View source for Denver

{{short description|Capital of State of Colorado, United States}}
{{about|the city and county in Colorado}}
{{pp-move}}
{{infobox settlement
|name                    = Denver, Colorado
|official_name           = City and County of Denver
|settlement_type         = [[List of capitals in the United States|State capital]] and [[consolidated city-county]]
|motto                   = 
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
  | border        = infobox
  | total_width   = 280
  | perrow        = 1/2/2/2
  | caption_align = center
  | image1        = Denver Skyline in Winter.JPG
  | alt1          = Denver skyline
  | caption1      = [[Downtown Denver]] skyline
  | image2        = 2003-11-30-16th Street Mall Lights.jpg
  | alt2          = Colorado State Capitol
  | caption2      = [[16th Street Mall]] and [[Colorado State Capitol]]
  | image3        = Denver Art Museum 2 (cropped).jpg
  | alt3          = Denver Art Museum
  | caption3      = [[Denver Art Museum]]
  | image4        = Denver union station.jpg
  | alt4          = Denver Union Station
  | caption4      = [[Denver Union Station]]
  | image5        = Red Rocks Amphitheatre from top of amphitheatre.jpeg
  | alt5          = Red Rocks Amphitheatre
  | caption5      = [[Red Rocks Amphitheatre]]
  | image6        = Coors Field.jpg
  | alt6          = Coors Field
  | caption6      = [[Coors Field]]
  | image7        = Denver Millenium Bridge from Commons Park West.jpg
  | alt7          = Denver Millennium Bridge
  | caption7      = [[Denver Millennium Bridge]]
 }}
| image_flag         = Flag of Denver, Colorado.svg
| image_seal         = Seal of Denver, Colorado.svg
| image_blank_emblem = Denver Logo.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| nicknames          = The Mile High City<ref name=EpodunkGeography>[http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/geography.html Claims to Fame&nbsp;– Geography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224050543/http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/geography.html |date=December 24, 2010}}, [[Epodunk]], accessed April 16, 2007</ref><br/>Queen City of the Plains<ref name=Time1928>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080216221351/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,737166,00.html Queen City], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', January 30, 1928, accessed April 13, 2007.</ref><br />[[Wall Street of the West]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/wall_street_of_the_west_17th_street_in_denver |title=The Big Apple: Wall Street of the West (17th Street in Denver) |year=2012}}</ref>
| image_map          = {{maplink
  | frame              = yes
  | plain              = yes
  | frame-align        = center
  | frame-width        = 270
  | frame-height       = 270
  | frame-coord        = SWITCH:{{coord|qid=Q16554}}###{{coord|qid=Q1261}}###{{coord|qid=Q30}}
  | zoom               = SWITCH:9;5;3
  | type               = SWITCH:shape;point;point
  | marker             = city
  | stroke-width       = 2
  | stroke-color       = #0096FF
  | fill               = #0096FF
  | fill-opacity       = 0.2
  | id2                = SWITCH:Q16554;Q1261;Q30
  | type2              = shape-inverse
  | stroke-width2      = 2
  | stroke-color2      = #5F5F5F
  | stroke-opacity2    = SWITCH:0;1;1
  | fill2              = #000000
  | fill-opacity2      = SWITCH:0;0.5;0.5
  | switch             = Denver;Colorado;the United States
}}
<!-- Pushpin map -->
|pushpin_map             = USA#USA Colorado
|pushpin_relief          = yes
|pushpin_label           = <big>Denver</big>
|pushpin_label_position  = right
|pushpin_map_caption     = Location of the City and County of Denver, Colorado.
|coordinates             = {{coord|39.74|-104.99|region:US-CO_type:landmark_source:NGS-KK1709|name=Denver, Colorado|display=it}}
|coordinates_footnotes   = <ref name=NGS>{{cite ngs|pid=KK1709|name=DENVER STATE CAPITOL DOME|year=2014|access-date=October 4, 2025}}</ref>
|subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name        = {{USA}}
|subdivision_type1       = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1       = {{flag|Colorado}}
|subdivision_type2       = [[List of counties in Colorado|City and county]]
|subdivision_name2       = [[File:Flag of Denver, Colorado.svg|23x15px]]
 Denver<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 9, 2025}}</ref>
| established_title  = [[Plat]]ted
| established_date   = {{start date and age|1858|11|17}}, as<br/>[[History of Denver|Denver City]], [[Kansas Territory]]<ref name=DCTCRecBook>{{cite web|url=http://www.historycolorado.org/sites/default/files/files/Researchers/Mss.01813.pdf|title=Denver City Town Company Record Book, Mss.01813 (accession 99.225), History Colorado.|access-date=March 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318143240/http://www.historycolorado.org/sites/default/files/files/Researchers/Mss.01813.pdf|archive-date=March 18, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| established_title2 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date2  = {{start date and age|1861|11|07}}, as<br/>[[History of Denver|Denver City]], [[Colorado Territory]]<ref name=MuniIncCO>{{cite web|url=http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20070927200920/http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 27, 2007|title=Colorado Municipal Incorporations|publisher=[[Colorado|State of Colorado]], Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives|date=December 1, 2004|access-date=December 5, 2007}}</ref>
| established_title3 = [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county|Consolidated]]
| established_date3  = {{start date and age|1902|12|01}}, as the<br/>City and County of Denver<ref name="BostonSmelting">"The town of Argo was one of the municipalities which by virtue of the amendment became merged in the city and county of Denver. But it did not become so merged, nor did the terms of its officers terminate, until the 1st day of December, 1902--the day the proclamation was issued."  {{cite court | litigants=Boston & Colorado Smelting Co. v. Elder | vol=77 | reporter=P. | opinion=258, 259-60 | date=1904 | url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4428747;view=1up;seq=280;size=200 }}</ref><ref name="DenvervAdams" />
| named_for          = [[James W. Denver]]
| seat_type          = [[County seat|Seat]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county|Consolidated city and county]]<ref name=COMun/>
| governing_body     = [[Denver City Council]]
| leader_title       = [[List of mayors of Denver|Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Mike Johnston (Colorado politician)|Mike Johnston]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])<ref name=dpost>{{cite news |first=Carly |last=Moore |title=Mike Johnston sworn in as Denver mayor |url=https://kdvr.com/news/local/what-to-know-about-mike-johnstons-mayoral-inauguration-monday/ |work=[[Denver Post]] |date=July 17, 2023 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |archive-date=July 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230717180340/https://kdvr.com/news/local/what-to-know-about-mike-johnstons-mayoral-inauguration-monday/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = <!-- Area --------------------->
| unit_pref          = US
| total_type         = Total
| 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 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usa.com/denver-aurora-co-area.htm|title=Denver, Aurora Metro Area|publisher=usa.com|date=2014|access-date=March 5, 2023}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 400.739
| area_land_km2      = 396.463
| area_water_km2     = 4.276
| area_metro_km2     = 21763.67
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = <ref name=2020_Census/>
| population_est     = 729019 {{gain}}
| pop_est_as_of      = 2024
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="Estimate2024">{{cite web |title=Census QuickFacts Denver |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/denvercountycolorado/PST045224 |website=census.gov |access-date=March 15, 2025}}</ref>
| population_total   = 715522
| population_rank    = [[List of North American cities by population|58th]] in North America<br />[[List of United States cities by population|19th]] in the United States<br />[[List of municipalities in Colorado|1st]] in Colorado
| population_density_sq_mi = 4,674
| population_urban   = 2,686,147 (US: [[List of United States urban areas|18th]])
| population_density_urban_km2 = 1,609.1
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 4,167.5
| population_urban_footnotes = <ref name="urban area">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html|title=List of 2020 Census Urban Areas|website=census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 8, 2023}}</ref>
| population_demonym = Denverite
| population_metro   = 3,052,498 (US: [[List of metropolitan statistical areas|19th]])
| population_metro_footnotes = <ref name="metro area">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html|title=2020 Population and Housing State Data|website=census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 16, 2023}}</ref>
| population_blank1_title = [[Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area|CSA]]
| population_blank1  = 3,623,560 (US: [[List of primary statistical areas|17th]])
| population_blank1_footnotes = <ref name="CSA pop">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-metro-and-micro-statistical-areas.html|title=Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2021|date=February 24, 2022|work=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 13, 2022}}</ref>
| population_blank2_title = [[Front Range Urban Corridor|Front Range]]
| population_blank2  = 5,055,344
<!-- GDP ----------->| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="bea.gov">{{cite web |url = https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2023-12/lagdp1223.pdf |title = Gross Domestic Product by County and Metropolitan Area, 2022|publisher = [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]] |website = www.bea.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Total Gross Domestic Product for Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO (MSA)|url=https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NGMP19740|website=fred.stlouisfed.org}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Total
| demographics2_info1 = $118.569 billion (2023)
| demographics2_title2 = Metro
| demographics2_info2 = $311.876 billion (2023)
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                = [[Mountain Time Zone|MST]]
|utc_offset              = −07:00
|timezone_DST            = [[Mountain Time Zone|MDT]]
|utc_offset_DST          = −06:00
<!-- Area, postal, and other codes -->
|postal_code_type        = [[ZIP code]]s<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tools.usps.com/zip-code-lookup.htm?bycitystate|title=ZIP Code Lookup|publisher=[[United States Postal Service]]|access-date=October 4, 2025}}</ref>
|postal_code             = 80012, 80014, 80022, 80033, 80123, 80201–80212, 80214–80239, 80241, 80243–80244, 80246–80252, 80256–80257, 80259-80261, 80263-80266, 80271, 80273–80274, 80279–80281, 80290–80291, 80293–80295, 80299<ref>{{cite web |title=Look Up a ZIP Code |url=https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action |date=2016 |publisher=[[United States Postal Service]] |access-date=December 11, 2016}}</ref>
|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 place ID]]
|blank_info              = {{GNIS 4|201738}}
|blank1_name             = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS city ID]]
|blank1_info             = {{GNIS 4|2410324}}
|blank2_name             = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank2_info             = {{FIPS|08|20000}}
|website                 = {{URL|https://www.denvergov.org/}}
|footnotes               = {{center|1='''Capital and most populous city of the {{nowrap|State of Colorado}}'''}}
| elevation_ft       = 5280
| elevation_footnotes = {{efn|name=Mile High}}
| elevation_min_ft   = 5130
| elevation_min_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|date=April 29, 2005 |url=https://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |title=Elevations and Distances in the United States |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |access-date=November 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |archive-date=October 15, 2011 }}</ref>
| elevation_max_ft   = 5680
| elevation_max_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |title=Denver High Point, Colorado |url=http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=5671 |publisher=Peakbagger.com |access-date=November 29, 2018}}</ref>
}}

'''Denver'''  ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ɛ|n|v|ər|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Denver.wav}} {{respell|DEN|vər}}) is the [[List of capitals in the United States|capital]] and [[List of municipalities in Colorado|most populous city]] of the U.S. state of [[Colorado]]. Officially a [[List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county|consolidated city and county]], it is located in the [[South Platte River]] valley on the western edge of the [[High Plains (United States)|High Plains]], and is just east of the [[Front Range]] of the [[Rocky Mountains]].<ref name=COMun>{{cite web |url=https://dola.colorado.gov/dlg_lgis_ui_pu/ |title=Active Colorado Municipalities |publisher=[[Colorado Department of Local Affairs]] |access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref> Denver is the [[List of United States cities by population|19th-most populous city]] in the United States and the fifth-most populous state capital, with a population of 715,522 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<!-- Please do not update the population figures to non-U.S. Census estimates, see talk --><ref>{{cite web|title=Search Results |url=https://www.census.gov/search-results.html |access-date=2022-11-10 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |language=EN-US}}</ref> The [[Denver metropolitan area]], with over 3.05 million residents, is the [[Metropolitan statistical area|19th-largest metropolitan area]] in the country and functions as the economic and cultural center of the broader [[Front Range Urban Corridor]].

Denver's downtown district lies about {{convert|12|mi|km|abbr=off|sp=us}} east of the [[foothills]] of the Rocky Mountains. Named after [[James W. Denver]], the governor of the [[Kansas Territory]] at the time, Denver was founded at the confluence of [[Cherry Creek (Colorado)|Cherry Creek]] and the [[South Platte River]] in 1858 during the Gold Rush era. [[List of city nicknames in the United States|Nicknamed]] the "Mile High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile ({{convert|5280|ft|3|comma=5|disp=or|sp=us}}) above sea level, Denver grew beyond its prospecting origins to become the principal commercial and transportation hub for a broad region spanning the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain West.{{efn|name=Mile High|Denver has maintained its official mile-high elevation of {{convert|5280|ft|3}} for more than a century. When the [[U.S. National Geodetic Survey|National Geodetic Survey]] makes adjustments to its national elevation measurements, the [[Colorado|State of Colorado]] moves the official mile-high elevation point up or down the west steps of the [[Colorado State Capitol]] to reflect the changes. Most of Denver actually lies above this elevation.}}<ref name="denfacts">{{cite web|url = https://www.denvergov.org/static/documents/344/Report_PAFR_2014.pdf|title = Community Report, City and County of Denver, Colorado |publisher = The City and County of Denver|access-date =February 4, 2016}}</ref> The [[105th meridian west|105th meridian west of Greenwich]], the longitudinal reference for the [[Mountain Time Zone]], passes directly through [[Denver Union Station]].

As the most populous metropolitan area in a {{convert|900|km|-1|adj=on|order=flip}} radius, Denver is a major cultural hub with a variety of museums and cultural institutions, including the [[Denver Performing Arts Complex]] and [[Denver Art Museum]]. Denver has [[Sports in Denver|professional sports teams]] in [[Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada|five leagues]] and hosts the headquarters of eight [[Fortune 500|''Fortune'' 500]] firms.

==History==
{{Main|History of Denver}}
{{For timeline}}

[[File:Pd james w denver.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Former [[Kansas Territory|Kansas Territorial]] Governor [[James W. Denver]] visited his namesake city in 1875 and in 1882.]]
[[File:Broncho Buster, Denver, CO IMG 5544.JPG|thumb|left|The "Bronco Buster", a variation of [[Frederic Remington]]'s "[[The Bronco Buster|Bronco Buster]]" [[Western (genre)|Western]] sculpture at the Denver Capitol grounds, a gift from J.K. Mullen in 1920]]

The greater Denver area was inhabited by several Indigenous peoples such as [[Apache]]s, [[Ute people|Ute]]s, [[Cheyenne]]s, [[Comanche]]s, and [[Arapaho]]es.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://clas.ucdenver.edu/historical-dialogues/Early%20Auraria%3A%20Native%20Peoples|title=Early Auraria: Native Peoples|date=May 24, 2016|website=Historical Dialogues|access-date=January 13, 2023|archive-date=January 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113124423/https://clas.ucdenver.edu/historical-dialogues/Early%20Auraria:%20Native%20Peoples|url-status=dead}}</ref> By the terms of the 1851 [[Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851)|Treaty of Fort Laramie]] between the United States and various tribes including the Cheyenne and Arapaho,<ref name="fortlaramietreaty1851">"Treaty of Fort Laramie with Sioux, Etc., 1851." 11 Stats. 749, Sept. 17, 1851.</ref> the United States unilaterally defined and recognized Cheyenne and Arapaho territory as ranging from the [[North Platte River]] in present-day [[Wyoming]] and [[Nebraska]] southward to the [[Arkansas River]] in present-day Colorado and [[Kansas]]. This definition specifically encompasses the land of modern Metropolitan Denver. But the discovery in November 1858 of [[gold]] in the [[Rocky Mountains]] in Colorado<ref name="hoig2">Hoig, Stan. (1980). ''The Peace Chiefs of the Cheyennes''. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. {{ISBN|0-8061-1573-4}}.</ref> (then part of the western [[Kansas Territory]])<ref name="greene-2">Greene, Jerome A. (2004). ''Washita, The Southern Cheyenne and the U.S. Army.'' Campaigns and Commanders Series, vol. 3. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. {{ISBN|0-8061-3551-4}}.</ref> brought on a [[Pikes Peak Gold Rush|gold rush]] and a consequent flood of white immigration across Cheyenne and Arapaho lands.<ref name="hoig2"/> Colorado territorial officials pressured federal authorities to redefine and reduce the extent of [[Native Americans in the United States|Indian]] treaty lands.<ref name="greene-2"/>

In the summer of 1858, during the [[Pike's Peak Gold Rush]], a group of gold prospectors from [[Lawrence, Kansas]], established [[Montana City, Colorado|Montana City]] as a [[mining town]] on the banks of the [[South Platte River]] in what was then western [[Kansas Territory]], on traditional lands of [[Cheyenne]] and [[Arapaho]]. This was the first historical settlement in what later became the city of Denver. But the site faded quickly, and by the summer of 1859 it was abandoned in favor of [[Auraria, Denver|Auraria]] (named after the gold-mining town of [[Auraria, Georgia]]) and St. Charles City.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 1, 2006 |title=Denver: The Rocky Mountain metropolis timeline |publisher=The City and County of Denver |url=http://www.denvergov.org/aboutdenver/history_timeline.asp |access-date=August 30, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813180204/http://www.denvergov.org/aboutdenver/history_timeline.asp |archive-date=August 13, 2006 }}
</ref>

On November 22, 1858,{{contradictory inline|reason=Infobox says city was founded on November 17|date=December 2019}} [[William Larimer Jr.|General William Larimer]] and Captain Jonathan Cox, both land speculators from eastern [[Kansas Territory]], placed [[Populus sect. Aigeiros|cottonwood]] logs to stake a claim on the bluff overlooking the confluence of the South Platte River and [[Cherry Creek (Colorado)|Cherry Creek]], across the creek from the existing mining settlement of Auraria, and on the site of the existing townsite of St. Charles. Larimer named the townsite Denver City to curry favor with Kansas Territorial Governor [[James W. Denver]].<ref name="DenverHistArapaho">{{cite web|url=http://www.denvergov.org/AboutDenver/history_narrative_1.asp |title=Denver History: The Arapaho Camp |author=Thomas J. Noel |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=September 26, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013125031/http://denvergov.org/AboutDenver/history_narrative_1.asp |archive-date=October 13, 2007 }}
</ref> Larimer hoped the town's name would help it be selected as the [[county seat]] of [[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe County]], but unbeknownst to him, Governor Denver had already resigned from office. The location was accessible to existing trails and was across the South Platte River from the site of seasonal encampments of the [[Cheyenne]] and [[Arapaho]]. The site of these first towns is now occupied by [[Confluence Park]] near downtown Denver. [[Edward W. Wynkoop]] came to Colorado in 1859 and became one of the city's founders. Wynkoop Street in Denver is named after him.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111113042/frank-murray-wynkoop/|title=Newsman Dead|work=Los Angeles Mirror|place=Los Angeles, California|date=10 Apr 1954|page=3 |access-date=2022-10-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39827319/obituary-for-bdward-w-wynkoop/|title=A Good Man Gone.|work=Pottsville Republican|place=Pottsville, Pennsylvania|date=21 Sep 1891|page=4 |access-date=2022-10-11}}</ref>

Larimer, along with associates in the St. Charles City Land Company, sold parcels in the town to merchants and miners, with the intention of creating a major city that would cater to new immigrants. Denver City was a frontier town, with an economy based on servicing local miners with gambling, saloons, livestock, and goods trading. In the early years, land parcels were often traded for grubstakes or gambled away by miners in Auraria.<ref name="DenverHistArapaho"/> In May 1859, Denver City residents donated 53 lots to the Leavenworth & Pike's Peak Express in order to secure the region's first overland wagon route. Offering daily service for "passengers, mail, freight, and gold", the Express reached Denver on a trail that trimmed westward travel time from twelve days to six. The [[Denver City, Kansas Territory]], post office opened on February 11, 1860<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 February 18, 1861, six chiefs of the Southern Cheyenne and four of the Arapaho signed the [[Treaty of Fort Wise]] with the United States<ref name="fortwisetreaty">"Treaty with the Arapaho and Cheyenne, 1861" (Treaty of Fort Wise). 12 Stat. 1163, p. 810.</ref> at [[Bent's New Fort]] at [[Big Timbers]] near what is now [[Lamar, Colorado]]. They ceded more than 90 percent of the lands designated for them by the Fort Laramie Treaty, including the area of modern Denver.<ref name="greene-2"/> Some Cheyennes opposed to the treaty, saying that it had been signed by a small minority of the chiefs without the consent or approval of the rest of the tribe, that the signatories had not understood what they signed, and that they had been bribed to sign by a large distribution of gifts. The territorial government of Colorado, however, claimed the treaty was a "solemn obligation" and considered that those Indians who refused to abide by it were hostile and planning a war.<ref name="hyde">''Life of George Bent: Written From His Letters'', by George E. Hyde, edited by Savoie Lottinville, University of Oklahoma Press (1968), hardcover, 390 pages; trade paperback, 280 pages (March 1983) {{ISBN|0-8061-1577-7}} {{ISBN|978-0806115771}}</ref>

On February 28, 1861, the [[Colorado Territory]] was created,<ref name= StateGovHistCO>{{cite web|date = April 18, 2001|url = http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/arcgov.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20030823045017/http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/arcgov.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = August 23, 2003|title = State Government History|publisher = State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives|access-date =November 28, 2006}}</ref> [[Arapahoe County, Colorado Territory|Arapahoe County]] was formed on November 1, 1861,<ref name= StateGovHistCO /> and Denver City was incorporated on November 7, 1861.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|date = December 1, 2004|url = http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html|archive-url = https://archive.today/20070927200920/http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html|url-status = dead|archive-date = September 27, 2007|title = Colorado Municipal Incorporations|publisher = State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration, Colorado State Archives|access-date =November 28, 2006}}</ref> Denver City served as the Arapahoe County Seat from 1861 until [[consolidated city-county|consolidation]] in 1902.<ref name=DenverHist /> With its newfound importance, Denver City shortened its name to Denver in 1866.<ref name=DenverHist /> On December 9, 1867, Denver became the [[Capital city|territorial capital]]. On August 1, 1876, Colorado was [[List of U.S. states by date of statehood|admitted to the Union]]. Denver was made the permanent state capital in a [[1881 Colorado state capital referendum]]. 

