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. 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. In 2005 the GDP of the region was $229,202,000,000 making up 2% of the United States GDP.

Extent 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. 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.

+Southern Rocky Mountain FrontRegionCore-based statistical area2012 estimateCounty2012 estimate2010 censusChangeSoutheast WyomingCheyenne, WY Metropolitan Statistical Area94,483Laramie County North Central ColoradoFort Collins-Loveland, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area310,487Larimer County Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area263,691Weld County Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area305,318Boulder County Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area2,645,209City and County of Denver Arapahoe County Jefferson County Adams County Douglas County City and County of Broomfield Elbert County Park County Clear Creek County Gilpin County South Central ColoradoColorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area668,353El Paso County Teller County Cañon City, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area46,788Fremont County Pueblo, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area160,852Pueblo County Northern New Mexico Albuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area901,700Bernalillo County Sandoval County Torrance County Valencia County Santa Fe, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area146,375Santa Fe County Total

Transportation

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. 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.

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. Interstate 25 runs north–south from New Mexico through Denver to Wyoming Interstate 70 runs east–west through the region from Utah to Maryland Interstate 80 runs east–west through the region from California to New Jersey Interstate 40 runs east–west through the region from California to North Carolina

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

AirportAircraft operationsPassengersAlbuquerque International Sunport192,5205,801,641Cheyenne Regional Airport65,163Colorado Springs Airport153,244Denver International Airport635,44553,156,278Pueblo Memorial Airport182,119Laramie Regional Airport10,486Santa Fe Municipal Airport78,569

Municipalities +The 25 most populous municipalities of the Southern Rocky Mountain FrontRankMunicipalityStateCountyCBSA2012 estimate2010 censusChange City and County of DenverColoradoCity and County of DenverDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of AlbuquerqueNew MexicoBernalillo CountyAlbuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area City of Colorado SpringsColoradoEl Paso CountyColorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of AuroraColoradoArapahoe CountyAdams CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of Fort CollinsColoradoLarimer CountyFort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of LakewoodColoradoJefferson CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of ThorntonColoradoAdams CountyWeld CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical AreaGreeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of WestminsterColoradoAdams CountyJefferson CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of PuebloColoradoPueblo CountyPueblo, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of ArvadaColoradoJefferson CountyAdams CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of CentennialThe City of Centennial, Colorado was incorporated on February 7, 2001.ColoradoArapahoe CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of BoulderColoradoBoulder CountyBoulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of GreeleyColoradoWeld CountyGreeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of Rio RanchoNew MexicoSandoval CountyBernalillo CountyAlbuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area City of LongmontColoradoBoulder CountyWeld CountyBoulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical AreaGreeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of Santa FeNew MexicoSanta Fe CountySanta Fe, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area City of LovelandColoradoLarimer CountyFort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of CheyenneWyomingLaramie CountyCheyenne, WY Metropolitan Statistical Area City and County of BroomfieldColoradoCity and County of BroomfieldDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area Town of Castle RockColoradoDouglas CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of Commerce CityColoradoAdams CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area Town of ParkerColoradoDouglas CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of LittletonColoradoArapahoe CountyJefferson CountyDouglas CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of NorthglennColoradoAdams CountyWeld CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical AreaGreeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area City of BrightonColoradoAdams CountyWeld CountyDenver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical AreaGreeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area

See also

Southern Rocky Mountain Front Front Range Urban Corridor Southeast Wyoming North Central Colorado Urban Area South Central Colorado Urban Area Northern New Mexico Colorado Colorado statistical areas Conurbation List of census-designated places in Colorado List of census-designated places in New Mexico List of census-designated places in Wyoming List of cities and towns in Colorado List of cities and towns in New Mexico List of cities and towns in Wyoming List of counties in Colorado List of counties in New Mexico List of counties in Wyoming List of places in Colorado Megaregions of the United States New Mexico New Mexico statistical areas Rocky Mountain Front Southern Rocky Mountains Statistical area (United States) Combined statistical area (list) Core-based statistical area (list) Metropolitan statistical area (list) Micropolitan statistical area (list) Wyoming Wyoming statistical areas

References

External links

United States Census Bureau