BOLT, J), Golden (GS), and Denver ([[Flatiron Flyer]],<ref>{{cite web
 |url        =http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/us36_1
 |title        =Flatiron Flyer – Bus Rapid Transit
 |publisher        =Transportation District of Denver
 |access-date        =April 13, 2015
|archive-date        =March 15, 2015
|archive-url        =https://web.archive.org/web/20150315082354/http://rtd-fastracks.com/us36_1
 |url-status        =live
 }}</ref> a [[bus rapid transit]] route), as well as [[Denver International Airport]] (AB), are also available. There are over 100 scheduled daily bus trips on seven routes that run between Boulder and Denver on weekdays.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rtd-denver.com/Schedules.shtml#bus |title=Bus Schedules |publisher=Regional Transportation District |access-date=May 15, 2015 |archive-date=July 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120711140841/http://www.rtd-denver.com/Schedules.shtml#bus |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Railroads====
Freight service is provided by [[Union Pacific]] and [[BNSF]].

Currently there is no intercity passenger service. The last remaining services connecting the Front Range cities ceased with the formation of [[Amtrak]] in 1971.

=====Future transit plans=====
[[Front Range Passenger Rail]] is a current proposal (as of 2023) to link the cities from [[Pueblo, Colorado|Pueblo]] in the south, north to [[Fort Collins]] and possibly to [[Cheyenne, Wyoming]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Heins |first1=Nicole |title=Amtrak hopes to reduce I-25 traffic by creating a passenger rail along the Front Range |url=https://www.kktv.com/2021/04/13/amtrak-hopes-to-reduce-i-25-traffic-by-creating-a-passenger-rail-along-the-front-range/ |access-date=January 1, 2022 |work=KKTV 11 News |date=April 13, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

A {{Convert|41|mi|adj=on}} RTD [[commuter rail]] route called the Northwest Rail Line, also known as the [[B Line (RTD)|B Line]], is proposed to run from Denver through Boulder to [[Longmont]], with stops in major communities along the way. The Boulder station is to be north of Pearl Street and east of 30th Street. At one time this commuter rail service was scheduled to commence in 2014, but major delays have ensued. In 2016, an initial {{Convert|6|mi|adj=on}} segment opened, reaching from downtown Denver to southern [[Westminster, Colorado|Westminster]] at [[Westminster station (RTD)|Westminster Station]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://kdvr.com/2016/07/24/rtds-b-line-and-westminster-station-officially-opens-on-monday/|title=RTD's B Line and Westminster Station open|last=Engelbart|first=Drew|publisher=FOX31 Denver|date=July 24, 2016|access-date=February 13, 2016|archive-date=July 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160726132110/http://kdvr.com/2016/07/24/rtds-b-line-and-westminster-station-officially-opens-on-monday/|url-status=live}}</ref> The remaining {{Convert|35|mi}} of the Northwest Rail Line is planned to be completed by 2044, depending upon funding.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_20968210/rtd-and-other-officials-vow-finish-denvers-northwest|title=RTD and other officials vow to finish Denver's Northwest Rail Line|last=Whaley|first=Monte|newspaper=Denver Post|date=June 29, 2012|access-date=April 25, 2013|archive-date=April 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428083841/http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_20968210/rtd-and-other-officials-vow-finish-denvers-northwest|url-status=live}}</ref>

These future transit plans, as well as the current Flatiron Flyer Bus Rapid Transit route, are part of [[FasTracks]], an RTD transit improvement plan funded by a 0.4% increase in the sales tax throughout the Denver metro area. [[Regional Transportation District|RTD]], the developer of FasTracks, is partnering with the city of Boulder to plan a [[transit-oriented development]] near Pearl and 33rd Streets in association with the proposed Boulder commuter rail station. The development is to feature the [[Boulder Railroad Depot]], already relocated to that site, which may be returned to a transit-related use.

====Cycling====
Boulder, well known for its [[bicycle culture]], has hundreds of miles of bicycle-pedestrian paths, lanes, and routes that interconnect to create a renowned network of bikeways usable year-round. Boulder has 74 bike and pedestrian underpasses that facilitate safer and uninterrupted travel throughout much of the city. The city offers a route-finding website that allows users to map personalized bike routes around the city,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gisims.ci.boulder.co.us/website/pds/bikeroute/GoBikeBoulder.aspx |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141020053943/http://gisims.ci.boulder.co.us/website/pds/bikeroute/GoBikeBoulder.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 20, 2014 |title=GOBikeBoulder.net |publisher=City of Boulder |access-date=October 20, 2014 |quote=Login as guest required. }}</ref> and is one of five communities to have received a "[[Bicycle-friendly communities|Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community]]" rating from the [[League of American Bicyclists]].<ref name="NEW PLATINUM, NEW GOLD BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES">{{cite web|title=NEW PLATINUM, NEW GOLD BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES|date=November 13, 2015|url=https://bikeleague.org/content/new-platinum-new-gold-bicycle-friendly-communities|publisher=[[League of American Bicyclists]]|access-date=December 21, 2021|archive-date=June 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607174804/https://bikeleague.org/content/new-platinum-new-gold-bicycle-friendly-communities|url-status=live}}</ref>

