Denver Metropolitan Area

The City and County of Denver is the most populous city and the capital of the State of Colorado. Denver is located in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains.

The United States Census Bureau estimated that in 2005 the population of the City and County of Denver was 557,917 (26th most populous U.S. city), the population of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area was 2,359,994 (22nd most populous MSA). Denver is the most populous city within a radius of 550 miles. The city claims to have the 10th largest downtown district in the United States.

Denver has also been known historically as the Queen City of the Plains because of its important role in the agricultural industry of the plains regions along the foothills of the Colorado Front Range. Several US Navy ships have been named USS Denver in honor of the city.
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Greenwood Village

Greenwood Village, located just 12 miles south of Denver, had its beginnings as the Clark Colony in the early 1900s.  Filled with orchards of cherry, apple, pear and plum trees, settlers came through this area from the east and midwest searching for gold.  The town of Greenwood Village was incorporated in 1950.

As of 2000, there were 11,035 people living in 3,997 households. Greewood Village was ranked #31 in the list of highest income places in the United States, and is served by the Cherry Creek School District, consistently rated as one of the best in the nation.
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Highlands Ranch

Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community located in Douglas County, Colorado.  The estimated population was 88,273 in 2007, making Highlands Ranch one of the most populous unincorporated communities in the United States. The Littleton Post Office (ZIP Codes 80126, 80129, 80130, and 80163) serves Highlands Ranch.

The first homes in Highlands Ranch were built in 1981. These homes were built off of an extension of South Broadway from Littleton. Simultaneously, the state of Colorado made plans to build a new interstate beltway through the area called C-470, which opened in 1985.  Over the next twenty-five years, the population of Highlands Ranch grew exponentially. In 1991, Highlands Ranch celebrated its tenth anniversary with a population of 17,000 residents. 

Highlands Ranch celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2006, reporting a population of 86,000 residents. Despite a growing number of local businesses, Highlands Ranch has often been labeled as a "bedroom community" of Denver. Many residents commute to Downtown Denver or the Denver Technological Center.
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Castle Pines

Castle Pines is located about 30 miles south of Denver and 40 miles north of Colorado Springs, nestled in the wooded, rolling hills just west of the Interstate 25 corridor.  The area has a rich Wild West history, lying along the Daniels Park Trail, which now winds through the Daniels Park open space just north of Castle Pines.  The trail carried many travelers south from Denver through Colorado Springs and beyond.

As of 2005, there were 5,958 people in 2,078 households.  Castle Pines lies in Douglas County, which has the highest median household income of any county in the United States.  Served by the Douglas County School Disctrct, the area has access to top notch public education.

Every August the PGA TOUR tournament The INTERNATIONAL is held in Castle Rock at the Castle Pines Golf Club.  The Ridge, an upscale public course which opened in 1997, was ranked in Golf Digest's top 200 "Must Play" courses.  Abundant, beautiful open space gives residents access to 15 miles of trails.
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Castle Rock

Castle Rock is located about 35 miles south of Denver and 40 miles north of Colorado Springs on the Interstate 25 corridor just east of the front range of the Rocky Mountains. The town is the center of the burgeoning urbanization of the county.

Castle Rock is named after a small prominent butte just north of the town, clearly visible from Interstate 25.  As of 2005, the city was estimated to have a total population of 35,745 and is now the 19th most populous municipality in the State of Colorado.

Every August the PGA TOUR tournament The INTERNATIONAL is held in Castle Rock at the Castle Pines Golf Club.
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Evergreen

Evergreen sits at an elevation of 7,220 feet in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 15 miles west of Denver, Colorado and in 2000 had just over 9000 residents. Some "claims to fame are"

• South Park co-creator Trey Parker graduated from Evergreen High School in 1988 and grew up in nearby Conifer.
  
• Space Shuttle Astronaut Jeffrey Ashby graduated from Evergreen High School in 1972.
  
• Country star Willie Nelson owned a ranch in Evergreen for several years.
  
• MLB player Kevin Kouzmanoff grew up in Evergreen and graduated from Evergreen High School in 1999.
  
• Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt frequently vacationed at the Troutdale Resort before, during, and after their terms. The site was demolished in the 1960s.
  
• John Hinckley, the man who critically wounded President Ronald Reagan, was a resident of Evergreen for most of his life.
  
• The scenes featuring Darryl Hannah and Danny Huston in the 2004 film Silver City were filmed at a house in Evergreen.

Golden

Golden lies at the mouth of Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills 15 miles west of Denver.  Surrounded by North and South Table Mountains, Mount Zion (famed for the large white "M" of the School of Mines), and Lookout Mountain, it is truly one of the most scenic spots along the Front Range.

As of 2000, there were 17,159 people living in 6,877 households.  It was one of the first towns founded in Colorado, as a primary stop on the way to the gold mines.  It is slated to be the endpoint of the West Corridor in the Denver FasTracks Commuter Rail project.

The most famous resident of Golden must be the Coors Brewery.  Founded in 1873 it is one of the worlds most recognizable brands.
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Littleton

Littleton, located about 10 miles south of Denver, is one of the largest suburbs in the metro area. The history can be traced back to the Pikes Peak gold rush of 1859, with merchants and farmers flooding into the area to serve the gold-seekers.  Started by Richard Little as his home stake in 1862, the town of Littleton was incorporated in 1890.

As of 2000, there were 40,340 people residing in 17,313 in the city.  While its roots lie in agriculture, Littleton was the seat of Arapahoe County, making it a hub of government and business throughout the history of Colorado.  In recent years it has become a commercial hub for manufacturers in aerospace and electronics, with companies like Lockheed-Martin bringing high-tech to the area.
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Winter Park

Best known as a world class ski resort, Winter Park is also home to some of the best mountain biking, fishing, hiking and music in Colorado during the summer.  Beginning as two small settlements in the early 1900s, Winter Park was founded as a town in 1978.  Nestled at the southern end of the Fraser Valley, it lies between 9,100 - 12,060 feet above sea level.

As of 2000 there were 662 people in 318 households.  Located about 60 miles west of Denver, Winter Park is accessible from the famed Ski Train out of Denver's Union Station.
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