Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado · Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
● Colorado

Denver

The exact point one mile above sea level has been marked three times on the same staircase, on three different steps, and in 2026 surveyors came back for a fourth.

01

Fast Facts

Population
715,522 (2020 census); ~740,600 (2025 est.)
Elevation
5,280 ft — one mile, exactly
Best Season
Late spring, or September into October
Nearest Interstates
I-25 and I-70, which cross north of downtown
02

What to Know Before You Arrive

Denver was platted on November 17, 1858, and for its first months it was not in Colorado at all — the settlement sat in Kansas Territory and called itself Denver City. It began where Cherry Creek runs into the South Platte River, and the downtown streets were plotted parallel to those two waterways, which is why downtown runs at a diagonal to the compass while the rest of the city follows the cardinal directions. A state master-plan study of the Capitol area names the intersection of Broadway and Colfax Avenue, one block west of the Capitol complex, as the point where the two grid systems meet; the City's Five Points guidelines mark a second convergence at the Five Points intersection, where the Denver Grid, which follows the South Platte River, meets the north/south grid.

The mile is the city's organising fact, and it has never stopped moving. Two brass plates and an engraving reading “ONE MILE ABOVE SEA LEVEL” sit on the Capitol's west steps, recording surveys from 1909, 1969 and 2003. Brian Shaw, the regional advisor for the National Geodetic Survey who led the 2026 work, says the earlier markers are not mistakes: “The two brass discs and the engraving are actually correct. They're just relative to different datums.” The new survey is accurate to the centimetre where the old ones had a metre of room, and it is one piece of an eighteen-year national project to redefine where everything is. The Capitol steps are not the only place the city has marked the altitude: there are mile-high markers in the mayor's office, in City Park, at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, along the High Line Canal, and at Coors Field, where the elevation is marked by a row of purple seats.

The Capitol itself was designed by Elijah E. Myers, built between 1886 and 1901 on the plan of a Greek cross, and cost about $3 million to put up. Almost all of it came out of the state. The exterior granite was quarried near Gunnison; the floors are yule marble from the town of Marble; and the pink stone in the wainscoting is rose onyx from near Beulah, which the Capitol's own visitor pages say has a coloration never found anywhere else in the world. The supply was used up in the building. In 1908 Colorado gold miners gave 200 ounces of gold to gild the dome, which stands 272 feet above the ground. It is also the only state capitol in the country with LEED Gold certification.

03

The Road Trip Stop

The Colorado State Capitol is the anchor, and admission and tours are free. It is the one place where the thing Denver is named for — the mile — is a physical object you can stand on, three times over, with a fourth arriving. The practical catch is the one that catches road-trippers: this is a working government building, so it keeps government hours.

Budget the time, and watch the day of the week

  • Weekdays only. The building is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and closed on state holidays. A Saturday or Sunday stop gets you the west steps, the markers and the exterior, and nothing inside.
  • Free guided tours run on the hour, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., take about an hour, and are capped at 30 people on a first-come, first-served basis. The dome is reachable only on a guided tour and only by stairs — self-guided visitors are not permitted up.
  • Self-guiding is allowed whenever the building is open, minus the dome, and the Visitor Information Desk is staffed Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The desk number is 303-866-2604.
  • Two entrances, both through security. The north entrance is up the stairs at Colfax and Sherman; the ground-level accessible entrance is at 14th and Sherman, under the stairs on the east side. Weapons are prohibited.
04

From the Park Service

Rocky Mountain National Park

Entrance fee
$30 private vehicle (1-day) · $35 private vehicle (7-day) · $15 per person (1-day) · $25 motorcycle (1-day) · $30 motorcycle (7-day) · $20 per person (7-day) · $100 nonresident
Park hours
Open around the clock, every day. While certain roads and facilities may be closed for the winter season, Rocky Mountain National Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Reservations
From late May to mid-October, a timed entry reservation is required to enter all areas of Rocky Mountain National Park during certain times of the day. Depending on when you plan to start your hike, you might need a timed entry reservation.
Visitor centres
Information Office · Fall River Visitor Center · Beaver Meadows Visitor Center and 7 more. Open 8:00AM - 4:00PM daily.
Campgrounds
5 in the park, about 570 sites in total. Fees from $30 to $70.
Passport stamp
Holzwarth Historic Site · Kawuneeche Visitor Center
Webcams
7 live views on the park’s own site