The headquarters of the free and non-obligatory [[hospitality exchange network]] for cyclists, [[Warm Showers]], is based in Boulder.<ref name=2017taxreturn>{{cite web | url=https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/461370418_201712_990EZ_2018073115554767.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226174626/https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/461370418_201712_990EZ_2018073115554767.pdf |archive-date=December 26, 2019 |url-status=live | year=2017 | title=WARMSHOWERS ORG | publisher=[[Internal Revenue Service]]}}</ref>

In May 2011, [[B-cycle]] bike-sharing opened in Boulder with 100 red bikes and 12 stations.<ref>{{cite news|last=Urie|first=Heath|title=Boulder B-cycle launches high-tech bike-sharing program with 100 bikes|url=http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_18104126|access-date=October 24, 2013|newspaper=Daily Camera|date=May 20, 2013|archive-date=October 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193138/http://www.dailycamera.com/ci_18104126|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Airport====
[[Boulder Municipal Airport]] is located {{convert|3|mi|km}} northeast of central Boulder, is owned by the City of Boulder and is used exclusively for [[general aviation]], with most traffic consisting of single-engine airplanes and [[glider aircraft]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gcr1.com/5010web/airport.cfm?Site=BDU |title=AirportIQ 5010 |date=September 18, 2014 |work=BOULDER MUNI |access-date=October 20, 2014 |archive-date=October 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026122532/http://www.gcr1.com/5010web/airport.cfm?Site=BDU |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{See also|List of University of Colorado Boulder alumni}}
* [[Albert Allen Bartlett]], emeritus professor of physics
* [[Jello Biafra]], [[Dead Kennedys]] frontman
* [[Tony Boselli]], five-time [[Pro Bowl]] [[lineman (football)|offensive tackle]]
* [[Bill Bower]], the last surviving pilot who took part in the [[Doolittle Raid]]
* [[Arleigh Burke]], [[United States Navy]] [[Admiral]] and [[Chief of Naval Operations]]
* [[Scott Carpenter]], [[Project Mercury]] [[astronaut]]
* [[Thomas Cech]], chemist who shared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
* [[Alonzo Clemons]], [[sculptor]] and [[autistic savant]]
* [[Nathan Clurman]] (born 1998), ice hockey player
* [[Jack Collom]], poet and essayist
* [[Kristin Davis]], ''[[Sex and the City]]'' actress
* [[Joey Diaz|Joey "CoCo" Diaz]], resident during the 1980s and 1990s
* [[John Fante]], writer
* [[Justine Frischmann]], British artist and former lead singer of [[Elastica]]
* [[Andrea Gibson]], spoken word artist, poet, activist
* [[Allen Ginsberg]], poet, taught at [[Naropa University]] and lived much of his life in Boulder
* [[Michael Grab]], Canadian-born artist specializing in [[rock balancing]] and photography
* [[Tyler Haney]], founder of [[Outdoor Voices]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Tolentino |first=Jia |date=2019-03-11 |title=Outdoor Voices Blurs the Lines Between Working Out and Everything Else |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/18/outdoor-voices-blurs-the-lines-between-working-out-and-everything-else |access-date=2024-12-29 |work=[[The New Yorker]] |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref>
* [[Matt Hasselbeck]], three-time [[Pro Bowl]] [[quarterback]]
* [[Carrie Ingalls]] (''[[Little House on the Prairie]]''), lived in Boulder 1905–1906
* [[Scott Jurek]], ultramarathoner, writer and public speaker
* [[Hanna Kroeger]], vendor of health food and alternative medicine products
* [[Eagle Wynne McMahon]], professional disc golf player
* [[Kimbal Musk]], entrepreneur, philanthropist, and restaurateur
* [[Chief Niwot]], or Left Hand, a tribal leader of the [[Arapaho]], lived at the site of Boulder
* [[Shane O'Neill (soccer)|Shane O'Neil]], soccer player for [[Toronto FC]]
* [[Chuck Pagano]], former [[Indianapolis Colts]] head coach
* [[Phil Plait]], "The Bad Astronomer", astronomer, skeptic, writer and science blogger
* [[Jared Polis]], Governor of Colorado
* [[JonBenét Ramsey]], who was murdered in December 1996
* [[Bobby Regester]], racing driver
* [[Gerry Roach]], climber
* [[Larry Sellers]], actor, lived in the town
* [[Lidia Șimon]] (born 1973), retired Romanian Olympic [[long-distance runner]]
* [[Isaac Slade]], musician for rock band [[The Fray]]
* [[Ariel Solomon]] (born 1968), American football offensive lineman
* [[Edward Tatum]] (1909–1975), geneticist, born in Boulder
* [[Maor Tiyouri]] (born 1990), Israeli Olympic marathon runner
* [[Thatcher Wine]], author and CEO of Boulder based Juniper Books
* [[Evans Woollen III]], architect
* [[Joanna Zeiger]] (born 1970), Olympic triathlete, 2008 Ironman 70.3 world champion

