Denver
Denver | |
|---|---|
| City and County of Denver | |
|
Logo | |
| Nicknames: | |
Interactive map of Denver | |
Denver Location within the United States Denver Location within Colorado | |
| Coordinates: 39°44′24″N 104°59′24″W / 39.74000°N 104.99000°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| City and county | Denver |
| Platted | November 17, 1858, as Denver City, Kansas Territory |
| Incorporated | November 7, 1861, as Denver City, Colorado Territory |
| Consolidated | December 1, 1902, as the City and County of Denver |
| Named after | James W. Denver |
| Government | |
| • Type | Consolidated city and county |
| • Body | Denver City Council |
| • Mayor | Mike Johnston (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 154.726 sq mi (400.739 km2) |
| • Land | 153.075 sq mi (396.463 km2) |
| • Water | 1.651 sq mi (4.276 km2) |
| • Metro | 8,403.00 sq mi (21,763.67 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,280 ft (1,610 m) |
| Highest elevation | 5,680 ft (1,730 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 5,130 ft (1,560 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 715,522 |
• Estimate (2024) | 729,019 |
| • Rank | 58th in North America 19th in the United States 1st in Colorado |
| • Density | 4,674/sq mi (1,805/km2) |
| • Urban | 2,686,147 (US: 18th) |
| • Urban density | 4,168/sq mi (1,609.1/km2) |
| • Metro | 3,052,498 (US: 19th) |
| • CSA | 3,623,560 (US: 17th) |
| • Front Range | 5,055,344 |
| Demonym | Denverite |
| GDP | |
| • Total | $118.569 billion (2023) |
| • Metro | $311.876 billion (2023) |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| ZIP codes | 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 |
| Area codes | 303/720/983 |
| GNIS place ID | 201738 |
| GNIS city ID | 2410324 |
| FIPS code | 08-20000 |
| Major highways | |
| Website | www |
Capital and most populous city of the State of Colorado | |
Denver (/ˈdɛnvər/ ⓘ DEN-vər) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Officially a consolidated city and county, it is located in the South Platte River valley on the western edge of the High Plains, and is just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains (Rockies). Denver is the 19th-most populous city in the United States and the fifth-most populous state capital, with a population of 715,522 at the 2020 census. The ten-county Denver metropolitan area, with over 3.05 million residents, is the 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 12 miles (19 kilometers) 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 and the South Platte River in 1858 during the Gold Rush era. Nicknamed the "Mile High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5280 feet or 1609.344 meters) 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. The 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 560-mile (900 km) radius, Denver is a major cultural hub with a variety of museums and cultural institutions, including the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the Denver Art Museum and Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Denver has professional sports teams in five leagues and hosts the headquarters of eight Fortune 500 firms.