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Aspen, Colorado

Aspen is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States.[5][6] The city population was 7,004 at the 2020 United States Census.[4] Aspen is in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains' Sawatch Range and Elk Mountains, along the Roaring Fork River at an elevation just below 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above sea level on the Western Slope, 11 miles (18 km) west of the Continental Divide. Aspen is now a part of the Glenwood Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Aspen, Colorado
City of Aspen
Downtown Aspen (2005)
Etymology: Aspen trees around the city
Location within Pitkin County and Colorado
Aspen
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 39°11′42″N 106°50′13″W / 39.194951°N 106.837002°W / 39.194951; -106.837002Coordinates: 39°11′42″N 106°50′13″W / 39.194951°N 106.837002°W / 39.194951; -106.837002[3]
Country United States
State Colorado
CountyPitkin County seat[2]
Settled1879
Incorporation1881
Government
 • TypeHome rule municipality, council-manager
 • City managerSarah Ott
 • MayorTorre
Area
 • Total3.858 sq mi (9.992 km2)
 • Land3.858 sq mi (9.992 km2)
 • Water0.000 sq mi (0.000 km2)
Elevation
(average)
8,000 ft (2,438.4 m)
Highest elevation
(At SW corner of city boundary)
8,460 ft (2,580 m)
Lowest elevation
(Roaring Fork at N corner of city)
7,660 ft (2,330 m)
Population
 • Total7,004
 • Density1,815/sq mi (701/km2)
 • Metro
79,043
 • CSA
134,774
Time zoneUTC−07:00 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
ZIP Code
81611, 81612 (PO Boxes)
Area code970
FIPS code08-03620
INCITS place code0803620
GNIS feature ID0204686
Wikimedia CommonsAspen, Colorado
Websiteaspen.gov

Founded as a mining camp during the Colorado Silver Boom and later named Aspen for the abundance of aspen trees in the area, the city boomed during the 1880s, its first decade. The boom ended when the Panic of 1893 led to a collapse of the silver market. For the next half-century, known as "the quiet years", the population steadily declined, reaching a nadir of fewer than 1000 by 1930. Aspen's fortunes recovered in the mid-20th century when neighboring Aspen Mountain was developed into a ski resort, and industrialist Walter Paepcke bought many properties in the city in the 1950s and redeveloped them. Today it is home to three institutions, two of which Paepcke helped found, that have international importance: the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Aspen Institute, and the Aspen Center for Physics.[7]

In the late 20th century, the town became a popular retreat for celebrities. Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson worked out of a downtown hotel and ran unsuccessfully for county sheriff. Singer John Denver wrote two songs about Aspen after settling there. Both figures popularized Aspen among the counter-cultural youth of the 1970s as an ideal place to live, and the city continued to grow even as it gained notoriety for some of the era's hedonistic excesses (particularly its drug culture).[citation needed]

Aspen remains popular as a year-round destination for locals, second-home buyers and tourists. Outdoor recreation in the surrounding White River National Forest serves as a summertime counterpart to the city's four ski areas. Prime residential real estate in Aspen is the most expensive of any ski resort in the world on a per-square-foot basis, according to a study of 44 global ski resorts.[8] Aspen is the world's second-highest-rated ski resort in terms of "the quality and reliability of their conditions and their capacity to withstand climate change."[9]

History

 
Silver wire specimens from the historic Mollie Gibson Mine near Aspen
 
Aspen Lumber Company, built in 1882

The city's roots are traced to the winter of 1879, when a group of miners ignored pleas by Frederick Pitkin, Governor of Colorado, to return across the Continental Divide to avoid a Ute uprising. The Utes were fighting to maintain possession of their land and communities. Originally named Ute City, the small community was renamed Aspen in 1880, and, in its peak production years of 1891 and 1892, surpassed Leadville as the United States' most productive silver-mining district.[10] Production expanded due to the passage of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890, which doubled the government's purchase of silver. In 1883, the Apostolic Vicarate of Colorado's Bishop Machebeuf had the Reverend Edward Downey establish the first Catholic mission in Aspen.[11]

By 1893, Aspen had banks, a hospital, a police department, two theaters, an opera house, and electric lights. Economic collapse came with the Panic of 1893, when President Cleveland called a special session of Congress and repealed the act. Within weeks, many of the Aspen mines were closed and thousands of miners were put out of work. It was proposed that silver be recognized as legal tender and the People's Party (populists) adopted that as one of its main issues. Davis H. Waite, an Aspen newspaperman and agitator, was elected governor of Colorado on the Democratic ticket, but in time the movement failed.

 
Aspen, 1962

Eventually, after wage cuts, mining revived somewhat, but production declined and by the 1930 census only 705 residents remained. Remaining, however, were stocks of old commercial buildings and residences, along with excellent snow. Aspen's development as a ski resort began in the 1930s when investors conceived of a ski area, but the project was interrupted by World War II. Friedl Pfeifer, a member of the 10th Mountain Division who had trained in the area, returned to the area and linked up with industrialist Walter Paepcke and his wife Elizabeth. The Aspen Skiing Company was founded in 1946 and the city quickly became a well-known resort, hosting the FIS World Championships in 1950. Paepcke also played an important role in bringing the Goethe Bicentennial Convocation to Aspen in 1949, an event held in a newly designed tent by the architect Eero Saarinen. Aspen was then on the path to becoming an internationally known ski resort and cultural center, home of the Aspen Music Festival and School. The area would continue to grow with the development of three additional ski areas, Buttermilk (1958), Aspen Highlands (1958), and Snowmass (1967).