National Park Service Data API, pulled 2026-10-12

05

Neighborhoods

LoDo
Lower Downtown, a historic district whose National Register period of significance runs from 1860 through 1941. The district was part of the original Denver townsite, which grew in the 1860s near the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek, and its blocks measure 266 by 400 feet on a regular street-and-alley grid. Union Station sits in the heart of it as a working train hall, with its bar in the former ticketing office just off the Great Hall.

Five Points
Denver's historic Black cultural district, northeast of downtown, and the centre of its jazz era — the Rossonian Hotel on Welton Street, whose lounge the Denver Architecture Foundation describes as the most important jazz club between Kansas City and Los Angeles. The City’s design guidelines for the district describe twenty interpretive signs along the corridor that cover the history of the neighbourhood, its properties and its people.

RiNo
River North, known as RiNo, is an arts district whose organisation says it overlays the historic north Denver neighbourhoods of Five Points, Cole, Globeville and Elyria-Swansea. The district keeps a map of its murals, which includes the DENVER WALLS 2023 murals and earlier public-art and Art RiNo installations, and says many more existing murals are still being inventoried. Its Art RiNo festival, held October 2–4 in 2026, includes live mural painting across the district.

Capitol Hill
The neighbourhood that grew up around the Capitol, once the home of Denver's wealthiest residents: mansions built on fortunes made in the mountains, the railroads and trade, later converted to offices and apartments, and the Molly Brown House at 1340 Pennsylvania Street among them.

06

Hidden Gems

▣

Molly Brown House Museum

The Pennsylvania Street home of Margaret Brown, who survived the sinking of the Titanic and, the museum says, joined the fight for national suffrage. In 1970 a group of preservation-minded Denver citizens joined efforts to rescue the house, and the group incorporated as Historic Denver, Inc.

▣

Clyfford Still Museum

A single-artist museum holding approximately 3,125 pieces, more than 93 per cent of the lifetime work of one Abstract Expressionist painter. Still entrusted his life's work to an unnamed American city; more than 20 American cities contended for the collection, and Patricia Still chose Denver in 2004.

▣

Forney Museum of Transportation

A transportation museum at 4303 Brighton Boulevard whose own list of collection highlights includes Union Pacific ‘Big Boy’ Steam Locomotive #4005, in a collection that also spans vehicles, motorcycles, steam locomotives, aircraft, fire apparatus and bicycles. The museum’s site has an Admission and Hours page.

▣

The Denver Mint

One of the U.S. Mint facilities that makes circulating coins; the Mint says its “D” mint mark stands for Denver. The Mint lists free guided tours of about an hour, Monday through Thursday except observed federal holidays, by online reservation up to 30 days ahead, and says tours may be canceled without prior notice and that coins may not be in production during a tour. The Mint’s tour page has the current reservation system.

07

The Food Stop

The Buckhorn Exchange at 1000 Osage Street has been open since 1893, and its own site calls it Denver's original steakhouse as well as a National Historic Landmark and Western Museum — the dining rooms are hung with several hundred mounted animals and a firearm collection upstairs. The menu runs to buffalo, elk, Colorado lamb, fowl and game alongside beef, and the house specialty is Rocky Mountain Oysters. Hours are not posted on the site, so call or check before timing a stop around it. It sits across the valley from downtown, a short ride on the light rail line that stops at Osage.

Been here a while

Places that have been serving a long time. All were still trading when we last checked. Each name links to its source.

  • 1893
    Buckhorn ExchangeSaloon-turned-steakhouse opened in 1893; listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983; said to hold Colorado's first liquor license (a press claim)
  • 1985
    El Taco de MexicoSanta Fe Drive taqueria known for green-chile-smothered burritos; James Beard America's Classic 2020

73 breweries within 10 miles of Denver, 16 of them brewpubs with a kitchen.