This disagreement on the validity of [[Treaty of Fort Wise]] escalated to bring about the [[Colorado War]] of 1864 and 1865, during which the brutal [[Sand Creek massacre]] against [[Cheyenne]] and [[Arapaho]] peoples occurred. The aftermath of the war was the dissolution of the reservation in Eastern Colorado, the signing of [[Medicine Lodge Treaty]] which stipulated that the [[Cheyenne]] and [[Arapaho]] peoples would be relocated outside of their traditional territory. This treaty term was achieved, even though the treaty was not legally ratified by the tribal members, as per the treaty's own terms. Thus, by the end of 1860s, this effectively and completely cleared the Denver area of its indigenous inhabitants.<ref name="greene-2"/><ref>Magazine, Smithsonian. "How the 1867 Medicine Lodge Treaty Changed the Plains Indian Tribes Forever." Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian Institution, October 23, 2017. [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-1867-medicine-lodge-treaty-changed-plains-indian-tribes-forever-180965357/ Link].</ref>

[[File:Pioneer Mothers of Colorado statue, Denver, CO IMG 5558.JPG|left|thumb|"Pioneer Mothers of Colorado" statue at ''[[The Denver Post]]'' building]]

Although by the close of the 1860s Denver residents could look with pride at their success establishing a vibrant supply and service center, the decision to route the nation's first transcontinental railroad through [[Cheyenne, Wyoming|Cheyenne City]], rather than Denver, threatened the prosperity of the young town. The transcontinental railroad passed a daunting {{convert|100|mi|km|-1|abbr=off|sp=us}} away, but citizens mobilized to build a railroad to connect Denver to it. Spearheaded by visionary leaders, including Territorial Governor [[John Evans (Colorado governor)|John Evans]], [[David Moffat]], and [[Walter Cheesman]], fundraising began. Within three days, $300,000 had been raised, and citizens were optimistic. Fundraising stalled before enough was raised, forcing these visionary leaders to take control of the debt-ridden railroad. Despite challenges, on June 24, 1870, citizens cheered as the [[Denver Pacific]] completed the link to the transcontinental railroad, ushering in a new age of prosperity for Denver.<ref>Baker, Gayle, ''Denver'', HarborTown Histories. Santa Barbara, California, p. 31-33, {{ISBN|9780971098442}} (print), 9780987903860 (on-line)</ref>

Finally linked to the rest of the nation by rail, Denver prospered as a service and supply center. The young city grew during these years, attracting millionaires with their mansions, as well as a mixture of crime and poverty of a rapidly growing city. Denver citizens were proud when the rich chose Denver and were thrilled when [[Horace Tabor]], the Leadville mining millionaire, built a business block at 16th and Larimer, as well as the elegant Tabor Grand Opera House. Luxurious hotels, including the much-loved [[Brown Palace Hotel (Denver, Colorado)|Brown Palace Hotel]], soon followed, as well as splendid homes for millionaires, such as the Croke, Patterson, Campbell Mansion at 11th and Pennsylvania and the now-demolished Moffat Mansion at 8th and Grant.<ref>Baker, p. 39-48</ref> Intent on transforming Denver into one of the world's great cities, leaders wooed industry and attracted laborers to work in these factories.

Soon, in addition to the elite and a large middle class, Denver had a growing population of immigrant German, Italian, and Chinese laborers, soon followed by African Americans from the Deep South and Hispanic workers. The influx of the new residents strained available housing. In addition, the Silver Crash of 1893 unsettled political, social, and economic balances. Competition among the different ethnic groups was often expressed as bigotry, and social tensions gave rise to the [[Red Scare]]. Americans were suspicious of immigrants, who were sometimes allied with socialist and labor union causes. After World War I, a revival of the [[Ku Klux Klan]] attracted white, native-born Americans who were anxious about the many changes in society. Unlike the earlier organization that was active in the rural South, KKK chapters developed in urban areas of the Midwest and West, including Denver, and into Idaho and Oregon. Corruption and crime also developed in Denver.<ref>Baker, p. 51-55</ref>

{{Wide image|Denver Colorado 1898 - LOC - restoration1.jpg|800px|Panoramic [[Old master print|print]] of Denver, 1898}}

Between 1880 and 1895, the city underwent a huge rise in corruption, as crime bosses, such as [[Soapy Smith]], worked side by side with elected officials and the police to control elections, gambling, and [[Lou Blonger|bunco gangs]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.soapysmith.net|title=Information from The Soapy Smith Preservation Trust website|access-date=October 29, 2006}}</ref> The city also suffered a [[Denver Depression of 1893|depression in 1893]] after the crash of silver prices. In 1887, the precursor to the international charity [[United Way of America|United Way]] was formed in Denver by local religious leaders, who raised funds and coordinated various charities to help Denver's poor.<ref>[http://national.unitedway.org/about/history.cfm United Way History] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117060231/http://national.unitedway.org/about/history.cfm |date=January 17, 2010 }}. The United Way. Retrieved: September 26, 2006.</ref> By 1890, Denver had grown to be the second-largest city west of [[Omaha, Nebraska]].<ref>[https://www.demographia.com/db-uscity1850.htm US Population History from 1850]. Demographia. Retrieved: July 20, 2006</ref> In 1900, whites represented 96.8% of Denver's population.<ref name="census1990">{{cite web|title=Historical Census Statistics On Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For Large Cities And Other Urban Places In The United States |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812191959/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |archive-date=August 12, 2012 |access-date=December 11, 2016}}</ref> The African American and Hispanic populations increased with migrations of the 20th century. Many African Americans first came as workers on the railroad, which had a terminus in Denver, and began to settle there.

Between the 1880s and 1930s, Denver's floriculture industry developed and thrived.<ref>{{cite book|title=A History – Colorado Flower Growers and its People|last=Kingman|first=Dick|publisher=Colorado Greenhouse Association, Inc|year=1986|url=http://ghex.colostate.edu/pdf_files/AHistoryColoradoFlowerGrowersAndItsPeople.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304101812/http://ghex.colostate.edu/pdf_files/AHistoryColoradoFlowerGrowersAndItsPeople.pdf|archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref><ref>Shu Liu and Linda M. Meyer, [https://dspace.library.colostate.edu/bitstream/handle/10217/5199/Carnations_Liu_Meyer.pdf?sequence=1 "Carnations and the Floriculture Industry: Documenting the Cultivation and Marketing of Flowers in Colorado]", 2007</ref> This period became known locally as the [[Carnation Gold Rush]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.denverrealestatewatch.com/2015/10/15/neighbors-want-historic-designation-for-nw-denver-home/|title=Neighbors want historic designation for NW Denver home|last=Rebchuck|first=John|date=October 15, 2015|work=Denver Real Estate Watch|archive-date=March 4, 2016|access-date=March 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094545/http://www.denverrealestatewatch.com/2015/10/15/neighbors-want-historic-designation-for-nw-denver-home/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A bill proposing a state constitutional amendment to allow [[home rule]] for Denver and other municipalities was introduced in the legislature in 1901 and passed. The measure called for a statewide referendum, which voters approved in 1902. On December 1 that year, Governor [[James Orman]] proclaimed the amendment part of the state's fundamental law. The City and County of Denver came into being on that date and was separated from Arapahoe and Adams counties.<ref name="BostonSmelting" /><ref name="DenvervAdams">"[T]he city and county of Denver ... did not come into being until the day of the issuance of the Governor's proclamation, on December 1, 1902". {{cite court | litigants=City Council of the City and County of Denver v. Board of Commissioners of Adams County | vol=77 | reporter=P. | opinion=858, 861 | date=1904 | url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4428747;view=1up;seq=880;size=200 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=King |first1=Clyde Lyndon |title=The History of the Government of Denver With Special Reference to its Relations With Public Service Corporations |via=[[Internet Archive]] |url=https://archive.org/details/historygovernme00kinggoog |publisher=The Fisher Book Company |access-date=February 19, 2019 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/historygovernme00kinggoog/page/n245 222], 233 |date=1911}}</ref>

From 1953 to 1989, the [[Rocky Flats Plant]], a [[United States Department of Energy|DOE]] nuclear weapon facility that was about 15 miles from Denver, produced [[fissile]] [[plutonium]] "[[pit (nuclear weapon)|pits]]" for [[nuclear warhead]]s. A major fire at the facility in 1957, as well as leakage from [[nuclear waste]] stored at the site between 1958 and 1968, resulted in the [[Radioactive contamination from the Rocky Flats Plant|contamination of some parts of Denver]], to varying degrees, with [[plutonium-239]], a harmful radioactive substance with a half-life of 24,200 years.<ref name="Moore2007">{{cite book | title=Ethics of Research on Health Impacts of Nuclear Weapons Activities in the United States | publisher=Collaborative Initiative for Research Ethics and Environmental Health (CIREEH) at [[Syracuse University]] | last=Moore | first=LeRoy | year=2007 | pages=55–97 | editor1-last=Quigley | editor1-first=Dianne | editor2-last=Lowman | editor2-first=Amy | editor3-last=Wing | editor3-first=Steve | url=http://www.rockyflatsnuclearguardianship.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/leroy-moore-papers/dem-public-heath-at-rf-12-10.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331142610/http://www.rockyflatsnuclearguardianship.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/leroy-moore-papers/dem-public-heath-at-rf-12-10.pdf | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 31, 2012 | access-date=September 17, 2011 | chapter=Democracy and Public Health at Rocky Flats: The Examples of Edward Martell and Carl J. Johnson }}</ref> A 1981 study by the Jefferson County health director, Carl Johnson, linked the contamination to an increase in birth defects and [[cancer]] incidence in central Denver and nearer Rocky Flats. Later studies confirmed many of his findings.<ref>{{cite journal | jstor=4312671 | title=Cancer Incidence in an Area Contaminated with Radionuclides Near a Nuclear Installation | author=Johnson, Carl J. | journal=[[Ambio]] |date=October 1981 | volume=10 | issue=4 | pages=176–182| pmid=7348208 }}, cited in {{Harvnb|Moore|2007|pp=103–109}}.</ref><ref>{{cite report |last=Moore |first=LeRoy |title=Democracy and Public Health at Rocky Flats: the Examples of Edward A. Martell and Carl J. Johnson |url=http://www.rockyflatsnuclearguardianship.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/leroy-moore-papers/dem-public-heath-at-rf-12-10.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724044900/http://www.rockyflatsnuclearguardianship.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/leroy-moore-papers/dem-public-heath-at-rf-12-10.pdf |archive-date=July 24, 2013 |website=Rocky Flats Nuclear Guardianship |access-date=April 11, 2023}}</ref> Plutonium contamination was still present outside the former plant site {{As of|2010|08|lc=y}}.<ref name="ENS">{{cite web | url=http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2010/2010-08-05-01.html | title=Rocky Flats Nuclear Site Too Hot for Public Access, Citizens Warn | publisher=[[Environment News Service]] | date=August 5, 2010 | access-date=September 17, 2011 | archive-date=May 25, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525185346/http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2010/2010-08-05-01.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> It presents risks to building the envisioned Jefferson Parkway,<ref>{{cite web |last=Salazar |first=Quibian |url=http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-6051-plutonium-parkway.html |title=Plutonium parkway |publisher=Boulderweekly.com |date=July 21, 2011 |access-date=February 11, 2012 |archive-date=January 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105092236/http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-6051-plutonium-parkway.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> which would complete Denver's automotive [[ring road|beltway]].
[[File:6408-DenSkyline-BrownPalaceCosmoHotels.Jpg|thumb|Downtown Denver cityscape, 1964. Includes Denver's oldest church (Trinity United Methodist), first building of the Mile High Center complex, Lincoln Center, old brownstone part of the Brown Palace Hotel, and Cosmopolitan Hotel – since demolished.]]

In 1970, Denver was selected to host the [[1976 Winter Olympics]] to coincide with Colorado's centennial celebration, but in November 1972, Colorado voters struck down ballot initiatives allocating public funds to pay for the high costs of the games. They were moved to [[Innsbruck]], Austria.<ref name= 1970Olympics>{{cite web|date = April 7, 2015|url = https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/apr/07/when-denver-rejected-the-olympics-in-favour-of-the-environment-and-economics|title = When Denver rejected the Olympics in favour of the environment and economics|work=The Guardian|access-date =December 31, 2015}}</ref> The notoriety of being the only city ever to decline to host an Olympiad after being selected has made subsequent bids difficult. The movement against hosting the games was based largely on environmental issues and was led by State Representative [[Richard Lamm]]. He was subsequently elected to three terms (1975–87) as [[List of Colorado Governors|Colorado governor]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/offic/gov.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030820151546/http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/offic/gov.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 20, 2003 |title=Archives &#124; |publisher=State of Colorado |access-date=April 7, 2016}}</ref> Denver explored a potential bid for the [[2022 Winter Olympics]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/winter_olympic_bids/future_bids_2018/1216136238.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-06-28 |archive-date=2023-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223133123/http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/winter_olympic_bids/future_bids_2018/1216136238.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> but no bid was submitted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kdvr.com/2012/07/03/usoc-no-winter-olympics-for-denver-in-2022/ |title=USOC: No Winter Olympics for Denver in 2022 |publisher=KDVR |date=July 3, 2012 |access-date=September 15, 2013 |archive-date=July 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724035100/http://kdvr.com/2012/07/03/usoc-no-winter-olympics-for-denver-in-2022/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2010, Denver adopted a comprehensive update of its zoning code,<ref>{{cite web |title=Denver Zoning Code |url=https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/community-planning-and-development/zoning/denver-zoning-code.html |date=2016 |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref> which was developed to guide development as envisioned in adopted plans such as Blueprint Denver,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.denvergov.org/cpd/Planning/BlueprintDenver/tabid/431883/Default.aspx |title=Blueprint Denver |publisher=Denvergov.org |date=December 18, 2009 |access-date=September 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517022949/http://denvergov.org/cpd/Planning/BlueprintDenver/tabid/431883/Default.aspx |archive-date=May 17, 2011 }}</ref> Transit Oriented Development Strategic Plan, Greenprint Denver, and the Strategic Transportation Plan.<!-- What does it include? -->

Denver has hosted the [[Democratic National Convention]] twice, in [[1908 Democratic National Convention|1908]] and [[2008 Democratic National Convention|2008]]. It promoted the city on the national, political, and socioeconomic stage.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/25/dems.convention.trivia/index.html | publisher=CNN | title=Think you know your Democratic convention trivia? | date=August 26, 2008}}</ref> On August 10–15, 1993, Denver hosted the Catholic Church's [[World Youth Day 1993|6th World Youth Day]], which was attended by an estimated 500,000, making it the largest gathering in Colorado history.

In 2015, a new commuter railway system commenced operations in the Denver metropolitan area with a network operation of 25 kV 60&nbsp;Hz.

Denver has been known historically as the ''Queen City of the Plains'' and the ''Queen City of the West'', because of its important role in the [[agriculture in the United States|agricultural]] industry of the [[High Plains (United States)|High Plains]] region in eastern Colorado and along the foothills of the [[Colorado Front Range]].

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Denver}}
{{wide image|City Park Panorama 2 edited.png|1400px|Panorama of Denver seen in August 2015 from the [[Denver Museum of Nature and Science]]. Snow-capped [[Mount Blue Sky]] (formerly Mt. Evans) can be seen to the left beyond the city skyline.}}
[[File:Denver, Colorado-02.jpg|alt=|thumb|Central Downtown Denver]]
[[File:Silicon Mountain.jpg|alt=|thumb|Denver and nearby mountains as seen from the rooftops of the Cherry Creek neighborhood|325x325px]]
Denver is in the center of the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]], between the [[Rocky Mountains]] to the west and the [[High Plains (United States)|High Plains]] to the east. Its topography consists of plains in the city center with hilly areas to the north, west, and south. It is the only state capital in the United States that is a consolidated city-county. At the [[2020 United States census]], the City and County of Denver had an area of {{convert|400.739|km2|acre|order=flip}}, including {{convert|4.276|km2|acre|order=flip}} of water.<ref name=2020_Census/> The City and County of Denver is surrounded by three other counties: [[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]] to the north and east, [[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe County]] to the south and east, and [[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]] to the west.

Denver's nickname is the "Mile-High City", as its official elevation is {{convert|1|mi|ft m|0|spell=in}} above sea level, defined by the elevation of the spot of a benchmark on the steps of the State Capitol building. The elevation of the entire city ranges from {{convert|5130|to|5690|ft|m}}.

