Aspen

Community Description
(See community links below for additional information.)

Located high in the Rocky Mountains, Aspen is the 53rd largest city in the state and is internationally renowned as a winter and summer resort.  Aspen sits at the upper end of the Roaring Fork Valley, with the Roaring Fork River, a superb trout stream, running through town. The town offers an interesting history, challenging outdoor recreation opportunities, abundant cultural activities, pleasant climate and beautiful natural scenery.

Demographics

• Aspen is located in Pitkin County.
• The town has a population of 5,914.
• Pitkin County has a population of 14,872.

Local Attractions

• Aspen is world renowned for its downhill skiing.
• Aspen Mountain rises imposingly from town and is one of four ski areas in the valley.
• Snowmass, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk mountains all lie within 12 miles of town.
• These areas offer some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the world.
• While downhill skiing and snowboarding are Aspen's best known recreational pursuits, winter enthusiasts are not restricted to the formal constraints of the mountains.
• Backcountry skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, winter hut trips, and snow camping opportunities in this region rival any in the country.
• When the snow melts, Aspen offers an abundance of opportunities for hiking, backpacking, camping, mountain biking, climbing, fly-fishing, horseback riding, kayaking, whitewater rafting, hunting, and paragliding.
• Much of the area around Aspen is public land within the White River National Forest.
• The spectacular Elk Mountains rise to the south and west of Aspen, with the Williams Mountains and the Sawatch Range to the east.
• These mountains are cut by beautiful alpine valleys.
• The Maroon Creek, Castle Creek and Hunter Creek Valleys are all easily accessible from town.
• Much of the high mountain area surrounding Aspen lies within designated wilderness areas in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass, Hunter-Fryingpan, and Collegiate Peaks wildernesses.

Climate

• In the valley bottoms, summer high temperatures extend into the 70's and mid 80's, with cool evenings that can often dip into the 30's.
• Winter lows occasionally dip to minus 30 degrees, though daytime temperatures are often in the 20's to 30's.
• The relative humidity is quite low throughout the year.
• Much of the area and its recreation facilities lie at higher elevations where significantly lower temperatures and more precipitation can be expected.
• Afternoon summer thunderstorms are common. Snow is possible at any time of year in the highest elevations.
• The high elevation roads and trails are often not clear of snow until mid-July.

Location

• Aspen is located 200 miles southwest of Denver and 130 miles east of Grand Junction.

Community Links

HEATHCARE IN ASPEN

HOSPITALS
Aspen Valley Hospital
Locate a Doctor

CLINICS
List of Physicians
Aspen Medical Care, P.C.
Locke Family Medicine
Visiting Nurse Assoc Community Health Services VNA
Community Health Services

LIFESTYLES IN ASPEN

DEMOGRAPHICS
http://www.aspenchamber.org/Community-Demographics-pl1034.cfm
           
SCHOOLS
Aspen School District
Colorado Mountain College
Colorado Rocky Mountain School
Compass
Roaring Fork School District
           
EMPLOYERS
Job opportunities in Aspen
Business Directory
Top Ten Employers:
Aspen Skiing Company
Pitkin County/City of Aspen
St. Regis Hotel
Aspen Valley Hospital
Little Nell House
City Market
Hotel Jerome
Clark ’s Market
Aspen School District
Coates, Reid and Waldron Property Management
           
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
http://www.aspenpitkin.com/
           
TOWN WEBSITE
www.aspenpitkin.com

COUNTY
http://county.aspenpitkin.com/
           
REAL ESTATE – View homes for free before you do a site visit!
Go to Zillow.com to learn about all the homes for sale in Aspen.

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS
http://www.aspentimes.com/
www.aspendailynews.com

TOURIST AND RECREATION WEBSITES
Snowmass Village Resort Association
Food and Wine Classic in Aspen
Aspen Arts Festival
Snowmass Balloon Festival
Snowmass Rodeo
Aspen Music Festival
Maroon Bells Scenic Area
           
TOWNS NEARBY
Basalt (19 miles)
Crested Butte (25 miles)
Marble (26 miles)
Carbondale (30 miles)
Eagle (32 miles)
Glenwood Springs (42 miles)
Grand Junction (128 miles)
Denver (200 miles)

AIRPORT
Pitkin County Airport

TRANSPORTATION
Local Transportation
           
SKIING IN COLORADO, FROM ASPEN
Trail Maps
Aspen Mountain
Aspen Highlands
Snowmass Mountain
Buttermilk Mountain