See all 73

*Check before you go. This list says what the source records as open and where it is — nothing more. Opening hours, whether a kitchen is serving, and whether anywhere suits your family are not in this data and change without notice. A production site may have no public room at all. Please confirm with the venue.

Brewpub locations from Open Brewery DB (MIT)

08

The Home Teams

Colorado Rockies

MLB
Coors Field · LoDo

The ballpark is inside downtown, at 20th and Blake streets, with Union Station the most convenient light rail stop, and the row of purple seats in the upper deck marks the mile-high line — the same altitude the Capitol steps argue about, drawn across a grandstand. The Rockies publish printable regular-season schedules, including one for 2027, and note that all information is subject to change.

Denver Broncos

NFL
Empower Field at Mile High · Sun Valley

At 1701 Bryant Street, just over 2 miles from downtown, with Interstate 25 passing about 100 yards east of the stadium and views of the Rocky Mountains and the city skyline. The team’s published 2026 home schedule lists eight regular-season home games.

Denver Nuggets

NBA
Ball Arena · west of LoDo

Shares the building with the Avalanche and the Colorado Mammoth. Both the NBA and NHL tenants have won recent titles: the Nuggets the 2023 NBA championship, the first in franchise history, and the Avalanche the 2022 Stanley Cup.

Colorado Avalanche

NHL
Ball Arena · west of LoDo

Plays at Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, alongside the Nuggets and the Colorado Mammoth, which is how one building can host hockey one night and basketball the next. The NHL’s 2026–27 regular season runs from September 29, 2026 to April 10, 2027.

Colorado Rapids

MLS
Dick's Sporting Goods Park · Commerce City

The Rapids play at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, 6000 Victory Way, Commerce City.

09

Day Trips

DestinationTimeDistanceHow we got it
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre28 min17 mirouted
Two sandstone fins with a concert bowl between them, and the detail most visitors do not know: the amphitheatre is owned and operated by the City and County of Denver even though it stands outside the city, near Morrison. The Visitor Center opens daily — 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. March through October, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through February — and holds the Red Rocks Hall of Fame, exhibits and a grill. The timing trap: on event days, access after 2 p.m. is limited to ticket holders, so an afternoon arrival on a show day will not get in.
Golden25 min15 mirouted
The territorial capital before Denver took the title — Golden became capital of the Colorado Territory in 1862 and the territorial legislature met there until 1867 — with Clear Creek at the city’s center and a paved 2-mile loop trail along it, the Coors brewery, home to the largest single-site brewing facility in the world, and the Mines Museum of Earth Science on the Colorado School of Mines campus.
Idaho Springsguide46 min33 mirouted
A former gold camp, where George A. Jackson found gold in January 1859 at the meeting of Chicago Creek and Clear Creek, reached from Exit 240 on I-70, with the Argo Mill and Tunnel — one of the largest, most well-preserved historic gold mills in the world, by its operator’s description — in town. The town’s visitor site says the Ute, Arapaho and Cheyenne gathered there to soak in the healing hot springs long before the Gold Rush, and it lists a hot springs resort among the things to do. The visitor site also describes restoration plans for 2026 and beyond, so confirm current opening with the operator before building a stop around it.
Mount Blue Sky Scenic Bywayguide46 min33 mirouted
The highest paved road in North America climbs to just over 14,100 feet. The mountain was renamed from Mount Evans in 2023, so older maps and signs disagree with newer ones. The road is seasonal and has run on timed-entry reservations in recent summers — check the current system before driving out.
Georgetownguide1 hr46 mirouted
A silver-era town — major silver deposits were found nearby in 1864 — that is now a National Historic Landmark District, with its visitor center right at the I-70 exit, and the Georgetown end of the Georgetown Loop, a narrow-gauge railroad to Silver Plume, completed in 1884, whose route uses three hairpin turns, four bridges and a 30-degree horseshoe curve to reduce the grade.

3 of these are places the Hub has its own guide to — marked guide and linked from the name.

Routed figures are computed over map data at free-flowing speeds, between map points rather than street addresses, so a real drive runs longer.

Distances routed by OSRM and places geocoded by Nominatim, over map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

10

Worth a Weekend

13 more Highway Heads places lie within about 180 miles of Denver in a straight line — far enough that most are a night away rather than an afternoon.