=== Neighborhoods ===
{{See also|List of neighborhoods in Denver}}

[[File:Denver neighborhoods.gif|thumb|upright=1.8|Denver's 78 official neighborhoods]]

The City and County of Denver has 78 official [[neighborhood]]s used for planning and administration.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://data.denvergov.org/dataset/city-and-county-of-denver-statistical-neighborhoods |title = Denver Open Data Catalog: Statistical Neighborhoods |author= City and County of Denver, Community Planning and Development |publisher= DenverGov.org}}</ref> The system of neighborhood boundaries and names dates to 1970 when city planners divided the city into 73 groups of one to four census tracts, called "statistical neighborhoods," most of which are unchanged since then.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beaty |first1=Kevin |title=How Denver's neighborhoods got their shapes |url=https://denverite.com/2021/04/06/how-denvers-neighborhoods-got-their-shapes/ |website=Denverite |date=April 6, 2021 |publisher=Denverit |access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref>

Unlike some other cities, such as [[Community areas in Chicago|Chicago]], Denver does not have official larger area designations. Colloquially, names such as Northside and Westside are still in use, but not well-known.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hunt |first1=Rebbecca |title=Northside History: A Tale of Two Neighborhoods |url=https://coloradocommunitymedia.com/2022/10/15/northside-history-a-tale-of-two-neighborhoods/ |website=The Denver NorthStar |date=October 15, 2022 |publisher=Colorado Community Media |access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Mead & Hunt |title=Nuestras Historias: Mexican American/Chicano/Latino Histories in Denver An Historic Context |url=https://www.denvergov.org/files/assets/public/v/2/community-planning-and-development/documents/landmark-preservation/historic-context/nuestrashistoriascontext_en.pdf |website=City and County of Denver |access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref> Community planners have recently been using a set of 19 larger areas, all of which are groups of statistical neighborhoods, as part of the Area Planning process.<ref>{{cite web |title=Neighborhood Planning |url=https://denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Community-Planning-and-Development/Planning/Neighborhood-Planning |website=City and County of Denver |access-date=31 July 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Construction Cherokee.jpg|thumb|upright|Construction along Cherokee Street in the Golden Triangle neighborhood]]

Denver also has a number of colloquial neighborhood names and boundaries reflecting how people in an area, or others such as community groups and real estate developers, have defined areas. Well-known non-administrative neighborhoods include the historic and trendy [[LoDo]] (short for "Lower Downtown"), part of the city's [[Union Station, Denver|Union Station neighborhood]]; Uptown, straddling [[North Capitol Hill, Denver, Colorado|North Capitol Hill]] and [[City Park West, Denver|City Park West]]; Curtis Park and RiNo ("River North"), both part of the [[Five Points (Denver)|Five Points]] neighborhood; [[Alamo Placita, Denver|Alamo Placita]], the northern part of the [[Speer, Denver|Speer neighborhood]]; [[Park Hill, Denver|Park Hill]], a partially successful example of intentional racial integration (South Park Hill is less than 1% Black);<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research |url=http://www.luc.edu/curl/projects/past/documents/cityscpe/vol4num2/ch5.html |title=Park Hill, Denver |volume=4 |issue=2 |year=1998 |last=Woods |first=Katherine |publisher=U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development |pages=89–103 |access-date=January 11, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904083433/http://www.luc.edu/curl/projects/past/documents/cityscpe/vol4num2/ch5.html |archive-date=September 4, 2006 }}</ref><ref>https://frontporchne.com/parkhillintegration/</ref> and [[Golden Triangle, Denver|Golden Triangle]], in the Civic Center.

One of Denver's newer neighborhoods was built on the site of [[Stapleton International Airport]], named after former Denver mayor [[Benjamin F. Stapleton]], a member of the Ku Klux Klan.<ref>{{Cite web|author=David Williams|title=Local officials in Denver's Stapleton neighborhood want to change its name because of a former mayor's KKK ties|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/15/us/denver-stapleton-name-change-trnd/index.html|access-date=August 21, 2020|website=CNN|date=June 15, 2020 }}</ref> In 2020, the neighborhood's community association voted to change the name from Stapleton to Central Park<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Babiak |first1=Larissa |title=Central Park Selected as New Name for Stapleton Neighborhood |url=https://303magazine.com/2020/07/stapleton-neighborhood-name-change/ |date=July 20, 2020 |website=303 Magazine |language=en-US |access-date=February 22, 2024}}</ref> (see more in Politics section below). The Central Park neighborhood itself has 12 "neighborhoods" within its boundaries.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Central Park: 12 Neighborhoods Strong|url=https://www.denver80238.com/#:~:text=Central%20Park%20Denver%20(formerly%20Stapleton,Strong%20%E2%80%93%20New%20Homes%20in%20Denver|url-status=live|website=Denver80238.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804201355/http://denver80238.com/ |archive-date=August 4, 2018 }}</ref>

===Adjacent counties, municipalities and census-designated places===
<!--***EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: What is a "surrounding municipality" and what is not? A line has to be drawn somewhere. This table is intended to include only those cities and towns that Denver shares a border with - the following should not change unless there is an applicable annexation or incorporation.-->
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;"
|-
| style="width:35%; text-align:center;"|
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;" |'''North:''' '''''[[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]]''''', [[Berkley, Colorado|Berkley]], [[Northglenn, Colorado|Northglenn]], [[Commerce City, Colorado|Commerce City]]
| style="width:35%; text-align:center;"|
|-
| style="width:10%; text-align:center;" |'''West:''' '''''[[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]]''''', [[Arvada, Colorado|Arvada]], [[Wheat Ridge, Colorado|Wheat Ridge]], [[Lakeside, Colorado|Lakeside]], [[Mountain View, Colorado|Mountain View]], [[Edgewater, Colorado|Edgewater]], [[Lakewood, Colorado|Lakewood]], [[Dakota Ridge, Colorado|Dakota Ridge]]
| style="width:35%; text-align:center;" |'''Denver'''<br />'''Enclave:''' '''''[[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe County]]''''', [[Glendale, Colorado|Glendale]], [[Holly Hills, Colorado|Holly Hills]]
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;" |'''''[[Adams County, Colorado|Adams County]]'''''<br />'''East:''' [[Aurora, Colorado|Aurora]]<br />'''''[[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe County]]'''''
|-
| style="width:35%; text-align:center;"|
| style="width:30%; text-align:center;"|'''South:''' '''''[[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe County]]''''', [[Bow Mar, Colorado|Bow Mar]], [[Littleton, Colorado|Littleton]], [[Sheridan, Colorado|Sheridan]], [[Englewood, Colorado|Englewood]], [[Cherry Hills Village, Colorado|Cherry Hills Village]], [[Greenwood Village, Colorado|Greenwood Village]], [[Aurora, Colorado|Aurora]]
| style="width:35%; text-align:center;"|
|}

===Climate===
{{climate chart
|Denver
|19|45|0.4
|20|46|0.4
|28|56|0.9
|34|62|1.7
|44|71|2.2
|53|83|1.9
|60|90|2.1
|58|88|1.6
|50|80|1.4
|37|65|1.0
|26|53|0.6
|18|44|0.4
|units = imperial
|float = right
|clear = both}}
Denver features a [[continental semi-arid climate|cool semi-arid climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]]: ''BSk'', [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''BSao'') with generally low humidity and around 3,100 hours of sunshine per year, although humid [[microclimate]]s can be found nearby depending on exact location.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.plantmaps.com/koppen-climate-classification-map-united-states.php|title=Interactive United States Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Map|website=www.plantmaps.com|access-date=December 19, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.eng.unimelb.edu.au/mpeel/koppen.html|title=Updated Köppen-Geiger climate map of the world|website=people.eng.unimelb.edu.au|access-date=December 19, 2018}}</ref> These humid microclimates have the temperature of a hot-summer humid continental climate (Koppen: ''Dfa'') or a humid subtropical climate (Koppen: ''Cfa'') when using the {{convert|-3|C|F}} isotherm. It has four distinct seasons and receives most of its precipitation from April through August. Due to its inland location on the [[High Plains (United States)|High Plains]], at the foot of the [[Rocky Mountains]], the region can be subject to sudden changes in weather.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://climate.colostate.edu/climate_long.html|title=Colorado Climate Center – Climate of Colorado|publisher=Climate.colostate.edu|access-date=July 13, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120703034302/http://climate.colostate.edu/climateofcolorado.php|archive-date=July 3, 2012}}</ref>

July is the warmest month, with an average high temperature of {{convert|89.9|°F|1}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weather.gov/bou/july2015_denver_statpreview|title=A Statistical Preview of Denver's July Weather|first=NOAA|last=US Department of Commerce|website=www.weather.gov}}</ref> Summers range from warm to hot with occasional, sometimes severe, afternoon thunderstorms and high temperatures reaching {{convert|90|°F|0}} on 38 days annually, and occasionally {{convert|100|°F|0}}. December, the coldest month of the year, has an average daily high temperature of {{convert|44|°F|1}}. Winters consist of periods of snow and very low temperatures alternating with periods of milder weather due to the warming effect of [[Chinook wind]]s. In winter, daytime highs occasionally exceed {{convert|60|°F|0}}, but they also often fail to reach {{convert|32|°F|0}} during periods of cold weather. Occasionally, daytime highs can even fail to rise above {{convert|0|°F|0}} due to arctic air masses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedenverchannel.com/weather/denver-s-10-longest-below-zero-streaks|title=Denver's 10 Longest Below Zero Streaks|date=January 13, 2007|access-date=December 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629130943/https://www.thedenverchannel.com/weather/denver-s-10-longest-below-zero-streaks|archive-date=June 29, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> On the coldest nights of the year, lows can fall to {{convert|-10|°F|0}} or below, with the city experiencing a low of {{convert|-24|°F|0}} on December 22, 2022, with a wind chill of {{convert|-40|°F|0}}.<ref>[https://www.9news.com/article/weather/weather-colorado/denver-record-cold-2022/73-61ef19e7-f4cc-445c-a092-1018f35cccc1 Denver records coldest temperature since 1990] Denver News, December 22, 2022</ref> Snowfall is common throughout the late fall, winter and early spring, averaging {{convert|53.5|in|cm|0}} for 1981–2010;<ref name=NOAA2/> but in the 2021 winter season, Denver began the month of December without any snowfall for the first time in history.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kerr |first1=Nicholas |title=Denver still waiting for 1st snow of season, breaking record |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/denver-waiting-1st-snow-season-breaking-record/story?id=81467011 |access-date=1 December 2021 |publisher=ABC News |date=30 November 2021}}</ref> The average window for measurable (≥{{convert|0.1|in|cm|abbr=on|disp=or}}) snow is October 17 through April 27; however, measurable snowfall has occurred as early as September 4 and as late as June 3.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanac.com/content/frost-chart-united-states|title=Frost Chart for United States|access-date=December 27, 2012|publisher=The Old Farmer's Almanac}}</ref> Extremes in temperature range from {{convert|-29|°F}} on January 9, 1875, up to {{convert|105|°F}} as recently as June 28, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/NWSBoulder/status/1012435532201316355|title=NWS Boulder Twitter Account}}</ref> Due to the city's high elevation and aridity, [[diurnal temperature variation]] is large throughout the year.

[[Tornado]]es are rare west of the I-25 corridor; one notable exception was an [[Fujita scale|F3]] tornado that struck {{convert|4.4|mi|km}} south of downtown on June 15, 1988. On the other hand, the suburbs east of Denver and the city's east-northeastern extension ([[Denver International Airport]]) can see a few tornadoes, often weak [[landspout]] tornadoes, each spring and summer, especially during June, with the enhancement of the [[Denver Convergence Vorticity Zone]] (DCVZ). The DCVZ, also known as the Denver Cyclone, is a variable vortex of storm-forming air flow usually found north and east of downtown, and which often includes the airport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/Colorado/Adams/map|title=Adams County, Colorado|publisher=Tornado History Project|access-date=April 7, 2016|archive-date=April 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403132559/http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/colorado/adams/map|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Tornado: Its Structure, Dynamics, Prediction, and Hazards|last=Church|first=Christopher R.|publisher=American Geophysical Union|year=1993|page=353|isbn=9780875900384}}</ref> Heavy weather from the DCVZ can disrupt airport operations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/zdv/zdvtstms.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040711111538/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/zdv/ZDVTSTMS.pdf |archive-date=2004-07-11 |url-status=live|title=Denver Air Route Traffic Control Thunderstorm Patterns|last1=Meyer|first1=Thomas A.|last2=Bobb|first2=William R.|last3=Dulong|first3=Thomas W.|publisher=Denver Center Weather Service Unit, Longmont, Colorado. National Weather Service. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.|access-date=May 22, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-five-worst-weather-airports-denver,0,3838406.photo|title=Five Worst Weather Airports: Denver International Airport|date=November 23, 2011|work=Chicago Tribune}}</ref> In a study looking at [[hail]] events in areas with a population of at least 50,000, Denver was found to be ranked 10th most prone to hail storms in the [[continental United States]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2011/09/16/216068.htm|title=Report: Colorado and Oklahoma Cities Dominate Top 10 Hail Prone Metro Areas|newspaper=Insurance Journal |date=September 16, 2011|access-date=September 18, 2015|author1=Admin }}</ref> In fact, Denver has had three of the top 10 [[list of costly or deadly hailstorms|costliest hailstorms]] in U.S. history, on July 11, 1990; July 20, 2009; and May 8, 2017.

Based on 30-year averages obtained from [[NOAA]]'s [[National Climatic Data Center]] for the months of December, January and February, [[Weather Channel]] ranked Denver the 18th-coldest major U.S. city {{As of|2014|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.weather.com/sports-recreation/ski/news/20-coldest-large-cities-america-20140107|title=America's 20 Coldest Major Cities|author=John Erdman|publisher=The Weather Channel|date=January 27, 2014|access-date=January 9, 2015}}</ref>

Denver's official weather station is at Denver International Airport, roughly {{convert|20|mi}} from downtown. A 2019 analysis showed the average temperature at Denver International Airport, {{convert|50.2|°F|0}}, was significantly cooler than downtown, {{convert|53.0|°F|0}}. Many of the suburbs also have warmer temperatures and there is controversy regarding the location of the official temperature readings.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bianchi |first1=Chris |title=Denver weather: How official measurements compare at DIA, downtown and Stapleton |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/12/denver-weather-measurement-site-comparison/ |website=The Denver Post |date=April 12, 2019 |access-date=August 3, 2020}}</ref>

{{Wide image|Denver Skyline in Winter.JPG|800px|View of downtown Denver after a snowstorm in March 2016, looking northwest from [[Cheesman Park, Denver|Cheesman Park]]}}

{{Denver weatherbox}}
{{Weather box
|location = Denver Water Department (elevation 5225 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1997–present
|single line = Y
|collapsed = Y
|Jan high F = 48.5
|Feb high F = 49.0
|Mar high F = 57.9
|Apr high F = 64.1
|May high F = 73.0
|Jun high F = 85.3
|Jul high F = 91.4
|Aug high F = 89.6
|Sep high F = 81.6
|Oct high F = 67.6
|Nov high F = 55.9
|Dec high F = 47.3
|year high F= 
|Jan low F = 21.3
|Feb low F = 21.7
|Mar low F = 29.6
|Apr low F = 36.2
|May low F = 45.9
|Jun low F = 55.8
|Jul low F = 61.8
|Aug low F = 60.1
|Sep low F = 50.7
|Oct low F = 37.7
|Nov low F = 27.6
|Dec low F = 20.6
|year low F=

|Jan record high F =  77
|Feb record high F =  78
|Mar record high F =  85
|Apr record high F =  91
|May record high F =  99
|Jun record high F = 107
|Jul record high F = 108
|Aug record high F = 104
|Sep record high F = 102
|Oct record high F =  90
|Nov record high F =  84
|Dec record high F =  76

|Jan record low F = -15
|Feb record low F = −14
|Mar record low F = −2
|Apr record low F =  8
|May record low F =  20
|Jun record low F =  36
|Jul record low F =  49
|Aug record low F =  40
|Sep record low F =  22
|Oct record low F =  4
|Nov record low F = -8
|Dec record low F = −13
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.43
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.60
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.13
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.98
|May precipitation inch = 2.65
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.73
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.90
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.81
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.20
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.16
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.78
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.48
|year precipitation inch= 
|Jan snow inch = 5.5
|Feb snow inch = 8.4
|Mar snow inch = 9.2
|Apr snow inch = 5.0
|May snow inch = 0.9
|Jun snow inch =   0
|Jul snow inch =   0
|Aug snow inch =   0
|Sep snow inch =   0
|Oct snow inch = 2.5
|Nov snow inch = 4.4
|Dec snow inch = 4.8
|year snow inch= 
|source 1 = [https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org xmACIS2]
}}

{{Weather box
|location = Central Park, Denver, 1991–2020 normals
|single line = Y
|collapsed = Y
|Jan high F = 46.5
|Feb high F = 47.5
|Mar high F = 56.4
|Apr high F = 62.5
|May high F = 71.7
|Jun high F = 84.1
|Jul high F = 90.2
|Aug high F = 87.9
|Sep high F = 80.1
|Oct high F = 66.7
|Nov high F = 54.8
|Dec high F = 45.9
|year high F = 66.2
|Jan low F = 17.6
|Feb low F = 19.3
|Mar low F = 27.1
|Apr low F = 33.7
|May low F = 43.4
|Jun low F = 52.9
|Jul low F = 59.3
|Aug low F = 57.2
|Sep low F = 48.2
|Oct low F = 35.7
|Nov low F = 25.5
|Dec low F = 17.7
|year low F = 36.5
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.46
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.53
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.12
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.67
|May precipitation inch = 2.29
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.68
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.12
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.83
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.51
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.98
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.70
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.47
|year precipitation inch = 15.36
|Jan snow inch = 6.4
|Feb snow inch = 7.6
|Mar snow inch = 8.8
|Apr snow inch = 6.2
|May snow inch = 1.4
|Jun snow inch = 0
|Jul snow inch = 0
|Aug snow inch = 0
|Sep snow inch = 0.8
|Oct snow inch = 3.9
|Nov snow inch = 7.3
|Dec snow inch = 6.6
|year snow inch= 49.0
|source 1=NOAA<ref name=NOAA2>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/us-climate-normals/#dataset=normals-monthly&timeframe=30&station=USW00023062 |title=NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=2021-08-11}}</ref>
}}

{|style="width:100%;text-align:center;line-height:1.2em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
!Colspan=14|Climate data for Denver
|-
!Month
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
!style="border-left-width:medium"|Year
|-
!Mean daily daylight hours
|style="background:#F0F011;color:#000000;"|10.0
|style="background:#F7F722;color:#000000;"|11.0
|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.0
|style="background:#FFFF44;color:#000000;"|13.0
|style="background:#FFFF55;color:#000000;"|14.0
|style="background:#FFFF66;color:#000000;"|15.0
|style="background:#FFFF66;color:#000000;"|15.0
|style="background:#FFFF55;color:#000000;"|14.0
|style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.0
|style="background:#F7F722;color:#000000;"|11.0
|style="background:#F0F011;color:#000000;"|10.0
|style="background:#E9E900;color:#000000;"|9.0
|style="background:#FFFF35;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|12.2
|-
!Average [[Ultraviolet index]]
|style="background:#289500;color:#000000;"|2
|style="background:#90bf00;color:#000000;"|3
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|5
|style="background:#f8a000;color:#000000;"|7
|style="background:#f85900;color:#000000;"|9
|style="background:#6b49c8;color:#000000;"|11
|style="background:#6b49c8;color:#000000;"|11
|style="background:#f8001d;color:#000000;"|10
|style="background:#f8a000;color:#000000;"|7
|style="background:#f7e400;color:#000000;"|5
|style="background:#90bf00;color:#000000;"|3
|style="background:#289500;color:#000000;"|2
|style="background:#f8bf00;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|6.2
|-
|{{Graph:Weather monthly history
| table=ncei.noaa.gov/weather/Denver.tab
| title=Denver weather
}}
!Colspan=14 style="background:#f8f9fa;font-weight:normal;font-size:95%;"|Source: Weather Atlas<ref name="Weather Atlas">{{cite web|url=https://www.weather-us.com/en/colorado-usa/denver-climate|title=Denver, Colorado, USA – Monthly weather forecast and Climate data|publisher=Weather Atlas|access-date=February 26, 2019 }}</ref>
|}