In the 1970s, Aspen became known as a playground for the rich and famous. Notable celebrities frequented the town and ski slopes, also John Denver was one of the more famous permanent residents. In 1978, Aspen was thoroughly photographed for the Aspen Movie Map project funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. The Movie Map is one of the earliest examples of virtual reality software.[12]

In 1999, the city council passed a resolution to petition the US Congress and President Clinton to restrict US immigration. Aspen residents cited concerns about the environmental impacts of increased immigration on their community, including urban and suburban sprawl, pollution from the older automobiles typically driven by immigrants, and litter accumulating in the mountains attributable to the increasing population. The impetus for the resolution was the increasing number of trailer parks that housed the migrant workers employed locally in the service sector and ski industry. The parks were perceived to be degrading to the town's image, property values, and environment. The move was led by Terry Paulson, an Aspen City Council member, and supported and guided by national groups such as the Carrying Capacity Network, and the Center for Immigration Studies. The resolution was discussed on the American Patrol Report website, contributing to a controversy over whether or not the resolution was racially motivated. Councilman Terry Paulson and some Aspen citizens insisted that it was motivated entirely by environmental concerns.[13]

Aspen is notable as the smallest radio market tracked by Arbitron, ranked number 302.

Local media in Aspen include a public radio station, KJAX,[14] a public television station, the Grassroots TV network;[15] three commercial radio stations, KSNO, KTND, and KSPN; two daily newspapers, The Aspen Times and The Aspen Daily News; three local lifestyle magazines, Aspen Sojourner,[16] Aspen Magazine[17] and the biannual Aspen Peak; and a local, live, commercial lifestyle television channel, Aspen 82.[18]

Government

 
City Hall, formerly Armory Hall

Aspen is a home rule municipality[1] under Colorado law. It has a council-manager government. An elected council of four members and the mayor supervise the city's operations, managed on a day-to-day basis by the city manager, an appointed official who serves at their pleasure.

The city's main office is at City Hall, the former Armory Hall listed on the National Register of Historic Places at the intersection of South Galena Street and East Hopkins Avenue. Because of its expansion in the late-20th century, it has outgrown that space. Several city departments are housed in satellite offices around the city.

Image

 
A restaurant located in Aspen, CO

The city's character has transformed dramatically in recent decades by skyrocketing property values and the proliferation of second homes, increasingly shutting low- and middle-income workers out of the city and creating a large pool of commuters from nearby bedroom communities such as Snowmass, Basalt, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs. At the same time, in stark contrast to its historic character, the city has emerged into international fame as a glitzy playground of the wealthy and famous. Aspen has become a second and third home to many international jet-setters. Many people from the U.S. and abroad vacation in Aspen, especially during the winter.[19]

The downtown has been largely transformed into an upscale shopping district that includes high-end restaurants, salons, and boutiques.[20] Stores such as Gucci, Prada and Fendi dot South Mill Street and act as a "Rodeo Drive" of Aspen.[21]

Real estate market

 
The John Denver Sanctuary in Rio Grande Park

Aspen's single-family home prices are among the highest of any town in the country. Real estate supply is restricted because most of the land around Aspen is public land, conservation land, or part of large private ranches, while demand for housing around Aspen soared during the COVID-19 pandemic.[22] The median sales price of a single family home in 2021 in Aspen was $9.5 million.[22] A 2021 study by Savills, a global real estate broker, declared that prime Aspen real estate was the most expensive on a per-square-foot-basis of the 44 global ski resort markets it studied.[8]

Relatively less expensive housing can be found outside the city limits, in nearby Snowmass Village (median single family home price $5.2 million in 2021),[22] or in the city's condos, many of which date to the 1960s and 1970s.[23]

Affordability of housing is a severe challenge for workers in the Aspen area.[24] The Aspen Pitkin County Housing Authority oversees an extensive program of properties intended for people who primarily live and work in the Roaring Fork Valley and whose income falls below certain limits, known as Employee Housing.[25] Homes purchased through Employee Housing programs typically contain deed restrictions to maintain a degree of affordability for local residents, but even deed-restricted properties in the area can cost close to $1 million.[26]

In 2018, Stephane de Baets facilitated the first major commercial real estate transaction using blockchain technology to sell ownership stakes in the Aspen St. Regis Resort.[27]

Geography

The city sits along the southeast (upper) end of the Roaring Fork Valley, along the Roaring Fork River, a tributary of the Colorado River about 40 miles (64 km) south of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It is surrounded by mountain and wilderness areas on three sides: Red Mountain to the north, Smuggler Mountain to the east, and Aspen Mountain to the south.

Aspen is located at 39°11′32″N 106°49′28″W / 39.192297°N 106.824470°W / 39.192297; -106.824470,[28] along State Highway 82.

At the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total area of 2,469 acres (9.992 km2), all of it land.[4]

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Aspen has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb) owing to its high elevation. There is a large diurnal temperature variation between daytime and nighttime temperatures, rendering summer days moderately warm and winter nights very cold for the latitude. Summer lows and winter highs are relatively moderate, with frosts being rare in summer and winter days often averaging above freezing.