11

Lakes Nearby

1 lake we have checked near here. These are the ones from our research that we could check against an official page — not every lake there is.

  • Cherry Creek Reservoir

    about 8 miles away · 880 acres · reservoir
    • Fishingyes
    • Rentals & marinaMarina by the west boat ramp
    • SwimmingSwim beach
    • CampingCampground in park
    • EntryDaily vehicle pass $10-$12 (CO plates), $15-$17 (out-of-state); $1/day Water Basin fee

    Run by state park - Colorado Parks and Wildlife (Cherry Creek SP)

*Check before you go. Every lake here links to the official page we checked it against. Each states a price we read off that page on the date we checked. Fees, seasons, water levels, algal advisories and ramp closures change without notice and belong to the agency that runs the water. A blank is something we did not confirm, not something the lake lacks. Never assume a lifeguard. Whether a beach is staffed turns on the season, the day, and which agency runs that particular beach — two beaches on one lake can differ. If that matters to your family, confirm it with the agency before you set out.

12

Distilleries Nearby

1 producer we have checked near here. These are the ones from our research we could check against their own site — not every producer there is.

  • Laws Whiskey House

    distillery · in town

    Grain-to-glass bourbon and rye whiskey distillery in Denver.

    • HoursTue 4-9pm; Wed-Thu 2-9pm; Fri 1-10pm; Sat 12-10pm; Sun 12-8pm; Mon closed
    • Toursyes - public tours Tue-Sun, 21+
    • Reservationswalk-in
    • Phone(720) 570-1420
    • Childrenminors welcome with adult supervision during daytime; 21+ after 6pm; tours 21+

    80 W Arkansas Ave, Denver, CO

*Check before you go. Every producer here links to its own site, which is where we read these details on the date we checked. Opening hours, tour times, tasting fees and who may come in change without notice and belong to the producer. A blank is something we did not confirm, not something they lack. Each of these says something about children, in their own words above. Where there is no Children line, we did not find a policy — that is not the same as children being welcome, and several tasting rooms are 21 and over.

13

Zoos and Aquariums Nearby

Within 60 miles of Denver, nearest first.

  • Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (Denver Zoo) — some details below are unconfirmedAZA-accreditedDenver

    Hours
    9–4 (day shown)
    Season
    year-round
    Admission
    Adult $27
    Reservations
    Required

    Non-members need online timed tickets; ages 2 and under free; members need no reservation

    * We could not confirm: prices on hours-admission page (not fetched). Check their site before you go.

  • Downtown Aquarium DenverAZA-accreditedDenver

    Hours
    Mon-Thu 10-8, Fri-Sat 10-9, Sun 10-8 (exhibit hours; the restaurant opens at 11)
    Admission
    Adult $29.99 (check in at the front desk) · Child $23.99
    Reservations
    Not required
    Parking
    On-site paid lot; the site advertises free parking after 6pm with an Aquarium Restaurant receipt. No parking rate is published anywhere on the site.

    Aquarium with restaurant (Landry's). At the Wharf is temporarily closed from September 14 for maintenance. Entry is timed in 15-minute intervals. The ticket page warns that ride, exhibit and operating-hour changes happen without notice, so check before travelling.

  • Butterfly PavilionAZA-accreditedWestminster

    Hours
    daily 9–5
    Season
    year-round
    Admission
    Adult from $19.45 (13–64) · Child $14.45 (2–12)
    Reservations
    Required

    Timed entry; higher prices on special event days

  • The Wild Animal Sanctuary — some details below are unconfirmedKeenesburg

    Hours
    open 7 days (closing time varies with sunset)
    Season
    year-round

    Elevated walkway over large habitats

    * We could not confirm: prices on ticket page. Check their site before you go.

This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. 3 of these carry an accreditation we confirmed against the accrediting body’s own register. Where there is no badge we did not confirm one — that is not a judgement on the place, and a good many municipal, state and university sites belong to no register we check. 2 entries are marked with an asterisk: we could not confirm part of what is listed, and the note under it says which part. Opening times, prices and seasons change without notice, so check the operator’s own site — every name above links to it.

