The Denver area has experienced positive job growth every year since 1988 and employment growth has been exceptionally strong since 1993. The strongest job gains have been posted in the construction, transportation and communications, finance/insurance/real estate and business services categories. Four major business sectors—services, trade (wholesale and retail), government and manufacturing—provide nearly 80% of the employment in the metro area. Industries include aerospace, telecommunications, biotechnology, financial services, airlines, consumer products, computers and energy.  Denver is home to dozens of publicly traded companies, major mutual funds and financial managers, federal and state offices, and nonprofit and charitable organizations. 

Most days in Denver, one sees and admires a 120-mile long mountain panorama that includes nearly 200 named peaks. Students often climb one or more of Colorado’s 54 Peaks higher than 14,000 feet in altitude.  Downtown Denver is home to three new sports stadiums—the Rockies Coors Field, the Broncos’ Invesco Field at Mile High, and the Nuggets’ and Avalanche’s Pepsi Center. 

Denver is home to 300 restaurants, a restored historic district filled with 90 bars and brewpubs, a collection of museums, a variety of galleries and shopping, the second largest performing arts center in the nation, three college campuses, and even a unique downtown amusement park–Six Flags Elitch Gardens along the South Platte River Greenway.  That Greenway, including Confluence Park a few blocks from the student’s Inn at Auraria, was restored with the leadership help of a CLIMB Board Director, and was the first U.S. urban river to be thoroughly restored.