About Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs has many features of a modern urban area, such as parks, bike trails, urban open-area spaces, business and commerce, theatres and other entertainment.  It is the second largest city in Colorado. At an elevation of 6,035 feet, Colorado Springs is over a mile above sea level, though some areas of the city are significantly higher. The city itself is situated near the base of one of the most famous American peaks, Pikes Peak, on the east side of the Rocky Mountains. The city is the county seat of El Paso County.

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Neighborhoods

New homes are being built in well-planned communities throughout the metro area. Nearly all areas with land for growth – especially north along the I-25 corridor, west amid scenic foothills, and south and east near the airport – are sites for new residential construction. The older, more established sections of town offer fine housing as well. Many mature neighborhoods boast shady, tree-lined streets and well-maintained homes. The city’s oldest residential neighborhoods near downtown and near The Broadmoor contain hundreds of well-preserved homes built between 1890 and 1920. Victorians, bungalows and other turn-of-the-century home styles dominate these popular neighborhoods.

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Fast Facts

Population: 572,240

Median household income: $45,081

Median sales price of an existing house: $154,000

City sales tax: 2.5%

County sales tax: 1.0%

State sales tax: 2.9%

In July 2006, Money magazine ranked Colorado Springs the best place to live in the big city category.

Colorado Springs averages 300 days of sunshine per year.

Climate

By Car

The main freeway in Colorado Springs is Interstate 25.  It connects the city to Denver in the north, and Pueblo.  It’s about and hour to Denver and 45 minutes to Pueblo.  Route 24 heads east from Colorado Springs and connects with Interstate 70, which runs through Kansas to Missouri and other points east.

Traffic congestion in Colorado Springs is bad for a city of it’s size.  The city is in the process of widening I-25, and when the whole project is done, it will help, but avoid rush hour if you can.

Voter Registration

El Paso County Clerk and Recorder
Election Department
PO BOX 2007
Colorado Springs, CO, 80901-2007

The voter registration form is available as a PDF on the Clerk’s website.  The form is not interactive so you will need to print it and fill in the necessary information.  Please note that the form must contain an original signature for the registration to be valid. When complete fax to (719) 520-7327, or mail to the above address.

Public Transportation

Metro
1015 Transit Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 385-RIDE
www.springsgov.com

Colorado Springs is served by an extensive bus system called Metro (short for Mountain Metropolitan Transit). The system serves most of the city and its nearest suburbs.  A schedule is available on the website above, just go there, and click on Transportation & Transit on the left side.  Other good travel information is available too.

Intercity Buses
Colorado Tour Lines
(303) 289-2841
Gray Line Tours
(719) 633-1747
Ramblin Express
(719) 590-8687
www.ramblinexpress.com

Taxis
Yellow Cab
(719) 634-5000

Air Transportation

Colorado Springs Airport
7770 Milton E Proby Pkwy
Colorado Springs, CO 80916
(719) 550-1972
www.springsgov.com/airportindex.asp

The Colorado Springs airport is 6 miles southeast of downtown Colorado Springs.  It’s right next to Peterson Air Force Base.  The airport has flights to major hubs within the United States. American Airlines, Continental, Delta, Midwest, Northwest, United, US Airways, ExpressJet, and Allegiant Air provide service to the airport.  For greater flight selection and international destinations, Denver International is the airport to use.

Denver International
8500 Peña Boulevard
Denver, Colorado 80249-6340
(303) 342-2000
www.flydenver.com

Denver International is only an hour and fifteen minutes drive from downtown Colorado Springs.  Head north on I-25, and then northeast on 470, and you’ll skirt around the edges of Denver and avoid some traffic.  It’s the 4^th busiest airport in the country in terms of traffic.  It has won numerous best airport awards, including one from Time Magazine.

The airport has nonstop flights throughout the country, as well as to many international destinations.  It’s known for its distinctive architecture.

The area code for Colorado Springs is 719

Television

Radio

Newspapers

Colorado Springs Gazette
(800) 800-2748
www.gazette.com
Daily paper with local and national news, sports, lifestyles, entertainment, business, editorials, classifieds, and community information

Hispania News
(866) 723-2220
www.hispanianews.com
A source for Hispanic news. Free weekly newspaper in Southern Colorado.

Fire Arts

Maybe due to the inspiration provided by beautiful natural landscapes, Colorado Springs has cultivated a variety of artistic venues—establishments that explore the range of human creativity. Lovers of the classics will want to reserve a seat at the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra, the city’s professional music group. Timeless productions can be found with the Star Bar Players, a theater troupe, which stages live shows throughout the year. For entertainment a bit more local in flavor, the Colorado Springs Dance Theater and Rocky Mountain Cloggers kick up their heels in high-energy performances. If high art is more your style, visit the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center. Lastly, regardless of when you visit, you are sure to find something scheduled at the World Arena, a popular venue for sporting events and a stop for many national tours.

