Boulder, Colorado

Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 5430 ft. The city is 25 mi northwest of Denver.

The United States Census Bureau estimates that in 2008 the population of the city of Boulder was 94,268, while the population of the Boulder Metropolitan Statistical Area was 293,161.

Boulder is famous for its status as one of the most liberal cities in Colorado, its colorful Western history, being a choice destination for hippies in the late 1960s, and as home of the main campus of the University of Colorado, the state's largest university. Furthermore, the city of Boulder frequently acquires top rankings in health, well-being, quality of life, education, and art.

History
In the early-to-mid-19th century, the nomadic Southern Arapaho Native American tribe frequently wintered at the base of the foothills in the Boulder area. Chief Niwot and his tribe called the site their home. Other nomadic tribes included the Utes, Cheyennes, Comanches, and Sioux.

The first recorded European settlers in the area were gold prospectors who arrived in 1858, when Boulder was part of the Nebraska Territory (The former boundary between Nebraska and Kansas territories is the present Baseline Road in Boulder). The "Boulder City Town Company" was founded on February 10, 1859. Boulder's first school house was built in 1860, followed by the creation of the Colorado Territory in 1861. In 1871 then "Boulder City" was incorporated. In 1873 the railroad was extended to Boulder and, in 1890, the Boulder Railroad Depot was constructed to serve as a station for the Colorado and Southern Railroad. In 1876 Colorado was granted statehood.

On November 7, 1861 legislation was passed making way for the state university to be located in Boulder and on September 20, 1875 the first corner stone was for the first building (Old Main Building) on the C.U. campus. The university officially opened on September 5, 1877.

Gold, silver, and coal mining continued to be a prominent part of the local economy until the mid-20th century. A coal miners strike lasted from 1910 to 1915, causing a military presence in nearby Louisville. Mining's relevance in the local economy declined in the 1940s, when the city began actively recruiting clean industry, such as the National Bureau of Standards, which today is the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Boulder adopted an anti-saloon ordinance in 1907. Statewide prohibition started in Colorado in 1916 and ended with the repeal of national prohibition in 1933.

On January 19, 1952, the Denver-Boulder Turnpike opened as a tollway between Boulder and the northern Denver suburb of Westminster. In 1967, the bonds for building the highway were paid off early, its tollway status was lifted, and it became part of U.S. Highway 36.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 94,673 people, 39,596 households, and 16,788 families residing in the city. The population density is 3,884.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,499.9/km²), making Boulder's population density higher than Denver's and among the highest in the state; of Colorado's twenty-one largest cities, only Englewood and Northglenn (two close-in Denver suburbs) have greater population densities. There are 40,726 housing units at an average density of 1,670.8 per square mile (645.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 88.3% White, 1.2% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 4.02% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.50% from other races, and 2.40% from two or more races. 8.9% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. In December, 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau officially estimated Boulder's population to be 99,466.

There are 39,596 households out of which 20.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.3% are married couples living together, 6.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 57.6% are non-families. 33.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.20 and the average family size is 2.84.

Boulder's population is younger than the national average, largely due to the presence of university students. The median age is 29 years compared to the U.S. median of 35.1 years. In Boulder, 14.8% of the residents are under the age of 18, 25.9% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% are 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there are 106.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and older, there are 107.4 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median household income in Boulder is $50,209, and the median family income is $85,807. Males have a median income of $41,829 versus $32,100 for females. The per capita income for the city is $31,539. 17.4% of the population and 6.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. The higher population poverty line is due to the large number of college students living in the area. Aside of that, Boulder is one of the most affluent communities in Colorado.

Boulder housing tends to be priced higher than surrounding areas. For the 2nd quarter of 2006, the median single family home in Boulder sold for $548,000 and the median attached dwelling (condo or town home) sold for $262,000. According to the National Association of Realtors, during the same period the median value of single family homes nationwide was $227,500.

Geography
The City of Boulder is in Boulder Valley where the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains. Just west of the city are imposing slabs of sedimentary stone tilted up on the foothills, known as the Flatirons. The Flatirons are a widely recognized symbol of Boulder.

The primary water flow through the city is Boulder Creek. The creek was named well ahead of the city's founding, for all of the large granite boulders that have cascaded into the creek over the eons. It is from Boulder Creek that Boulder City and hence Boulder is believed to have taken its name. Boulder Creek has significant water flow, derived primarily from snow melt and minor springs west of the city. The creek is a tributary of the South Platte River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.4 square miles (65.7 km²). 24.4 square miles (63.1 km²) of it is land and 1.0 square miles (2.6 km²) of it (3.94%) is water.

The 40th parallel (40 degrees north latitude) runs through Boulder and can be easily recognized as Baseline Road today.

Boulder lies in a wide basin beneath Flagstaff Mountain just a few miles east of the continental divide and about 30 mi northwest of Denver. Arapahoe glacier provides water for the city, along with Boulder Creek, which flows through the center of the city.

