Denver

**Denver** is the capital and largest city in the U.S. state of Colorado and a county named **Denver County**. For this reason, Denver is the county seat of Denver County. It is at the foot of the Rocky Mountains on the South Platte River, and was founded in 1858. Denver is nicknamed the "Mile High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile () above sea level. It is at least 5,280 feet (or 1,609 meters) above sea level at a point in the city's state capitol building. The dome at the top of the capitol building is covered in gold.

## History

Denver was founded in November 1858 as Denver City during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush as a mining town in western Kansas Territory. That summer, a group of gold prospectors from Lawrence, Kansas, started a settlement  on the banks of the South Platte River. They called it Montana City. This was the first settlement in what was later to become the city of Denver. The settlement faded quickly. By the summer of 1859 it was abandoned in favor of Auraria (named after the gold mining town of Auraria, Georgia), and St. Charles City.

The Colorado Territory was created on February 28, 1861, Arapahoe County was formed on November 1, 1861, and Denver City was incorporated on November 7, 1861. Denver City served as the Arapahoe County Seat from 1861 until consolidation in 1902. In 1867, Denver City became the Territorial Capital. With its new-found importance, Denver City shortened its name to just Denver. On August 1, 1876, Colorado was admitted to the Union.

## Sports teams in Denver

Denver is the home of the Denver Broncos football team, the Denver Nuggets basketball team, the Colorado Rockies baseball team, the Colorado Avalanche hockey team, and the Colorado Rapids soccer team.

## Newspapers

- The Denver Post
- The Rocky Mountain News

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Denver
- **settlement type**: List of capitals in the United States, State capital and consolidated city-county
- **image skyline**: Denver-colorado-skyline.jpg
- **image caption**: Denver skyline
- **image flag**: Flag of Denver, Colorado.svg
- **image seal**: Seal of Denver, Colorado.svg
- **nicknames**: The Mile High City
Queen City of the Plains
Wall Street of the West
- **image map**: Map_of_Colorado_highlighting_Denver_County_(colored).svg
- **map caption**: Location of Denver in Colorado
- **image map1**: Map of USA CO.svg
- **map caption1**: Location of Colorado in the United States
- **subdivision type**: List of sovereign states, Country
- **subdivision name**: United States
- **subdivision type1**: U.S. state, State
- **subdivision name1**: Colorado
- **subdivision type2**: List of counties in Colorado, City and county
- **subdivision name2**: Denver
- **established title**: Platted
- **established title2**: Municipal corporation, Incorporated
- **named for**: James W. Denver
- **seat type**: County seat, Seat
- **leader title**: Mayor
- **leader name**: Mike Johnston (Colorado politician), Mike Johnston (Democratic Party (United States), D)
- **unit pref**: US
- **total type**: Total
- **area total km2**: 400.7
- **area land km2**: 396.5
- **area water km2**: 4.3
- **area metro km2**: 21764
- **elevation m**: 1608
- **elevation ft**: 5276
- **population as of**: 2020 United States census, 2020
- **population total**: 715522
- **population rank**: List of United States cities by population, 19th in the United States
List of municipalities in Colorado, 1st in Colorado
- **population density sq mi**: 4,674
- **population urban**: 2,686,147 (US: List of United States urban areas, 18th)
- **population density urban km2**: 1,609.1
- **population density urban sq mi**: 4,167.5
- **population demonym**: Denverite
- **population metro**: 2,963,821 (US: List of metropolitan statistical areas, 19th)
- **population blank1 title**: Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area, CSA
- **population blank1**: 3,623,560 (US: List of primary statistical areas, 17th)
- **timezone1**: Mountain Time Zone, MST
- **utc offset1**: −07:00
- **timezone1 dst**: Mountain Time Zone, MDT
- **utc offset1 dst**: −06:00
- **area codes**: Area codes 303, 720, and 983, 303, 720, 983
- **blank name**: Federal Information Processing Standards, FIPS code
- **blank info**: 08-20000
- **blank1 name**: Geographic Names Information System, GNIS feature ID
- **blank1 info**: 201738