Located high in the Rocky Mountains, Aspen is the 53rd largest city in the state. Two hundred miles southwest of Denver and 130 miles east of Grand Junction, it is at the southeastern end of the Roaring Fork Valley. The Roaring Fork Valley stretches from Glenwood Springs and the Northwest end to Aspen on the Southeast end. Aspen is surrounded by the White River National Forest. Aspen encompasses 3.66 square miles and is a relatively flat valley floor surrounded on three sides by Aspen, Smuggler and Red Mountains. It was founded in 1880 and incorporated in 1881. Aspen is internationally renowned as a winter and summer resort.
Aspen was fortunate to have attracted the likes of Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke who saw the potential of an idealized model of civilization: a place where physical activity, art, music and the humanities would together enrich the spirit and elevate society. This culminated in the Aspen Idea - the complete person living in a community that nourished the mind, body and spirit of its citizens.
DEMOGRAPHICS AND STATISTICS
County: Pitkin
County Seat: Aspen
Aspen Zip Code: 81611
Aspen Elevation: 7,908 ft. at city base
WHERE WE ARE:
Covering 975 square miles, we are located in the heart of the White River National Forest, surrounded by the spectacular peaks of the Elk Range in the northern Rocky Mountains. Pitkin County includes the communities of Aspen, Snowmass, Woody Creek, Old Snowmass, portions of the town of Basalt, Meredith, Thomasville, and the town of Redstone.
OUR HIGHLIGHTS:
Pitkin County is best known for its four world-class ski resorts: Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass.
Tourism is the mainstay of the local economy with arts, cultural and recreational events providing a year-round attraction. The area is also rich in mining and ranching history. Pitkin County Open Space and Trails protects and maintains nearly 9,000 acres of the county's most coveted undeveloped property and ranchland.
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TRANSPORTATION:
Highway 82 is the only major roadway in Pitkin County leading into and out of Aspen via I 70 at Glenwood Springs to the north and over 12,000-foot Independence Pass to the south. Public transportation is easy to use throughout the valley. The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, with over 40,000 take-offs and landings annually, is the 3rd busiest in the state, behind Denver and Colorado Springs.
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VIEW ASPEN AIRLINE INFORMATIONBOOK ONLINE NOW!
View a NEW VIDEO by the Aspen Chamber of Commerce: "Aspen: Defy Ordinary"