Climate
Boulder has a rather dry climate typical of much of the state, and receives upwards of 300 sunny or mostly sunny days each year. Under the Köppen climate classification, central parts of the city have a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). Winters are cool, with highs averaging in the mid to upper 40s °F (7−9 °C). Lows may plummet below 0 °F on a few nights per year, but extended subzero cold is uncommon. Because of orographic lift, the mountains to the west often dry out the air passing over the Front Range, often shielding the city from precipitation in winter, though heavy falls may occur. Snowfall averages 85 in per season, but snow depth is usually shallow; a strong warming sun due to the high elevation can quickly melt snow cover during the day. Occasionally, Chinook winds bring rapid warm-ups. Summers are hot and dry, with 27 days reaching 90 °F or above. Nights are significantly cooler than days year-round due to the high-elevation dry climate.

The all time highest recorded temperature in Boulder of 104 °F occurred on June 23 and July 11, 1954. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Boulder was −24 °F, which occurred in February 1989 and December 1990.

Politics and government
Boulder is a Home Rule Municipality, being self-governing under Article XX of the Constitution of the State of Colorado; Title 31, Article 1, Section 202 of the Colorado Revised Statutes.

Politically, Boulder is one of the most liberal and Democratic cities in Colorado. Boulder County, which includes Boulder's more conservative suburbs, is 37% Democratic, 27% Republican, and 36% independent. To residents and detractors alike, the city of Boulder is often referred to as the "People's Republic of Boulder," and "25 square miles surrounded by reality."

In 1974, the Boulder City Council passed Colorado's first ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Boulder voters, however, repealed the measure by referendum within a year. In 1975, Boulder County Clerk Clela Rorex was the second in the United States to ever grant same-sex marriage licenses, prior to state laws being passed to prevent such issuance. In 1987, Boulder voters reversed their 1974 vote, and the city became the first in the United States to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation by a direct vote of the people.

In 1996, Boulder became the first city in Colorado to enact a smoking ban that included bars.

Coexisting with the liberal tendencies of the population at large are the less numerous but politically active conservative and libertarian residents. Bob Greenlee, a Republican, was briefly the mayor of Boulder and ran against Mark Udall in 1998 for Colorado's 2nd congressional district. The Promise Keepers, an evangelical organization for men, was conceived of in Boulder in 1990 by then-coach of the University of Colorado football team Bill McCartney. Bill McCartney's son, Tom McCartney went on to coach the Fairview High School football team, where he has formed a large community of high school "Promise Keepers." Fundamental to his strategy has been the use of reptiles to portray the strength which he believes young men should wield. The organization has since relocated to Denver.

Outdoor sports
Boulder is surrounded by more than 36,000 acres (149 km²) of recreational open space, conservation easements, and nature preserves. There are world class hiking trails throughout the city. The most popular areas to hike are in Chautauqua Park. Many of the trails start at the Western edge of the city, while others are a short drive away. The trails vary in difficulty: some are quite easy while there are some that are technically challenging. A trail map is available online or from a variety of local retailers. The City of Boulder Open Space website is a resource for information about outdoor activities and volunteer opportunities. The three highest summits in the area are South Boulder Peak, Bear Peak and Green Mountain. Shorter summit hikes include Flagstaff and Mount Sanitas to the North. Mountain biking single track to the South. North Boulder is the road biker's most popular start point. There is an abundance of rock climbing for all skill levels. The primary climbing areas are Eldorado Canyon (traditional protection), The Flatirons (traditional protection) and Boulder Canyon (sport).

World-class rock climbing is found in nearby Eldorado Canyon, near the small unincorporated community of Eldorado Springs, six miles (10 km) south of Boulder. Eldorado Canyon is most famous for its hundreds of world-renowned rock climbing routes. There are also high quality climbing routes available in the city open space, including climbing routes of varying difficulty on the Flatirons themselves. Boulder Canyon, directly west of downtown Boulder, also has many good routes. All three of these areas are affected by seasonal closures for wildlife.

Boulder is home to the Ultimate Players Association (UPA), the governing body for the sport of Ultimate in the United States. The UPA is a player-run non-profit organization, founded in 1979, with over 27,300 members and hundreds of volunteers.

Boulder is also the Headquarters of USA Rugby.

Boulder International Film Festival
BIFF is held each February by the Colorado Film Society, a nonprofit organization founded by local filmmakers Kathy and Robin Beeck. BIFF is dedicated to providing the urban, film–hip audiences of the Denver/Boulder metro area with an early look at the best new films in international cinema. There also are conversations with directors, producers, and actors; world–class food and parties; and an opportunity to rub elbows with filmmakers in a winter wonderland. BIFF has hosted over 150 filmmakers from around the world since the Boulder–based Beeck sisters led the inaugural event in 2005. In 2009, actor Chevy Chase attended and was honored with an award.

The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival
Founded in 2004, The Shoot Out 24 Hour Filmmaking Festival Boulder has attracted filmmakers and film lovers from across the Front Range with its annual festival in which filmmakers are challenged to make a short film within 24 hours using in-camera editing techniques only and including five of the eleven items required by the organizers. The Top 10 Films are screened and awarded prizes at the Historic Boulder Theater on the same weekend of the event. The Worldwide Event Guide from Frommers wrote that "Hollywood may take years to create a film, but Shoot Out throws down the gauntlet with a challenge to make one in 24 hours." The Shoot Out Boulder is listed as one of the unique events that "Keep Boulder Weird". Denver's Westword Weekly Editors honored The Shoot Out Boulder as the Best Local Film Festival 2009, Best Film Festival 2007, Best New Festival 2004.

