Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs is a big city in the state of Colorado. It is the most crowded city in El Paso County, Colorado and had more than 478,000 people living there in 2020. That means many new families moved in since the last count in 2010.

The city sits high up in the mountains, about 6,000 feet above sea level, which makes it one of the highest cities in the United States. Nearby is Pikes Peak, a very tall mountain that reaches almost 14,200 feet into the sky. Because of its height and cool weather, Colorado Springs is a popular place for people to visit and live. It is also just 70 miles south of the state’s biggest city, Denver.

History

Main article: History of Colorado Springs, Colorado

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The Ute, Arapaho, and Cheyenne peoples were the first known groups to live in the area that is now Colorado Springs. The land became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and later the Kansas Territory in 1854. In 1859, during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, a settlement called Colorado City was formed.

In 1871, the Colorado Springs Company created the town of Colorado Springs. The town grew quickly, with many people from England moving there, earning it the nickname “Little London.” It became an official town in 1886. Over the years, the city expanded through annexations, adding new areas.

During World War II, military bases were established nearby, including Fort Carson and Peterson Field. In the Cold War era, important defense centers were set up, such as the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. Universities like the University of Colorado Colorado Springs were also established in the later 20th century.

In 2012, a large wildfire called the Waldo Canyon fire damaged many homes and required thousands of people to leave their homes.

Geography

Colorado Springs is a city found in a dry area called a steppe. The city is close to big mountains called the Southern Rocky Mountains to the west and has flat lands called high plains to the east. It is also near a place called the Palmer Divide to the north. The city is about 69 miles south of Denver, which is another big city.

Colorado Springs is the largest city in Colorado by area. During the 2020 United States census, the city covered a huge space of 195.761 square miles, including a small amount of water.

Colorado Springs has a special kind of climate. It is cooler and has dry winters, and the mountains nearby help bring warm winds called chinook winds in the winter. The city gets a lot of sunshine, about 243 days a year, and receives about 16.5 inches of rain each year. Because it doesn’t rain much sometimes, the city has rules about watering lawns.

Colorado Springs gets a lot of lightning strikes, which is why a famous scientist named Nikola Tesla chose it to build his lab to study electricity.

December is usually the coldest month, with very cold nights sometimes happening. The city gets about 38 inches of snow each winter, but it often melts quickly because of the sun. March is usually the snowiest month. Summers are warm, with July being the warmest month, but nights stay relatively cool. The city can have brief thunderstorms in the summer when most of its rain falls. The first frost in autumn usually happens around October 2, and the last frost in spring around May 6. The temperature can get very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter.

Demographics

2020 census

According to the 2020 United States census, Colorado Springs had a population of 478,961, making it the 40th most populous U.S. city. The Colorado Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area had 755,105 people, and the Front Range Urban Corridor had 5,055,344 people.

2010 census

The 2010 United States census showed that most people in Colorado Springs were White. Many were also Hispanic or Latino, Black or African American, Asian, or from other backgrounds. The city’s median age was 35 years.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	4,226		—
1890	11,140		163.6%
1900	21,085		89.3%
1910	29,078		37.9%
1920	30,105		3.5%
1930	33,237		10.4%
1940	36,789		10.7%
1950	45,472		23.6%
1960	70,194		54.4%
1970	135,517		93.1%
1980	215,105		58.7%
1990	281,140		30.7%
2000	360,890		28.4%
2010	416,427		15.4%
2020	478,961		15.0%
2024 (est.)	493,554		3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

Economy

Colorado Springs has an economy that is mostly based on the military, high-tech industry, and tourism. The city is slowly growing in other service areas. As of April 2025, about 4.6% of people in Colorado Springs did not have jobs. This is a little less than the state’s rate but a bit more than the nation’s rate.

The military plays a big role in the city. As of 2021, there were almost 45,000 soldiers working in the area, along with over 100,000 veterans and many reservists. The military and companies that work with it support more than 40% of the local economy. Colorado Springs is home to important military bases such as Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, and Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station. These bases are in charge of many space and defense missions.

The city also has many companies that make and sell high-tech products. Even though the number of these jobs has gone down since 2000, there are still important technology companies here, such as Lumen Technologies and Hewlett-Packard.

Arts and culture

Tourism

Since railroads arrived in 1871, Colorado Springs has been a popular place to visit because of its beautiful location at the base of Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains. Many people come to see the sights, and tourism helps provide many jobs in the area. In 2018, millions of visitors came, bringing lots of money to the local economy.