Colorado Springs Fine Art Center
30 West Dale St
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 634-5581
(719) 634-5583 (box office)
www.csfineartscenter.org

Colorado Springs Symphony
619 North Cascade Ave
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 633-4611

Museums & Attractions

Although Colorado Springs is a relatively small, but growing, city, it is bursting with attractions famous the world over. At more than 14,000 feet, the imposing and impressive Pikes Peak is the most well-known draw. Whether you choose to drive up on the highway, travel to the top on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, or merely marvel from the mountain’s base in Mueller State Park, this is one sight that cannot be missed. Visitors can also catch a glimpse of Colorado Springs during its boom days in two historical neighborhoods: Ghost Town with its Ghost Town Museum and Old Colorado City. Other notable sites include the Air Force Academy, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the US Olympic Complex.

For a western city founded just over a century ago in 1871, Colorado Springs is rich with history. This legacy is captured in the city’s many notable museums. The preeminent stop for local history is the Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site which features characters in period costumes and turn-of-the-century buildings. Local scientist, inventor and hero, Nikola Tesla, also has a museum devoted to his revolutionary works. The Peterson Air & Space Museum at Peterson Air Force Base is the perfect place for the aviation buff. Some institutions cover the world beyond the borders of Colorado, like the John May Natural History Museum, the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and the World Figure Skating Museum.

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Recreation

Pikes Peak is not Colorado Springs’ only natural wonder. Near the mountain are several other spectacular environmental creations, including the Cave of the Winds, Garden of the Gods and Seven Falls.

Garden of the Gods

1805 N 30th St
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
(719) 634-6666
www.gardenofgods.com

Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak Hwy, (at Hwy 24)
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
(719) 385-7325
(800) 318-9505
www.pikespeakcolorado.com

Seven Falls
2850 S Cheyenne Canyon Rd
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
(719) 632-0765
www.sevenfalls.com

Sports

Denver may have the Broncos, but here the home teams are the Air Force Academy Falcons in football and the nationally ranked Colorado Gold Kings in hockey. Baseball also has a place here with the Triple-A Sky Sox— the Colorado Rockies minor league farm team.

Auto Racing

Pikes Peak International Raceway

16650 Midway Ranch Rd.

Fountain, CO 80817

(888) 306-7223

www.ppir.com

Annual NASCAR and Indy Racing

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb – “Race to the Clouds,” takes place annually in late June or early July. An international field of drivers negotiates the hairpin turns of the final 12 1/3 miles of the Pikes Peak Highway to the top of the 14,110-foot mountain.

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Gambling

Several of the state’s cities are famous for their histories as gold-rush towns, and Colorado Springs is no exception. In nearby Cripple Creek, you do not have to go far to prospect for a fortune. You can still strike it rich at the many casino hotels and gaming establishments in the town known as “little Las Vegas.” Casinos such as The Imperial and the Gold Rush Hotel let guests take a whirl with Lady Luck.

Cripple Creek 8
Box 644
Cripple Creek, CO 80813
(719) 689-2288
www.cripple-creek.co.us

Gold Rush Hotel and Casino
209 Bennett Dr
Cripple Creek, CO 80813
(719) 689-2646

Imperial Hotel and Casino
123 N 3rd St
Victor, CO 80860
(719) 689-7777

Shopping

When you finish exploring the Colorado Springs attractions like Pike’s Peak and the U.S. Olympic training center, you might want to take a Colorado Springs shopping excursion. The Colorado Springs shopping malls provide visitors with an interesting variety of stores. For example, the Citadel Mall is where you will find the traditional stores such as Victoria’s Secret and Express. If you are looking for an untraditional but upscale Colorado Springs shopping experience, check out the shops at the luxurious Broadmoor Hotel. Here, you will find bookstores, watch stores and other interesting surprises.

Chapel Hills Mall
1710 Briargate Blvd. (N. Academy Blvd. at Briargate Blvd.)
(719) 594-0111

More than 160 stores and shops anchored by JC Penney, Foley’s, Mervyn’s, Dillard’s, Kmart and Sears.

The Citadel
750 E. Citadel Drive (N. Academy Blvd. at E. Platte Ave.)
(719) 595-5515.

More than 150 retailers including JC Penney, Foley’s, Mervyn’s and Dillards.

Higher Education

Community Colleges
Community colleges exist for two major purposes. The first is to serve as a bridge from high school to college by providing courses for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree. Four out of 10 collegebound high-school graduates start their college education this way.

The second function of community colleges is to prepare students for the job market by offering entry-level career training as well as courses for adult students who want to upgrade their skills for the workplace. They often offer programs that are not available at four-year schools, like fashion design.

