Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. With an estimated population of 376,427 in 2007, it is the second most populous city in the state of Colorado and the 47th most populous city in the United States. This count differs significantly from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs' 2007 estimate of 402,417. In 2007 the Colorado Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated population of 609,096.
Colorado Springs is located just east of the geographic center of the state and 61 miles (98 km) south of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. At 6,035 feet (1839 meters) Colorado Springs sits over one mile above sea level, though some areas of the city are significantly higher. The city is situated near the base of one of the most famous American mountains, Pikes Peak, at the eastern edge of the southern Rocky Mountains. Colorado Springs was selected as the No. 1 Best Big City in "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine in 2006. |