International Film Series
The International Film Series is Boulder's first art-house film series established in 1941. Since its establishment the IFS has continued to show over 100 films a year in correspondence with the University of Colorado at Boulder's fall and spring semesters. The IFS has brought world renowned directors and actors for special screenings followed by meet and greet sessions with the public. For the past few years, the IFS has been one of the three venues in the state of Colorado to screen both the live action and animated shorts nominated for Academy Awards.

Music
Boulder is home to a variety of music, from classical to jazz to pop, and from informal street performances to concert music performed in historic Macky Auditorium.

Founded in 1958, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra is a critically acclaimed professional orchestra that offers dynamic programming under the leadership of its Music Director Michael Butterman. In addition, every year during the second week of January, Boulder is the host city of Colorado MahlerFest, an annual celebration honoring Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus. Each summer features the acclaimed Colorado Music Festival, a six-week classical music festival with professional musicians from around the world, at the historic Chautauqua Auditorium at the base of the Flatirons. The most recent addition to Boulder's classical music scene is the emerging Boulder Chamber Orchestra. Founded in 2004 by Bahman Saless, this group offers unique and alternative programming and outreach to the community.

Boulder is home to several choruses, including Ars Nova Singers, the Boulder Chorale, the Rocky Mountain Chorale, the Cantabile Singers, the Jubilate Sacred Singers, and the Renaissance Project



Nick Forster of the bluegrass group Hot Rize tapes the environmental and musical radio program Etown Sunday evenings at the Boulder Theater.

On Wednesday nights from June through mid-August, local bands perform on the Pearl Street Mall just south of the Courthouse. Bands on the Bricks, as the event is called, features a different band each week, with styles ranging from zydeco to oldies, and bluegrass to funk. Buskers are frequently in downtown Boulder especially on warm days and weekends.

Boulder is home to a branch of the Revels organization (www.rockymountainrevels.org) which presents an annual Solstice production at the Boulder Theater. The local branch, called the Rocky Mountain Revels, formed in Boulder in 2001. The Rocky Mountain Revels is the local satellite for the Revels organization founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1971, and is the only Revels troupe in the Intermountain West.

Singer-songwriter Wendy Woo grew up in Boulder. Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys is originally from Boulder, as are The String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Rose Hill Drive, Baldo Rex, 3OH!3, and The Samples. Jazz musician Chris Wood of Blue Note Records' Medeski, Martin and Wood grew up in Boulder. Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker of the industrial rock group Ministry went to school in Boulder. Award-winning blues musician Otis Taylor has lived in Boulder since 1967. Acoustic Junction, one of the original "Jam Bands" started in Boulder in the early 1990s. Acoustic Junction was led by Boulder resident and much acclaimed singer/songwriter Reed McGregor Foehl.

Boulder Star
The lighted star on Flagstaff is a familiar symbol in Boulder. First turned on as a Christmas decoration in December 1947, the star survived several controversies to become what it is today—part of the area’s history and culture. In April 1948, the Boulder Chamber of Commerce converted the star into an Easter cross. Then, for two decades, the long string of lights alternated between the two symbols. In 1955, 1956, and 1960, someone, or some group, painted the bulbs red, speculated to have been part of a Communist conspiracy. In 1969, the star/cross was changed again—this time into a gigantic peace sign. Finally, some Boulder residents had had enough. They filed a complaint with the Boulder Human Relations Commission on the grounds that the star and the cross (both considered Christian symbols and located on city park property) violated the U.S. Constitution in its separation of church and state. Although the lights had sparked a controversy, they stayed on. The debate resurfaced a year later. In 1970, the same group brought to the Boulder City Council a resolution banning all lighted displays on Flagstaff Mountain. Of the Flagstaff star, a Boulder City attorney stated, "It is our job to guarantee rights of free speech, but that does not mean that one is guaranteed a platform which gives him a captive community audience." The termination of the cross was something people could accept, but the possibility that the star might have to come down caused an uproar among the majority of Boulder citizens. Eventually, the council determined that the cross had to go, but the star represented a "sense of community". In 1980, the star served yet another purpose. It was left on month after month as a reminder of the Americans held hostage in Iran. This ongoing use of electricity, however, upset environmentalists who removed the bulbs, chopped down the wires, and publicly announced that the man-made object disturbed wildlife and wasted energy. Even so, the majority of Boulder's residents still wanted their star, and, once again, they rallied to its defense. It has survived the test of time and appears to be here to stay.

April 20th (4/20)
Every year on April 20th, thousands of people gather on the CU Boulder campus to smoke marijuana at and before 4:20 pm. The 2010 head count was officially between 8,000 and 15,000 with some discrepancy between the local papers and the University administrators (who have been thought to have been attempting to downplay the event). Eleven tickets were given out whereas the year before there were only two.

