Pearl Street Mall

Boulder

Boulder is a city of over 100,000 people located 30 miles northwest of Denver.  Like many Colorado towns along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, it started as a supply center for gold miners during the late nineteenth century gold rush.  It was sustained for several decades by gold, silver, and coal mining in the region.  Because of its location in an area of great natural beauty, backing onto slanted rock formations known as the "Flatirons", tourism became an important part of its economy during the first part of the twentieth century.  

The decision to locate the University of Colorado here in 1874 set Boulder on a path to become a leading research center for the Rocky Mountain area.  Today the university is the largest in Colorado, and its presence greatly influences the character of the town.  In 1952 a major center for the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology) was built here, which became the forerunner of a number of important government research organizations that were later also located here.  These government organizations include the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).  Tours are given to the public in many of these facilities.  The concentration of research in Boulder has fostered an atmosphere of innovation that has led to the incubation of a large number of small to large high tech companies.

Boulder has also become a center for the arts.  Chautaugua Park and Auditorium, a National Historic Landmark, is a 40 acre complex devoted to the performing arts.  The acclaimed Colorado Music Festival is held here for six weeks each summer.  Other key events held in Boulder are the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the Boulder International Film Festival, and the Boulder Creek Festival.  Boulder's social hotspot is the Pearl Street Mall, a four block long outdoor pedestrian mall which features artisan shops, street musicians and other street performers. Other attractions include the Boulder History Museum (Harbeck-Bergheim House), the CU Museum of Natural History, Fiske Planetarium, and tours of Celestial Seasonings and the Redstone Meadery.

Outdoor activities are a very important part of the Boulder lifestyle.  The surrounding 31,000 acres of open space and nature preserves are ideal for hiking, biking, and rock climbing.  The Kinetic Conveyance Race in early May and the Bolder Boulder 10K Road Race in late May are very popular with outdoor enthusiasts. 

Location:

North Central Colorado, 30 miles northwest of Denver on US 36  

In the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with the Great Plains stretching to the East;  the distinctive rock formation west of town are know as the Flatirons

Elevation:

5,344 feet

The average high temperature in July is 87 degrees (F), dropping into the 50's at night.  The average high temperature in January is 45 degrees, dropping into the 20's at night.

Population:

Approximately 95,000

High tech, education (University of Colorado), federal government, tourism

Boulder Convention and Visitor's Bureau:  (800)444-0447, www.bouldercoloradousa.com/

Map: 

Boulder, CO