Climate data for Aspen, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1980–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 58
(14)
60
(16)
68
(20)
74
(23)
86
(30)
88
(31)
91
(33)
88
(31)
86
(30)
78
(26)
70
(21)
62
(17)
91
(33)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 48.6
(9.2)
51.7
(10.9)
59.4
(15.2)
67.3
(19.6)
76.1
(24.5)
82.8
(28.2)
85.4
(29.7)
83.4
(28.6)
79.5
(26.4)
72.9
(22.7)
60.6
(15.9)
50.2
(10.1)
85.8
(29.9)
Average high °F (°C) 32.0
(0.0)
35.3
(1.8)
42.7
(5.9)
49.7
(9.8)
60.0
(15.6)
70.6
(21.4)
75.5
(24.2)
73.1
(22.8)
66.9
(19.4)
55.2
(12.9)
41.6
(5.3)
31.9
(−0.1)
52.9
(11.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 20.9
(−6.2)
23.9
(−4.5)
31.2
(−0.4)
38.1
(3.4)
47.5
(8.6)
56.4
(13.6)
61.8
(16.6)
60.1
(15.6)
53.4
(11.9)
42.5
(5.8)
30.5
(−0.8)
21.1
(−6.1)
40.6
(4.8)
Average low °F (°C) 9.9
(−12.3)
12.5
(−10.8)
19.8
(−6.8)
26.6
(−3.0)
35.0
(1.7)
42.2
(5.7)
48.1
(8.9)
47.1
(8.4)
40.0
(4.4)
29.8
(−1.2)
19.4
(−7.0)
10.3
(−12.1)
28.4
(−2.0)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −6.4
(−21.3)
−4.5
(−20.3)
2.7
(−16.3)
12.3
(−10.9)
22.6
(−5.2)
31.2
(−0.4)
40.2
(4.6)
39.5
(4.2)
28.1
(−2.2)
13.1
(−10.5)
1.3
(−17.1)
−7.7
(−22.1)
−10.9
(−23.8)
Record low °F (°C) −20
(−29)
−25
(−32)
−14
(−26)
0
(−18)
15
(−9)
20
(−7)
29
(−2)
29
(−2)
18
(−8)
−5
(−21)
−13
(−25)
−23
(−31)
−25
(−32)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.93
(49)
2.23
(57)
2.59
(66)
2.68
(68)
2.17
(55)
1.06
(27)
1.97
(50)
1.75
(44)
1.89
(48)
2.09
(53)
2.09
(53)
2.00
(51)
24.45
(621)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 28.1
(71)
28.3
(72)
26.9
(68)
20.9
(53)
7.0
(18)
0.4
(1.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
1.0
(2.5)
10.2
(26)
20.5
(52)
27.5
(70)
170.8
(433.5)
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) 29.1
(74)
36.5
(93)
35.3
(90)
21.2
(54)
4.2
(11)
0.2
(0.51)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.5
(1.3)
5.0
(13)
11.3
(29)
19.2
(49)
39.0
(99)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 12.7 12.7 11.3 13.0 11.0 6.9 11.3 12.5 10.0 9.4 9.9 12.2 132.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 12.0 11.6 9.5 8.4 2.5 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.7 4.0 8.3 11.3 68.5
Average relative humidity (%) 62.9 60.0 54.1 50.1 46.9 42.8 47.4 52.3 50.6 52.3 59.7 64.5 53.6
Mean daily sunshine hours 7 8 8 9 10 11 10 9 9 8 6 6 8
Average ultraviolet index 2 4 6 8 10 11 11 10 8 5 3 2 7
Source: NOAA[29][30]Weatherbase (humidity)[31]Weather Atlas (daily sunshine hours and UV index)[32]

Demographics

 
Henry Webber House
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
18905,108
19003,303−35.3%
19101,834−44.5%
19201,265−31.0%
1930705−44.3%
194077710.2%
195091617.9%
19601,10120.2%
19702,437121.3%
19803,67850.9%
19905,04937.3%
20005,91417.1%
20106,65812.6%
20207,0045.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census[33] of 2003, there were 5,914 people, 2,903 households, and 1,082 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,675.4 inhabitants per square mile (646.9/km2). There were 4,354 housing units at an average density of 1,233.5 per square mile (476.2 per km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.94 percent White, 0.44 percent Black or African American, 0.24 percent Native American, 1.45 percent Asian, 0.08 percent Pacific Islander, 1.64 percent from other races, and 1.2 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.14 percent of the population.

There were 2,903 households, of which 16.5 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.8 percent were married couples living together, 5.6 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 62.7 percent were non-families. Single individuals composed 43.8 percent of all households, and 4.8 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.67.

The ages of the population were 13.1 percent under the age of 18, 9.8 percent from 18 to 24, 42.1 percent from 25 to 44, 27.6 percent from 45 to 64, and 7.4 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,750, and the median income for a family was $70,300. Males had a median income of $41,011 versus $32,023 for females. The per capita income for the city was $40,680. About 3.6 percent of families and 8.2 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4 percent of those under age 18 and 2.6 percent of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

  • Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, or RFTA, provides free bus service within Aspen and Snowmass Village, and pay service to the surrounding communities of Basalt, El Jebel, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, and Rifle. Amtrak serves Glenwood Springs, offering in conjunction with RFTA an environmentally friendly way to travel to Aspen.
  • Aspen's airport is Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, also known as Sardy Field. The airport is an FAA Class 1 airport and has one asphalt runway, 100 ft (30 m) wide and 8,006 ft (2,440 m) long. The airport is commercially serviced by American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines.
  • State Highway 82 is the only major road that provides access to Aspen. There are some mountain pass roads that lead to the city, but those require all-terrain vehicles and are typically impassable during the winter. Highway 82 east of Aspen is also impassable due to snow on Independence Pass, leaving Highway 82 west of Aspen as the only means of motor vehicle access during the winter. Highway 82 east of Aspen is typically closed from approximately the end of October to Memorial Day, depending on snow conditions.
  • The bike-sharing system WE-CYCLE serves Aspen and Basalt with 16 stations and 200 bikes. Docking stations and bikes are built by PBSC Urban Solutions.[34]

Education

As of 2012, based on data from the 2009–10 school year, according to U.S. News & World Report, Aspen High School, the only high school in the Aspen School District, is the top ranked high school in Colorado and ranked 59th in the United States. The high school has grades 9 to 12, 540 students, and 41 teachers. Olympic cross-country skier Noah Hoffman is a 2007 graduate.