Boulder Creek Festival
Every year during Memorial Day Weekend, a three-day festival takes place along Canyon Boulevard. Local vendors participate by setting up tents and selling their products, but the festival itself is free of charge. It features unique flavors of food and live music stages with performers young and old. In addition, there are activities for children, art shows, and a rubber duck race along Boulder Creek. Often, people who participated in the Bolder Boulder stop by after running. Sponsorships are run by Boulder Creek Events.

Colorado Chautauqua
The Colorado Chautauqua has presented programs every summer since 1898 including lectures, music, cinema, adult education classes, and nondenominational sermons. Its grounds, including the historic Chautauqua Auditorium, are located about one mile (1.6 km) southwest of downtown Boulder, just south of the intersection of Ninth Street and Baseline Road. In recent years the Colorado Chautauqua has become a year-round operation.

When Chautauqua Park originated, it was part of a large, nation-wide Chautauqua movement. Chautauquas were traveling educational shows that traveled to different communities across the U.S. performing shows. At the peak of the Chautauqua movement in the 1920s, there were more than 200 Chautauquas around the U.S.

Bolder Boulder
Boulder has hosted a 10 km road run, the "Bolder Boulder", on Memorial Day, every year since 1979. The race involves over 50,000 runners, joggers, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it one of the largest road races in the world. It has the largest non-marathon prize purse in road racing [ media guide (PDF) ]. The race culminates at the University of Colorado's Folsom Field with a Memorial Day Tribute, "one of the largest Memorial Day gatherings in the United States." Organizers have dedicated three starting waves to current and former members of the U.S. armed forces.

Boulder Kinetics
From 1980 until 2007, local radio station KBCO and other corporations sponsored Kinetics, a race from the banks of Boulder Reservoir and back by human-powered vehicles timed on speed and judged for style. The idea for a kinetic sculpture race was imported from Ferndale, California. Many nationally known live bands have played at Kinetics and the event has become a local tradition signalling the beginning of summer.

KBCO 97.3 Radio suspended Kinetics for 2008, citing decreasing attendance and increasing costs for the last several years.

In 2008 and 2009, the Kineticists Trials and Exhibition were organized by the participants. The 2008 event was held at the Twenty Ninth Street mall and the 2009 event was held on the Harvest House Hotel grounds. Preparations are being made for a water and land event beginning in 2010.

University of Colorado Events
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival is a summer festival of Shakespeare held at the outdoor Mary Rippon Theater on the University of Colorado campus.

The Conference on World Affairs is an annual one-week conference featuring dozens of discussion panels on a variety of contemporary issues. Roger Ebert attends the conference every year and conducts his "Cinema Interruptus" lecture, spending many hours over a number of days closely analyzing one film. It was at the conference in 1996 that Ebert created the Boulder Pledge not to purchase anything offered through email spam.

Considered one of the top comprehensive university museums of natural history in the U.S., the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History, located on the University's Boulder campus, contains over four million biology, anthropology, and geology/paleontology research specimens. The Museum also sponsors lectures, classes, tours, and workshops for all ages and interests. Exhibits include fossils, animals of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region, and ancient Southwestern cultures.

The Hiking Club at the University of Colorado at Boulder is the longest-running student organization on campus, organizes member-run trips throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region for university students and affiliates.

The Big Freakin' Deal Film Festival is a completely student run, student founded film festival that takes place every April at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Created by former students, Tony Castle and Roxy Hunt, in 2008, the BFD is dedicated to showing student films and promoting student filmmakers through a glitzy, Academy Award style, over-the-top red carpet event, complete with paparazzis, a musical number to open the show, and extravagant awards. The films are judged by professionals in the film industry of Boulder and Denver. The top 3 films in each category screen on the last night of the festival in "The Big Show," and the highest scoring film from each category is awarded a prize. Each year "The Big Show," takes place at the historic Old Main Chapel Theater, with an after party to follow. In its third year, 2010, The Big Freakin' Deal Film Festival was "Bollywood" themed, with film lectures on Bollywood, Bollywood dancers, 3D special effects, and a live Bollywood band.

Happy Thursday Cruiser Ride
Every Thursday, a group of cruiser bike riders meet to ride their cycles on various streets, alleys and bike paths in an outpouring of creativity and love for bicycles, shouting "Happy Thursday!" to onlookers. Many dress up in costume for the occasion, and some also decorate and accessorize their cycles for the event. The number of participants varies greatly from week to week, peaking in the summer months of well over 500 riders; only a small group of 'Cold Weather Cruisers' ride during the colder months.

Naked Pumpkin Run
Starting in 1998, dozens of people have taken part in a Halloween run down the city's streets wearing only shoes and a hollowed-out pumpkin on their heads. In 2009, local police threatened participants with charges of indecent exposure and no naked runners were reported in official newscasts, although a few naked runners were observed by locals.

Polar Bear Plunge
Beginning in 1983, hundreds of people head to the Boulder Reservoir on New Years Day to take part in the annual polar bear plunge. With rescue teams standing by, participants use a variety of techniques to plunge themselves into the freezing reservoir. Once the plunge is complete, swimmers retreat to hot tubs on the reservoir beach to revive themselves from the cold.