==Demographics==
{{See also|Demographics of Denver|History of the Jews in Denver}}
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1860= 4749
|1870= 4759
|1880= 35629
|1890= 106713
|1900= 133859
|1910= 213381
|1920= 256491
|1930= 287861
|1940= 322412
|1950= 415765
|1960= 493887
|1970= 514678
|1980= 492686
|1990= 467610
|2000= 554636
|2010= 600158
|2020= 715522
|estyear=2024
|estimate=729019
|estref=<ref name="Estimate2024" />
|footnote=[[United States census|U.S. Decennial Census]]
}}
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population of the City and County of Denver was 715,522, making it the [[list of United States cities by population|19th most populous U.S. city]].<ref name=PopEstCounty>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/denvercountycolorado|title=QuickFacts Denver County, CO|work=2020 Population Estimates|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division|access-date=December 29, 2021|date=December 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024032952/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/denvercountycolorado|archive-date=October 24, 2021|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Denver metropolitan area|Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area]] had an estimated 2013 population of 2,697,476 and ranked as the [[List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas|21st most populous U.S. metropolitan statistical area]],<ref name="PopEstCBSA">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2018/PEPANNCHG.US24PR|title=Estimates of Resident Population Change and Rankings: July 1, 2017 to July 1, 2018 – United States – Metropolitan Statistical Area; and for Puerto Rico 2018 Population Estimates|date=July 1, 2018|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 8, 2019}}</ref> and the larger [[Denver–Aurora combined statistical area|Denver–Aurora–Boulder Combined Statistical Area]] had an estimated 2013 population of 3,277,309 and ranked as the [[List of Combined Statistical Areas|18th most populous U.S. metropolitan area]].<ref name=PopEstCBSA/> Denver is the most populous city within a [[radius]] centered in the city and of {{convert|550|mi|km|adj=on}} magnitude.<ref name=PopEstCBSA/> Denverites is a term used for residents of Denver.
[[File:Ethnic Origins in Denver.png|thumb|Ethnic origins in Denver]]
According to the 2020 census, the City and County of Denver contained 715,522 people and 301,501 households. The population density was {{convert|3,922.6|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|inhabitants&nbsp;|inhabitants}} including the airport. There were 338.341 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,751|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/denvercountycolorado|title=QuickFacts Denver County, CO|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 8, 2019}}</ref> However, the average density throughout most Denver neighborhoods tends to be higher. Without the 80249 zip code (47.3 sq mi, 8,407 residents) near the airport, the average density increases to around 5,470 per square mile. 
[[File:Race and ethnicity 2010- Denver (5560468460).png|thumb|Map of racial distribution in Denver, 2010 U.S. Census. Each dot is 25 people: <span style="color:#ff0000">'''White'''</span>, <span style="color:#0000ff">'''Black'''</span>, <span style="color:#00ff80">'''Asian'''</span>, <span style="color:#ff8000">'''Hispanic'''</span>, or '''Other''' (yellow)]]
{{clear|left}}

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible w-b collapsed" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Historical racial composition !!2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/denvercountycolorado |title=Denver (city), Colorado |work=State & County QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref>!! 2010<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/denvercountycolorado |title=Denver (city), Colorado |work=State & County QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120521123132/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/0820000.html |archive-date=May 21, 2012 }}</ref>!! 1990<ref name="census1990"/>!! 1970<ref name="census1990"/>!! 1940<ref name="census1990"/>
|-
| [[White American|White (Non-Hispanic)]] || 54.9% || 52.2% || 61.4% || 74.5% || 97.3%
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] || 29.3% || 31.8% || 23.0% || 15.2% || n/a
|-
| [[African American|Black]] || 9.8% || 9.7% || 12.8% || 9.1% || 2.4%
|-
| [[Multiracial American|Mixed]] || 3.3% || 2.1%
|-
| [[Asian American|Asian]]|| 4.1% || 3.3% || 2.4% || 1.4% || 0.2%
|}

===2020 census===
According to the [[2020 United States census]], the racial composition of Denver was as follows:<ref>{{cite web |title=United States Census Race Denver |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=P8:+RACE&g=050XX00US08031 |website=United States Census |access-date=24 February 2025}}</ref>

* [[White American|White]]: 60.6% ([[Non-Hispanic Whites]]: 54.3%)
* [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race): 27.9%; [[Mexican American]]s made up 20.3% of the city's population.<ref name="census2020-race">{{cite web |title=Detailed Races and Ethnicities in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2020 Census |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/detailed-race-ethnicities-2020-census.html |website=United States Census |access-date=24 February 2025}}</ref>
* [[African American|Black or African American]]: 8.9%
* [[Asian American|Asian]]: 3.9% (0.82% Vietnamese, 0.60% Chinese, 0.51% Indian, 0.33% Korean, 0.31% Filipino, 0.21% Japanese, 0.13% Burmese, 0.12% Nepalese, 0.11% Afghan, 0.09% Cambodian)<ref name="census2020-race" />
* [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]: 1.5%
* [[Pacific Islander American|Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander]]: 0.2%
* [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]]: 13.5%

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Denver, 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 – Denver city, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=160XX00US0820000&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 26, 2024}}</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) – Denver city, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0820000&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 26, 2024}}</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) – Denver city, Colorado|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US0820000&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 26, 2024}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|287,997
|313,012
|style='background: #ffffe6; |388,764
|51.93%
|52.15%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |54.33%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|59,921
|58,388
|style='background: #ffffe6; |61,098
|10.80%
|9.73%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8.54%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|3,846
|3,525
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,740
|0.69%
|0.59%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.52%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|15,137
|19,925
|style='background: #ffffe6; |27,198
|2.73%
|3.32%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.80%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|473
|495
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,395
|0.09%
|0.08%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.19%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|975
|1,208
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,746
|0.18%
|0.20%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.52%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|10,583
|12,640
|style='background: #ffffe6; |30,121
|1.91%
|2.11%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.21%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|175,704
|190,965
|style='background: #ffffe6; |199,460
|31.68%
|31.82%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |27.88%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''554,636'''
|'''600,158'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''715,522'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

Approximately 70.3% of the population (over five years old) spoke only English at home. An additional 23.5% of the population spoke Spanish at home. In terms of ancestry, 31.8% were [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]], 14.6% of the population were of [[German American|German]] ancestry, 9.7% were of [[Irish American|Irish]] ancestry, 8.9% were of [[English American|English]] ancestry, and 4.0% were of [[Italian American|Italian]] ancestry.

There were 250,906 households, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.1% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27, and the average family size was 3.14.

Age distribution was 22.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 36.1% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. Overall there were 102.1 males for every 100 females. Due to a skewed sex ratio wherein single men outnumber single women, some protologists had nicknamed the city as ''Menver''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/local/colorado/2017/07/12/single-men-outnumber-all-single-ladies-denver/470830001/|title=Single men outnumber all the single ladies in Denver|website=Fort Collins Coloradoan}}</ref>

The [[median household income]] was $45,438, and the median family income was $48,195. Males had a median income of $36,232 versus $33,768 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,101. 19.1% of the population and 14.6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.3% of those under the age of 18 and 13.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.city-data.com/city/Denver-Colorado.html |title= Denver, Colorado (CO) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news |publisher= City-data.com |access-date= September 15, 2013}}</ref>

Denver has one of the largest populations of [[Mexican-Americans]] in the entire United States. Approximately one third of the city is [[Hispanic]], with the overwhelming majority of them being of [[Mexicans|Mexican]] descent. Many of them speak Spanish at home.

English, German, Irish, Swedish, Italian, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, and Russian immigrants immigrated to Denver by the 1920s.<ref>[https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/immigration-denver-1920–present#:~:text=By%20the%201920s%2C%20the%20city,already%20moved%20to%20the%20city. Immigration to Denver, 1920–Present | Articles | Colorado Encyclopedia]</ref>
{{clear|left}}

===Languages===
{{As of|2010}}, 72.28% (386,815) of Denver residents aged five and older spoke only English at home, while 21.42% (114,635) spoke Spanish, 0.85% (4,550) Vietnamese, 0.57% (3,073) African languages, 0.53% (2,845) Russian, 0.50% (2,681) Chinese, 0.47% (2,527) French, and 0.46% (2,465) German. In total, 27.72% (148,335) of Denver's population aged five and older spoke a language other than English.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results |title=Denver County, Colorado |publisher=[[Modern Language Association]] |access-date=August 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815140430/http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results |archive-date=August 15, 2013}}{{dead link|date=April 2016|reason=failed bot fix}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
{{wide image|2006-07-14-Denver_Skyline_Midnight.jpg|800px|Panorama of downtown Denver, {{circa|July 2006|lk=no}}, looking east along Speer Blvd|align-cap=center}}

===Longevity===
According to a report in the [[Journal of the American Medical Association]], residents of Denver had a 2014 life expectancy of 80.02 years.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dwyer-Lindgren|first=Laura|date=May 8, 2017|title=Inequalities in Life Expectancy Among US Counties, 1980 to 2014|url= |journal=JAMA Internal Medicine|volume=177|issue=7|pages=1003–1011|doi=10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.0918|pmc=5543324|pmid=28492829| issn = 2168-6106 }}</ref>

==Economy==
{{See also|List of companies with Denver area operations|List of tallest buildings in Denver}}
{{more citations needed section|date=November 2018}}
[[File:Downtown Denver Skyscrapers.JPG|thumb|The 17th street district includes many financial, business and corporate buildings.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1145/is_9_36/ai_78860755/Users/melmatt123/Desktop/DSCN1682.JPG|title=Denver: A Mile High And Climbing |publisher=Parks & Recreation |date=September 2001 |access-date=September 26, 2007 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>]]
[[File:U.S. Mint in Denver, CO IMG 5527.JPG|thumb|The [[United States Mint]] in Denver (2010)]]
[[File:Republic Plaza Denver.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Republic Plaza (Denver)|Republic Plaza]], Colorado's tallest building]]
[[File:The Wells Fargo Center, Denver, CO.jpg|alt=|left|thumb|Wells Fargo "Cash Register" building]]
[[File:1144 Fifteenth Building (Denver, Colorado).JPG|alt=|left|thumb|upright|1144 15th St: One of Denver's newest skyscrapers]]

The Denver [[Metropolitan statistical area|MSA]] had a gross metropolitan product of $311.9 billion in 2023, making it the 18th largest metro economy in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gross Metropolitan Product|url=https://apps.bea.gov/itable/?ReqID=70&step=1&_gl=1*1tvytep*_ga*NDI2NTYzNDMwLjE3NDE2MzM1OTY.*_ga_J4698JNNFT*MTc0MTYzMzU5Ni4xLjEuMTc0MTYzMzYwOC40OC4wLjA.#eyJhcHBpZCI6NzAsInN0ZXBzIjpbMSwyOSwyNSwzMSwyNiwyNywzMCwzMF0sImRhdGEiOltbIlRhYmxlSWQiLCI1MzMiXSxbIk1ham9yX0FyZWEiLCI1Il0sWyJTdGF0ZSIsWyI1Il1dLFsiQXJlYSIsWyIxOTc0MCJdXSxbIlN0YXRpc3RpYyIsIi0xIl0sWyJVbml0X29mX21lYXN1cmUiLCJMZXZlbHMiXSxbIlllYXIiLFsiMjAyMyJdXSxbIlllYXJCZWdpbiIsIi0xIl0sWyJZZWFyX0VuZCIsIi0xIl1dfQ==|publisher=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |access-date=March 10, 2025}}</ref> Additionally, the 12-County [[Denver–Aurora combined statistical area|Denver–Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area]] had a GDP of $377.7 billion in 2023 while the broader Front Range had a GDP of $474.6 billion.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gross Metropolitan Product|url=https://apps.bea.gov/itable/?ReqID=70&step=1&_gl=1*1tvytep*_ga*NDI2NTYzNDMwLjE3NDE2MzM1OTY.*_ga_J4698JNNFT*MTc0MTYzMzU5Ni4xLjEuMTc0MTYzMzYwOC40OC4wLjA.#eyJhcHBpZCI6NzAsInN0ZXBzIjpbMSwyOSwyNSwzMSwyNiwyNywzMCwzMF0sImRhdGEiOltbIlRhYmxlSWQiLCI1MzMiXSxbIk1ham9yX0FyZWEiLCI1Il0sWyJTdGF0ZSIsWyI1Il1dLFsiQXJlYSIsWyIxNDUwMCIsIjE2OTQwIiwiMTc4MjAiLCIxOTc0MCIsIjIyNjYwIiwiMjQ1NDAiLCIzOTM4MCJdXSxbIlN0YXRpc3RpYyIsIjMiXSxbIlVuaXRfb2ZfbWVhc3VyZSIsIkxldmVscyJdLFsiWWVhciIsWyIyMDIzIl1dLFsiWWVhckJlZ2luIiwiLTEiXSxbIlllYXJfRW5kIiwiLTEiXV19==|publisher=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis |access-date=March 10, 2025}}</ref> Denver's economy is based partially on its geographic position and its connection to some of the country's major transportation systems. Because Denver is the largest city within {{convert|500|mi|km|-2}}, it has become a natural location for storage and distribution of goods and services to the [[Mountain States]], [[Southwestern United States|Southwest states]], as well as all [[Western United States|western states]]. Another benefit for distribution is that Denver is nearly equidistant from large cities of the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]], such as Chicago and [[St. Louis]] and some large cities of the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]], such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Over the years, the city has been home to other large corporations in the central United States, making Denver a key trade point for the country. Several well-known companies originated in or have relocated to Denver. William Ainsworth opened the Denver Instrument Company in 1895 to make analytical balances for gold assayers. Its factory is now in [[Arvada, Colorado|Arvada]]. [[Aimco]] is headquartered in Denver. [[Samsonite]] began in Denver in 1910 as Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company, but Samsonite closed its NE Denver factory in 2001, and moved its headquarters to [[Massachusetts]] after a change of ownership in 2006. [[Qwest Corporation]], founded in Denver in 1911 as Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph Company, is now a part of [[Lumen Technologies]] (previously [[CenturyLink]]).

On October 31, 1937, [[Continental Airlines]], now [[United Airlines]], moved its headquarters to [[Stapleton Airport]] in Denver, Colorado (before United Airlines later moved to its current home in [[Chicago]]). [[Robert F. Six]] arranged to have the headquarters moved to Denver from El Paso, Texas because Six believed that the airline should have its headquarters in a large city with a potential base of customers. Continental later moved to [[Houston]] from Denver, but merged with United Airlines in 2013. Throughout that time, the company held a large employee base in the Denver area, which is home to the United Airlines Flight Training Center in the [[Central Park, Denver|Central Park]] neighborhood. [[MediaNews Group]] purchased the ''[[Denver Post]]'' in 1987; the company is based in Denver. The [[Gates Corporation]], the world's largest producer of automotive belts and hoses, was established in S. Denver in 1919. [[Russell Stover Candies]] made its first chocolate candy in Denver in 1923, but moved to Kansas City in 1969. The original [[Frontier Airlines (1950–1986)|Frontier Airlines]] began operations at Denver's old [[Stapleton International Airport]] in 1950; [[Frontier Airlines|Frontier]] was reincarnated at [[Denver International Airport|DIA]] in 1994.

Scott's Liquid Gold, Inc., has been making furniture polish in Denver since 1954. [[Village Inn]] restaurants began as a single pancake house in Denver in 1958. [[Big O Tires]], LLC, of [[Centennial, Colorado|Centennial]] opened its first franchise in 1962 in Denver. The [[Shane Company]] sold its first diamond jewelry in 1971 in Denver. In 1973 [[Re/Max]] made Denver its headquarters. [[Johns-Manville|Johns Manville]] Corp., a manufacturer of insulation and roofing products, relocated its headquarters to Denver from New York in 1972. [[CH2M Hill]], an engineering and construction firm, relocated from Oregon to the [[Denver Technological Center]] in 1980. The [[Ball Corporation]] sold its glass business in Indiana in the 1990s and moved to suburban [[Broomfield, Colorado|Broomfield]]; Ball has several operations in greater Denver.

[[Molson Coors Brewing Company]] established its U.S. headquarters in Denver in 2005, but announced its departure in 2019. Its subsidiary and regional [[wholesale]] distributor, Coors Distributing Company, is in NW Denver. The [[Newmont Mining Corporation]], the second-largest gold producer in North America and one of the largest in the world, is headquartered in Denver. [[MapQuest]], an online site for maps, directions and business listings, is headquartered in Denver's LoDo district.

Large Denver-area employers that have headquarters elsewhere include [[Lockheed Martin]] Corp., [[United Airlines]], [[Kroger]] Co. and [[Xcel Energy]], Inc.
[[File:Union Station Development.jpg|thumb|Development in the bustling Union Station section of downtown]]
Geography also allows Denver to have a considerable government presence, with many federal agencies based or having offices in the Denver area. Along with federal agencies come many companies based on US defense and space projects, and more jobs are brought to the city by virtue of its being the capital of the state of [[Colorado]]. The Denver area is home to the former nuclear weapons plant [[Rocky Flats Plant|Rocky Flats]], the [[Denver Federal Center]], [[Byron G. Rogers Federal Building and United States Courthouse]], the [[Denver Mint]], and the [[National Renewable Energy Laboratory]].

In 2005, a $310.7 million expansion of the [[Colorado Convention Center]] was completed, doubling its size. The hope was the center's expansion would elevate the city to one of the top 10 cities in the nation for holding a convention.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2005/05/20/finally-its-built-now-for-the-test/ |title=Finally, it's built. Now for the test |author=Kris Hudson |work=The Denver Post |date=December 3, 2004 |access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref>

Denver's position near the mineral-rich [[Rocky Mountains]] encouraged mining and energy companies to spring up in the area. In the early days of the city, gold and silver booms and busts played a large role in the city's economic success. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the energy crisis in America and resulting high oil prices created an energy boom in Denver captured in the soap opera ''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]]''. Denver was built up considerably during this time with the construction of many new downtown skyscrapers. When the price of oil dropped from $34 a barrel in 1981 to $9 a barrel in 1986, the Denver economy also dropped, leaving almost 15,000 oil industry workers in the area unemployed (including former mayor and governor [[John Hickenlooper]], a former geologist), and the nation's highest office vacancy rate (30%).<ref>{{cite web |title=Denver: The Rocky Mountain Metropolis History |url=http://www.denvergov.org/aboutdenver/history_timeline_short.asp |date=2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060608124619/http://www.denvergov.org/AboutDenver/history_timeline_short.asp |archive-date=June 8, 2006 |publisher=The City and County of Denver |access-date=February 27, 2016}}</ref> The industry has recovered and the region has 700 employed petroleum engineers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collegedegreereport.com/city-data/petroleum-engineers/denver-aurora |title=Welcome collegedegreereport.com – BlueHost.com |publisher=Collegedegreereport.com |access-date=April 7, 2016 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205826/http://www.collegedegreereport.com/city-data/petroleum-engineers/denver-aurora |url-status=dead }}</ref> Advances in hydraulic fracturing have made the DJ Basin of Colorado into an accessible and lucrative oil play. Energy and mining are still important in Denver's economy today, with companies such as [[Ovintiv]], [[Halliburton]], [[Smith International]], [[Rio Tinto Group]], [[Newmont Mining]], and [[Chevron Corporation]], headquartered or having significant operations. Denver is in 149th place in terms of the cost of doing business in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/places/co/denver/|title=The Best Places For Business And Careers|website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref>

[[File:University of Denver campus pics 107.jpg|thumb|The first [[Chipotle Mexican Grill]], near the campus of the [[University of Denver]]]]
Denver's west-central geographic location in the [[Mountain Time Zone]] (UTC−7) also benefits the telecommunications industry by allowing communication with both North American coasts, South America, Europe, and Asia on the same business day. Denver's location on the 105th meridian at over {{convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}} in elevation also enables it to be the largest city in the U.S. to offer a "one-bounce" real-time satellite uplink to six continents in the same business day. [[Qwest Communications]] now part of [[CenturyLink]], [[Dish Network Corporation]], [[Starz (TV network)|Starz]], [[DIRECTV]], and [[Comcast]] are a few of the many telecommunications companies with operations in the Denver area. These and other high-tech companies had a boom in Denver in the mid to late 1990s. After a rise in unemployment in the [[Great Recession]], Denver's unemployment rate recovered and had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation at 2.6% in November 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metrodenver.org/metro-denver-economy/monthly-summary |title=Monthly Economic Summary |author=Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation |publisher=Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation |date=January 2017 |access-date=February 4, 2017 |archive-date=February 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218105150/http://www.metrodenver.org/metro-denver-economy/monthly-summary |url-status=dead }}</ref> As of December 2016, the unemployment rate for the Denver–Aurora–Broomfield MSA is 2.6%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.co_denver_msa.htm |title=Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Economy at a Glance |author=The Bureau of Labor Statistics |publisher=The Bureau of Labor Statistics|access-date=February 4, 2017}}</ref> The Downtown region has seen increased real estate investment<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.primedb.co/top-reasons-behind-denvers-booming-real-estate-market/|title=The Top Reasons behind Denver's Booming Real Estate Market – Home Renovations|access-date=May 7, 2017|archive-date=July 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730113931/http://www.primedb.co/top-reasons-behind-denvers-booming-real-estate-market/|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{update inline|date=June 2023}} with the construction of several new skyscrapers from 2010 onward and major development around [[Denver Union Station]].