 
Ski Run from the 2017 World Cup

Minorities, mostly Hispanic, make up 13 percent of the school's enrollment. Four percent of the students are economically disadvantaged. The school has a high rate of participation in the International Baccalaureate program.[35]

Sports

The Winter X Games sports event has been held in Aspen at Buttermilk (ski area) since 2002. Aspen natives Torin Yater-Wallace and Alex Ferreira are both freestyle skiers who compete in the Winter X Games and have very successful careers. Both Torin and Alex have represented the United States of America in Men's Ski SuperPipe at the Olympic Games.

The Gentlemen of Aspen is the local rugby team. The Gentlemen of Aspen won the Rugby Super League several times: 1997, 2001, 2002.

Historic buildings

Sister cities

 
Silver mines in Aspen, 1898

Aspen's sister cities are:[36]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Active Colorado Municipalities". Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Colorado Counties". State of Colorado, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  3. ^ "2014 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Places". United States Census Bureau. July 1, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d "Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data". United States Census Bureau, United States Department of Commerce. August 12, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  5. ^ . National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.[not specific enough to verify]
  6. ^ "Colorado County Seats". State of Colorado, Department of Public Health and Environment.[not specific enough to verify]
  7. ^ "Aspen Center for Physics". Aspen Center for Physics. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Savills Global Prime Price League". www.savills.com. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  9. ^ Savills (November 30, 2021). "Which ski resort is most resilient?". Savills. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  10. ^ Charles W. Henderson, 1926, Mining in Colorado, U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 138, p.176, 201.
  11. ^ Howlett, W.J. Life of the Right Reverend Joseph P. Machebeuf, D.D. Denver. p. 392.
  12. ^ SM '07, Erica Naone. "Déjà View". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
  13. ^ Park, Lisa Sun-Hee; Pellow, David Naguib (2011). The Slums of Aspen. New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-6803-7.
  14. ^ "Aspen Public Radio". www.aspenpublicradio.org.
  15. ^ "GrassRoots Community Network". GrassRoots Community.
  16. ^ "Aspen Sojourner". Aspen Sojourner.
  17. ^ "Maintenance". www.aspenmagazine.com.
  18. ^ "Aspen 82, About us". Aspen82. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
  19. ^ Seal, Mark (23 January 2014). "How Aspen became the billionaire's retreat". Vanity Fair. No. March.
  20. ^ "Shopping Aspen CO Colorado + Outlet Mall - City Guide".
  21. ^ "How to Shop Aspen, the West's Weird Luxury Oasis". February 2017.
  22. ^ a b c Small, Lori and William. "Small: 2022 real estate predictions: Is the market about to shift?". Aspen Daily News. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  23. ^ "Estin Report Aspen Snowmass Real Estate 2021 ws". Tim Estin. 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  24. ^ "Skyrocketing Real Estate Prices Could Bring "Significant Cultural Change" To Aspen And Snowmass". Aspen Public Radio. 2021-05-17. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  25. ^ "APCHA, CO | Official Website". www.apcha.org. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  26. ^ Williams, Kaya. "Coffey Place lottery to offer deed-restricted housing in Snowmass". www.aspentimes.com. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
  27. ^ Malviya, Hitesh (2017). "Blockchain for Commercial Real Estate". SSRN Working Paper Series. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2922695. ISSN 1556-5068. S2CID 168880555.
  28. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  29. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Aspen 1SW, CO". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  30. ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Grand Junction". National Weather Service. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  31. ^ "Aspen, Colorado Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  32. ^ "Aspen, CO - Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast". Weather Atlas. Yu Media Group. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  33. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.[not specific enough to verify]
  34. ^ "Bike sharing comes to Aspen | AspenTimes.com". The Aspen Times. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  35. ^ "Aspen High School Overview". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  36. ^ "Aspen's Sister Cities". Aspen Chamber Resort Association. Retrieved 2020-07-10.

Further reading

  • Berger, Bruce. The Complete Half-Aspenite WHO Press, 2005, ISBN 1-882426-22-3
  • Rohrbough, Malcolm. Aspen: The History of a Silver Mining Town 1879–1893 Oxford University Press, 1988, ISBN 0-19-505428-8
  • Wentworth, Frank L. Aspen on the Roaring Fork, Sundance Publication, hardcover, ISBN 0-913582-15-8 (earlier editions exist)

