Denver Colorado Real Estate
Denver, Colorado is an area with every conceivable type of entertainment and recreational opportunities. If you are fond of hiking, hunting and fishing, or simply viewing flora and fauna in the wild, Denver lies in the center of a natural amphitheater up against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of exactly one mile above sea level. The nearby mountains tower over 14,000 feet providing challenges for climbing as well as hiking. The species of wildlife in the nearby mountain valleys and rushing streams are as diverse as the people who come to Denver. Denver is located only 30 short minutes from the Rocky Mountains and boasts over 300 days of sunshine annually. Generally Denver Colorado weather is less harsh than it would be without the moderating influence of the mountains to the West. Average rainfall in Denver is about 13 inches annually and the daytime maximum temperature year round averages 64 degrees. Denver recreation takes advantage of all the geographic features to provide residents plentiful activities.
The South Platte River draws a line through the center of Denver and many lakes, streams, creeks, and waterways flow into the Denver metropolitan area. Cherry Creek still lends its name to one of Denver neighborhoods. The Colorado Gold Rush of 1858 began where Cherry Creek and the South Platte converge. Almost phenomenal growth between 1870 and 1890 took the population level from 4000 as a gold camp to over 100,000 people making Denver the second largest Western city, rivaling San Francisco.
The leadership of Denver was determined to actively diversify the economic base beyond gold and silver. Railroads brought those determined to capture precious metals, but also conveyed agricultural products to the East Coast. The products of breweries, bakeries, trapping, meat packing plants and other food products left Denver for grocers and restaurants anywhere the railroads served.
Denver also served as a banking and finance hub of the West. The Denver U S Mint was established in Denver in 1904 and is still operating today.
Because of its geographic isolation, Denver has always been concerned about maintaining accessibility to the rest of the country and the world. From extensive lobbying to ensure that railroads came to Denver soon after its establishment, to the construction of a multibillion dollar airport in 1995, Denver was determined to remain visible and accessible. Boosters of the distinctively designed facility boast that it is the largest and busiest in the United States. The white tensioned fabric roof of DenverInternational Airport’s 56-square mile facility represent the snow capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