Top rankings
Boulder has gathered many top rankings in recent years for health, well-being, quality of life, education and art. The partial list below shows some of the nominations.
 * The 10 Happiest Cities - # 1 - Moneywatch.bnet.com
 * Top Brainiest Cities - #1 - Portfolio.com
 * Ten Best Cities for the Next Decade - 4th - Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine
 * Top 25 Destinations in the US - #19 - TripAdvisor.com
 * Top 100 Places to Live - #9 -RelocateAmerica.com
 * Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index - #1 - USA Today
 * Healthiest Town in the US - #2 -Men's Health
 * Best Cities to Raise an Outdoor Kid - #1 - Backpacker Magazine
 * Top 25 Arts Destinations for a small city - #8 - AmericanStyle magazine
 * America's Top 25 Towns to Live Well - #1 - Forbes.com
 * Top Ten Best Midsize Metropolitan Areas - #2 - Bizjounrals.com
 * Most Bicycle Friendly Cities in the World - #4 - Virgin Vacations website
 * Most Educated City in America - #1 - Forbes magazine
 * Top 10 Healthiest Cities to Live and Retire - #6 - AARP magazine
 * Best Green Places to Live in America - #5 - Country Home magazine
 * Top 10 Farmer's Market - #6 - Eating Well magazine
 * Top Triathlon Town - #1 - Inside Triathlon magazine
 * Top 10 Cities for Artists - #8 - Business Week
 * Lesser-Known LGBT Family-Friendly Cities - #1 - Wearegoodkin.com
 * America's Foodiest Town - #1 - Bon Appetit magazine

Public schools
The Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) administers the public school system in Boulder and also in the neighboring cities and towns of Broomfield, Lafayette, Louisville, and Nederland. The two largest high schools (grades 9–12) in Boulder are Boulder High School and Fairview High School, both part of BVSD. The District also operates the smaller New Vista High School in the building formerly occupied by Baseline Middle School, specializing in innovative and hands-on education. Boulder Valley administers several middle schools (grades 6–8) in Boulder. BVSD elementary schools (grades K–5) in Boulder include University Hill Elementary School and a number of others.

Charter schools
Charter schools (receiving public funding but under private management) within the city of Boulder include Preparatory High School (9–12), Summit Middle School (6–8), Horizons Alternative School (K–8), Peak to Peak Charter School (K-12) and Justice High School (9–12). The last is unusual in that it is operated in rented space in the Boulder County Justice Center, which also houses courtrooms, the sheriff's office, and the coroner's office.

Private schools
A variety of private high schools, middle schools and elementary schools operate in Boulder. Well-known private schools in the Boulder area include The Acorn School for Early Childhood Development (infant-age 6), Boulder Journey School (6 weeks to 6 years), Mountain Shadows Montessori School (preschool-6), Bixby School (K–5), September School (9-12), Jarrow Montessori School (K-6), Bridge School (6–12), the Watershed School (6-12), Shining Mountain Waldorf School (K–12), Sacred Heart of Jesus, a K-8 Catholic school, Tara Performing Arts High School (9-12), Catalyst and Boulder Country Day School in Gunbarrel, Hillside School, an alternative for children with learning disabilities, and Patience Montessori School (6 weeks to 6 years).


 * Rivendell College private Christian Liberal Arts College
 * Boulder College of Massage Therapy
 * Ruseto College private two-year college for Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
 * Southwest Acupuncture College private 2-3 year college
 * Culinary School of the Rockies
 * Homeopathy School of Colorado



Colleges and universities

 * University of Colorado at Boulder, public university which contributes roughly 46,000 residents (30,000 undergraduate students, 7,000 graduate students and 10,000 staff/faculty) to the population.


 * Naropa University offers undergraduate and graduate programs.

Science institutes

 * Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)
 * Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA)
 * Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR)
 * Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA)
 * Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
 * Geological Society of America, headquartered at 3300 Penrose Place.
 * National Ecological Observation Network (NEON)
 * National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) / University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
 * National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
 * National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL)
 * National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)
 * NTIA - Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Boulder
 * Rocky Mountain Institute
 * Southwest Research Institute Department of Space Studies
 * Space Science Institute
 * Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC)

Economy and industry
Major employers in and near Boulder include:
 * University of Colorado (7,500)
 * IBM (4,500)
 * Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. (3,000 )
 * Level 3 Communications (2,500)
 * National Institute of Standards and Technology and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1,700 )
 * Covidien, formerly Tyco Healthcare Group (1,700)
 * City of Boulder (1,600)
 * National Center for Atmospheric Research (1,100)
 * Amgen (750)
 * Crispin Porter + Bogusky (600+)
 * Micro Motion (500)
 * Crocs (550)
 * Lockheed Martin (450)
 * Polycom (350)
 * Markit (300)
 * Qualcomm (300)
 * Celestial Seasonings (250)
 * Medtronic (225)
 * Roche Colorado (225)
 * Particle Measuring Systems (225)
 * LeftHand Networks (200)
 * Ericsson (180)
 * OSI (150)
 * Microsoft (150)
 * Array Biopharma (125)
 * HEI Medical, formerly Colorado MedTech (125)
 * Otologics LLC (75)
 * Google (100)
 * Cisco Systems (100)
 * RealD Cinema

