Southern Rocky Mountain Front

Megaregion of the United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Southern Rocky Mountain Front

The Southern Rocky Mountain Front is a megaregion of the United States, otherwise known as a megalopolis, with population centers consisting mainly of the Front Range Urban Corridor and the Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Los Alamos combined statistical area, located along the eastern and southern face of the Southern Rocky Mountains in the U.S. states of Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. The region comprises the southern portion of the Rocky Mountain Front geographic region of Canada and the United States, extending into the Southwestern United States. The Southern Rocky Mountain Front had a population of 5,467,633 according to the 2010 United States census.[2] The region is one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States, and its population is projected to grow by 87% to 10,222,370 by 2050.[3] In 2005 the GDP of the region was $229,202,000,000 making up 2% of the United States GDP.[3]

Quick Facts Country, States ...
Southern Rocky Mountain Front
State capitols in the megaregion (from top to bottom)
Wyoming State Capitol in Cheyenne
Colorado State Capitol in Denver
New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe
Interactive map of the Front Range urban corridor of
Colorado and Wyoming[1]
Country United States
States Wyoming
Colorado
New Mexico
Largest city - Denver
Other principal cities
Population
5,467,633
Time zoneUTC−7 (MST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Close

Extent

Summarize
Perspective

The Southern Rocky Mountain Front stretches from Albuquerque, New Mexico, north along Interstate Highway 25 to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and includes the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Pueblo, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Cheyenne, WY Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Cañon City, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area, the Albuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the Santa Fe, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area.[3] The region comprises three primary subregions: the South Central Colorado Urban Area, the North Central Colorado Urban Area, and the Cheyenne Metropolitan Area.

The influence of the region extends well beyond its defined boundaries. The Colorado Eastern Plains, Nebraska Panhandle and Albany County, Wyoming, among other areas, are culturally and economically tied to the region, though they are not considered a part of it.

Map of the 11 emerging megaregions of the United States.
More information Region, Core-based statistical area ...
Southern Rocky Mountain Front[2][4]

Region Core-based statistical area 2012 estimate County 2012 estimate 2010 census Change
Southeast Wyoming Cheyenne, WY Metropolitan Statistical Area 94,483 Laramie County 94,48391,738+2.99%
North Central Colorado Fort Collins-Loveland, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 310,487 Larimer County 310,487299,630+3.62%
Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 263,691 Weld County 263,691252,825+4.30%
Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 305,318 Boulder County 305,318294,567+3.65%
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 2,645,209 City and County of Denver 634,265600,158+5.68%
Arapahoe County 595,546572,003+4.12%
Jefferson County 545,358534,543+2.02%
Adams County 459,598441,603+4.07%
Douglas County 298,215285,465+4.47%
City and County of Broomfield 58,29855,889+4.31%
Elbert County 23,38323,086+1.29%
Park County 16,02916,206−1.09%
Clear Creek County 9,0269,088−0.68%
Gilpin County 5,4915,441+0.92%
South Central Colorado Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 668,353 El Paso County 644,964622,263+3.65%
Teller County 23,38923,350+0.17%
Cañon City, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area 46,788 Fremont County 46,78846,824−0.08%
Pueblo, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 160,852 Pueblo County 160,852159,063+1.12%
Northern New Mexico Albuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area 901,700 Bernalillo County 673,460662,564+1.64%
Sandoval County 135,588131,561+3.06%
Torrance County 16,02116,383−2.21%
Valencia County 76,63176,569+0.08%
Santa Fe, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area 146,375 Santa Fe County 146,375144,170+1.53%
Total 5,543,2565,364,989+3.32%
Close

Transportation

Summarize
Perspective

Rail

The region was established, along with ten other megaregions throughout the United States, by America 2050 in response to President Barack Obama’s efforts to improve the country’s infrastructure. The megaregions were initially identified by America 2050 as areas that should have highspeed rail by 2050.[5] According to America 2050’s four phase plan the Front Range would have highspeed rail on Phase 3 of the plan and the line would stretch from Denver, Colorado to Albuquerque, New Mexico.[6]

Interstates and highways

Interstate 25 runs through the Southern Rocky Mountain Front north from Albuquerque, NM to Cheyenne, WY. Major east and west routes running through the region are I-40 through Albuquerque, I-70 through Denver, and I-80 through Cheyenne.

Airports

The region has seven airports offering passenger services with two of the airports, Albuquerque International Sunport and Denver International Airport, able to handle international flights.

List of airports offering passenger services

More information Airport, Aircraft operations ...
Close

Municipalities

More information Rank, Municipality ...
The 25 most populous municipalities of the Southern Rocky Mountain Front[2]

Rank Municipality State County CBSA 2012 estimate 2010 census Change
1 City and County of Denver Colorado City and County of Denver Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 634,265600,158+5.68%
2 City of Albuquerque New Mexico Bernalillo County Albuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area 555,417545,852+1.75%
3 City of Colorado Springs Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 431,834416,427+3.70%
4 City of Aurora Colorado Arapahoe County
Adams County
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 339,030325,078+4.29%
5 City of Fort Collins Colorado Larimer County Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 148,612143,986+3.21%
6 City of Lakewood Colorado Jefferson County Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 145,516142,980+1.77%
7 City of Thornton Colorado Adams County
Weld County
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
124,140118,772+4.52%
8 City of Westminster Colorado Adams County
Jefferson County
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 109,169106,114+2.88%
9 City of Pueblo Colorado Pueblo County Pueblo, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 107,772106,595+1.10%
10 City of Arvada Colorado Jefferson County
Adams County
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 109,745106,433+3.11%
11 City of Centennial[7] Colorado Arapahoe County Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 103,743100,377+3.35%
12 City of Boulder Colorado Boulder County Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 101,80897,385+4.54%
13 City of Greeley Colorado Weld County Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 95,35792,889+2.66%
14 City of Rio Rancho New Mexico Sandoval County
Bernalillo County
Albuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area 90,81887,521+3.77%
15 City of Longmont Colorado Boulder County
Weld County
Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
88,66986,270+2.78%
16 City of Santa Fe New Mexico Santa Fe County Santa Fe, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area 69,20467,947+1.85%
17 City of Loveland Colorado Larimer County Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 70,22366,859+5.03%
18 City of Cheyenne Wyoming Laramie County Cheyenne, WY Metropolitan Statistical Area 61,53759,466+3.48%
19 City and County of Broomfield Colorado City and County of Broomfield Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 58,29855,889+4.31%
20 Town of Castle Rock Colorado Douglas County Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 51,34848,231+6.46%
21 City of Commerce City Colorado Adams County Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 48,42145,913+5.46%
22 Town of Parker Colorado Douglas County Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 47,16945,297+4.13%
23 City of Littleton Colorado Arapahoe County
Jefferson County
Douglas County
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area 43,77541,737+4.88%
24 City of Northglenn Colorado Adams County
Weld County
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
36,89135,789+3.08%
25 City of Brighton Colorado Adams County
Weld County
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area
34,63633,352+3.85%
Close

See also

References

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.