Denver Facts

Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation (marked on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol) is one mile (5280 feet or 1609.344 meters) above sea level. The elevation of Denver International Airport is 5431 feet (1655 meters).

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 Denver downtown district is located immediately east of the confluence of Cherry Creek with the South Platte River, approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) east of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Denver has a consolidated city and county government. Residents of Denver are known as Denverites.

The United States Census Bureau estimates that in 2005 the population of the City and County of Denver was 557,917 (25th most populous U.S. city), the population of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area was 2,359,994 (22nd most populous MSA), the population of the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area was 2,869,377 (15th most populous CSA), and the population of the Front Range Urban Corridor was 3,965,289. Denver is the most populous city within a radius of 550 miles (885 kilometers). 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 Front Range. Other nicknames that Denver has had include The Rail City, for the city's importance as a North American rail hub, and Capital of the Rocky Mountain Empire, for the city's preeminence in the Rocky Mountain region. Several US Navy ships have been named USS Denver in honor of the city.