==In popular culture==
[[File:MorkMindyHouse.jpg|thumb|right|upright|1619 Pine Street was used for the exterior shots of Mindy's house on the TV show ''[[Mork & Mindy]]''.]]

Woody Allen's film ''[[Sleeper (1973 film)|Sleeper]]'' (1973) was filmed on location in Boulder.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ucar.edu/communications/staffnotes/9806/here.html |title=Cut to the chase: Woody Allen at NCAR |publisher=UCAR |date=Jun 1998 |access-date=October 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117074634/http://www.ucar.edu/communications/staffnotes/9806/here.html |archive-date=January 17, 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> Some houses and the [[Mesa Laboratory]] of the [[National Center for Atmospheric Research]], designed by [[I. M. Pei]], were used in the film.

Boulder was a setting for [[Stephen King]]'s book ''[[The Stand]]'' (1978), as the gathering point for some of the survivors of the superflu. King lived in Boulder for a little less than a year, beginning in the autumn of 1974, and wrote ''[[The Shining (novel)|The Shining]]'' (1977) during this period.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stephenking.com/the_author.html |title=About the author |publisher=StephenKing.com |access-date=October 8, 2011 |archive-date=September 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917154420/http://www.stephenking.com/the_author.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The television sitcom ''[[Mork & Mindy]]'' (1978–1982) was set in Boulder, with 1619 Pine St. serving as the exterior shot of Mindy's home.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sitcomsonline.com/morkfaq.html |title=Mork and Mindy FAQ |publisher=Sitcomsonline.com |access-date=September 3, 2012 |archive-date=September 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918192433/http://www.sitcomsonline.com/morkfaq.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The New York Deli, a now closed restaurant in the [[Pearl Street Mall]], was also featured prominently in the series.<ref>{{cite web |author=Mork and Mindy: New York Deli |url=http://www.colorado.com/filmed-colorado/mork-and-mindy-new-york-deli |title=Mork and Mindy. |publisher=Colorado.com |access-date=September 3, 2012 |archive-date=February 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202165817/http://www.colorado.com/filmed-colorado/mork-and-mindy-new-york-deli |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the American version of the television sitcom ''[[The Office (U.S. TV series)|The Office]]'', the character Michael Scott leaves the show in season 7 and moves with his fiancée to Boulder.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_17959917 |newspaper=Daily Camera |date=April 29, 2011 |title='The Office' ex-boss Michael Scott moving to Boulder |author=Sarah Kuta |access-date=October 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030211848/http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_17959917 |archive-date=October 30, 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

"Boulder to Birmingham" is a song written by [[Emmylou Harris]] and [[Bill Danoff]] which first appeared on Harris's 1975 album ''[[Pieces of the Sky]]''. It has served as something of a signature tune for the artist and recounts her feelings of grief in the years following the death of country rock star and mentor [[Gram Parsons]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/22/emmylou-harris-on-her-greatest-hits-i-was-arrogant-enough-to-think-i-could-survive-a-flop|title=Emmylou Harris on her greatest hits: 'I was arrogant enough to think I could survive a flop'|date=November 22, 2018|website=the Guardian|access-date=May 24, 2021|archive-date=May 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525020249/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/22/emmylou-harris-on-her-greatest-hits-i-was-arrogant-enough-to-think-i-could-survive-a-flop|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Comedy Central]] television show ''[[Broad City]]'' ends with the protagonist, Abby, moving to Boulder for an art [[fellowship]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=March 29, 2019 |title=Broad City Could Have Ended on One Final Twist |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/03/broad-city-series-finale-ending-abbi-jacobson-ilana-glazer |access-date=August 18, 2022 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en-US |archive-date=December 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201032750/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/03/broad-city-series-finale-ending-abbi-jacobson-ilana-glazer |url-status=live }}</ref>

Significant parts of the 2006 movie [[Catch and Release (2006 film)|Catch and Release]] were filmed in Boulder, and includes many well-known Boulder institutions such as [[Celestial Seasonings]], the Boulder Farmer's Market, and Pearl Street Mall.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catch & Release Movie |url=https://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/film/catch-and-release-movie/ |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=www.bouldercoloradousa.com |language=en-us}}</ref>