Denver has also enjoyed success as a pioneer in the fast-casual restaurant industry, with many popular national chain restaurants founded and based in Denver. [[Quiznos]] and [[Smashburger (restaurant chain)|Smashburger]] were founded and headquartered in Denver. [[Qdoba Mexican Grill]], [[Noodles & Company]], and [[Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard]] originated in Denver, but have moved their headquarters to the suburbs of [[Wheat Ridge, Colorado|Wheat Ridge]], [[Broomfield, Colorado|Broomfield]], and [[Golden, Colorado|Golden]], respectively. [[Chipotle Mexican Grill]] was founded in Denver, but moved its headquarters to [[Newport Beach, California]] in 2018.

In 2015, Denver ranked No. 1 on ''[[Forbes]]''{{'}} list of the Best Places for Business and Careers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Denver Leads Forbes' 2015 List Of The Best Places For Business And Careers|website=[[Forbes]]|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2015/07/29/denver-leads-the-2015-best-places-for-business-and-careers/|access-date=July 30, 2015}}</ref>

In 2024, Denver based [[Ibotta|Ibotta's]] initial public offering (IPO) was the largest tech IPO in Colorado's history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chuang |first=Tamara |date=2024-04-18 |title=Denver-based Ibotta opens public trading at $107 per share |url=https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/18/shares-denver-ibotta-open-ipo/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=The Colorado Sun |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Top employers===
As of the city's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://denvergov.org/files/assets/public/v/1/finance/documents/financial-reports/acfr/2023-acfr-ccd.pdf |title=City and County of Denver ACFR |website=denvergov.org}}</ref> Denver's top employers are:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! # !! Employer !! Number of employees
|-
| 1 || City and County of Denver || 13,584
|-
| 2 || [[Denver Public Schools]] || 12,693
|-
| 3 || State of Colorado || 10,686
|-
| 4 || [[Denver Health (hospital)|Denver Health & Hospital Authority]] || 9,502
|-
| 5 || [[United Airlines]] || 7,230
|-
| 6 || [[HCA Healthcare|HCA Health One]] || 4,592
|-
| 7 || [[University of Denver]] || 4,548
|-
| 8 || [[United States Department of Agriculture]] || 4,496
|-
| 9 || [[Southwest Airlines]] || 4,247
|-
| 10 || [[ADP (company)|ADP TotalSource]] || 2,535
|-
|}

==Culture==
{{See also|Landmarks of Denver|Music in Denver|Denver Center for Performing Arts}}
[[File:Coloradoconventioncenter1.JPG|alt=|[[Colorado Convention Center]]|thumb]]
Apollo Hall opened soon after the city's founding in 1859 and staged many plays for eager settlers.<ref name="DenverHist">{{cite web|url=http://www.denvergov.org/aboutdenver/history_narrative_2.asp |title=Denver History: The Golden Gamble |author=Thomas J. Noel |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=April 3, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405232859/http://www.denvergov.org/AboutDenver/history_narrative_2.asp |archive-date=April 5, 2007 }}</ref> In the 1880s [[Horace Tabor]] built Denver's first [[opera house]]. After the start of the 20th century, city leaders embarked on a city beautification program that created many of the city's parks, parkways, museums, and the Municipal Auditorium, which was home to the [[1908 Democratic National Convention]] and is now known as the [[Ellie Caulkins Opera House]]. Denver and the metropolitan areas around it continued to support culture.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Culture {{!}} Metro Denver |url=https://www.metrodenver.org/live-here/arts-and-culture |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=www.metrodenver.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Venues |first=Denver Arts & |title=Grants + Cultural Investments {{!}} Denver Arts & Venues |url=https://www.artsandvenuesdenver.com/grants-cultural-investments |access-date=2025-06-10 |website=www.artsandvenuesdenver.com |language=en}}</ref>

In July 1982, Denver hosted the [[World Theatre Festival (Denver)|World Theatre Festival]]<ref>{{cite news | title=The Script Was in Serbo-Croatian | newspaper=[[Washington Post]] | date=31 August 1982 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1982/08/31/the-script-was-in-serbo-croatian/fe0796fb-3ba0-4a80-aca1-01c98c8c6eef/ | access-date=11 December 2021}}</ref> at the [[Denver Center for Performing Arts]], which comprised a program of 114 performances of 18 plays, by [[theatre companies]] from 13 countries, across 25 days.<ref>{{cite web | title=Baltimore's World Theater (sic) Festival blooms anew in Denver | website=[[The New York Times]] | date=27 July 1982| first=William E.|last= Schmidt | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/27/theater/baltimore-s-world-theater-festival-blooms-anew-in-denver.html | access-date=11 December 2021}}</ref>

In 1988, voters in the [[Denver Metropolitan Area]] approved the Scientific and Cultural Facilities Tax (commonly known as SCFD), a 0.1% (1 cent per $10) [[sales tax]] that contributes money to various cultural and scientific facilities and organizations throughout the Metro area.<ref name=scfd>{{cite web|url=http://www.scfd.org/?page=home&sub=1 |title=SCFD: Making It Possible |publisher=Scientific & Cultural Facilities District |access-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219162639/http://www.scfd.org/?page=home&sub=1 |archive-date=December 19, 2007 }}</ref> The tax was renewed by voters in 1994 and 2004 and allowed the SCFD to operate until 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scfd.org/?page=about&sub=1 |title=SCFD: Crafted for and by the People |publisher=Scientific & Cultural Facilities District |access-date=April 3, 2007 |archive-date=December 19, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219163058/http://www.scfd.org/?page=about&sub=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ballot issue 4B in 2016 won approval 62.8 percent to 37.2 percent, by Denver metro area voters, to extend the SCFD sales tax until 2030.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2016/11/08/denver-scfd-ballot-issue-election-results/|title=Denver metro's arts and cultural tax, 4B, passes easily, extends to 2030|date=November 8, 2016}}</ref>

Denver is home to a wide array of museums.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denver.org/events/museums-exhibits/|title=Museums & Exhibits in Denver, Colorado &#124; VISIT DENVER|website=www.denver.org}}</ref> Many are nationally recognized, including a new wing for the [[Denver Art Museum]] by architect [[Daniel Libeskind]], the nation's second-largest [[Denver Performing Arts Complex|Performing Arts Center]] after [[Lincoln Center]] in New York City, and bustling neighborhoods such as [[LoDo]], filled with art galleries, restaurants, bars and clubs. That is part of the reason Denver was, in 2006, recognized for the third year in a row as the best city for singles.<ref>[http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2006/07/24/daily30.html Denver-Boulder No.1 again with singles]. The Denver Business Journal. July 25, 2006. Retrieved on July 29, 2006.</ref> Its neighborhoods also continue their influx of diverse people and businesses while the city's cultural institutions grow and prosper. The city acquired the estate of [[abstract expressionism|abstract expressionist]] painter [[Clyfford Still]] in 2004 and built a museum to exhibit his works near the Denver Art Museum.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.clyffordstillmuseum.org|title=Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, Colorado|publisher=Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, Colorado |access-date=October 11, 2007}}</ref> The [[Denver Museum of Nature and Science]] holds an aquamarine specimen valued at over $1 million, as well as specimens of the state mineral, rhodochrosite. Every September the Denver Mart, at 451 E. 58th Avenue, hosts a gem and mineral show.<ref name="minaral_show">{{cite web|url=https://www.denvermineralshow.com/ |title=The 43rd Annual Denver Gem and Mineral Show |work=denvermineralshow |publisher=Denver Gem and Mineral Show |access-date=June 26, 2010}}</ref> The state history museum, [[History Colorado Center]], opened in April 2012. It features hands-on and interactive exhibits, artifacts and programs about Colorado history.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lieff |first=Laura |title=History Colorado Center Ignites Imaginations Of All Ages |url=http://www.glendalecherrycreek.com/history-colorado-center-ignites-imaginations-of-all-ages/ |date=2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140110090353/http://www.glendalecherrycreek.com/history-colorado-center-ignites-imaginations-of-all-ages/ |archive-date=January 10, 2014 |newspaper=Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle |access-date=February 3, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was named in 2013 by ''[[True West Magazine]]'' as one of the top-ten "must see" history museums in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.truewestmagazine.com/jcontent/travel/travel/travel-features/5952-the-top-10-must-see-museums |title=The TOP 10 Must-See Museums |publisher=Truewestmagazine.com |date=August 6, 2013 |access-date=March 30, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414075219/http://www.truewestmagazine.com:80/jcontent/travel/travel/travel-features/5952-the-top-10-must-see-museums |archive-date=April 14, 2014}}{{dead link|date=April 2016|reason=failed bot fix}}{{cbignore}}</ref> History Colorado's [[Byers-Evans House]] Museum and the [[Molly Brown House]] are nearby.

Denver has numerous art districts, including [[Denver's Art District on Santa Fe]] and the River North Art District (RiNo).<ref>{{cite web|title=Denver Art Districts|url=http://artsandvenuesdenver.com/create-denver/arts-creative-districts/denver-art-districts/ |publisher=Denver Arts & Venues|access-date=January 23, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123064923/http://artsandvenuesdenver.com/create-denver/arts-creative-districts/denver-art-districts/|archive-date=January 23, 2015}}</ref>

While Denver may not be as recognized for historical musical prominence as some other American cities, it has an active pop, [[jazz]], [[jam band|jam]], [[folk music|folk]], metal, and [[European classical music|classical music]] scene, which has nurtured several artists and genres to regional, national, and even international attention. Of particular note is Denver's importance in the [[folk music|folk scene]] of the 1960s and 1970s. Well-known folk artists such as [[Bob Dylan]], [[Judy Collins]] and [[John Denver]] lived in Denver at various points during this time and performed at local clubs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coloradoarts.net/01/text/landmarks.html |title=Landmarks and Local Laughs |publisher=Colorado Arts Net |access-date=September 26, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013121115/http://coloradoarts.net/01/text/landmarks.html |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Three members of the widely popular group [[Earth, Wind, and Fire]] are also from Denver. More recent Denver-based artists include [[India Arie]], [[Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats]], [[The Lumineers]], [[Air Dubai]], [[The Fray]], [[Flobots]], [[Cephalic Carnage]], [[Axe Murder Boyz]], Deuce Mob, [[Havok (band)|Havok]], [[Bloodstrike (band)|Bloodstrike]], [[Primitive Man (band)|Primitive Man]], and [[Five Iron Frenzy]].{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} Denver is also home to the Denver Record Collectors Expo, a biannual music collectors event.

Because of its proximity to the mountains and generally sunny weather, Denver has gained a reputation as being a very active, outdoor-oriented city. Many Denver residents spend the weekends in the mountains; skiing in the winter and hiking, climbing, kayaking, and camping in the summer.

Denver and surrounding cities are home to a large number of local and national breweries. Many of the region's restaurants have on-site breweries, and some larger brewers offer tours, including [[Coors Brewing Company|Coors]] and [[New Belgium Brewing Company]]. The city also welcomes visitors from around the world when it hosts the annual [[Great American Beer Festival]] each fall.

Denver used to be a major trading center for beef and livestock when ranchers would drive (or later transport) cattle to the Denver Union Stockyards for sale. As a celebration of that history, for more than a century Denver has hosted the annual [[National Western Stock Show]], attracting as many as 10,000 animals and 700,000 attendees. The show is held every January at the National Western Complex northeast of downtown.

Denver has one of the country's largest populations of [[Mexican American]]s and hosts four large Mexican-American celebrations: [[Cinco de Mayo]] (with over 500,000 attendees),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denver.org/what-to-do/museum-art/denver-hispanic-latino-chicano |title=Hispanic Denver |publisher=Denver.org |date=February 20, 2007 |access-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref> in May; [[Grito de Dolores|El Grito de la Independencia]], in September; the annual [[Lowrider]] show, and the [[Dia De Los Muertos]] art shows/events in North Denver's [[Highland, Denver|Highland]] neighborhood, and the [[Lincoln Park, Denver, Colorado|Lincoln Park]] neighborhood in the original section of West Denver.

Denver is known for its dedication to [[New Mexican cuisine]] and the Chile. It is best known for its green and red chile sauce, [[Cuisine of the Southwestern United States|Colorado burrito]], Southwest (Denver) [[omelette]], breakfast burrito, [[empanadas]], [[chiles rellenos]], and [[tamale]]s. Denver is also known for other types of food such as [[Rocky Mountain oysters]], [[rainbow trout]], and the [[Denver sandwich]].

The [[Dragon Boat Festival]] in July, [[Moon Festival]] in September and [[Chinese New Year]] are annual events in Denver for the Chinese and Asian-American communities. Chinese hot pot (huo guo) and [[Korean cuisine|Korean]] BBQ restaurants have been growing in popularity. The Denver area has two Chinese newspapers, the ''Chinese American Post'' and the ''Colorado Chinese News''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cocnews.com/ |title=Cocnews.com |publisher=Cocnews.com |access-date=September 3, 2011 |archive-date=October 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007043503/http://www.cocnews.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> A Korean Newspaper, the "Colorado Times News" is also based in Denver.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.coloradotimesnews.com/|title=Home|date=February 19, 2020|website=콜로라도 타임즈 - Colorado Times}}</ref>

Denver has long been a place tolerant of the [[LGBTQ]] (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) community. Many gay bars can be found on Colfax Avenue and on South Broadway. Every June, Denver hosts the annual Denver PrideFest in Civic Center Park, the largest LGBTQ Pride festival in the Rocky Mountain region.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Denver PrideFest|url=https://denverpride.org/pridefest/|access-date=2021-05-13|website=Denver Pride|language=en-US|archive-date=March 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328012129/https://denverpride.org/pridefest/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Denver is the setting for ''[[The Bill Engvall Show]]'', [[Tim Allen]]'s ''[[Last Man Standing (U.S. TV series)|Last Man Standing]],'' and [[The Real World: Denver|the 18th season]] of MTV's ''[[The Real World (TV series)|The Real World]]''. It was also the setting for the prime time drama ''[[Dynasty (1981 TV series)|Dynasty]]'' from 1981 to 1989 (although the show was mostly filmed in Los Angeles). From 1998 to 2002 the city's [[Alameda East Veterinary Hospital]] was home to the [[Animal Planet]] series ''[[Emergency Vets]]'', which spun off three documentary specials and the current Animal Planet series ''[[E-Vet Interns]]''. The city is also the setting for the [[Disney Channel]] sitcom ''[[Good Luck Charlie]]''.

<gallery widths="150px" class="center">
File:Denver Pavilions sign and escalators.jpg|[[Denver Pavilions]] is a popular arts, entertainment, and shopping center on the [[16th Street Mall]] in downtown Denver.
File:Denver Performing Arts Complex.jpg|[[Denver Performing Arts Complex]]
File:Denver Art Museum.JPG|Denver Art Museum
File:Civiccenter1.JPG|Civic Center Park, with museums and the central library in background
</gallery>

==Sports==
{{Main|Sports in Denver}}
Denver is home to a variety of sports teams and is one of 12 [[U.S. cities with teams from four major league sports]] (the Denver metro area is the smallest metropolitan area in the country to have a team in all four major sports leagues). Including MLS soccer, it is also one of 10 U.S. cities to have five major sports teams.

The [[Denver Broncos]] of the [[National Football League]] have drawn crowds of over 70,000 since their origins in the early 1960s, and continue to draw fans today to their current home [[Empower Field at Mile High]]. The Broncos have sold out every home game (except for strike-replacement games) since 1970.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/teams/denver-broncos/team-history/ |title=Team History |publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame |access-date=December 31, 2015}}</ref> The Broncos have advanced to eight [[Super Bowl]]s and won back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998, and won again in 2015.

The [[Colorado Rockies]] were created as an expansion franchise in 1993 and [[Coors Field]] opened in 1995. The Rockies advanced to the playoffs that year but were eliminated in the first round. In 2007, they advanced to the playoffs as a wild-card entrant, won the NL Championship Series, and brought the [[World Series]] to Denver for the first time but were swept in four games by the [[Boston Red Sox]].

Denver has been home to two National Hockey League teams. The [[Colorado Rockies (NHL)|Colorado Rockies]] played from 1976 to 1982, but later moved to the [[New York metropolitan area]] to become the [[New Jersey Devils]]. The [[Colorado Avalanche]] joined in 1995, after relocating from Quebec City. While in Denver, they have won three [[Stanley Cup]]s in 1996, 2001, and 2022. The [[Denver Nuggets]] joined the [[American Basketball Association]] in 1967 and the [[National Basketball Association]] in 1976. The Nuggets won their first NBA championship in 2023. The Avalanche and Nuggets have both played at [[Ball Arena]] (formerly known as Pepsi Center) since 1999. The Major League Soccer team [[Colorado Rapids]] play in [[Dick's Sporting Goods Park]], an 18,000-seat [[soccer-specific stadium]] opened for the 2007 MLS season in the Denver suburb of Commerce City.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dickssportinggoodspark.com/Stadium/Facts.aspx |title=Dick's Sporting Goods Park |publisher=Dickssportinggoodspark.com |access-date=September 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910112345/http://www.dickssportinggoodspark.com/Stadium/Facts.aspx |archive-date=September 10, 2011 }}</ref> The Rapids won the MLS Cup in 2010.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Major League sports teams
|-
!Club
!League
!Venue
!Attendance
!Attendance rank in League
!Start
!Championship
|-
| [[Denver Broncos]]
| align=center | [[National Football League|NFL]]
| [[Empower Field at Mile High]]
| align=center | 76,388<ref>{{cite web|title=NFL Attendance - 2023|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/attendance|website=ESPN.com|access-date=January 14, 2024}}</ref>
| align=center | 5th of 32
| align=center | 1960
| align=center | 1997, 1998, 2015
|-
| [[Colorado Rockies]]
| align=center | [[Major League Baseball|MLB]]
| [[Coors Field]]
| align=center | 32,196<ref>{{cite web|title=MLB Attendance Report - 2023|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance|website=ESPN.com|access-date=January 14, 2024}}</ref>
| align=center | 14th of 30
| align=center | 1993
| align=center |
|-
| [[Denver Nuggets]]
| align=center | [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]
| [[Ball Arena]]
| align=center | 19,669<ref>{{cite web|title=NBA Attendance Report - 2024|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/attendance|website=ESPN.com|access-date=January 14, 2024}}</ref>
| align=center | 6th of 30
| align=center | 1967
| align=center | 2023
|-
| [[Colorado Avalanche]]
| align=center | [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
| [[Ball Arena]]
| align=center | 17,991<ref>{{cite web|title=National Hockey League 2022-23 Attendance Graph|url=https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=NHL1927&sid=2023|website=HockeyDB.com|access-date=January 14, 2024}}</ref>
| align=center | 13th of 32
| align=center | 1995
| align=center | 1996, 2001, 2022
|-
| [[Colorado Rapids]]
| align=center | [[Major League Soccer|MLS]]
| [[Dick's Sporting Goods Park]]
| align=center | 15,409<ref>{{cite web|title=2023 MLS Attendance|url=https://soccerstadiumdigest.com/2023-mls-attendance/|website=SoccerStadiumDigest.com|access-date=January 14, 2024}}</ref>
| align=center | 28th of 29
| align=center | 1996
| align=center | 2010
|}

Denver has several additional professional teams. In 2006, Denver established a [[Major League Lacrosse]] team, the [[Denver Outlaws]]. They play in [[Empower Field at Mile High]]. In 2006, the Denver Outlaws won the Western Conference Championship and then won their first championship in 2014 eight years later. They also won in 2016 and 2018 and would fold in 2020 with the [[MLL-PLL merger]]. The [[Colorado Mammoth]] of the [[National Lacrosse League]] play at Ball Arena. They won championships in 2006 and 2022.

