Aspen, Colorado, is the most populous municipality and county seat of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States [1]. Located in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains’ Sawatch Range and Elk Mountains, it sits along the Roaring Fork River at an elevation just below 8,000 feet (2,400 m) on the Western Slope, 11 miles (18 km) west of the Continental Divide [1]. As of the 2020 United States census, the city’s population was 7,004 [1]. Aspen is now part of the Glenwood Springs, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area and operates as a home rule city [1].
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Originally founded as Ute City, a mining camp during the Colorado Silver Boom in 1879, it was later renamed Aspen due to the abundance of aspen trees in the area [1]. The city experienced a significant boom in the 1880s, becoming the United States’ most productive silver-mining district in 1891 and 1892, surpassing Leadville [1]. This prosperity was fueled by the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890, which doubled the government’s silver purchases [1]. However, the Panic of 1893 and the subsequent repeal of the act led to an economic collapse, causing many mines to close and the population to decline significantly, reaching fewer than 1,000 residents by 1930 [1].
Aspen’s fortunes revived in the mid-20th century with the development of Aspen Mountain into a ski resort [1]. Industrialist Walter Paepcke and his wife Elizabeth played a crucial role in this revival, purchasing and redeveloping many properties in the 1950s [1]. The Aspen Skiing Company was founded in 1946, and the city quickly gained recognition as a ski destination, hosting the FIS World Championships in 1950 [1]. Paepcke also helped establish institutions of international importance, including the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Aspen Institute, and the Aspen Center for Physics [1]. The area continued to grow with the development of additional ski areas: Buttermilk (1958), Aspen Highlands (1958), and Snowmass (1967) [1]. Today, Aspen Snowmass offers over 5,700 acres of terrain across its four mountains: Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass [2] [3].
In the late 20th century, Aspen became a popular retreat for celebrities and gained notoriety for its counter-cultural scene and drug culture, partly popularized by figures like Hunter S. Thompson and John Denver [1]. It remains a popular year-round destination for locals, second-home buyers, and tourists, offering outdoor recreation in the White River National Forest during the summer, complementing its four ski areas [1].
Real Estate and Economy Aspen is known for its extremely high property values, with prime residential real estate being the most expensive of any ski resort globally on a per-square-foot basis, according to a 2023 study [1] [9]. The median sales price of a single-family home in Aspen was $9.5 million in 2021 [1]. This high cost of living presents a significant challenge for low- and middle-income workers, leading to a large commuter population from nearby communities like Snowmass, Basalt, Carbondale, and Glenwood Springs [1]. The Aspen Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA) manages programs for employee housing to address affordability issues, though even deed-restricted properties can be expensive [1] [34]. The city council even passed a resolution in 1999 to petition the US Congress to restrict immigration, citing concerns about environmental impacts and the increasing number of trailer parks housing migrant workers [1].
Culture and Recreation Aspen is a vibrant cultural hub, home to the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Aspen Institute, and the Aspen Center for Physics [1]. The city’s downtown has transformed into an upscale shopping district featuring high-end restaurants, salons, and boutiques, often compared to “Rodeo Drive” [1]. The Winter X Games have been held at Buttermilk ski area since 2002 [1]. The city also boasts a local rugby team, the Gentlemen of Aspen, which has won the Rugby Super League multiple times [1].
Transportation Access to Aspen is primarily via State Highway 82, which is the only major road accessible by motor vehicle during winter months, as the section east of Aspen over Independence Pass is typically closed due to snow from late October to Memorial Day [1]. The Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (Sardy Field) provides commercial air service via American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines [1] [7]. The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) offers free bus service within Aspen and Snowmass Village, and paid service to surrounding communities [1]. A bike-sharing system, WE-CYCLE, also serves Aspen and Basalt [1].
Local Media Aspen has a variety of local media outlets, including a public radio station (KJAX) [17], a public television station (Grassroots TV network) [18], three commercial radio stations (KSNO, KTND, and KSPN), two daily newspapers (The Aspen Times [7] and The Aspen Daily News), and several lifestyle magazines and a local television channel [1].
Sister Cities Aspen maintains sister city relationships with several international locations, including Abetone Cutigliano, Italy; Bariloche, Argentina; Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France; Davos, Switzerland; Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; Queenstown, New Zealand; and Shimukappu, Japan [1] [38].