Mass transit
Boulder has an extensive bus system operated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD). The HOP, SKIP, JUMP, BOUND, DASH and STAMPEDE routes run throughout the city and connect to nearby communities on a frequent basis, with departures every ten minutes during peak hours, Monday-Friday. Other routes, such as the 201, 203, 204, 205, 206, 208, 209 and 225 depart every 15 to 30 minutes. Regional routes, traveling between nearby cities such as Longmont (BOLT, J), Golden (GS), and Denver (B/BX/DM/HX/S/T), as well as Denver International Airport (AB), are also available. There are over 100 scheduled buses that run between Boulder and Denver on weekdays. Boulder will be connected to downtown Denver with a BRT or Bus Rapid Transit route along US-36. This is being funded by FasTracks and construction is expected to begin in 2009 and to be completed in 2016. A commuter rail route is set to run through Boulder to Longmont, with the station being on the intersection of 30th and Pearl Streets. Route, schedule and fare information is available on the RTD Web site at http://www.rtd-denver.com/, or by calling their Telephone Information Center at 303-299-6000. Real time arrival information for the HOP route is available at http://www.nextbus.com.

Beginning in 2014, commuter rail will travel between Longmont, Boulder and Denver, with stops in major communities along the way. This commuter rail line is funded by FasTracks, a transit improvement plan funded by a 0.4% increase in the sales tax throughout the Denver metro area. RTD, the developer of FasTracks, and the City of Boulder are planning a transit-oriented development near Pearl and 33rd Streets to accommodate a Boulder Fastracks station. The development will feature the relocated Boulder Railroad Depot, which may be returned to a transit-related use.

Cycling
Boulder, well-known for its bicycle culture, boasts hundreds of miles of bike paths, lanes, and routes that interconnect to create a renowned network of bikeways usable year-round. Boulder has 74 bike and pedestrian underpasses that facilitate safer and uninterrupted travel throughout much of the city. The city offers a route-finding website that allows users to map personalized bike routes around the city. In 2008 the city was recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a Platinum-level bicycle friendly community.

Walk and Bike Month is celebrated throughout June, with Bike to Work Day held on the last Wednesday in June. The event is presented by GO Boulder and is produced by Community Cycles. Begun in 1977 as Bike to Work Day, Boulder's annual celebration of biking is believed to be one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere.

While somewhat friendly to road cyclists and bicycle commuters, the City of Boulder closed most almost all of the Boulder open space trails to mountain bikes in the mid and late 1980's. In March of 2011 the City again voted to keep the ban in place against mountain bikes, specifically in the west TSA portion of open space.

Airport
Boulder has a municipal airport which is used exclusively for general aviation, with most traffic consisting of single-engine airplanes and sailplanes.

Growth management
Government preservation of open space around Boulder began with the Congress of the United States approving the allocation of 1,800 acres (7.3 km²) of mountain backdrop/watershed extending from South Boulder Creek to Sunshine Canyon in 1899.

Since then, Boulder has adopted a policy of controlled urban expansion. In 1959, city voters approved the "Blue Line" city-charter amendment which restricted city water service to altitudes below 5750 ft, in an effort to protect the mountain backdrop from development. In 1967, city voters approved a dedicated sales tax for the acquisition of open space in an effort to contain urban sprawl. In 1970, Boulder created a "comprehensive plan" that would dictate future zoning, transportation, and urban-planning decisions. Hoping to preserve residents' views of the mountains, in 1972, the city enacted an ordinance limiting the height of newly constructed buildings. A Historic-Preservation Code was passed in 1974, and a residential-growth management ordinance (the Danish Plan) in 1976.

Wildlife protection
The City of Boulder has created an Urban Wildlife Management Plan which sets policies for managing and protecting urban wildlife. Also, the city's parks department has a Conservation Team which monitors parks (including wetlands, lakes, etc.) to protect ecosystems. From time to time, parks and hiking trails are closed to conserve or restore ecosystems. Traditionally, Boulder has avoided the use of chemical pesticides for controlling the insect population. However, with the threat of West Nile Virus, the city began an integrative plan to control the mosquito population in 2003 that includes chemical pesticides. Residents can opt-out of the program by contacting the city and asking that their areas not be sprayed.

Under Boulder law, extermination of prairie dogs requires a permit.

Also in 2005, the city experimented with using goats for weed control in environmentally sensitive areas. Goats naturally consume diffuse knapweed and Canada thistle, and although the program was not as effective as it was hoped, goats will still be considered in the future weed control projects.

Media
Boulder's main daily newspaper as of 2006, the Daily Camera, was founded in 1890 as the Boulder Camera, and became a daily newspaper the following year. Colorado Daily was started in 1892 as a university newspaper for CU-Boulder. Following many heated controversies over Colorado Daily's political coverage, it severed its ties to the university in 1971. Newspaper conglomerate Scripps acquired the Colorado Daily in 2005 after its acquisition of the Camera in 1997, leaving the Boulder Weekly as the only locally owned newspaper in Boulder. Scripps relinquished its 50 percent ownership in both papers in early 2009 to Media News Group.