The city has many things to see and do, such as Garden of the Gods park, the United States Air Force Academy, the ANA Money Museum, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. You can also visit Old Colorado City, the National Museum of World War II Aviation, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. New places like the United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum and a special area at the top of Pikes Peak opened recently.

Annual cultural events

Colorado Springs holds many fun events each year. One big event is the Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off, a hot air balloon festival happening over Labor Day weekend. Other events include GalaxyFest, a comic book convention and science fiction convention in February, PrideFest in July, and many other festivals and races throughout the year. There is also a bright lights parade in December.

Breweries

Colorado Springs has many places where you can try different kinds of beer made locally. Over 30 small breweries operate in the area.

Religious institutions

Colorado Springs is home to many different religious groups. In recent years, it has become a center for certain Christian groups and organizations. The city has been called “the Evangelical Vatican” because of this.

Marijuana

Main article: Colorado Amendment 64 § Local option

Colorado allowed selling a certain plant for adult use starting in 2012, but Colorado Springs chose not to open shops for everyone. Only places for medical use are allowed. In April 2025, shops for adult use finally opened after a vote.

In popular culture

Colorado Springs appears in many books, TV shows, and movies. It is often used as a setting for stories about military and defense because of important bases nearby. Some well-known shows and movies include Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Stargate SG-1, WarGames, The Prestige, and BlacKkKlansman.

Sports

Colorado Springs is known as Olympic City USA because it is home to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center and the headquarters of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Over 50 national sports organizations have their main offices in the city.

The city and nearby Denver hosted the 1962 World Ice Hockey Championships. Colorado Springs has a strong history with figure skating, having hosted the U.S. Figure Skating Championships six times and the World Figure Skating Championships five times. The city is home to the World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame and the Broadmoor Skating Club, an important training center. Recently, the Broadmoor World Arena has hosted events like Skate America and the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

The city was once home to a professional baseball team called the Rocky Mountain Vibes, part of the Pioneer League, but they no longer play in Colorado Springs.

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association is based in Colorado Springs.

Local colleges have many sports teams, including nationally competitive NCAA Division I teams like football, basketball, hockey, and women's soccer at the United States Air Force Academy and Colorado College.

Parks and recreation

Main articles: Parks in Colorado Springs, Colorado and List of parks in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs has many parks and trails for people to enjoy. The city’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services look after 136 small neighborhood parks, eight bigger community parks, seven large regional parks, and five sports areas. All together, these cover 9,000 acres. There are also 500 acres of trails, with 160 miles for walking and 105 miles for city streets.

One famous park is Garden of the Gods, found on the west side of the city. It has tall, colorful sandstone rocks and views of Pikes Peak. People can hike, climb rocks, ride bikes, ride horses, and take tours there for free. Every summer, there is a fun bike ride called the Starlight Spectacular to help protect local trails.

Other big parks in Colorado Springs include Palmer Park, America the Beautiful Park in the downtown area, and Memorial Park, which has sports fields, a swimming pool, a skating rink, and places for skateboarding. Monument Valley Park has paths for walking and biking, a swimming pool, and pickleball courts. There is also Austin Bluffs Park on the east side. Nearby regional parks include Bear Creek Regional Park and Fountain Creek Regional Park and Nature Center.

The city has special paths called trails that connect different places. Three main trails — the New Santa Fe Regional Trail, Pikes Peak Greenway, and Fountain Creek Regional Trail — link together from Palmer Lake through Colorado Springs to Fountain, Colorado. Most of this path has a soft gravel surface, but part of it in Colorado Springs is paved. Horses can use most of these trails, but cars are not allowed.

Government

See also: List of mayors of Colorado Springs, Colorado

In 2010, the people of Colorado Springs chose a new way for their city to be run, called a council-strong mayor system. This started in 2011. In this system, the mayor is the main leader of the city, and the city council makes the rules. The mayor is elected by everyone and works full-time. The council has nine members. Six of them represent different parts of the city, and three are chosen by the whole city.

Colorado Springs City Hall was built between 1902 and 1904 on land given by W. S. Stratton.

City Council

The Colorado Springs City Council is the group that helps make rules for the city. It has nine members. Three are chosen by the whole city, and six represent different areas. The current leader of the council is Lynnette Crow-Iverson, who started her role on April 14, 2025.