External links

  • City of Aspen website
  • CDOT map of the City of Aspen

aspen, colorado, aspen, home, rule, municipality, that, county, seat, most, populous, municipality, pitkin, county, colorado, united, states, city, population, 2020, united, states, census, aspen, remote, area, rocky, mountains, sawatch, range, mountains, alon. Aspen is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pitkin County Colorado United States 5 6 The city population was 7 004 at the 2020 United States Census 4 Aspen is in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains Sawatch Range and Elk Mountains along the Roaring Fork River at an elevation just below 8 000 feet 2 400 m above sea level on the Western Slope 11 miles 18 km west of the Continental Divide Aspen is now a part of the Glenwood Springs CO Micropolitan Statistical Area Aspen ColoradoHome rule municipality 1 City of AspenDowntown Aspen 2005 FlagLogoEtymology Aspen trees around the cityLocation within Pitkin County and ColoradoAspenLocation within the United StatesCoordinates 39 11 42 N 106 50 13 W 39 194951 N 106 837002 W 39 194951 106 837002 Coordinates 39 11 42 N 106 50 13 W 39 194951 N 106 837002 W 39 194951 106 837002 3 Country United StatesState ColoradoCountyPitkin County seat 2 Settled1879Incorporation1881Government TypeHome rule municipality council manager City managerSarah Ott MayorTorreArea 4 Total3 858 sq mi 9 992 km2 Land3 858 sq mi 9 992 km2 Water0 000 sq mi 0 000 km2 Elevation average 8 000 ft 2 438 4 m Highest elevation At SW corner of city boundary 8 460 ft 2 580 m Lowest elevation Roaring Fork at N corner of city 7 660 ft 2 330 m Population 2020 4 Total7 004 Density1 815 sq mi 701 km2 Metro79 043 CSA134 774Time zoneUTC 07 00 MST Summer DST UTC 06 00 MDT ZIP Code81611 81612 PO Boxes Area code970FIPS code08 03620INCITS place code0803620GNIS feature ID0204686Wikimedia CommonsAspen ColoradoWebsiteaspen govFounded as a mining camp during the Colorado Silver Boom and later named Aspen for the abundance of aspen trees in the area the city boomed during the 1880s its first decade The boom ended when the Panic of 1893 led to a collapse of the silver market For the next half century known as the quiet years the population steadily declined reaching a nadir of fewer than 1000 by 1930 Aspen s fortunes recovered in the mid 20th century when neighboring Aspen Mountain was developed into a ski resort and industrialist Walter Paepcke bought many properties in the city in the 1950s and redeveloped them Today it is home to three institutions two of which Paepcke helped found that have international importance the Aspen Music Festival and School the Aspen Institute and the Aspen Center for Physics 7 In the late 20th century the town became a popular retreat for celebrities Gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson worked out of a downtown hotel and ran unsuccessfully for county sheriff Singer John Denver wrote two songs about Aspen after settling there Both figures popularized Aspen among the counter cultural youth of the 1970s as an ideal place to live and the city continued to grow even as it gained notoriety for some of the era s hedonistic excesses particularly its drug culture citation needed Aspen remains popular as a year round destination for locals second home buyers and tourists Outdoor recreation in the surrounding White River National Forest serves as a summertime counterpart to the city s four ski areas Prime residential real estate in Aspen is the most expensive of any ski resort in the world on a per square foot basis according to a study of 44 global ski resorts 8 Aspen is the world s second highest rated ski resort in terms of the quality and reliability of their conditions and their capacity to withstand climate change 9 Contents 1 History 2 Government 3 Image 4 Real estate market 5 Geography 5 1 Climate 6 Demographics 7 Transportation 8 Education 9 Sports 10 Historic buildings 11 Sister cities 12 Notable people 13 See also 14 References 15 Further reading 16 External linksHistory Edit Silver wire specimens from the historic Mollie Gibson Mine near Aspen Aspen Lumber Company built in 1882 The city s roots are traced to the winter of 1879 when a group of miners ignored pleas by Frederick Pitkin Governor of Colorado to return across the Continental Divide to avoid a Ute uprising The Utes were fighting to maintain possession of their land and communities Originally named Ute City the small community was renamed Aspen in 1880 and in its peak production years of 1891 and 1892 surpassed Leadville as the United States most productive silver mining district 10 Production expanded due to the passage of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 which doubled the government s purchase of silver In 1883 the Apostolic Vicarate of Colorado s Bishop Machebeuf had the Reverend Edward Downey establish the first Catholic mission in Aspen 11 By 1893 Aspen had banks a hospital a police department two theaters an opera house and electric lights Economic collapse came with the Panic of 1893 when President Cleveland called a special session of Congress and repealed the act Within weeks many of the Aspen mines were closed and thousands of miners were put out of work It was proposed that silver be recognized as legal tender and the People s Party populists adopted that as one of its main issues Davis H Waite an Aspen newspaperman and agitator was elected governor of Colorado on the Democratic ticket but in time the movement failed Aspen 1962 Eventually after wage cuts mining revived somewhat but production declined and by the 1930 census only 705 residents remained Remaining however were stocks of old commercial buildings and residences along with excellent snow Aspen s development as a ski resort began in the 1930s when investors conceived of a ski area but the project was interrupted by World War II Friedl Pfeifer a member of the 10th Mountain Division who had trained in the area returned to the area and linked up with industrialist Walter Paepcke and his wife Elizabeth The Aspen