Non-profit radio station KGNU was founded in 1978 and commercial music station KBCO in 1977. KVCU, better known as Radio 1190, is another non-profit radio station run with the help of university-student volunteers. KVCU started broadcasting in 1998. Boulder hosted Boulder Free Radio (KBFR) from 2000 to 2005; one of the longest running pirate radio operations in the country.

Boulder is part of the Denver market for television stations, and it also receives many radio stations based in Denver or Ft. Collins.

Paladin Press book/video publishers and Soldier of Fortune magazine both have their headquarters in Boulder. Paladin Press was founded in September 1970 by Peder Lund and Robert K. Brown. In 1974, Lund bought out Brown's share of the press, and Brown moved on to found Soldier of Fortune magazine the following year.

Instituted in 1978, Boulder Magazine is a full-color, seasonal magazine that covers local events, outdoor activities and Boulder culture.

Boulder was one of the few cities in the US to have a sustained underground (pirate) FM radio station. Called KBFR (Boulder Free Radio), it operated at 95.3FM and streamed live online at www.kbfr.org. It was operated from April 2000 to January 2005 when its founders, under pressure from the FCC, took it off the air. At its peak, it had over 50 DJs and had an international following via the Internet.

The Audio Information Network of Colorado is based in Boulder, providing a radio reading service and other audio services for blind people throughout the state of Colorado.

People
Notable births in Boulder include: John Fante (writer), Scott Carpenter (Project Mercury astronaut), Arleigh Burke (United States Navy Admiral, Chief of Naval Operations), Kristin Davis (Sex and the City actress), Tony Boselli (five-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle), and Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra.

Chief Niwot or Left Hand, a tribal leader of the Arapaho, lived at the site of Boulder. In 1858, Captain Thomas Aikins and some would-be goldminers camped at present-day Setter's Park—in the midst of Arapaho territory. The chief and his people were camped at Valmont Butte: then and now a sacred site to the tribe. Niwot and his war party rode to the settler's camp whereupon he pronounced his legendary curse:

People seeing the beauty of this valley will want to stay, and their staying will be the undoing of the beauty.

However, the captain and the chief later came to peaceful terms and avoided bloodshed. In 1864, Chief Niwot and many of his people died in the Sand Creek Massacre.

Experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage (d. 2003) lived near Boulder from the mid-1960s until 2002, and taught several film courses at CU-Boulder. Allen Ginsberg (d. 1997) and Anne Waldman helped to found the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University in Boulder.

George Gamow, theoretical physicist and cosmologist, discoverer of quantum tunnelling, worked at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1956 until his death in 1968. and was buried in Green Mountain Cemetery. The tallest building on the main campus of the University is named the Gamow Tower in his honor. In 1956, he was awarded the Kalinga Prize by UNESCO for his work in popularizing science with his Mr. Tompkins... series of books (1939–1967), One Two Three ... Infinity, and other works.

Notable Boulder residents include Albert Bartlett, emeritus professor of physics and frequent lecturer on the dangers of compound growth, and also one of the principal backers of the Blue Line in the late 1950s. Boulder is also home to Paul Danish, author of the Danish Plan of residential growth control and editor and publisher of the former weekly Boulder County newspaper Town and Country Review. Jon Krakauer, bestselling author of Into Thin Air, Into the Wild and Under the Banner of Heaven lives in Boulder. Climber and founder of Neptune Mountaineering, Gary Neptune, was a Boulder resident during his successful summit of Mount Everest in 1983.

Nobel prize winners and University professors Eric Cornell and Thomas Cech live in Boulder. John L. Hall, Nobel prize winner, NIST senior fellow and Lecturer at the University of Colorado lives in Boulder.

Bill Bower, the last surviving pilot who took part in the Doolittle Raid, resided in Boulder from 1966 until his death in 2011.

Jello Biafra, vocalist for 1980s punk band Dead Kennedys, grew up in Boulder, and his parents still live in the city.

Jazz musician Chris Wood of Blue Note Records' Medeski, Martin and Wood grew up in Boulder. Musician Stuart Davis, originally from Minnesota, lives in Boulder. Otis Taylor is a Boulder blues musician who plays electric banjo, a Grammy award winner.

Actress Jessica Biel from the TV show 7th Heaven was raised in Boulder. Actress Sheryl Lee, who is best known for playing the role of Laura Palmer in David Lynch's Twin Peaks, was born in Boulder and began acting with a role in a Fairview High School play. Actresses Sheree J. Wilson of Walker, Texas Ranger and Joan Van Ark of Knots Landing grew up in Boulder. Also, ABC Family's show Make It or Break It is set in Boulder.

Boulder was also the home of JonBenét Ramsey when she was murdered, late on December 25 or early on December 26, in 1996. The body of the six-year-old was found on December 26 in the basement of her home on 15th Street.

The professional wrestler Big Van Vader (Leon White) was born in Boulder, was an offensive lineman for the Colorado Buffaloes football team in the 1970s, and sometimes wore a CU T-shirt when he came to the ring in street clothes.

Screenwriter and filmmaker John August (Go, Charlie's Angels) is also originally from Boulder, and often talks of it fondly on his blog.