==Sister cities==
Boulder's [[sister cities]] are:<ref>{{cite web|title=Get to Know Boulder's 10 Sister Cities|url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/newsroom/boulders-10-sister-cities|publisher=City of Boulder|access-date=December 4, 2020|archive-date=January 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122184542/https://bouldercolorado.gov/newsroom/boulders-10-sister-cities|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
*{{flagicon|TJK}} [[Dushanbe]], Tajikistan (1987)
*{{flagicon|NIC}} [[Jalapa, Nueva Segovia|Jalapa]], [[Nueva Segovia Department]], Nicaragua (1983)
*{{flagicon|NPL}} [[Kathmandu]], Nepal (2018)
*{{flagicon|KEN}} [[Kisumu]], Kenya (2008)
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Lhasa (prefecture-level city)|Lhasa]], [[Tibet Autonomous Region]], China (1986)
*{{flagicon|MEX}} [[El Mante]], [[Tamaulipas]], Mexico (2000)
*{{flagicon|PSE}} [[Nablus]], [[West Bank]], Palestine (2016)
*{{flagicon|ISR}} [[Ramat HaNegev]], [[Southern District (Israel)|Southern District]], Israel (2018)
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Yamagata, Yamagata|Yamagata]], [[Yamagata Prefecture|Yamagata]], Japan (1994)
*{{flagicon|CUB}} [[Yateras]], [[Guantánamo Province]], Cuba (2002)
{{div col end}}

Landmarks representing Boulder's connection with its various sister cities can be found throughout the city. Boulder's Sister City Plaza – dedicated on May 17, 2007 – is located on the east lawn of Boulder's Municipal Building. The plaza was built to honor all of Boulder's sister city relationships.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bouldercolorado.gov/sister-cities/sister-city-plaza|title=Sister City Plaza|publisher=City of Boulder|access-date=December 4, 2020|archive-date=April 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404223606/https://bouldercolorado.gov/sister-cities/sister-city-plaza|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Dushanbe Tea House]] is located on 13th Street just south of the Pearl Street Mall. Dushanbe presented its distinctive tea house as a gift to Boulder in 1987. It was completed in Tajikistan in 1990 and then shipped to Boulder, where it was reassembled and opened to the public in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boulder-dushanbe.org/|title=Welcome to Boulder-Dushanbe Sister Cities|publisher=Boulder-Dushanbe Sister Cities|access-date=December 4, 2020|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126100104/https://www.boulder-dushanbe.org/|url-status=live}}</ref>

A mural representing the relationship between Boulder and Mante, Mexico, was dedicated in August 2001. The mural, which was painted by Mante muralist Florian Lopez, is located on the north-facing wall of the Dairy Center for the Performing Arts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://boulder-mante.org/?page_id=227|title=Mural|publisher=Boulder-Mante Sister City Project|access-date=December 4, 2020|archive-date=August 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813202914/http://boulder-mante.org/?page_id=227|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Colorado}}
*[[2013 Colorado floods]]
*[[Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area]]
*[[Front Range Urban Corridor]]
*[[Jefferson Territory]]
*[[Nebraska Territory]]
*[[Pike's Peak gold rush]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{See also|Timeline of Boulder, Colorado#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Boulder, Colorado}}
* Deloria, Philip J. "Drain the Lake! Tear Down the Butte! Build Paradise!: The Environmental Dimensions of Social and Economic Power in Boulder, Colorado, and Benzie, Michigan," ''Southern California Quarterly'' (2007): 65–88. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/41172353 in JSTOR]
* Pettem, Silvia. ''Boulder: Evolution of a City'' (University Press of Colorado, 1994)

==External links==
{{sister project links|auto=yes}}
{{EB1911 poster|Boulder (Colorado)}}
*[https://bouldercolorado.gov/ City of Boulder]
*[https://www.boulderchamber.com/ Boulder Chamber of Commerce]

{{Boulder County, Colorado|collapse_state=expanded}}
{{Geographic Location
|title = '''Surrounding communities'''
|Centre    = Boulder
|North     = 
|Northeast = [[Niwot]]
|East      = [[Gunbarrel, Colorado|Gunbarrel]]
|Southeast = 
|South     = 
|Southwest = 
|West      = [[Pine Brook Hill, Colorado|Pine Brook Hill]], ''[[Rockies]]''
|Northwest = 
}}
{{Colorado}}
{{Colorado county seats}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Boulder, Colorado| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Boulder County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Cities in Colorado]]
[[Category:County seats in Colorado]]
[[Category:1859 establishments in Nebraska Territory]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1859]]