Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is a home rule city and the county seat of Boulder County, Colorado, United States.[1] It is the largest city in Boulder County, with a population of 108,250 at the 2020 United States census,[6] making it the 12th-most populous city in Colorado. Boulder is the principal city of the Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Front Range Urban Corridor.
For other uses, see Boulder (disambiguation).
Boulder
United States
1858 as Boulder City, N.T.
1871-11-04[3]
Nicole Speer[5]
27.366 sq mi (70.877 km2)
26.328 sq mi (68.188 km2)
1.038 sq mi (2.689 km2)
5,318 ft (1,621 m)
108,250
4,112/sq mi (1,588/km2)
330,758 (155th)
3,623,560 (17th)
5,055,344
Boulderite
08-07850
178680[2]
Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, at an elevation of 5,430 feet (1,655 m) above sea level.[8][9] The city is 25 miles (40 km) northwest of the Colorado state capital of Denver. Boulder is a college town, hosting the largest campus of the University of Colorado (the state's largest university)[10] and numerous research institutes.
Arts and culture[edit]
Bolder Boulder[edit]
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.[48] The race culminates at Folsom Field with a Memorial Day Tribute. The 2007 race featured over 54,000[49] runners, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it the largest race in the US in which all participants are timed and the fifth largest road race in the world.[50]
Music[edit]
Founded in 1958, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional orchestra under the leadership of its Music Director Michael Butterman.[51]
Founded in 1976 by Giora Bernstein, the Colorado Music Festival presents a summer series of concerts in Chautauqua Auditorium.[52]
Founded in 1981, the Boulder Bach Festival (BBF) is an annual festival celebrating the life, legacy, and music of J.S. Bach. The festival is led by Executive Director Zachary Carrettin and Artistic Director Mina Gajic.[53][54]
Dance[edit]
Boulder is home to multiple dance companies and establishments. Boulder Ballet was founded by former American Ballet Theatre dancer Larry Boyette in the 1970s as part of the Ballet Arts Studios.[55] Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet was founded in 2004 by Robert Sher-Machherndl, former principal dancer of the Dutch National Ballet and Bavarian State Ballet.[56]
Conference on World Affairs[edit]
The Conference on World Affairs, started in 1948, is an annual one-week conference featuring dozens of discussion panels on a variety of contemporary issues.[57]
eTown[edit]
The internationally syndicated radio program eTown has its headquarters at eTown Hall, at the intersection of 16th and Spruce Streets, in downtown Boulder. Most tapings of this weekly show are done at eTown Hall.[58][59]
Polar Bear Plunge[edit]
Beginning in 1983, hundreds of people head to the Boulder Reservoir on New Year's Day to take part in the annual polar bear plunge.[60] With rescue teams standing by, participants use a variety of techniques to plunge themselves into the freezing reservoir.[61] Once the plunge is complete, swimmers retreat to hot tubs on the reservoir beach to revive themselves from the cold.
Naked Pumpkin Run[edit]
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. Several illegal attempts, resulting in arrests, have been made to restart the run, but no serious effort has been mounted.[62]
420[edit]
For several years on April 20, thousands of people gathered on the CU Boulder campus to celebrate 420 and 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 citations were given out whereas the year before there were only two.[63] 2011 was the last year of mass 420 partying at CU[64] as the university, in 2012, took a hard stance against 420 activities, closing the campus to visitors for the day, using smelly fish fertilizer to discourage gathering at the Norlin Quad, and having out-of-town law enforcement agencies help secure the campus.[65] In 2013, April 20 fell on a Saturday; the university continued the 420 party ban and, again, closed the campus to visitors.[66] In 2015 the government conceded and once again opened the park to visitors on April 20.[67]
Government[edit]
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.[76]
Politically, Boulder is one of the most liberal and Democratic cities in Colorado when viewed from a Federal and State elections lens. As of July 2019, registered voters in Boulder County were 43.4% Democratic, 14.7% Republican, 1.6% in other parties, and 40.3% unaffiliated.[77] By residents and detractors alike, Boulder is often referred to as the "People's Republic of Boulder".[78]
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 ever to grant same-sex marriage licenses, prior to state laws being passed to prevent such issuance.[79]
In July 2019, Boulder declared a "climate emergency" and established target dates[80] for achieving 100% renewable electricity,[81] a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from city organizations and facilities,[82] an increase in local generation of electricity through renewable sources, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the community[83] The city also created a community-centered process to focus on energy systems, regenerative ecosystems, circular materials economy, land use, and financial systems.[84]