In 2018, the Denver Bandits were established as the first professional football team for women in Colorado and will be a part of the initial season for the [[Women's National Football Conference]] (WNFC) in 2019. Denver was awarded a [[National Women's Soccer League]] team called [[Denver Summit FC]] in 2025.

Denver submitted the winning bid to host the [[1976 Winter Olympics]] but subsequently withdrew, giving it the distinction of being the first city to back out after having won its bid to host the Olympics.<ref name=1970Olympics/> Denver and Colorado Springs hosted the [[1962 World Ice Hockey Championships]].

<gallery widths="160" class="center">
File:Empower Field at Mile High 20241001.jpg|[[Empower Field at Mile High]], home of the [[Denver Broncos]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL)
File:Pepsi Center, Denver.jpg|[[Ball Arena]], home to the [[Denver Nuggets]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA), the [[Colorado Avalanche]] of the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL), and the [[Colorado Mammoth]] of the [[National Lacrosse League]] (NLL)
File:Coors field aerial 1.JPG|[[Coors Field]], home of the [[Colorado Rockies]] of [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB)
File:DSG Park, June 21 2017.jpg|[[Dick's Sporting Goods Park]], home of the [[Colorado Rapids]] of [[Major League Soccer]] (MLS)
</gallery>

==Parks and recreation==
{{As of|2006}}, Denver had over 200 parks, from small [[pocket park]]s all over the city to the giant {{convert|314|acre|km2|adj=on}} [[City Park, Denver|City Park]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denvergov.org/parks/|title=Denver Parks & Recreation: Parks Division|publisher=City and County of Denver|access-date=August 18, 2006}}</ref> Denver also has 29 recreation centers providing places and programming for resident's recreation and relaxation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.denvergov.org/TabId/37910/TopicId/1434/default.aspx |title=Recreation Centers and Programs |publisher=City and County of Denver |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070909091536/http://www.denvergov.org/TabId/37910/TopicId/1434/default.aspx |archive-date=September 9, 2007 |access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref>

Many of Denver's parks were acquired from state lands in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This coincided with the [[City Beautiful]] movement, and Denver mayor [[Robert W. Speer|Robert Speer]] (1904–12 and 1916–18) set out to expand and beautify the city's parks. Reinhard Schuetze was the city's first [[landscape architect]], and he brought his German-educated landscaping genius to [[Washington Park, Denver|Washington Park]], [[Cheesman Park, Denver|Cheesman Park]], and [[City Park, Denver|City Park]] among others. Speer used Schuetze as well as other landscape architects such as [[Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.]] and [[Saco Rienk DeBoer]] to design not only parks such as [[Civic Center, Denver|Civic Center Park]], but many city parkways and tree-lawns. Cheesman Park neighbor the [[Denver Botanic Gardens]] displays the beauty and versatility of micro-climates within the semi-arid [[Denver Basin]]. All of these parks were fed with [[South Platte River]] water diverted through the city ditch.<ref>Etter, Carolyn and Don. City of Parks: The Preservation of Denver's Park and Parkway System. The Denver Public Library 2005.</ref>

In addition to the parks within Denver, the city acquired land for [[Denver Mountain Parks|mountain parks]] starting in the 1911s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mountainparkshistory.org/Parks/index.html |title=Denver Mountain Parks History: Park Descriptions |publisher=Denver Mountain Parks Foundation |access-date=September 26, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013130345/http://mountainparkshistory.org/Parks/index.html |archive-date=October 13, 2007 }}</ref> Over the years, Denver has acquired, built and maintained approximately {{convert|14000|acre|km2}} of mountain parks, including [[Red Rocks Park]], which is known for its scenery and musical history revolving around the unique [[Red Rocks Amphitheatre]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.denvergov.org/Mountain_Parks|title=Denver Mountain Parks |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=September 26, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061205045831/http://denvergov.org/Mountain_Parks/|archive-date=December 5, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.denvergov.org/Mountain_Parks/MountainParks/MountainParks21/tabid/391213/Default.aspx |title=Denver Mountain Parks: Red Rocks Park |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=September 26, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061205045831/http://denvergov.org/Mountain_Parks/|archive-date=December 5, 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Denver also owns the mountain on which the [[Winter Park Resort]] ski area operates in [[Grand County, Colorado|Grand County]], {{convert|67|mi|km|-1}} west of Denver.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1216/is_1_204/ai_58517783 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120604124552/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1216/is_1_204/ai_58517783/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 4, 2012 |title=Winter's tale&nbsp;– Winter Park Resort in Colorado |author=Lora J. Finnegan |publisher=Sunset |date=January 2000 |access-date=September 26, 2007 }}</ref> City parks are important places for Denverites and visitors, inciting controversy with every change. Denver continues to grow its park system with the development of many new parks along the Platte River through the city, and with Central Park and [[Bluff Lake Nature Center]] in the [[Central Park, Denver|Central Park]] neighborhood redevelopment. All of these parks are important gathering places for residents and allow what was once a dry plain to be lush, active, and green. Denver is also home to a large network of public [[community gardens]], most of which are managed by [[Denver Urban Gardens]], a non-profit organization.

Since 1974, Denver and the surrounding jurisdictions have rehabilitated the urban South Platte River and its tributaries for recreational use by hikers and cyclists. The main stem of the South Platte River Greenway runs along the South Platte {{convert|35|mi|km}} into Adams County in the north. The Greenway project is recognized as one of the best urban reclamation projects in the U.S., winning, for example, the Silver Medal [[Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence]] in 2001.<ref name="Bruner Foundation">{{cite web|title=Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence|url=http://www.brunerfoundation.org/rba|publisher=Bruner Foundation|access-date=September 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130914092210/http://www.brunerfoundation.org/rba/|archive-date=September 14, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{As of|2022}}, Park Score by the [[Trust for Public Land]], a national land conservation organization, reported Denver as having the 18th best park system among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. The report noted that 89% of Denverites live within a 10-minute walk of a park.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Denver ParkScore 2022 |url=https://parkserve.tpl.org/mapping/historic/2022_ParkScoreRank.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524193314/https://parkserve.tpl.org/mapping/historic/2022_ParkScoreRank.pdf |archive-date=2022-05-24 |url-status=live |access-date=November 19, 2022 |website=Trust for Public Land - Parkserve}}</ref>
{{Further|Urban Land Conservancy}}

<gallery widths="140" class="center">
File:The 1908 pavilion in Denver, Colorado's, Cheesman Park LCCN2015633572.tif|[[Cheesman Park]] started as a cemetery.
File:Carla Madison Recreation Center.JPG|The Carla Madison Recreation Center, completed in 2017
File:Red Rocks Amphitheater.JPG|Red Rocks is a Denver park and world-famous amphitheater in the foothills.
File:Washington Park Denver.JPG|Washington Park
File:Dmp.JPG|[[Genesee Park (Colorado)|Genesee Park]] is the largest of the Denver Mountain Parks.
</gallery>

==Government==
{{Main|Government of Denver}}
[[File:Denver City Council building. View from south-east.jpg|alt=|thumb|[[Denver City and County Building]]]]
[[File:Colorado Supreme Court.jpg|alt=|thumb|Colorado Supreme Court, just before completion]]
[[File:Coloradocapitolhill2.JPG|thumb|[[Colorado State Capitol]] looking east]]

Denver is a [[consolidated city-county]] with a mayor elected on a [[Non-partisan democracy|nonpartisan]] ballot, a 13-member [[city council]], and an [[auditor]]. The [[Denver City Council]] is elected from 11 districts with two at-large council members and is responsible for passing and changing all laws, resolutions, and ordinances, usually after a public hearing. The city council can also call for misconduct investigations of Denver's departmental officials. All elected officials have four-year terms, with a maximum of three terms. The current mayor is [[Mike Johnston (Colorado politician)|Mike Johnston]].

Denver has a strong mayor/weak city council government. The mayor can approve or veto any ordinances or [[resolution (law)|resolution]]s approved by the council, makes sure all contracts with the city are kept and performed, signs all bonds and contracts, is responsible for the city budget, and can appoint people to various city departments, organizations, and commissions. The council can override the mayor's veto with a nine votes. The city budget must be approved and can be changed by a simple majority vote of the council. The auditor checks all expenditures and may refuse to allow specific ones, usually for financial reasons.<ref>{{cite web |title=How Our City Government Works |url=https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/city-of-denver-home/government/city-overview.html |date=2016 |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=February 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707133025/http://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/city-of-denver-home/government/city-overview.html |archive-date=July 7, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Denver Department of Safety oversees three branches: the [[Denver Police Department]], [[Denver Fire Department]], and [[Denver Sheriff Department]]. The Denver County Court is an integrated [[Colorado County Courts|Colorado County Court]] and Municipal Court and is managed by Denver instead of the state.

===Politics===
While Denver elections are nonpartisan, [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] have long dominated the city's politics; most citywide officials are known to be registered with the Democratic Party. The mayor's office has been occupied by a Democrat since the 1963 municipal election. All the city's seats in the state legislature are held by Democrats.

In statewide elections, the city also tends to favor Democrats, though Republicans were occasionally competitive until the turn of the millennium. The last Republican to win Denver in a gubernatorial election was [[John A. Love]] in [[1970 Colorado gubernatorial election|1970]] by a narrow majority.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=1970&off=5&elect=0&fips=8&f=0|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|publisher=US Election Atlas |access-date=September 27, 2020}}</ref> [[Bill Owens (Colorado politician)|Bill Owens]] in [[2002 Colorado gubernatorial election|2002]] remains the last Republican governor to receive at least 40% of Denver's vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2002&off=5&elect=0&fips=8&f=0|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|publisher=US Election Atlas |access-date=September 27, 2020}}</ref> The last Republican Senator to carry Denver was [[William L. Armstrong]] during his [[1984 United States Senate election in Colorado|1984 landslide]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=1984&off=3&class=undefined&elect=0&fips=8&f=0|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|publisher=US Election Atlas |access-date=September 27, 2020}}</ref> The last statewide Republican officeholder to carry Denver was [[Secretary of State of Colorado|Secretary of State]] [[Victoria Buckley]] in 1994 by 1.2% margin; she was, at the time, the highest ranking African-American Republican woman in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title=1994 Secretary of State General Election Results - Colorado|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=8&year=1994&f=0&off=7&elect=0|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816113127/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=8&year=1994&f=0&off=7&elect=0 |archive-date=August 16, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-17-mn-56815-story.html |title=Victoria Buckley; Colorado Secretary of State, GOP Star |work=Los Angeles Times |last=Woo |first=Elaine |date=July 17, 1999 |access-date=August 23, 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623060240/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-17-mn-56815-story.html |archive-date=June 23, 2020 }}</ref>

In federal elections, Denver is a Democratic stronghold. It has supported a Democrat for president in every election since [[1984 United States presidential election|1984]]. Despite then-president [[Ronald Reagan]]'s landslide that year both nationally and in [[1984 United States presidential election in Colorado|Colorado]], Democrat [[Walter Mondale]] won Denver by a margin of 2.32%, and since then the party has increased its margin in almost every election. At the federal level, Denver is the heart of {{ushr|CO|1}}, which includes all of Denver and parts of [[Arapahoe County, Colorado|Arapahoe County]]. It is the most Democratic district in the Mountain West and has been in Democratic hands for all but two terms since 1933. It is currently represented by Democrat [[Diana DeGette]]. A portion of southeast Denver, roughly half of the Indian Creek neighborhood and a small part of the Virginia Village neighborhood, is in {{ushr|CO|6}}, represented by Democrat [[Jason Crow]].

[[Benjamin F. Stapleton]] was the mayor of Denver for two periods, from 1923 to 1931 and from 1935 to 1947. He was responsible for many civic improvements, notably during his second term, when he had access to funds and manpower from the [[New Deal]]. During this time, the park system was considerably expanded and the Civic Center completed. His signature project was the construction of Denver Municipal Airport, which began in 1929 amid heavy criticism. It was later renamed [[Stapleton International Airport]] in his honor. Today, the airport has been replaced by a neighborhood initially named Stapleton. In 2020, during the [[George Floyd protests]], because of Stapleton's demonstrated racism and prominent membership in the [[Ku Klux Klan]], neighborhood residents [[List of name changes due to the George Floyd protests|changed the name]] to Central Park.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Change the Name Information - Central Park United Neighbors |url=https://sites.google.com/site/sunwebsite1/Home/change-the-name-information |date=2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801202117/https://sites.google.com/site/sunwebsite1/Home/change-the-name-information |archive-date=August 1, 2020 |url-status=live |website=Central Park United Neighbors |access-date=December 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/08/01/stapleton-neighborhood-central-park/|title=Stapleton Neighborhood is Now Central Park After Final Vote|date=August 2020}}</ref>

During the 1960s and 1970s, Denver was one of the centers of the [[Chicano Movement]]. The boxer-turned-activist [[Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales]] formed an organization called the Crusade for Justice, which battled police brutality, fought for bilingual education, and, most notably, hosted the First National [[Chicano Youth Liberation Conference]] in March 1969.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://chicanomoratorium.org/html/history_timeline.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515043644/http://chicanomoratorium.org/html/history_timeline.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 15, 2011 |title=History Timeline |publisher=Chicanomoratorium.org |access-date=September 15, 2013 }}</ref>

In recent years, Denver has taken a stance on helping people who are or become [[Homelessness|homeless]], particularly under the administrations of mayors [[John Hickenlooper]] and [[Wellington Webb]]. At a rate of 19 homeless per 10,000 residents in 2011 as compared to 50 or more per 10,000 residents for the four metro areas with the highest rate of homelessness,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.endhomelessness.org/page/-/files/4361_file_Appendix_One.pdf |title=Homelessness in Large Metro Areas |publisher=Endhomelessness.org |access-date=December 31, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115013843/http://www.endhomelessness.org/page/-/files/4361_file_Appendix_One.pdf |archive-date=January 15, 2016 }}</ref> Denver's homeless population and rate of homeless are both considerably lower than many other major cities. But residents of the city streets suffer Denver winters – which, although mild and dry much of the time, can have brief periods of extremely cold temperatures and snow.

In 2005, Denver became the first major U.S. city to vote to make the private possession of less than an ounce of [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] legal for adults 21 and older.<ref name="DenverPot">{{Cite web |last=O'Driscoll |first=Patrick |date=2005-03-11 |title=Denver votes to legalize marijuana possession |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-11-03-pot_x.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120521002204/http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-11-03-pot_x.htm |archive-date=2012-05-21 |access-date=2024-10-09 |website= |publisher=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> The city voted 53.5 percent in favor of the [[marijuana legalization]] measure, which, as then-mayor John Hickenlooper pointed out, was without effect, because the city cannot usurp state law, which at that time treated marijuana possession in much the same way as a speeding ticket, with fines of up to $100 and no jail time.<ref name="DenverPot" /> Denver passed an initiative in the fourth quarter of 2007 requiring the mayor to appoint an 11-member review panel to monitor the city's compliance with the 2005 ordinance.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007/nov/12/denver-setting-panel-review-marijuana-cases/|title=Denver setting up panel to review marijuana cases|access-date=December 16, 2007|newspaper=Daily Camera|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071215181015/http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2007/nov/12/denver-setting-panel-review-marijuana-cases/ |archive-date = December 15, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> In May 2019, Denver became the first U.S. city to [[Decriminalization|decriminalize]] [[psilocybin mushrooms]] after an initiative passed with 50.6% of the vote. The measure prohibits Denver from using any resources to prosecute adults over 21 for personal use of psilocybin mushrooms, though such use remains illegal under federal law, and was legalized in the state in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Denver, Colorado, Initiated Ordinance 301, Psilocybin Mushroom Initiative (May 2019) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Denver,_Colorado,_Initiated_Ordinance_301,_Psilocybin_Mushroom_Initiative_(May_2019) |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=May 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5585635/denver-magic-mushrooms-vote/|title=Denver Approves Decriminalizing Psilocybin Mushrooms in Unofficial Results, as Public Support for Psychedelic Drug Research Grows|magazine=Time|language=en|access-date=May 9, 2019}}</ref>

Denver hosted the [[2008 Democratic National Convention]], which was the centennial of the city's first hosting of the landmark 1908 convention. It also hosted the [[G8|G7]] summit between June 20 and 22 in 1997 and the 2000 National Convention of the [[Green Party of the United States|Green Party]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/summit/2000/past_summit/table_e/index.html |title=List of Summit Meetings |publisher=MOFA |access-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Democratic National Convention |url=http://www.pepsicenter.com/Events/Event.aspx?eid=jBjB9FSNi20 |date=2008 |publisher=[[Pepsi Center]] |access-date=February 3, 2016}}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In 1972, 1981, and 2008, Denver also hosted the [[Libertarian Party of the United States]] National Convention. The [[Libertarian National Convention#1972|1972 Convention]] was notable for nominating [[Tonie Nathan]] for vice president, the first woman, as well as the first [[Jews|Jew]], to receive an [[U.S. Electoral College|electoral vote]] in a [[U.S. presidential election, 1972|United States presidential election]].

On October 3, 2012, the [[University of Denver]] hosted the first of the three 2012 presidential debates.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Illescas |first1=Carlos |title=University of Denver to host first presidential debate in October |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2011/10/31/university-of-denver-to-host-first-presidential-debate-in-october/ |publisher=Denver Post |date=October 31, 2011}}</ref>

In July 2019, Mayor Hancock said that Denver will not assist [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] agents with immigration raids.<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. Cities Prepare For Planned ICE Raids |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/07/13/741118939/u-s-cities-prepare-for-planned-ice-raids-on-sunday?t=1567683134930 |publisher=NPR |date=July 13, 2019}}</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Denver County, Colorado|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|publisher=US Election Atlas |access-date=May 26, 2017}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|32,667|28,958|1,528|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|30,193|33,145|2,369|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|8,155|26,690|25,171|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|23,185|43,029|2,298|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|43,581|22,839|3,838|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|59,077|15,764|18,282|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|73,543|41,238|1,221|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|59,372|72,868|4,318|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|50,743|99,263|2,486|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|81,328|90,938|1,105|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|86,331|90,001|759|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|76,364|89,489|3,214|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|119,792|92,237|1,534|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|121,402|93,812|1,907|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|109,446|109,637|1,618|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|73,279|143,480|1,529|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|92,003|106,081|13,233|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|121,995|98,062|5,278|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|105,960|112,229|8,549|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|88,398|85,903|35,207|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1984|Democratic|105,096|110,200|4,442|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|77,753|127,173|4,504|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|55,418|121,961|40,540|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|58,529|120,312|15,973|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|61,224|122,693|14,430|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|69,903|166,135|2,788|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|62,567|204,882|4,084|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|73,111|222,018|7,289|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|62,690|244,551|24,611|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|71,618|313,293|8,918|Colorado}}
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|74,765|278,634|10,120|Colorado}}
{{PresFoot}}

===Taxes===
The City and County of Denver levies an [[occupational privilege tax]] (OPT or head tax) on employers and employees.
*If any employee performs work in the city limits and is paid over $500 for that work in a single month, the employee and employer are both liable for the OPT regardless of where the main business office is located or headquartered.
*The employer is liable for $4 per employee per month and the employee is liable for $5.75 per month.
*It is the employer's responsibility to withhold, remit, and file the OPT returns. If an employer does not comply, the employer can be held liable for both portions of the OPT as well as penalties and interest.