Liberal Arts Colleges
Liberal arts colleges offer a broad base of courses in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Most are private and focus mainly on undergraduate students. Classes tend to be small and personal attention is available.

Online Learning
Recent years have witnessed the rise of online degree programs, to allow the busy professional a chance to work at their own pace from the comfort of their home on the path to getting a degree. The costs to students are typically the same as for traditional classes— and financial aid is equally available—while the cost to the institution can be much less.

There are online universities ranging from legitimate distance learning systems to fly-by-night degree-mills. It’s important to research a particular institution before deciding to enroll in their system. Generally, brick-and-mortar schools that also offer online classes are the safest, though there are plenty of fully accredited online universities out there.

Nearly 3 million students are believed to be taking online classes at institutions of higher education in the United States this year. That number has been growing about 25% a year recently. Now, virtually all public higher education institutions, as well as a vast majority of private, for-profit institutions, now offer online classes. By contrast, only about half of private, nonprofit schools offer them. Online schools offer everything from Associate’s degrees to Doctoral programs with available emphases in everything from Business Administration to Criminal Justice to Nursing. Some programs require students to attend some campus classes or orientations, but many are delivered completely online. Online courses generally require a computer with a broadband connection, but are now a serious option for the busy professional.

Public vs. Private
Public colleges are usually less expensive, particularly for in-state residents. They get most of their money from the state or local government. Private colleges rely on tuition, fees, endowments, and other private sources. Private colleges are usually smaller and can offer more personalized attention and often more prestige.

 Universities
Generally, a university is bigger than a college and offers more majors and research facilities. Class size often reflects institutional size and some classes may taught by graduate students.

Upper Division
Upper-division schools offer the last two years of undergraduate study, usually in specialized programs leading to a bachelor’s degree. Students then generally transfer to an upper-division college after completing an associate degree or after finishing a second year of study at a four-year college.

Colorado Christian University
685 Citadel Drive East, Suite 225,
Colorado Springs, CO   80909
www.ccu.edu

The Colorado College
14 East Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 389-6000
www.coloradocollege.edu

Colorado College offers more than 80 majors, minors, and specialized programs.   Colorado College began a unique program in 1970 by adopting the Block Plan. The Plan divides the academic year into eight three-and-a-half week segments or blocks. Students take one principal course at a time and professors teach one. Some courses may last for one block, others for two or three blocks, depending on the nature of the material

Colorado State University – Pueblo
229 East Pikes Peak Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO   80903
www.colostate-pueblo.edu/

Colorado Technical University
4435 North Chestnut Street
Colorado Springs, CO   80907
www.colotechu.edu

Pikes Peak Community College
5675 South Academy Boulevard
Colorado Springs, CO   80910
www.ppcc.cccoes.edu

PPCC has grown and expanded to become the largest postsecondary educational institution in Colorado Springs and offers the most widely accessible and affordable education in the region. Serving the residents of El Paso, Teller, and Elbert Counties, PPCC offers more than 125 programs of study in transfer liberal arts and sciences areas and career and technical training.

US Air Force Academy
600 Pinion Dr
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
(719) 333-1110
www.usafa.af.mil

In the interest of our future national security, molds our future leaders into outstanding young men and women into Air Force officers with knowledge, character, and discipline; motivated to lead the worlds’ greatest aerospace force in service to the nation. Before its graduates enter various flying and support specialties, the Academy trains them to be, first and foremost, Air Force officers.

Public School

Colorado Department of Education
State Office Building
201 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80203-1799
(303) 866-6600
www.cde.state.co.us

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is the administrative arm of the Colorado State Board of Education. CDE serves Colorado’s 178 local school districts, providing them with leadership, consultation and administrative services on a statewide and regional basis.

Colorado Springs School Districts
Academy School District 20
7610 N. Union Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
(719) 234-1200
www.asd20.org/education/district/district.php?sectionid=1

Cheyenne Mountain School District 12
1118 W. Cheyenne Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
(719) 475-6100
www.cmsd.k12.co.us

Colorado Springs School District 11
1115 N. El Paso St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719)  520-2005
www.d11.org

Cripple Creek-Victor School District RE-1
410 N. B St.
Cripple Creek, CO 80813
(719) 689-2685
www.ccvschools.com

Fountain Fort-Carson School District 8
425 W. Alabama Ave.
Fountain, CO 80817
(719) 382-1300
www.ffc8.org

Harrison School District 2
1060 Harrison Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
(719)  579-2000
www.harrison.k12.co.us

Manitou Springs School District 14
405 El Monte Place
Manitou Springs, CO 80829
(719)  685-2024
www.mssd14.k12.co.us

Miami-Yoder School District 60-JT
420 S. Rush Road
Rush, CO 80833
(719)  478-2186

Widefield School District
1820 Main St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80911
(719) 391-3000
www.wsd3.org