Skiing Company was founded in 1946 and the city quickly became a well known resort hosting the FIS World Championships in 1950 Paepcke also played an important role in bringing the Goethe Bicentennial Convocation to Aspen in 1949 an event held in a newly designed tent by the architect Eero Saarinen Aspen was then on the path to becoming an internationally known ski resort and cultural center home of the Aspen Music Festival and School The area would continue to grow with the development of three additional ski areas Buttermilk 1958 Aspen Highlands 1958 and Snowmass 1967 In the 1970s Aspen became known as a playground for the rich and famous Notable celebrities frequented the town and ski slopes also John Denver was one of the more famous permanent residents In 1978 Aspen was thoroughly photographed for the Aspen Movie Map project funded by the U S Department of Defense The Movie Map is one of the earliest examples of virtual reality software 12 In 1999 the city council passed a resolution to petition the US Congress and President Clinton to restrict US immigration Aspen residents cited concerns about the environmental impacts of increased immigration on their community including urban and suburban sprawl pollution from the older automobiles typically driven by immigrants and litter accumulating in the mountains attributable to the increasing population The impetus for the resolution was the increasing number of trailer parks that housed the migrant workers employed locally in the service sector and ski industry The parks were perceived to be degrading to the town s image property values and environment The move was led by Terry Paulson an Aspen City Council member and supported and guided by national groups such as the Carrying Capacity Network and the Center for Immigration Studies The resolution was discussed on the American Patrol Report website contributing to a controversy over whether or not the resolution was racially motivated Councilman Terry Paulson and some Aspen citizens insisted that it was motivated entirely by environmental concerns 13 Aspen is notable as the smallest radio market tracked by Arbitron ranked number 302 Local media in Aspen include a public radio station KJAX 14 a public television station the Grassroots TV network 15 three commercial radio stations KSNO KTND and KSPN two daily newspapers The Aspen Times and The Aspen Daily News three local lifestyle magazines Aspen Sojourner 16 Aspen Magazine 17 and the biannual Aspen Peak and a local live commercial lifestyle television channel Aspen 82 18 Government Edit City Hall formerly Armory Hall Aspen is a home rule municipality 1 under Colorado law It has a council manager government An elected council of four members and the mayor supervise the city s operations managed on a day to day basis by the city manager an appointed official who serves at their pleasure The city s main office is at City Hall the former Armory Hall listed on the National Register of Historic Places at the intersection of South Galena Street and East Hopkins Avenue Because of its expansion in the late 20th century it has outgrown that space Several city departments are housed in satellite offices around the city Image Edit A restaurant located in Aspen CO The city s character has transformed dramatically in recent decades by skyrocketing property values and the proliferation of second homes increasingly shutting low and middle income workers out of the city and creating a large pool of commuters from nearby bedroom communities such as Snowmass Basalt Carbondale and Glenwood Springs At the same time in stark contrast to its historic character the city has emerged into international fame as a glitzy playground of the wealthy and famous Aspen has become a second and third home to many international jet setters Many people from the U S and abroad vacation in Aspen especially during the winter 19 The downtown has been largely transformed into an upscale shopping district that includes high end restaurants salons and boutiques 20 Stores such as Gucci Prada and Fendi dot South Mill Street and act as a Rodeo Drive of Aspen 21 Real estate market Edit The John Denver Sanctuary in Rio Grande Park Aspen s single family home prices are among the highest of any town in the country Real estate supply is restricted because most of the land around Aspen is public land conservation land or part of large private ranches while demand for housing around Aspen soared during the COVID 19 pandemic 22 The median sales price of a single family home in 2021 in Aspen was 9 5 million 22 A 2021 study by Savills a global real estate broker declared that prime Aspen real estate was the most expensive on a per square foot basis of the 44 global ski resort markets it studied 8 Relatively less expensive housing can be found outside the city limits in nearby Snowmass Village median single family home price 5 2 million in 2021 22 or in the city s condos many of which date to the 1960s and 1970s 23 Affordability of housing is a severe challenge for workers in the Aspen area 24 The Aspen Pitkin County Housing Authority oversees an extensive program of properties intended for people who primarily live and work in the Roaring Fork Valley and whose income falls below certain limits known as Employee Housing 25 Homes purchased through Employee Housing programs typically contain deed restrictions to maintain a degree of affordability for local residents but even deed restricted properties in the area can cost close to 1 million 26 In 2018 Stephane de Baets facilitated the first major commercial real estate transaction using blockchain technology to sell ownership stakes in the Aspen St Regis Resort 27 Geography EditThe city sits along the southeast upper end of the Roaring Fork Valley along the Roaring Fork River a tributary of the Colorado River about 40 miles 64 km south of Glenwood Springs Colorado It is surrounded by mountain and wilderness areas on three sides Red Mountain to the north Smuggler Mountain to the east and Aspen Mountain to the south Aspen is