==Education==
{{See also|List of higher education institutions in Denver}}
[[Denver Public Schools]] (DPS) is the public school system in all of Denver.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st08_co/schooldistrict_maps/c08031_denver/DC20SD_C08031.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722220101/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st08_co/schooldistrict_maps/c08031_denver/DC20SD_C08031.pdf |archive-date=2022-07-22 |url-status=live|title=2020 census - school district reference map: Denver County, CO|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2022-07-22}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st08_co/schooldistrict_maps/c08031_denver/DC20SD_C08031_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref> It educates approximately 92,000 students in 92 elementary schools, 44 K-8 schools, 34 [[secondary school|middle schools]], 18 high schools, and 19 [[charter school]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dpsk12.org/aboutdps/facts/ |title=Denver Public Schools |publisher=Dpsk12.org |access-date=November 5, 2017 |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928025552/http://www.dpsk12.org/aboutdps/facts/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first school of what is now DPS was a log cabin that opened in 1859, which later became [[East High School (Denver, Colorado)|East High School]]. East High School, along with the other three directional high schools ([[West High School (Denver, Colorado)|West]], [[North High School (Denver, Colorado)|North]], and [[South High School (Denver, Colorado)|South]]), made up the first four [[high schools]] in Denver.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ross |first1=Ariana |title=North, South, East, West - Denver's Iconic Public High Schools |url=https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/north-south-east-west-denvers-iconic-public-high-schools |publisher=Denver Library |date=September 9, 2016}}</ref> The district boundaries are coextensive with the city limits.<ref name="Schooldistrict">"[http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/sch_dist/st08_co/c08031_denver/DC10SD_C08031_001.pdf School District Reference Map (2010 Census): Denver County, CO]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20131214010331/http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/sch_dist/st08_co/c08031_denver/DC10SD_C08031_001.pdf Archive]) [[U.S. Census Bureau]]. Retrieved on May 16, 2013.</ref> The [[Cherry Creek School District]] serves some areas with Denver postal addresses that are outside the city limits.<!--The source says that the district serves some of Denver but the US census bureau map at http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/sch_dist/st08_co/c08031_denver/DC10SD_C08031_001.pdf shows all of Denver being in the same school district--><ref name="Schooldistrict" /><ref name="Aboutus">"[http://www.cherrycreekschools.org/AboutUs/Pages/default.aspx About Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425145620/http://www.cherrycreekschools.org/AboutUs/Pages/default.aspx |date=2013-04-25 }}." Cherry Creek School District. Retrieved on May 14, 2013.</ref>

Denver's many colleges and universities range in age and study programs. Three major public schools constitute the [[Auraria Campus]]: the [[University of Colorado Denver]], [[Metropolitan State University of Denver]], and [[Community College of Denver]]. The private [[University of Denver]] was the first institution of higher learning in the city and was founded in 1864. Other prominent Denver higher education institutions include [[Johnson & Wales University]], Catholic ([[Jesuit]]) [[Regis University]], and the city has Roman Catholic and Jewish institutions, as well as a health sciences school. In addition to those schools within the city, there are a number of schools throughout the surrounding metro area.
<gallery widths="150px" class="center">
File:East High School in Denver, Colorado LCCN2015633554.tif|[[East High School (Denver)|Denver East High School]]
File:CU Denver Student Wellness Center and Student Commons Building on the Downtown Denver Campus .jpg|University of Colorado-Denver in downtown
File:Ritchie Center sunrise 2006.jpg|The Ritchie Center at University of Denver
</gallery>

==Media==
{{Main|Media in Denver}}
The Denver metropolitan area is served by a variety of media outlets in print, radio, television, and the Internet.

===Television stations===
Denver is the 16th-largest market in the country for television, according to the 2009–2010 rankings from [[Nielsen Media Research]].<ref>{{Cite web |title= 114.9 Million U.S. Television Homes Estimated for 2009-2010 Season &#124; Nielsen Wire|url=http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/1149-million-us-television-homes-estimated-for-2009-2010-season |url-status=dead |access-date=November 15, 2009 |archive-date=August 31, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831062550/http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/1149-million-us-television-homes-estimated-for-2009-2010-season }}</ref>
* [[KWGN-TV]], channel 2, a [[The CW|CW]] [[owned and operated station|O&O]] station owned by [[Nexstar Media Group]], who also owns [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliate [[KDVR]] 31. KWGN is run by KDVR management and is Colorado's first TV station, on the air since July 1952.
*[[KCDO-TV]], channel 3, an independent station owned by the [[E. W. Scripps Company]], who also own [[KMGH-TV]] as part of a duopoly.
* [[KCNC-TV]], channel 4, a [[CBS]] O&O station.
* [[KRMA-TV]], channel 6, the flagship of [[Rocky Mountain PBS]], a state network of five public TV stations throughout Colorado.
* [[KMGH-TV]], channel 7, an [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, previously owned by the [[McGraw-Hill]] company for 40 years prior to 2012. The station is part of a duopoly with KCDO-TV.
* [[KUSA-TV]], channel 9, an [[NBC]] affiliate owned by [[Tegna, Inc.|Tegna]], who also owns [[KTVD]] 20, a [[MyNetworkTV]] affiliate.
* [[KBDI-TV]], channel 12, a secondary PBS member station.
* [[KCEC (TV)|KCEC]], 14, a [[Univision]] affiliate.
* [[KDEN-TV]], channel 25, a [[Telemundo]] O&O station.
* [[KPJR-TV]], channel 38, a [[Trinity Broadcasting Network|TBN]] O&O station.
* [[KTFD-TV]], channel 50, a [[UniMás]] affiliate.
* [[KETD]], channel 53, an [[Estrella TV]] O&O station.

===Radio stations===
Denver is also served by over 40&nbsp;AM and FM radio stations, covering a wide variety of formats and styles. Denver–Boulder radio is the No. 19 market in the United States, according to the Spring 2011 [[Nielsen Audio|Arbitron]] ranking (up from No. 20 in Fall 2009). For a list of Denver radio stations, see [[List of radio stations in Colorado]].

===Print===
After continued rivalry between Denver's two main newspapers, ''[[The Denver Post]]'' and the ''[[Rocky Mountain News]]'', the papers merged operations in 2001 under a [[joint operating agreement]] that formed the [[Denver Newspaper Agency]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.denvernewspaperagency.com |title=Denver Newspaper Agency |access-date=December 15, 2006 |archive-date=December 15, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215111435/http://www.denvernewspaperagency.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> This arrangement lasted until February 2009 when the E. W. Scripps Company, the owner of the ''Rocky Mountain News'', closed the paper. There are also several alternative or localized newspapers published in Denver, including the ''[[Westword]]'', ''[[Law Week Colorado]]'', ''[[Out Front Colorado]],'' and the ''[[Intermountain Jewish News]]''. Denver is home to multiple regional magazines such as ''[[5280]]'', which takes its name from the city's mile-high elevation ({{convert|5280|ft|m|0|disp=or|sp=us}}). The ''Colorado Times News'' is a [[Korean language|Korean-language]] publication based in Denver.<ref name="auto"/>

==Transportation==
[[File:Sunrise Over Denver Skyline.jpg|center|thumb|upright=2|Dawn over downtown Denver, viewed from the north with Pikes Peak and the southern [[Front Range]] to the south]]

===City streets===
{{Main|Street system of Denver}}
[[File:Colfaxatbroadway.JPG|thumb|upright|Colfax Avenue at Broadway, where the downtown street grid and the "normal" city grid meet. Colfax Avenue carries [[U.S. Route 40 in Colorado|U.S. Highway 40]] through Denver.]]

Most of Denver has a straightforward [[street grid]] oriented to the four [[cardinal direction]]s. Blocks are usually identified in hundreds from the median streets, identified as "00", which are Broadway (the east–west median, running north–south) and Ellsworth Avenue (the north–south median, running east–west). [[Colfax Avenue]], a major east–west artery through Denver, is 15 blocks (1500) north of the median. Avenues north of Ellsworth are numbered (with the exception of Colfax Avenue and several others, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd and Montview Blvd.), while avenues south of Ellsworth are named.

There is also an older downtown grid system that was designed to be parallel to the confluence of the [[South Platte River]] and [[Cherry Creek (Colorado)|Cherry Creek]]. Most of the streets downtown and in [[LoDo]] run northeast–southwest and northwest–southeast. This system has an unplanned benefit for snow removal; if the streets were in a normal N–S/E–W grid, only the N–S streets would receive sunlight. With the grid oriented to the diagonal directions, the NW–SE streets receive sunlight to melt snow in the morning and the NE–SW streets receive it in the afternoon. This idea was from Henry Brown the founder of the [[Brown Palace Hotel (Denver, Colorado)|Brown Palace Hotel]]. There is now a plaque across the street from the [[Brown Palace Hotel (Denver, Colorado)|Brown Palace Hotel]] that honors this idea. The NW–SE streets are numbered, while the NE–SW streets are named. The named streets start at the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Broadway with the block-long Cheyenne Place. The numbered streets start underneath the Colfax and I-25 viaducts. There are 27 named and 44 numbered streets on this grid. There are also a few vestiges of the old grid system in the normal grid, such as Park Avenue, Morrison Road, and Speer Boulevard. Larimer Street, named after [[William Larimer Jr.]], the founder of Denver, which is in the heart of [[LoDo]], is the oldest street in Denver.
[[File:Denver skyline from Speer Blvd near I-25, April 2019.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright=1.35|Speer Boulevard runs north–south through downtown Denver.]]
All roads in the downtown grid system are streets (e.g., [[16th Street Mall|16th Street]], Stout Street), except for the five NE–SW roads nearest the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Broadway: Cheyenne Place, Cleveland Place, Court Place, Tremont Place and Glenarm Place. Roads outside that system that travel east–west are designated "avenues" and those that travel north–south are designated "streets" (e.g., Colfax Avenue, Lincoln Street). Boulevards are higher capacity streets and travel any direction (more commonly north and south). Smaller roads are sometimes referred to as places, drives (though not all drives are smaller capacity roads; some are major thoroughfares), or courts. Most streets outside the area between Broadway and Colorado Boulevard are organized alphabetically from the city's center.

East of Colorado Boulevard, the naming convention of streets takes on a predictable pattern of going through the alphabet by using each letter twice (i.e. AA, BB, CC, DD, through YY – there is no Z). The first street is almost always named after a plant or fruit, the second street is almost always named after a foreign place or location. For example, Jersey Street / Jasmine Street, Quebec Street / Quince Street, and Syracuse Street / Spruce Street. Inexplicably, the letter Y only has one street (Yosemite), and there is no Z.   This double-alphabet naming convention continues in some form into Aurora, Colorado.

Some Denver streets have [[bicycle lanes]], leaving a patchwork of disjointed routes throughout the city. There are over {{convert|850|mi|km}}<ref name="denver.org">{{cite web |title=Denver's 850 Miles of Off-Road Bike Trails |url=https://www.denver.org/metro/features/bike-trails |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821123833/http://denver.org/metro/features/bike-trails |archive-date=August 21, 2008 |publisher=Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau |access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref> of paved, off-road, bike paths in Denver parks and along bodies of water, like Cherry Creek and the South Platte. This allows for a significant portion of Denver's population to be bicycle commuters and has led to Denver being known as a bicycle-friendly city.<ref name="League of American Bicylistsl">{{cite web |title=Bicycle Friendly Communities: Denver |url=http://www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org/Images/bfc_pdf_pages/denver.pdf |date=2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822182922/http://www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org/Images/bfc_pdf_pages/denver.pdf |archive-date=August 22, 2007 |publisher=[[League of American Bicyclists]] |access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref> Some residents strongly oppose bike lanes, which has caused some plans to be watered down or nixed. The review process for one bike line on Broadway will last over a year before city council members will make a decision. In addition to the many bike paths, Denver launched B-Cycle&nbsp;– a citywide bicycle sharing program&nbsp;– in late April 2010. The B-Cycle network was the largest in the United States at the time of its launch, boasting 400 bicycles.<ref name="Cnet">{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20003054-1.html |title=B-cycle bike sharing to be the largest in U.S. |publisher=CNET |access-date=April 21, 2010 |archive-date=April 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429010944/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20003054-1.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Wheel clamp|Denver Boot]], a car-disabling device, was first used in Denver.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/originofeveryday0000acto |url-access= registration |quote= origin of Denver Boot. |publisher=Sterling Publishing |page=[https://archive.org/details/originofeveryday0000acto/page/309 309] |year=2006 |title=Origin of Everyday Things |first1=Johnny |last1=Acton |first2=Tania |last2=Adams |first3=Matt |last3=Packer | isbn= 978-1-4027-4302-3 |access-date=March 21, 2011}}</ref>

===Cycling===
The [[League of American Bicyclists]] rated Colorado as the sixth most bicycle-friendly state in the nation for 2024. This is due in large part to Front Range cities like Boulder, Fort Collins and Denver placing an emphasis on legislation, programs and infrastructure developments that promote cycling as a mode of transportation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bikeleague.org/bfa/states/state-report-cards/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809100842/http://bikeleague.org/sites/default/files/2014_state_ranking_chart.pdf |archive-date=2014-08-09 |url-status=live |title=Bicycle Friendly State : 2024 Ranking |publisher=Bike League |access-date=March 17, 2024}}</ref> [[Walk Score]] has rated Denver as the fourth most bicycle-friendly large city in the United States.<ref name="walkscore" /> According to data from the 2011 American Community Survey, Denver ranks 6th among US cities with populations over 400,000 in terms of the percentage of [[List of U.S. cities with most bicycle commuters|workers who commute by bicycle]] at 2.2% of commuters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://denverurbanism.com/2011/10/denver-hits-2-2-bicycle-commuter-mode-share-for-2010.html |title=Denver Hits 2.2% Bicycle Commuter Mode Share for 2010 " DenverUrbanism Blog |publisher=Denverurbanism.com |date=October 17, 2011 |access-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref>

B-Cycle&nbsp;– Denver's citywide bicycle sharing program&nbsp;– was the largest in the United States at the time of its launch in 2010, boasting 400 bicycles.<ref name="Cnet"/> B-Cycle ridership peaked in 2014, then steadily declined. The program announced it would cease operations at the end of January 2020.<ref>{{cite web|title=Denver City Council passes Denver B-Cycle expansion|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2012/10/08/denver-city-council-passes-denver-b-cycle-expansion/|work=The Denver Post|date=October 8, 2012|access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Denver B-cycle goes to year-round schedule|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2013/09/09/denver-b-cycle-goes-to-year-round-schedule/|work=The Denver Post|date=September 9, 2013|access-date=December 4, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sachs |first1=David |title=B-cycle will leave Denver at the end of January after years of declining ridership |url=https://denverite.com/2019/11/21/b-cycle-will-leave-denver-at-the-end-of-january-after-years-of-declining-ridership/ |access-date=January 3, 2020 |work=Denverite |date=November 21, 2019}}</ref> The city announced plans to seek one or more new contractors to run a bike-share program starting mid-2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-01-13|title=Denver's five-year, 125-mile bike lane project passes halfway point|url=https://businessden.com/2022/01/13/denvers-five-year-125-mile-bike-lane-project-passes-halfway-point/|access-date=2022-01-20|website=BusinessDen|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Denver Will Go Out to Bid for Bike Share and Scooter Operator(s) |url=https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denver-department-of-public-works/newsroom/2019/bike-scooter-operators.html |access-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103050621/https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denver-department-of-public-works/newsroom/2019/bike-scooter-operators.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Electric rental scooters ===
In 2018, [[Motorized scooter|electric scooter]] services began to place scooters in Denver. Hundreds of unsanctioned LimeBike and Bird electric scooters appeared on Denver streets in May, causing an uproar. In June, the city ordered the companies to remove them<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2018/06/13/denver-electric-scooter-rentals/|title=Denver officials seize more than 250 electric scooters from city streets, levy fines|date=June 14, 2018|work=The Denver Post|access-date=September 14, 2018}}</ref> and acted quickly to create an official program, including a requirement that scooters be left at RTD stops and out of the public right-of-way. Lime and Bird scooters then reappeared in late July, with limited compliance. [[Uber]]'s Jump e-bikes arrived in late August, followed by [[Lyft]]'s nationwide electric scooter launch in early September.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/06/lyft-launches-its-scooter-business-in-denver/|title=Lyft launches its scooter business in Denver|work=TechCrunch|access-date=September 14, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> Lyft says that it will, each night, take the scooters to the warehouse for safety checks, maintenance and charging. Additionally, Spin and Razor each were permitted to add 350 scooters.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.5280.com/2018/09/denver-becomes-first-city-to-get-lyfts-electric-scooters/|title=Denver Is the First City to Get Lyft's Electric Scooters, With E-Bikes to Follow|date=September 6, 2018|work=5280|access-date=September 14, 2018|language=en-US|ref=5280 micro-mobility article Sep. 2018}}</ref>

===Walkability===
2017 rankings by [[Walk Score]] placed Denver twenty-sixth among 108 U.S. cities with a population of 200,000 or greater.<ref name=walkscore>{{cite web |url=https://www.walkscore.com/rankings/cities/|title=2017 City & Neighborhood Ranking |publisher=Walk Score |year=2017 |access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> City leaders have acknowledged the concerns of walkability advocates that Denver has serious gaps in its sidewalk network. The 2019 "Denver Moves: Pedestrians" plan outlines a need for approximate $1.3 billion in sidewalk funding, plus $400 million for trails.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pedestrian Program |url=https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denver-pedestrians/plans.html |website=Denver, The Mile High City |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=May 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513172950/https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denver-pedestrians/plans.html |archive-date=May 13, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2022, Denver voters passed Initiative 307, dubbed "Denver Deserves Sidewalks", to complete sidewalk construction and repair by shifting responsibility for sidewalk maintenance from property owners to the city and imposing a new fee on property owners based on the length of a property's sidewalk frontage,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Minor |first1=Nathaniel |date=November 14, 2022 |title=Denver sidewalk initiative backers have declared victory. Here's what may come next |work=Denverite |publisher=Colorado Public Radio |url=https://denverite.com/2022/11/14/initiated-ordinance-307-results-denver-deserves-sidewalks/ |access-date=February 1, 2023}}</ref> although the measure may be revised in the course of implementation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lopez |first1=Meghan |date=November 25, 2022 |title=Denver's sidewalk repair initiative could face big changes before it's implemented |work=Denver7.com |publisher=Scripps Media |url=https://www.denver7.com/news/politics/denvers-sidewalk-repair-initiative-could-face-big-changes-before-its-implemented |access-date=February 1, 2023}}</ref>

===Modal characteristics===
In 2015, 9.6 percent of Denver households lacked a car, and in 2016, this was virtually unchanged (9.4 percent). The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Denver averaged 1.62 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Car Ownership in U.S. Cities Data and Map|journal=Governing|date=December 9, 2014|url=http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html|access-date=May 4, 2018|archive-date=May 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180511162014/http://www.governing.com/gov-data/car-ownership-numbers-of-vehicles-by-city-map.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Freeways and highways===
Denver is primarily served by the interstate freeways [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|I-25]] and [[Interstate 70 (Colorado)|I-70]]. The problematic intersection of the two interstates is referred to locally as "[[Mousetrap (Denver)|the mousetrap]]" because, when viewed from the air, the junction (and subsequent vehicles) resemble mice in a large trap.
* [[File:I-25 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]]''' runs north–south from [[New Mexico]] through Denver to [[Wyoming]]
* [[File:I-225 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 225 (Colorado)|Interstate 225]]''' traverses neighboring Aurora. I-225 was designed to link Aurora with I-25 in the southeastern corner of Denver, and I-70 to the north of Aurora, with construction starting May 1964 and ending May 21, 1976.
* [[File:I-70 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 70 (Colorado)|Interstate 70]]''' runs east–west from [[Utah]] to [[Maryland]]. It is also the primary corridor on which motorists access the mountains.
* [[File:I-270 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 270 (Colorado)|Interstate 270]]''' runs concurrently with [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]] from an interchange with [[Interstate 70 (Colorado)|Interstate 70]] in northeast Denver to an interchange with [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]] north of Denver. The freeway continues as [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]] from the interchange with [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]].
* [[File:I-76 (CO).svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Interstate 76 (Colorado)|Interstate 76]]''' begins from I-70 just west of the city in [[Arvada, Colorado|Arvada]]. It intersects I-25 north of the city and runs northeast to Nebraska where it ends at [[Interstate 80 (Nebraska)|I-80]].
* [[File:US 6.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 6 (Colorado)|US 6]]''' follows the alignment of 6th Avenue west of I-25, and connects downtown Denver to the west-central suburbs of [[Golden, Colorado|Golden]] and [[Lakewood, Colorado|Lakewood]]. It continues west through Clear Creek Canyon in [[Golden, Colorado|Golden]], to [[Utah]], [[Nevada]], and ultimately [[Bishop, California]]. To the east, it continues as far as [[Provincetown, Massachusetts|Provincetown]], on [[Cape Cod]] in [[Massachusetts]].
*[[File:US 285.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 285 (Colorado)|US 285]]''' ends its {{convert|847|mi|km|adj=on}} route through [[New Mexico]] and [[Texas]] at [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]] in the University Hills neighborhood.
* [[File:US 85.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 85 (Colorado)|US 85]]''' also travels through Denver. This highway is often used as an alternate route to [[Castle Rock, Colorado|Castle Rock]] southbound, or northbound to [[ Greeley, Colorado|Greeley]] or [[Cheyenne, Wyoming|Cheyenne]] instead of taking [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|Interstate 25]].
* [[File:US 87.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Route 87]]''' runs north–south and through Denver. It is concurrent with I-25 the entire length in the state.
* [[File:US 36.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]]''' connects Denver to [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] and [[Rocky Mountain National Park]] near [[Estes Park, Colorado|Estes Park]]. It runs east into [[Ohio]], after crossing four other states.
* [[File:Colorado 83.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Colorado State Highway 83|State Highway 83]]''' connects Denver to Eastern Metropolitan areas such as [[Aurora, Colorado|Aurora]], [[Parker, Colorado|Parker]], and further south to [[Franktown, Colorado|Franktown]]. It runs from the [[Hilltop, Denver]] neighborhood to [[Colorado State Highway 21|State Highway 21]] in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]]. 
* [[File:Colorado 93.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Colorado State Highway 93|State Highway 93]]''' starts in the western Metropolitan area in [[Golden, Colorado]] at the intersection of [[U.S. Highway 6 (Colorado)|US 6]] and [[Colorado State Highway 58|State Highway 58]]. It travels almost {{convert|20|mi|km}} to meet with [[Colorado State Highway 119|SH&nbsp;119]] in central [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]]. This highway is often used as an alternate route to [[Boulder, Colorado|Boulder]] instead of taking [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]].
* [[File:Colorado 470.svg|25px|link=|alt=]] '''[[Colorado State Highway 470|State Highway 470]]''' ('''C-470''', '''SH 470''') is the southwestern portion of the Denver metro area's beltway. Originally planned as Interstate 470 in the 1960s, the beltway project was attacked on environmental impact grounds and the interstate beltway was never built. The portion of "Interstate 470" built as a [[state highway]] is the present-day SH 470, which is a [[freeway]] for its entire length.

