Aspen

A city known around the world as a premier tourist destination, and it is located in Pitkin County.

Welcome to Aspen

History

The richness of the history of Aspen is like no other among current-day Colorado mountain towns. First named Ute City, after the native American Indians who had inhabited the region for over 800 years, the area was renamed Aspen soon after the discovery of large silver deposits by prospectors in 1879. With the passing of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1880, Aspen was catapulted into a mining boom that lasted fourteen years bringing great prosperity and growth to the town. Industrialists and capitalists with names such as B. Clark Wheeler, Charles Hallam, David Hyman, and Jerome B. Wheeler brought an infusion of ingenuity and capital into the community. By the late 1880s, Aspen had an electric company, a city water system, a railway, and an opera house. The population swelled to over 15,000.
 
The repeal of the Sherman Act demonetizing silver in 1893 brought an end to the Aspen boom. The Quiet Years ensued until the mid-1930s when Aspen as a ski town was in its infancy. During World War II the 10th Mountain Division, an elite corps of mountain men from around the world, trained in and around Aspen to ultimately fight in the mountains of Europe. After the war, a cadre of these veterans returned to the area to promote skiing and to help develop what is now a world-famous four-mountain ski area.
 
Walter Paepcke, a Chicago industrialist, was pivotal in the launching of the Aspen Ski Corporation in 1946. He and his wife, Elizabeth were, however, to leave an even more indelible mark on the history of Aspen. Their vision to make Aspen a gathering place for thinkers, artists, leaders, and musicians from around the world was also realized. The Paepcke’s Mind, Body, Spirit philosophy is embodied in the very institutions they helped create: The Aspen Institute, the Aspen Music Festival and School, the International Design Conference, the Aspen Center for Physics, and the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.
 
The 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s witnessed the growth of Aspen into the international destination it is today where one can indulge in an abundance of year-round recreational activities, an array of cultural and intellectual events, and a lifestyle without parallel in any mountain town.
 

Present

Facts: The City of Aspen rests in the White River National Forest at 7,900 feet of elevation surrounded by the Elk Mountain Range with many peaks rising to over 14,000 feet. The city is 3.6 square miles, has a population of approximately 6,700 residents that swells to an average of 20,000 people in peak seasons, and enjoys an average of 300 days of sunshine. It is located in Pitkin County (population approx.17,400) and is on the easternmost end of the 50-mile-long Roaring Fork Valley with an estimated population of 35,000.
 
Today Aspen is a city known around the world as a premier tourist destination and a locale where more homes are owned by second and third homeowners than by permanent residents. Luxury and world-class define many of the hotels, restaurants, and shops. Some of the most exclusive residential properties in the country line in-town neighborhoods or are perched high on mountainsides with top-of-the-world views. The rich and prominent, extreme athletes, intellectuals, food and wine aficionados, music, literature, art, and nature lovers, and the curious flock to Aspen every season to partake in its lifestyle, outdoor and cultural activities, and unmatched beauty. Champagne snow covering four ski mountains, magnificent sunsets, unending trails for hiking and cycling, world-class music and ballet, gold medal rivers, premier golf courses, and public discourse addressing science, politics, and global issues bring people who feed their minds, their bodies and their spirit with the abundance Aspen has to offer.
 
Music of all genres fills the air. Aspen is home to the Aspen Music Festival and School where musicians, conductors, and composers of the highest level of accomplishment perform throughout the summer months. Jazz Aspen Snowmass, now in its twenty-sixth year, continues to host major music festivals in early summer and at summer’s end. Its JAS Café features the best of the best jazz performers who take the stage in an intimate venue at the five-star Little Nell Hotel. Outdoor concerts abound from June through August while Belly Up brings a spectrum of live music acts to Aspen over 300 nights a year.
 
The art scene in Aspen offers a multitude of the finest of galleries as well as the spectacular new contemporary Aspen Art Museum designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban. The Aspen Institute, the Aspen Center for Physics, and Aspen Words bring U.S. Presidents, political figures from around the world, Nobel Prize winners, best-selling authors and poet laureates to Aspen all year long. The City attracts international speakers as well as visitors from Europe, South America, Asia, Australia, and Africa bringing cultural diversity to all corners of Aspen life. Indeed, the world comes to Aspen.
 
If Aspen sounds as if it were an idyllic mountain town, it is.

Overview for Aspen, CO

7,019 people live in Aspen, where the median age is 41.2 and the average individual income is $90,567. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

7,019

Total Population

41.2 years

Median Age

High

Population Density Population Density This is the number of people per square mile in a neighborhood.

$90,567

Average individual Income

Around Aspen, CO

There's plenty to do around Aspen, including shopping, dining, nightlife, parks, and more. Data provided by Walk Score and Yelp.

20
Car-Dependent
Walking Score
78
Very Bikeable
Bike Score

Points of Interest

Explore popular things to do in the area, including Mark Richards of Aspen, Ski Butlers, and Radio Boardshop.

Name Category Distance Reviews
Ratings by Yelp
Shopping 1.13 miles 5 reviews 5/5 stars
Shopping 1.95 miles 19 reviews 4.9/5 stars
Shopping 1 miles 14 reviews 4.9/5 stars
Shopping 1.23 miles 16 reviews 4.9/5 stars
Shopping 0.9 miles 33 reviews 4.8/5 stars
Shopping 1.08 miles 6 reviews 4.8/5 stars

Demographics and Employment Data for Aspen, CO

Aspen has 3,278 households, with an average household size of 2.11. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Here’s what the people living in Aspen do for work — and how long it takes them to get there. Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. 7,019 people call Aspen home. The population density is 1,819.44 and the largest age group is Data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

7,019

Total Population

High

Population Density Population Density This is the number of people per square mile in a neighborhood.

41.2

Median Age

51.02 / 48.98%

Men vs Women

Population by Age Group

0-9:

0-9 Years

10-17:

10-17 Years

18-24:

18-24 Years

25-64:

25-64 Years

65-74:

65-74 Years

75+:

75+ Years

Education Level

  • Less Than 9th Grade
  • High School Degree
  • Associate Degree
  • Bachelor Degree
  • Graduate Degree
3,278

Total Households

2.11

Average Household Size

$90,567

Average individual Income

Households with Children

With Children:

Without Children:

Marital Status

Married
Single
Divorced
Separated

Blue vs White Collar Workers

Blue Collar:

White Collar:

Commute Time

0 to 14 Minutes
15 to 29 Minutes
30 to 59 Minutes
60+ Minutes

Work With Us

We welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss the specific plan to rent your home or rent a home while visiting Aspen. If you are serious about renting your home, we are serious about getting the job done – and making it seamless and profitable.

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