Members

• At-Large – Lynette Crow Iverson – Council President
• At-Large – Brian Risley – Council President Pro Tem
• At-Large – David Leinweber
• District 1 – Dave Donelson
• District 2 – Ken Casey
• District 3 – Brandy Williams
• District 4 – Kimberly Gold
• District 5 – Nancy Henjum
• District 6 – Roland Rainey

Politics

In the past, Colorado Springs was known for having many people who supported the Republican party. Some said it was one of the most conservative cities in the country. But in recent years, the city has started to change. In 2022, Governor Jared Polis won again in the city. And in 2023, an independent candidate named Yemi Mobolade became the city’s first mayor who was not a Republican.

Education

Colorado has a special school called the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind right in Colorado Springs. It has been there since 1874 and helps people up to age 21.

Many colleges and universities are in Colorado Springs. The University of Colorado Colorado Springs has over 12,000 students. Pikes Peak State College mainly offers two-year degrees. The United States Air Force Academy is there too, preparing people to become officers. There are also private schools like Colorado College, Colorado Christian University, Colorado Technical University, and IntelliTec College.

Transportation

Roads

I-25 runs north and south through Colorado and passes through Colorado Springs for nearly 18 miles. It enters the city south of Academy Blvd and exits north of North Gate Boulevard. In El Paso County, it is known as Ronald Reagan Highway.

Several state and U.S. highways also serve the city. State Highway 21 is a major east side road from Black Forest to Fountain, known locally as Powers Boulevard. State Highway 83 runs north–south from central Denver to northern Colorado Springs. State Highway 94 runs east–west to eastern Colorado Springs, ending at US 24. US 24 is an important route through the city, linking to Woodland Park to the west and many suburbs to the east. State Highway 115 starts in Cañon City and merges with Nevada Avenue in the city.

Airport

Colorado Springs Airport (COS) has operated since 1925. It is the second-largest commercial airport in Colorado, after Denver International Airport. The airport covers 7,200 acres and sits at an elevation of about 6,200 feet. It shares space with Peterson Space Force Base. The airport has three runways and served over two million passengers in 2022. It is served by several airlines including American, Avelo, Delta, Southwest, Sun Country, and United.

Railroads

Freight rail service is provided by Union Pacific and BNSF. Colorado Springs was once served by many railroads and had an extensive streetcar system, but today there is no passenger rail service. There are plans to create a rail link between Front Range cities, from Pueblo in the south to Fort Collins and possibly Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Bicycling

Colorado Springs has many bike lanes and paved trails. A local program called PikeRide offers electric bike rentals in several areas of the city. In 2018, the city approved a Bike Master Plan to make bicycling a more common and safe way to travel.

Walkability

A study in 2011 ranked Colorado Springs 34th among the largest U.S. cities for how easy it is to walk around.

Buses

Main article: Mountain Metropolitan Transit

Mountain Metropolitan Transit (MMT) is the main public bus system for Colorado Springs and nearby areas. It operates many bus routes and has a main terminal downtown, with other key stops at malls and transit centers.

MMT also offers a special service for people who cannot use the regular buses due to mobility issues. Intercity bus service is available to Denver and other cities through state-run Bustang and Greyhound.

Neighborhoods and historic places

Colorado Springs has many interesting neighborhoods and historic areas. Some of these include the Banning Lewis Ranch Neighborhood, Boulder Crescent Place Historic District, Broadmoor Neighborhood, Cragmor Neighborhood, Historic Uptown Neighborhood, Ivywild Neighborhood, Knob Hill Neighborhood, Middle Shooks Run Neighborhood, Old Colorado City, Old North End Historic District, Papeton/Venetian Village Neighborhood, Pikeview/Pinecliff Neighborhood, Roswell Neighborhood, and Weber-Wahsatch Historic District.

You can learn more about these places by visiting the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs has been home to many famous people throughout its history. These individuals have come from all walks of life and have made their mark in various fields such as entertainment, sports, and more. The city continues to attract and inspire people who contribute to its rich cultural heritage.

Sister cities

See also: List of sister cities in Colorado

Colorado Springs has special friendship ties with cities around the world. These are called sister cities. Some of its sister cities include:

• Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan (since 1962)
• Kaohsiung, Taiwan (since 1983)
• Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (since 1994)
• Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico (since 1996)
• Canterbury-Bankstown, Sydney, Australia (since 1999)
• Olympia, Peloponnese, Greece (since 2014)
• Kranj, Slovenia (since 2022)

A special friendship gate was built to celebrate the link with Fujiyoshida, Japan. It is one of the most famous landmarks in Colorado Springs. These sister city ties help bring people from different places together and learn from each other.