Denver also has a nearly complete beltway known as "the 470's". These are [[SH 470 (CO)|SH 470]] (also known as C-470), a freeway in the southwest Metro area, and two toll highways, [[E-470]] (from southeast to northeast) and [[Northwest Parkway]] (from terminus of E-470 to [[U.S. Highway 36 (Colorado)|US 36]]). SH 470 was intended to be I-470 and built with federal highway funds, but the funding was redirected to complete conversion of downtown Denver's [[16th Street Mall|16th Street]] to a pedestrian mall. As a result, construction was delayed until 1980 after state and local legislation was passed.<ref>{{cite web |author=Matthew E. Salek |url=https://www.mesalek.com/colo/denvers470.html |title=C-470? E-470? I-470? W-470? I give up! |publisher=Mesalek.com |access-date=September 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924101940/http://mesalek.com/colo/denvers470.html |archive-date=September 24, 2011 }}</ref> I-470 was also once called "The Silver Stake Highway", from Gov. Lamm's declared intention to drive a silver stake through it and kill it.

A highway expansion and transit project for the southern [[Interstate 25 (Colorado)|I-25]] corridor, dubbed T-REX ([[Transportation Expansion Project]]), was completed on November 17, 2006.<ref>{{cite web |title=T-REX Announces Opening Day for Southeast Light Rail Line |url=http://www.denvergov.org/Southeast_Corridor/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures2005/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures20055/tabid/393990/Default.aspx |date=2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013125106/http://denvergov.org/Southeast_Corridor/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures2005/GeneralInformation/RoadClosures20055/tabid/393990/Default.aspx |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=February 3, 2016}}</ref> The project installed wider and additional highway lanes, and improved highway access and drainage. The project also includes a light rail line that traverses from downtown to the south end of the metro area at Lincoln Avenue.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5151700,00.html |title=New light rail heads on down the tracks |newspaper=Rocky Mountain News |access-date=September 26, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013114548/http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0%2C1299%2CDRMN_15_5151700%2C00.html |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The project spanned almost {{convert|19|mi|km|0}} along the highway with an additional line traveling parallel to part of [[Interstate 225 (Colorado)|I-225]], stopping just short of Parker Road.

Metro Denver highway conditions can be accessed on the [[Colorado Department of Transportation]] COtrip website.<ref>{{Cite web |title=COtrip Traveler Information |url=https://maps.cotrip.org/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=maps.cotrip.org}}</ref>

===Mass transportation===
[[File:Denver Union Station Light Rail 2011.JPG|alt=|thumb|Denver RTD light rail and bus lines]]
[[File:Main Facade of Denver Union Station, December 2014.jpg|thumb|[[Union Station (Denver, Colorado)|Denver Union Station]]]]

[[Public transport|Mass transportation]] throughout the [[Denver metropolitan area]] is managed and coordinated by the [[Regional Transportation District]] (RTD). RTD operates more than 1,000 [[bus]]es serving over 10,000 bus stops in 38 municipal jurisdictions in eight counties around the [[Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area|Denver and Boulder metropolitan areas]]. Additionally, RTD operates ten [[RTD Bus & Rail|rail]] lines, the A, B, D, E, G, H, L, N, R, and W, with a total of {{convert|113|mi|km}} of track, serving 77 stations, 35 of which are located within the City of Denver proper. The [[D Line (RTD)|D]], [[E Line (RTD)|E]], [[H Line (RTD)|H]], [[L Line (RTD)|L]], [[R Line (RTD)|R]], and [[W Line (RTD)|W Lines]] are [[light rail]] while the [[A Line (RTD)|A]], [[B Line (RTD)|B]], [[G (RTD)|G]], and [[N Line (RTD)|N Lines]] are [[commuter rail]].

[[FasTracks]] is a commuter rail, light rail, and bus expansion project approved by voters in 2004, which will serve neighboring suburbs and communities. The [[W Line (RTD)|W Line]], or West line, opened in April 2013 serving Golden/Federal Center. The commuter rail A Line from Denver Union Station to Denver International Airport opened in April 2016 with ridership exceeding RTD's early expectations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Denvers-RTD-marks-A-Line-commuter-rail-ridership-growth--56571 |title=Denver's RTD marks A Line commuter-rail ridership growth |publisher=Progressive Railroading |access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> The light rail [[R Line (RTD)|R Line]] through Aurora opened in February 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://denver.cbslocal.com/2017/02/24/rtd-opens-new-light-rail-line/|title=RTD Opens New Light Rail Line|date=February 24, 2017|publisher=CBS Denver|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> The [[G Line (RTD)|G Line]] to the suburb of Arvada (originally planned to open in the Fall of 2016) opened on April 26, 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2019/04/01/rtd-g-line-opening/|title=RTD: Long-delayed G-Line from Denver to Wheat Ridge will open April 26 |newspaper=Denver Post|access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> The [[N Line (RTD)|N Line]] to Commerce City and Thornton opened on September 21, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=September 22, 2020|title=All Aboard: RTD's N Line Starts Rolling From Denver To Thornton|url=https://denver.cbslocal.com/2020/09/22/rtd-n-line-starts-denver-thornton/|access-date=October 13, 2020|language=en-US}}</ref>

An express bus service, known as the [[Flatiron Flyer]], serves to connect Boulder and Denver. The service, billed as [[bus rapid transit]], has been accused of [[bus rapid transit creep]] for failing to meet the majority of BRT requirements, including level boarding and all-door entry. A commuter rail connection to Boulder and its suburb of Longmont, also part of the FasTracks ballot initiative and an extension of the [[B Line (RTD)|B Line]], is planned to be finished by RTD, but no construction funds have yet been identified prior to 2040.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_32583756/rtd-recommits-completing-train-service-boulder-longmont-considering |title=RTD recommits to completing train service to Boulder, Longmont, considering interim plan |newspaper=Daily Camera |access-date=April 20, 2019}}</ref> RTD is currently considering an interim commuter service which would run rush-hour trains from Longmont to Denver.

The [[Colorado Department of Transportation]] runs [[Bustang]], a bus system that offers weekday and weekend service connecting Denver with many locations across the state, including [[Grand Junction, Colorado|Grand Junction]], [[Colorado Springs]], [[Fort Collins]], and [[Gunnison, Colorado|Gunnison]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ridebustang.com/routes-maps/ |title=Bustang Routes |publisher=Colorado Department of Transportation |access-date=December 1, 2019 |archive-date=November 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105231105/https://ridebustang.com/routes-maps/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Denver Airport RTD Station, from Westin Hotel.jpg|alt=|thumb|Commuter rail station at Denver International Airport]]

[[Greyhound Lines]], the [[intercity bus]] operator, has a major hub in Denver, with routes to [[New York City]], [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Reno, Nevada|Reno]], [[Las Vegas]], and their headquarters, [[Dallas]]. Subsidiary [[Autobuses Americanos]] provides service to [[El Paso]]. Allied bus operators [[Express Arrow]], and [[Burlington Trailways]] provide service to [[Billings, Montana|Billings]], [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], [[Indianapolis]], and [[Alamosa, Colorado|Alamosa]].

[[Amtrak]], the national passenger rail system, provides service to Denver, operating its ''[[California Zephyr]]'' daily in both directions between [[Union Station (Chicago)|Chicago]] and [[Emeryville, California]], across the bay from San Francisco. Amtrak Thruway service operated by private bus companies links the Denver station with Rocky Mountain points. In 2017 the Colorado legislature reinvigorated studies of passenger rail service along the Front Range, potentially connecting Denver to Fort Collins and [[Pueblo, Colorado|Pueblo]], or further to Amtrak connections in [[Cheyenne, Wyoming]] and [[Trinidad, Colorado|Trinidad]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2019/06/13/colorado-serious-look-passenger-rail-service-front-range/1442541001/ |title=Backers believe this Front Range passenger rail plan is the real deal
 |publisher=Coloradoan |access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref> [[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, Colorado|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=1 January 2022 |work=KKTV 11 News |date=13 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

At [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]], Denver Thruway connections are made daily with the Amtrak ''[[Southwest Chief]]''. Additionally, the [[Ski Train]] operated on the former [[Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad]], which took passengers between Denver and the [[Winter Park, Colorado|Winter Park]] Ski Resort, but it is no longer in service. The Ski Train made its final run to Winter Park on March 29, 2009. The service was revived on a trial basis in 2016 with a great amount of local fanfare. Further development of a mountain corridor rail option, though publicly popular, has been met with resistance from politicians, namely the director of [[Colorado Department of Transportation]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.5280.com/news/magazine/2017/02/can-i-70s-mountain-corridor-ever-be-fixed|title=Can I-70's Mountain Corridor Ever Be Fixed?|date=February 15, 2017|work=5280|access-date=March 6, 2017|language=en}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=July 2017}} The Ski Train did return to service under [[Amtrak]] with the name "[[Ski Train|Winter Park Express]]" in 2017 and greatly expanded service for the 2024-2025 ski season, doubling capacity and increasing service to run Thursday-Monday during the winter ski seasons. The [[Colorado Department of Transportation]] plans to eventually expand service to [[Steamboat Springs, Colorado|Steamboat Springs]] and [[Craig, Colorado|Craig]] as part of the Mountain Rail project.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.codot.gov/projects/coloradomountainrail|title=Colorado Mountain Rail |publisher=Colorado Department of Transportation |access-date=March 12, 2025}}</ref>

Denver's early years as a major train hub of the west are still very visible today. Trains stop in Denver at historic [[Union Station (Denver)|Union Station]], where travelers can access RTD's 16th Street Free MallRide or use light rail to tour the city. [[Union Station (Denver)|Union Station]] will also serve as the main juncture for rail travel in the metro area, at the completion of [[FasTracks]]. The city also plans to invest billions to bringing frequent public transit within one-fourth of a mile of most of its residents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Denver Moves: Transit |url=https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/Denveright/documents/transit/Denver-Moves-Transit-Plan-2019.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513175909/https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/Denveright/documents/transit/Denver-Moves-Transit-Plan-2019.pdf |archive-date=2019-05-13 |url-status=live |website=Denver Department of Public Works |publisher=City and County of Denver |access-date=May 13, 2019}}</ref>

====Denver public transportation statistics====
The average amount of time people spend commuting on public transit in Denver and Boulder, Colorado—for example, to and from work, on a weekday—is 77 minutes; 31% of public transit riders ride for more than two hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 14 minutes, while 25% of riders wait for over 20 minutes, on average, every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is {{convert|6.96|mi|km}}, while 31% travel over {{convert|7.46|mi|km}} in a single direction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://moovitapp.com/insights/en/Moovit_Insights_Public_Transit_Index_USA_Denver_Boulder_CO-747|title=Denver & Boulder, CO Public Transportation Statistics|publisher=Global Public Transit Index by Moovit|access-date=June 19, 2017}} [[File:CC BY icon.svg|50x50px]] Material was copied from this source, which is available under a [[creativecommons:by/4.0/|Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License]].</ref>

===Airports===
[[File:Jeppesen Terminal at DEN Airport, north view, Aug 2014.jpg|thumb|Main terminal of [[Denver International Airport]]]]
[[File:Denver International Airport (34095907752).jpg|alt=|thumb|Main terminal of Denver International Airport]]

[[Denver International Airport]] (IATA: DEN, ICAO: KDEN), commonly known as DIA, serves as the primary airport for the [[Front Range Urban Corridor]] surrounding Denver. DIA is {{convert|18.6|mi|km|0|sp=us}} east-northeast of the [[Colorado State Capitol]] and opened in 1995. DIA is the 3rd busiest airport in the [[List of busiest airports by passenger traffic|world]] with 58.8 million passengers in 2021;<ref>{{cite web |title=The top 10 busiest airports in the world revealed |url=https://aci.aero/2022/04/11/the-top-10-busiest-airports-in-the-world-revealed/ |website=Airports Council International |access-date=6 September 2022 |date=April 11, 2022}}</ref> it had the 5th highest number of passengers in the U.S., 61 million, in the pre-pandemic year 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 10 Busiest Airports In The United States |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/busiest-airports-in-united-states.html#h_76256299224191615961355476 |website=WorldAtlas |date=March 17, 2021 |access-date=6 September 2022}}</ref> It is the largest airport by land area in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |title=Denver Airport |url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/denver-airport |website=Travel + Leisure |access-date=6 September 2022}}</ref> DIA serves as a major hub for [[United Airlines]], is the headquarters and primary hub for [[Frontier Airlines]], and is a major focus city and the fastest-growing market for [[Southwest Airlines]].

In 2017, [[Denver International Airport]] was rated by [[Skytrax]] as the 28th-best airport in the world, falling to second place in the United States behind [[Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport]]. Skytrax also named DIA as the second-best regional airport in North America for 2017, and the fourth-best regional airport in the world.

Three [[general aviation]] airports serve the Denver area. [[Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport]] (KBJC) is {{convert|13.7|mi|km|0|sp=us}} north-northwest, [[Centennial Airport]] (KAPA) is {{convert|13.7|mi|km|0|sp=us}} south-southeast, and [[Colorado Air and Space Port]] (KCFO), formerly Front Range Airport, is {{convert|23.7|mi|km|0|sp=us}} east of the state capitol. Centennial Airport also offers limited commercial airline service, on two cargo airlines.

In the past, Denver has been home to several other airports that are no longer operational. [[Stapleton International Airport]] was closed in 1995 when it was replaced by DIA. [[Lowry Air Force Base]] was a military flight training facility that ceased flight operations in 1966, with the base finally closing in 1994. Both Stapleton and Lowry have since been redeveloped into primarily residential neighborhoods. [[Buckley Space Force Base]] is the only military facility in the Denver area.

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from Denver}}

==Twin towns – sister cities==
Denver's relationship with [[Brest, France]], began in 1948, making it the second-oldest [[sister city]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://denversistercities.org/brest/#tab-2
|title=Brest France
|publisher=Denver Sister Cities International
|access-date=March 30, 2010
}}</ref> In 1947, Amanda Knecht, a teacher at East High School, visited World War II–ravaged Brest. When she returned, she shared her experiences in the city with her students, and her class raised $32,000 to help rebuild the children's wing of Brest's hospital. The gift led to the development of the sister city program with Brest.<ref>[https://denversistercities.org/brest/ Sister City History]. Denver Sister Cities International. Retrieved on November 11, 2006.</ref> There were serious efforts in the early 2000s, in both Denver and [[Sochi]], [[Russian Federation]], to establish sister-city ties, but the negotiations did not come to fruition.

Since then, Denver has established relationships with additional sister cities:<ref>{{cite web |title=Denver Sister Cities International|url=https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/human-rights-and-community-partnerships/programs---initiatives/denver-sister-cities.html|publisher=City and County of Denver|access-date=June 30, 2020}}</ref>

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Brest, France|Brest]], France (1948)
* {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Takayama, Gifu|Takayama]], Japan (1960)
* {{flagicon|KEN}} [[Nairobi]], Kenya (1975)
* {{flagicon|ISR}} [[Karmiel]], Israel (1977)
* {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Cuernavaca]], Mexico (1983)
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Potenza]], Italy (1983)
* {{flagicon|IND}} [[Chennai]], India (1984)
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Kunming]], China (1985)
* {{flagicon|ETH}} [[Axum]], Ethiopia (1995)
* {{flagicon|MNG}} [[Ulaanbaatar]], Mongolia (2001)
* {{flagicon|ISL}} [[Akureyri]], Iceland (2012)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denversistercities.org/akureyri-iceland/|title=Akureyri, Iceland|publisher=Denver Sister City International|date=9 May 2012|accessdate=15 February 2023|archive-date=February 15, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215235731/https://www.denversistercities.org/akureyri-iceland/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{portal|Geography|History|United States|Colorado}}
*[[Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area]]
*[[Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area]]
*[[Front Range Urban Corridor]]
*[[List of county seats in Colorado]]
*[[List of municipalities in Colorado]]
*[[List of populated places in Colorado]]
*[[List of post offices in Colorado]]
*[[USS Denver|USS ''Denver'']], 3 ships
{{clear}}

== Explanatory notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|auto=yes}}
{{EB1911 poster|Denver}}
*[http://www.denvergov.org/ City and County of Denver website]
*[https://www.colorado.gov/ State of Colorado]
**[https://www.historycolorado.org/ History Colorado]
{{Denver|state=open}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Articles relating to the City and County of Denver
| list =
{{Neighborhoods of Denver}}
{{Colorado}}
{{United States state capitals}}
}}
<!-- [[User:rambot|rambot]] will ignore this: -->
{{USPopulousCities}}
{{Colorado}}
{{Colorado county seats}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|North America|United States|Colorado|Cities}}

[[Category:Denver| ]]
[[Category:1858 establishments in Kansas Territory]]
[[Category:1859 establishments in Jefferson Territory]]
[[Category:1861 establishments in Colorado Territory]]
[[Category:Cities in Colorado]]
[[Category:Colorado counties]]
[[Category:Consolidated city-counties]]
[[Category:County seats in Colorado]]
[[Category:Denver metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Eastern Colorado]]
[[Category:Front Range Urban Corridor]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1858]]
[[Category:Railway towns in Colorado]]
[[Category:State capitals in the United States]]
[[Category:Tourism regions of Colorado]]