located at 39 11 32 N 106 49 28 W 39 192297 N 106 824470 W 39 192297 106 824470 28 along State Highway 82 At the 2020 United States Census the city had a total area of 2 469 acres 9 992 km2 all of it land 4 Climate Edit Under the Koppen climate classification Aspen has a humid continental climate Koppen Dfb owing to its high elevation There is a large diurnal temperature variation between daytime and nighttime temperatures rendering summer days moderately warm and winter nights very cold for the latitude Summer lows and winter highs are relatively moderate with frosts being rare in summer and winter days often averaging above freezing Climate data for Aspen Colorado 1991 2020 normals extremes 1980 presentMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 58 14 60 16 68 20 74 23 86 30 88 31 91 33 88 31 86 30 78 26 70 21 62 17 91 33 Mean maximum F C 48 6 9 2 51 7 10 9 59 4 15 2 67 3 19 6 76 1 24 5 82 8 28 2 85 4 29 7 83 4 28 6 79 5 26 4 72 9 22 7 60 6 15 9 50 2 10 1 85 8 29 9 Average high F C 32 0 0 0 35 3 1 8 42 7 5 9 49 7 9 8 60 0 15 6 70 6 21 4 75 5 24 2 73 1 22 8 66 9 19 4 55 2 12 9 41 6 5 3 31 9 0 1 52 9 11 6 Daily mean F C 20 9 6 2 23 9 4 5 31 2 0 4 38 1 3 4 47 5 8 6 56 4 13 6 61 8 16 6 60 1 15 6 53 4 11 9 42 5 5 8 30 5 0 8 21 1 6 1 40 6 4 8 Average low F C 9 9 12 3 12 5 10 8 19 8 6 8 26 6 3 0 35 0 1 7 42 2 5 7 48 1 8 9 47 1 8 4 40 0 4 4 29 8 1 2 19 4 7 0 10 3 12 1 28 4 2 0 Mean minimum F C 6 4 21 3 4 5 20 3 2 7 16 3 12 3 10 9 22 6 5 2 31 2 0 4 40 2 4 6 39 5 4 2 28 1 2 2 13 1 10 5 1 3 17 1 7 7 22 1 10 9 23 8 Record low F C 20 29 25 32 14 26 0 18 15 9 20 7 29 2 29 2 18 8 5 21 13 25 23 31 25 32 Average precipitation inches mm 1 93 49 2 23 57 2 59 66 2 68 68 2 17 55 1 06 27 1 97 50 1 75 44 1 89 48 2 09 53 2 09 53 2 00 51 24 45 621 Average snowfall inches cm 28 1 71 28 3 72 26 9 68 20 9 53 7 0 18 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 5 10 2 26 20 5 52 27 5 70 170 8 433 5 Average extreme snow depth inches cm 29 1 74 36 5 93 35 3 90 21 2 54 4 2 11 0 2 0 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 3 5 0 13 11 3 29 19 2 49 39 0 99 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 12 7 12 7 11 3 13 0 11 0 6 9 11 3 12 5 10 0 9 4 9 9 12 2 132 9Average snowy days 0 1 in 12 0 11 6 9 5 8 4 2 5 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 7 4 0 8 3 11 3 68 5Average relative humidity 62 9 60 0 54 1 50 1 46 9 42 8 47 4 52 3 50 6 52 3 59 7 64 5 53 6Mean daily sunshine hours 7 8 8 9 10 11 10 9 9 8 6 6 8Average ultraviolet index 2 4 6 8 10 11 11 10 8 5 3 2 7Source NOAA 29 30 Weatherbase humidity 31 Weather Atlas daily sunshine hours and UV index 32 Demographics Edit Henry Webber House Historical population CensusPop Note 18905 108 19003 303 35 3 19101 834 44 5 19201 265 31 0 1930705 44 3 194077710 2 195091617 9 19601 10120 2 19702 437121 3 19803 67850 9 19905 04937 3 20005 91417 1 20106 65812 6 20207 0045 2 U S Decennial CensusAs of the census 33 of 2003 there were 5 914 people 2 903 households and 1 082 families residing in the city The population density was 1 675 4 inhabitants per square mile 646 9 km2 There were 4 354 housing units at an average density of 1 233 5 per square mile 476 2 per km2 The racial makeup of the city was 94 94 percent White 0 44 percent Black or African American 0 24 percent Native American 1 45 percent Asian 0 08 percent Pacific Islander 1 64 percent from other races and 1 2 percent from two or more races Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6 14 percent of the population There were 2 903 households of which 16 5 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them 28 8 percent were married couples living together 5 6 percent had a female householder with no husband present and 62 7 percent were non families Single individuals composed 43 8 percent of all households and 4 8 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older The average household size was 1 94 and the average family size was 2 67 The ages of the population were 13 1 percent under the age of 18 9 8 percent from 18 to 24 42 1 percent from 25 to 44 27 6 percent from 45 to 64 and 7 4 percent who were 65 years of age or older The median age was 37 years For every 100 females there were 115 1 males For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 117 5 males The median income for a household in the city was 53 750 and the median income for a family was 70 300 Males had a median income of 41 011 versus 32 023 for females The per capita income for the city was 40 680 About 3 6 percent of families and 8 2 percent of the population were below the poverty line including 4 4 percent of those under age 18 and 2 6 percent of those age 65 or over Transportation EditRoaring Fork Transportation Authority or RFTA provides free bus service within Aspen and Snowmass Village and pay service to the surrounding communities of Basalt El Jebel Carbondale Glenwood Springs and Rifle Amtrak serves Glenwood Springs offering in conjunction with RFTA an environmentally friendly way to travel to Aspen Aspen s airport is Aspen Pitkin County Airport also known as Sardy Field The airport is an FAA Class 1 airport and has one asphalt runway 100 ft 30 m wide and 8 006 ft 2 440 m long The airport is commercially serviced by American Airlines Delta Airlines and United Airlines State Highway 82 is the only major road that provides access to Aspen There are some mountain pass roads that lead to the city but those require all terrain vehicles and are typically impassable during the winter Highway 82 east of Aspen is also impassable due to snow on Independence Pass leaving Highway 82 west of Aspen as the only means of motor vehicle access during the winter Highway 82 east of Aspen is typically closed from approximately the end of October to Memorial Day depending on snow conditions The bike sharing system WE CYCLE serves Aspen and Basalt with 16 stations and 200 bikes Docking stations and bikes are built by PBSC Urban Solutions 34 Education EditAs of 2012 update based on data from the 2009 10 school year according to U S News amp World Report Aspen