The availability of good transportation
options is also an important consideration for
people who are considering moving to a new
city. Located almost exactly in the center of
the country, Denver is a hub for national and
international business, a distribution center
for goods and services, and a destination for
travel and leisure opportunities.
For example, the Colorado Convention
Center holds more than 250 events each
year, bringing in hundreds of millions of
dollars for the city in the process. The metro
area’s network of transportation options and
roadways give visitors and residents alike an
easy commute and convenient access to area
businesses, shopping, entertainment, recreational activities and services.
MAJOR ROADWAYS
www.coloradodot.info
Metro Denver’s extensive transportation
system is transforming to meet the needs of
the area’s growing population—now and into
the future. Expansion and improvement projects over the past 15 years have made it easier
for the region’s residents to get around using a
variety of transportation modes. The T-REX
project in 2006 brought light rail to the metro
area, making mass transportation a possibility for thousands of people (see sidebar).
The region is continually working to further
develop the transportation system, with projects like FasTracks—a multi-billion dollar
comprehensive transit expansion plan to build
122 miles of new commuter rail and light
rail, 18 miles of bus rapid transit, 21,000 new
parking spaces at light rail and bus stations,
and enhanced bus service for easy, convenient
bus/rail connections across the eight-county
district. The following section highlights
Denver’s major highways and byways.
Interstates/Highways
Metro Denver’s network of streets, freeways
and highways connects the region.
• I- 225 runs north from I- 25 to I- 70,
connecting the southeast area of metro
Denver.
• U.S. 285 and U.S. 6 give metro Denver
access to the western foothills.
• U.S. 36 (the Boulder Turnpike) connects
downtown Denver and Boulder.
• Denver sits at the crossroads of three
major interstates—I- 25 is the north-south
route, while both I- 70 and I- 76 provide
east-west access.
Beltway
Metro Denver is about three-quarters of the
way encircled by a beltway that connects
the area’s towns. An environmental impact
statement study is investigation options for
completing the last portion of the metro-
politan beltway in northwestern Jefferson
County. The beltway includes:
• C-470 ( 26 miles) begins in Golden and
ends at its interchange with I- 25. C-470
is vitally helpful to the region, making it
possible to move people and goods effi-
ciently through the western and southern
part of the metro region.
• E-470 (toll road, 47 miles) encircles the
eastern perimeter of the metro area, from
the interchange between C-470 and I- 25
(south of Denver), before going east and
then north through Aurora. E-470 even
extends to Denver International Airport,
before turning west and ending at the
north metro part of I- 25.
• Northwest Parkway (toll road, 11 miles)
connects with E-470 and I- 25 at 157th
Avenue in metro Denver.
AIR TRAVEL
Boulder Municipal Airport
3300 Airport Road
Boulder, 80301; 303-404-3108
www.bouldercolorado.gov/airport
Boulder Municipal Airport serves Boulder
and its surrounding communities, providing
business, private, recreational and emergency aviation services. The airport does not
offer any commercial airline service.
Centennial Airport
7800 S. Peoria St., Englewood, 80112
303-790-0598; www.centennialairport.com
Located in Englewood, Centennial Airport
is one of the most active business airports in
the nation. It serves as a major local reliever
airport for Denver International Airport,
offering charter, air ambulance, check trans-
port, and air cargo services.
Denver International Airport (DIA)
8500 Peña Blvd., Denver, 80249
303-342-2000; www.flydenver.com
The fifth busiest airport in the U.S. and the
15th busiest in the world, Denver International
Airport (DIA) serves more than 52 million
passengers each year. The airport is also one
of the world’s largest, at 53 square miles, six
runways, and 89 gates. DIA is Denver’s link to
destinations around the world and is the main
hub for Frontier Airlines. DIA drives Colorado’s economy, generating more than $26
billion for the region annually. The airport’s
Jeppesen Terminal is internationally recognized for its peaked room, meant to evoke
snow-capped mountains.
Front Range Airport
5200 Front Range Pkwy., Watkins, 80137
303-261-9103; www.ftg-airport.com
Front Range Airport is conveniently located
just six miles southeast of Denver International Airport. The airport has three
runways for general aviation aircraft and
a Union Pacific railway track. The airport
is an economic engine for Adams County,
providing jobs, revenue and aviation services
for a growing market.
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport
11755 Airport Way, Broomfield, 80021
303-271-4850; www.co.jefferson.co.us/airport
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport is
Jefferson County’s corporate reliever airport
and offers services for charter and private
plans. The airport is located on U.S. Highway
36 between Denver and Boulder. Jefferson
County owns and operates this airport, which
has 24-hour customs service and free parking.
GROUND TRANSPORTATION
Car2Go
www.car2go.com/en/denver
Car2Go is a nationwide carshare organization with a branch in Denver. Over 400