14

Venues and Annual Events Nearby

Within 60 miles of Denver, nearest first.

Where to see something

  • Bluebird TheatertheaterDenver

    Address
    3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, CO 80206
    Capacity
    550

    NRHP 1997

  • Fillmore Auditorium (Denver)clubDenver

    Address
    1510 N. Clarkson St., Denver, CO 80218
    Capacity
    3,900

    Built as the Mammoth Roller Skating Rink

  • National Western Complexfestival groundsDenver

    Hours
    Event days only

    Home of the National Western Stock Show

  • Fiddler's Green AmphitheatreamphitheaterGreenwood Village

    Hours
    Event days only
    Address
    6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Village, CO 80111
    Capacity
    18,000

    Opened 1988

What is on, and when

  • Great American Beer FestivalDenver

    Usually
    Late September or early October, over several days
    Held at
    Colorado Convention Center
    Since
    1982

  • National Western Stock ShowrodeoDenver

    Usually
    January, over several days
    Held at
    National Western Complex
    Since
    1906

  • Adams County Fair — some details below are unconfirmedfairBrighton

    Usually
    Late July–early August, over several days
    Held at
    Adams County Regional Park

    * We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.

  • Arapahoe County Fair — some details below are unconfirmedfairAurora

    Usually
    July, over several days
    Held at
    Arapahoe County Fairgrounds

    * We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.

  • Douglas County Fair & Rodeo — some details below are unconfirmedfairCastle Rock

    Usually
    Late July–early August, over several days
    Held at
    Douglas County Fairgrounds

    * We could not confirm: the details beyond the month it usually runs. Check their site before you go.

This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Events are listed by the month they usually fall in, because that is what we hold — we do not publish dates, and a month is not a promise. Check the organiser before you plan around one. 3 entries are marked with an asterisk: we could not confirm part of what is listed, and the note under it says which part. Opening times, line-ups and ticketing change without notice, so check the venue’s or organiser’s own site — every name above links to it.

15

Water Parks Nearby

Within 60 miles of Denver, nearest first.

This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Every one of these runs a season rather than opening year round. Opening and closing dates move every year and we hold none of them, so check the park’s own calendar before you build a day around it. Prices, hours and ride closures change without notice — every name above links to the park’s own site.

16

Historic Sites Nearby

1 near Denver, each checked against the operator or agency that runs it.

  • Washington ParkPublic spaceDenver

    Hours
    Parks are open daily: Urban parks: 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. source
    Admission
    No city page found that states whether entry is free.
    Season
    No season stated; the rules page says parks are open daily.

    A historic city park in south Denver with Smith Lake, a lily pond, flowerbeds and a boathouse finished in 1913; the park is on the national and Colorado historic registers.

    • No standalone city page for the park; official_url is the city's boathouse page (a rental venue page) and the address is the boathouse's
    • Hours are the citywide urban-park rule
    • City lists repair projects in the park (City Ditch, pedestrian bridges); check for work-zone closures

    Run by Denver Parks and Recreation (City and County of Denver)

This is a list of what is near you, not a recommendation of any of it. Opening times and prices here are quoted from each operator’s own page on the date we read it, and both change without notice. Where this list says an operator does not publish their hours or their price, that is what we found on their page — 1 state no price. A blank is not “free” and not “always open”, so ring ahead where it matters. Every name above links to that page.

17

Practical Road Trip Info

Budget a full day for the city and a second for anything in the mountains. Downtown, the Capitol, LoDo and Five Points are walkable as one loop; Red Rocks, Golden and the I-70 towns each want their own half-day.

The altitude is a real planning input. Denver sits at exactly a mile, and the mountain day trips go two to nine thousand feet higher than that. Arriving and immediately driving to 14,000 feet is a different experience from doing it on day three.

Weather turns fast and late. Snow in May and September is ordinary here, and mountain roads close on their own schedule. The byways west of town are seasonal; the interstates are not.

Downtown parking is metered or structured, and the light rail reaches Union Station, the Mint area and Osage, which covers most of what is in this guide without moving the car.

One public campground within 25 miles of Denver, and it takes reservations. Public campgrounds run by federal agencies. State-park and private campgrounds are not included.