High School the only high school in the Aspen School District is the top ranked high school in Colorado and ranked 59th in the United States The high school has grades 9 to 12 540 students and 41 teachers Olympic cross country skier Noah Hoffman is a 2007 graduate Ski Run from the 2017 World Cup Minorities mostly Hispanic make up 13 percent of the school s enrollment Four percent of the students are economically disadvantaged The school has a high rate of participation in the International Baccalaureate program 35 Sports EditThe Winter X Games sports event has been held in Aspen at Buttermilk ski area since 2002 Aspen natives Torin Yater Wallace and Alex Ferreira are both freestyle skiers who compete in the Winter X Games and have very successful careers Both Torin and Alex have represented the United States of America in Men s Ski SuperPipe at the Olympic Games The Gentlemen of Aspen is the local rugby team The Gentlemen of Aspen won the Rugby Super League several times 1997 2001 2002 Historic buildings Edit Aspen Community Church Wheeler Opera House Pitkin County Courthouse Armory Hall or Fraternal Hall Aspen City Hall Elks building Cowenhoven Ute City Banque building Independence building Hotel JeromeSister cities Edit Silver mines in Aspen 1898 Aspen s sister cities are 36 Abetone Cutigliano Italy Bariloche Argentina Chamonix Mont Blanc France Davos Switzerland Garmisch Partenkirchen Germany Queenstown New Zealand Shimukappu JapanNotable people EditMain article List of people from Aspen ColoradoSee also Edit Geography portal History portal United States portal Colorado portalColorado Bibliography of Colorado Index of Colorado related articles Outline of Colorado List of counties in Colorado List of municipalities in Colorado List of places in Colorado List of statistical areas in Colorado Edwards Glenwood Springs CO Combined Statistical Area Glenwood Springs CO Micropolitan Statistical Area Aspen anomaly Aspen Snowmass Smuggler Mine Colorado Silver Boom Aspen Center for Physics KNDH radio KSNO radio TV AspenReferences Edit a b Active Colorado Municipalities Colorado Department of Local Affairs Retrieved October 15 2021 Colorado Counties State of Colorado Colorado Department of Local Affairs Division of Local Government Retrieved January 25 2021 2014 U S Gazetteer Files Places United States Census Bureau July 1 2014 Retrieved January 5 2015 a b c d Decennial Census P L 94 171 Redistricting Data United States Census Bureau United States Department of Commerce August 12 2021 Retrieved September 2 2021 Find a County National Association of Counties Archived from the original on May 31 2011 Retrieved June 7 2011 not specific enough to verify Colorado County Seats State of Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment not specific enough to verify Aspen Center for Physics Aspen Center for Physics Retrieved 12 July 2017 a b Savills Global Prime Price League www savills com Retrieved 2022 04 04 Savills November 30 2021 Which ski resort is most resilient Savills Retrieved April 2 2022 Charles W Henderson 1926 Mining in Colorado U S Geological Survey Professional Paper 138 p 176 201 Howlett W J Life of the Right Reverend Joseph P Machebeuf D D Denver p 392 SM 07 Erica Naone Deja View MIT Technology Review Retrieved 2019 12 14 Park Lisa Sun Hee Pellow David Naguib 2011 The Slums of Aspen New York University Press ISBN 978 0 8147 6803 7 Aspen Public Radio www aspenpublicradio org GrassRoots Community Network GrassRoots Community Aspen Sojourner Aspen Sojourner Maintenance www aspenmagazine com Aspen 82 About us Aspen82 Retrieved 2019 12 14 Seal Mark 23 January 2014 How Aspen became the billionaire s retreat Vanity Fair No March Shopping Aspen CO Colorado Outlet Mall City Guide How to Shop Aspen the West s Weird Luxury Oasis February 2017 a b c Small Lori and William Small 2022 real estate predictions Is the market about to shift Aspen Daily News Retrieved 2022 04 04 Estin Report Aspen Snowmass Real Estate 2021 ws Tim Estin 2021 01 08 Retrieved 2021 01 16 Skyrocketing Real Estate Prices Could Bring Significant Cultural Change To Aspen And Snowmass Aspen Public Radio 2021 05 17 Retrieved 2022 04 04 APCHA CO Official Website www apcha org Retrieved 2021 01 16 Williams Kaya Coffey Place lottery to offer deed restricted housing in Snowmass www aspentimes com Retrieved 2021 01 16 Malviya Hitesh 2017 Blockchain for Commercial Real Estate SSRN Working Paper Series doi 10 2139 ssrn 2922695 ISSN 1556 5068 S2CID 168880555 US Gazetteer files 2010 2000 and 1990 United States Census Bureau 2011 02 12 Retrieved 2011 04 23 U S Climate Normals Quick Access Station Aspen 1SW CO National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved November 26 2022 NOAA Online Weather Data NWS Grand Junction National Weather Service Retrieved November 26 2022 Aspen Colorado Travel Weather Averages Weatherbase Weatherbase Retrieved 2019 07 05 Aspen CO Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast Weather Atlas Yu Media Group Retrieved 2019 07 05 U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved 2008 01 31 not specific enough to verify Bike sharing comes to Aspen AspenTimes com The Aspen Times Retrieved 2016 08 01 Aspen High School Overview U S News amp World Report Retrieved June 4 2012 Aspen s Sister Cities Aspen Chamber Resort Association Retrieved 2020 07 10 Further reading EditBerger Bruce The Complete Half Aspenite WHO Press 2005 ISBN 1 882426 22 3 Rohrbough Malcolm Aspen The History of a Silver Mining Town 1879 1893 Oxford University Press 1988 ISBN 0 19 505428 8 Wentworth Frank L Aspen on the Roaring Fork Sundance Publication hardcover ISBN 0 913582 15 8 earlier editions exist External links EditAspen Colorado at Wikipedia s sister projects Media from Commons Quotations from Wikiquote Travel information from Wikivoyage City of Aspen website CDOT map of the City of Aspen Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Aspen Colorado amp oldid 1152407010, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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