Erin Viner (née Luckow), Anchor / Correspondent for the IBA News English Television News from Israel, was raised in Boulder, and the Female President at Boulder High School. Erin delivered the keynote speech at the 2007 Boulder High Commencement Address (her 30th graduation anniversary), whereupon she delivered scathing commentary regarding the current controversy over the Bill O'Reilly / Dan Caplis condemnation of the World Conference of World Affairs.

Joe Rollins (1918–2008), a prominent lawyer in Houston and Austin, Texas, retired to Boulder in 2004.

Cyclist Davis Phinney was born and raised in Boulder.

Frank Shorter, 1972 Munich Olympics marathon gold medalist, lives in Boulder.

Dave Scott, six-time winner of the Ironman Triathlon, lives in Boulder.

Lead singer of The Fray, Isaac Slade was also born here.

Nathaniel Motte and Sean Foreman of 3OH!3 grew up here.

Matt Hasselbeck, NFL player with the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, was born in Boulder.

Michael Scott, a famous character from the U.S series The Office, moves to Boulder at the end of his last episode

Shopping
One of the most popular sections of Boulder is the famous Pearl Street Mall, home to numerous shops and restaurants. This four-block pedestrian mall is a social hotspot in Boulder, with dozens of restaurants of all kinds and specialty stores that include artisan shops and unique gadget shops. In the summer and on weekends, many street shows and acts can be found throughout the mall, along with street vendors and henna tattoo artists.

Boulder's traditional Downtown area, including the Pearl Street Mall, is in the western part of present-day Boulder. During the 1950s and 1960s, the city grew to the east, since the west side is bounded by the foothills. Downtown is host to a variety of restaurants, bars, and boutique stores. However, it has few grocery, hardware, or department stores and is therefore more of a "shopping destination" than a neighborhood with stores supporting the local population.

South of Pearl Street and adjacent to the CU-Boulder campus is another historic shopping center, The Hill. Featuring some of the city's landmark stores and venues, such as Albums on the Hill and the Fox Theatre, The Hill has been the center of college life for many of the nearby sororities and fraternities.

The Twenty Ninth Street retail district opened in October 2006, located in central Boulder on the site of the former Crossroads Mall, east of Downtown.

Near the Pearl Street Mall the Farmers' Market opens every Saturday morning and Wednesday evening, April through October on 13th Street next to Central Park. The market was started in 1986 by regional farmers.

Sister cities
Boulder has eight official sister cities:
 * 🇹🇯 Dushanbe, Tajikistan (8 May 1987)
 * 🇳🇮 Jalapa, Nicaragua
 * 🇨🇳 Lhasa, China (1987)
 * 🇲🇽 Ciudad Mante, Mexico
 * 🇮🇳 Pune, India
 * 🇯🇵 Yamagata, Japan (1994)
 * 🇨🇺 Yateras, Cuba
 * 🇰🇪 Kisumu, Kenya

Dushanbe presented its distinctive Dushanbe Tea House as a gift to Boulder in 1987. It was completed in Tajikistan in 1990, then shipped to Boulder where it was reassembled and opened to the public in 1998. More information about Boulder's sister city relationships can be found at Boulder's official website.

In popular culture
Boulder was a setting for Stephen King's book The Stand (1978), as the gathering point for the survivors of the superflu. King lived in Boulder for a little less than a year, beginning in the fall of 1974, and wrote The Shining (1977) during this period. Stephen Walsh White has written a series of mystery books using Boulder as the primary backdrop. Marianne Wesson, an author and professor at the University of Colorado Law School, has also set several of her mystery novels in Boulder.

The sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978–1982) was set in Boulder, with 1619 Pine St. serving as the exterior shot of Mindy's home, and the New York Deli, a restaurant on the Pearl Street Mall until its closure in 1999, was also featured prominently. The creators of the animated show South Park (Trey Parker & Matt Stone) attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, which makes occasional appearances in South Park.

1619 Pine was later used for exterior shots on the series Perfect Strangers, where the cousins Larry and Balki lived with their wives.

Some houses and the National Center for Atmospheric Research building overlooking the town were used in the filming of Woody Allen's Sleeper. The First Christian Church of Boulder appeared in the exterior shot of the wedding scene in About Schmidt (2002), although the interior shots were filmed elsewhere. The Pearl Street Mall was a location for the filming of the movie Catch and Release, as were houses around Boulder and storefronts on "The Hill" (University Hill).

In 1968, Boulder became a hippie haven with the popular culture moving from Berkeley, California to Boulder and back. Numerous '60s music personalities have lived in or near Boulder. Celestial Seasonings Tea was founded and created in Boulder. Boulder continues to be the home of innovative food companies. The made-for-TV movie Perfect Murder, Perfect Town: JonBenét and the City of Boulder, based on the book of the same title, was released in 2000. It dramatized the investigation into the murder of JonBenét Ramsey. It was filmed on location in Boulder.

Boulder music group 3OH!3 is named after the 303 area code. Their music video "Holler Til You Pass Out" takes place at Mesa Elementary and Fairview High School in Boulder.

The American television drama Make It or Break It is set in Boulder.

In the American television comedy The Office, Steve Carell's character Michael leaves the show in season 7 and in the show, he and his fiancee move to Boulder.