18

The Local Debate

19

Family-Friendly

▣

Denver Museum of Nature and Science

On the edge of City Park, with permanent exhibitions that include dinosaur fossils, a planetarium and — fitting for this city — a mile-high spot: the city’s tourism board says the museum’s outdoor Anschutz Family Sky Terrace, reached from Level 4 of the West Atrium, sits right at 5,280 feet. The same tourism-board guide also lists the Colorado State Capitol as a mile-high stop.

▣

Union Station's waiting room

A working train hall that is home to both Amtrak rail and RTD bus and rail services. The station’s own page says seven RTD rail lines connect there and lists Amtrak’s California Zephyr, which it describes as daily service between Chicago and San Francisco.

▣

The Capitol dome climb

The dome is stairs only and the tour is about an hour, which suits older children and is a long ask for toddlers. The 30-person cap means a family of five is a sixth of the tour.

▣

Clear Creek in Golden

The creek runs through the middle of town with a paved 2-mile loop trail alongside it, and Golden posts colored warning flags along the creek: a yellow flag, for moderate to high flows, is considered unsafe for children under 18, and a red flag closes the creek to swimming and tubing — the low-effort stop on a mountain day for children who have been in a car seat since breakfast.

20

Plan Your Visit

Colorado State Capitol

Address
200 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80203
Hours
Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., closed state holidays; Visitor Information Desk 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Price
Free, including guided tours
Tours
Guided on the hour 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., about one hour, capped at 30 people; the dome is guided-tour-only and stairs-only

We checked opening hours, seasonal opening, reservations, operating status and fees on 2026-10-12. These change without notice — confirm with capitol.colorado.gov, redrocksonline.com, nps.gov, fs.usda.gov, rinoartdistrict.org, mlb.com, denverbroncos.com, nhl.com, usmint.gov, denvergov.org, visitidahospringsco.com and denverunionstation.com the week you travel.

Sources — 49 claims, 48 checked against the source on 2026-10-12
ClaimSourceStatus
Capitol open Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; free guided tours on the hour 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., about one hour, capped at 30; dome by guided tour and stairs onlyColorado State Capitol — Tour InformationChecked
monitored · 2026-10-12
Capitol address 200 E. Colfax Avenue; Visitor Information Desk Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; Visitor Information Center 303-866-2604Colorado State Capitol — HomeChecked
monitored · 2026-10-12
Only capitol building in the nation with LEED Gold certificationColorado State Capitol — The Capitol BuildingChecked
Designed by Elijah E. Myers; constructed 1886–1901; Greek cross plan; construction cost about $3 millionWelcome to the Colorado State Capitol — Colorado General AssemblyChecked
Exterior granite quarried near Gunnison; floors of yule marble from Marble, Colorado; rose onyx from near Beulah, a coloration the state says has never been found anywhere else in the worldWelcome to the Colorado State Capitol — Colorado General AssemblyChecked
In 1908 Colorado gold miners gave 200 ounces of gold to gild the dome; the dome rises 272 feet above the groundWelcome to the Colorado State Capitol — Colorado General AssemblyChecked
Two public entrances — north side at Colfax and Sherman up the stairs, ADA ground-level at 14th and Sherman; all visitors screened; weapons prohibitedWelcome to the Colorado State Capitol — Colorado General AssemblyChecked
Mile-high markers record surveys of 1909, 1969 and 2003 at the 15th, 18th and 13th steps; two brass plates and an engraving reading “ONE MILE ABOVE SEA LEVEL&rdquoDenver’s mile-high mark is moving — again (Denverite / CPR News)Checked
A fourth marker surveyed in summer 2026 as part of an eighteen-year National Geodetic Survey datum project, targeted for Colorado Day, August 1Denver’s mile-high mark is moving — again (Denverite / CPR News)Checked
NGS regional advisor Brian Shaw: “The two brass discs and the engraving are actually correct. They're just relative to different datums.&rdquoDenver’s mile-high mark is moving — again (Denverite / CPR News)Checked
Other mile-high markers in the mayor’s office, City Park, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, along the High Line Canal, and a row of purple seats at Coors FieldDenver’s mile-high mark is moving — again (Denverite / CPR News)Checked
Population 715,522 at the 2020 census and about 740,600 in the 2025 estimate; metro about 3.09 million; elevation 5,280 feetDenver — WikipediaChecked
Platted November 17, 1858 as Denver City in Kansas Territory, at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte RiverDenver — WikipediaChecked
Buckhorn Exchange established 1893 at 1000 Osage St; its own site calls it Denver’s original steakhouse and a National Historic Landmark and Western Museum; game menu; Rocky Mountain Oysters the house specialty; hours not postedThe Buckhorn ExchangeChecked
Red Rocks Amphitheatre is owned and operated by the City and County of DenverRed Rocks — Plan Your VisitChecked
Red Rocks Visitor Center open daily, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. March–October and 8 a.m.–4 p.m. November–February; after 2 p.m. on event days access limited to ticket holders; holds the Red Rocks Hall of Fame, exhibits and the Ship Rock GrilleRed Rocks — Visitor CenterChecked
monitored · 2026-10-12
Five Points as the center of Denver’s African American activity (the “Harlem of the West”), the district renamed the Five Points Historic Cultural District in 2015, and the Rossonian Hotel’s standing in the jazz eraFive Points Historic Cultural District Design Standards & Guidelines — City and County of DenverChecked
Official distance from Denver to Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre (official figures conflict; none located on the Red Rocks or Colorado Encyclopedia pages read). Drive times were removed from the article under the house rules; distances for Golden, Idaho Springs, Georgetown and Mount Blue Sky are sourced in separate rows.No source accepted yetNot confirmed
Coors Field is at 20th and Blake streets, in Denver's lower downtown/Ballpark Neighborhood; the page points to RTD light rail and bus service (checked 2026-10-14)Getting to Coors Field — Colorado RockiesChecked
Collection highlights include Union Pacific ‘Big Boy’ Steam Locomotive #4005; the museum is at 4303 Brighton Blvd, Denver, CO 80216 (checked 2026-10-14)Forney Museum of TransportationChecked
Mount Blue Sky renamed from Mount Evans by the Board on Geographic Names in September 2023; highest paved road in North America, reaching 14,130 feet; upper road closed for the seasonMount Blue Sky Recreation Area & Scenic Byway — USDA Forest ServiceChecked
monitored · 2026-10-14
The guidelines place the Five Points intersection where the Denver Grid, which follows the South Platte River, meets the north/south grid (Welton Street, 27th Street, E. 26th Avenue and Washington Street) (checked 2026-10-14)Five Points Historic Cultural District Design Standards & Guidelines — City and County of Denver (Denver Grid)Checked
Twenty interpretive signs recognise the history of the district; the Rossonian Hotel provided accommodations for visiting jazz legends (checked 2026-10-14)Five Points Historic Cultural District Design Standards & Guidelines — City and County of Denver (interpretive markers; Rossonian Hotel)Checked
Lower Downtown’s National Register period of significance is 1860 through 1941; the district was part of the original Denver townsite near the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek; its streets form a regular grid with 266 by 400 foot blocks (checked 2026-10-14)Lower Downtown Neighborhood Plan — City and County of DenverChecked
The Foundation describes the Rossonian Lounge as the most important jazz club between Kansas City and Los Angeles (checked 2026-10-14)Rossonian — Denver Architecture FoundationChecked
The district overlays the historic north Denver neighbourhoods of Five Points, Cole, Globeville and Elyria-Swansea (checked 2026-10-14)About the RiNo Art District — RiNo Art DistrictChecked
The murals map includes DENVER WALLS 2023 murals and earlier RiNo public-art and Art RiNo installations; many more murals are being inventoried (checked 2026-10-14)RiNo Murals — RiNo Art DistrictChecked
Art RiNo ran October 2–4, 2026 across the district and included live mural painting (checked 2026-10-14)Art RiNo — RiNo Art DistrictChecked
monitored · 2026-10-14
House at 1340 Pennsylvania Street; fortunes made in the mountains, railroads and trade in Capitol Hill; Denver citizens joined efforts in 1970 to rescue the house and incorporated as Historic Denver, Inc. (checked 2026-10-14)About the Molly Brown House MuseumChecked
Margaret Brown survived the sinking of the Titanic and joined the fight for national suffrage (checked 2026-10-14)About the Browns — Molly Brown House MuseumChecked
Free guided tours of about an hour run Monday through Thursday except observed federal holidays; online reservations up to 30 days ahead; tours may be canceled without prior notice (checked 2026-10-14)Tour the Denver Mint — U.S. MintChecked
monitored · 2026-10-14
“D” is the Denver mint mark; most circulating coins have a P, D or no mint mark (checked 2026-10-14)Mint Marks — U.S. MintChecked
The club publishes printable schedules, including the 2027 regular season, and notes that all information is subject to change (checked 2026-10-14)Printable Schedule — Colorado RockiesChecked
monitored · 2026-10-14
The 2026 home slate lists eight regular-season home games (Weeks 2, 3, 6, 8, 11, 13, 16 and 18) (checked 2026-10-14)Broncos’ 2026 home slate — Denver BroncosChecked
monitored · 2026-10-14
The 2026-27 regular season runs from September 29, 2026 to April 10, 2027 (checked 2026-10-14)2026-27 NHL regular-season schedule — NHLChecked
monitored · 2026-10-14
DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, 6000 Victory Way, Commerce City, CO 80022; the stadium is home to the Colorado Rapids (checked 2026-10-14)DICK’S Sporting Goods Park — stadium informationChecked
Empower Field at Mile High, 1701 Bryant Street, Denver, CO 80204 (checked 2026-10-14)Empower Field at Mile HighChecked
Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver, CO 80204 (checked 2026-10-14)Ball ArenaChecked
Long before the Gold Rush the Ute, Arapaho and Cheyenne gathered at Idaho Springs to soak in the healing hot springs; George A. Jackson struck gold at the mouth of Chicago Creek in 1859 (checked 2026-10-14)Discover Idaho Springs — City of Idaho Springs visitor siteChecked
The visitor site lists a hot springs resort among its things to do and describes planned restoration and improvements for 2026 and beyond (checked 2026-10-14)Hot springs listing — City of Idaho Springs visitor siteChecked
monitored · 2026-10-14
Idaho Springs is 30 miles west of Denver (checked 2026-10-14)City of Idaho Springs visitor site — home pageChecked
Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) has the highest paved road in North America; timed entry reservations are required for vehicles and motorcycles and made at recreation.gov; none required for bicycles or pedestrians arriving on designated hiking trails (checked 2026-10-14)Mount Blue Sky — City and County of Denver (Parks and Recreation)Checked
monitored · 2026-10-14
The Anschutz Family Sky Terrace at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science sits right at 5,280 feet (Level 4 of the West Atrium, outdoors); the Colorado State Capitol is also listed as a mile-high stop (checked 2026-10-14)Visit Mile High Markers in Denver — Visit DenverChecked
Permanent exhibitions include dinosaur fossils; the museum runs the Gates Planetarium (checked 2026-10-14)Exhibitions and Visit — Denver Museum of Nature & ScienceChecked
Union Station is home to Amtrak and RTD bus and rail services; seven RTD rail lines connect there; the California Zephyr offers daily service between Chicago and San Francisco (checked 2026-10-14)Rail and Bus — Denver Union StationChecked
monitored · 2026-10-14
Terminal Bar is inside the restored ticketing office just off the Great Hall (checked 2026-10-14)About — Denver Union StationChecked
Golden is 12 miles west of Denver (checked 2026-10-14)Plan Your Visit — Golden tourism siteChecked
Georgetown and Silver Plume are about forty-five miles west of Denver (checked 2026-10-14)Georgetown–Silver Plume Historic District — Colorado EncyclopediaChecked
Mount Blue Sky is 13 miles from Idaho Springs and 35 miles west of Denver (checked 2026-10-14)Mount Blue Sky — Colorado EncyclopediaChecked
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Nearest Airports

Straight-line distance from Denver, not drive time.

  • Buckley Space Force Base (BFK) — 13 miles
  • Rocky Mountain Metropolitan (BJC) — 14 miles
  • Centennial (APA) — 14 miles
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