Talk:Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area

Denver-Aurora-Broomfield

According to the most recent Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance of their Usage, Dated Nov. 20, 2008, found here http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/omb/bulletins/fy2009/09-01.pdf , Broomfield has been added as a principal city to Denver-Aurora, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The new name is the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Fort Lupton

I added Fort Lupton, Colorado as part of the metro area. I think it could be included. On maps of the metro area they always show Fort Lupton.

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Actually, Fort Lupton is officially in the Greeley Metropolitan Area because it is located in Weld County. Fort Lupton, Dacono, Frederick, and Firestone are all quite close to the Adams-Weld county boundary. As a practical matter, these towns are Denver suburbs, even though they are officially in a different metro area.

Paul 14 November 2006

Aurora?

Why is it the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan area? I'm a native of it, and this is the first time in my life I've seen Aurora attached to Denver-Metro. I've seen Denver/Boulder area, but never Denver-Aurora area. Ken 21:28, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

That is the official Census Bureau designation, as the first line of the article reads: "The Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area is defined by the United States Census Bureau as a ten-county..." One or more "principal cities" are defined by the Census Bureau for each metropolitan area, and each of these principal cities appears in the name. I don't know what criteria are used to determine whether a city merits "principal" status, but certainly population is one of them. Aurora now has approximately 300,000 people and is among the 60-or-so largest cities in the country. Boulder, by the way, is now defined as part of the separate Boulder Metropolitan Area. Denvoran 21:52, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

I think a note should be added that no one generally considers the area "Denver-Aurora". I read an article somewhere that Aurora will someday pass Denver in population, mainly since Aurora can keep expanding East while Denver is limited since it is surrounded, but not until around 2020 or 2030. It was probably in the Rocky Mountain News or Denver Post. --Mecu 21:14, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

I agree 100%, and since it is opinions we are talking about I will share mine. No one calls the area Denver-Aurora, no one is proud of Aurora and therefore no one wants to hear the name. The Area comprising Superior to Golden to Littleton to Highlands Ranch to Parker to Aurora to DIA to Northglen to Broomfield to Louisville is Greater Denver or Denver-Metro, that is the clear boundary. The only real debate is whether to include Louisville and Superior. Since 1990 Parker has been officially in. No Castle Rock, no Boulder and certainly no Longmount. I have lived here all my life, and have been running around the entire Denver Metro for the last 7 years. Denver-Boulder area is very useful becuase it describes this larger than greater Denver Area.

Metropolitan Semantics

Like most metropolitan areas in the United States, the extent of the Denver Metropolitan Area is largely contextual and the subject of lively debate.

Most Colorado counties are extensive. The three suburban counties adjacent to the City and County of Denver are long and narrow, with high population densities at the end of county near Denver and very low population densities at the opposite end:

• Arapahoe County is 72 miles long and 4 to 12 miles wide.
• Jefferson County is 54 miles long and 4 to 18 miles wide. (The southwest corner of the county is a wilderness area.)
• Adams County is 72 miles long and 6 to 18 miles wide.

There are several overlapping, officially designated Denver metropolitan regions:

• Denver Core Metropolitan Area – 4 counties with 2,013,234 population.
• Denver Central Metropolitan Area - 6 counties with 2,306,128 population.
• Denver Region of the Denver Regional Council of Governments – 9 counties with 2,600,697 population.
• Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area – 10 counties with 2,359,994 population.
• Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area – 12 counties with 2,869,377 population.
• North Central Colorado Urban Area - 13 counties with 3,141,304 population.
• Front Range Urban Corridor – 18 counties with 4,013,055 population.

There are many other unofficial and quasi-official definitions of the Denver Metropolitan Area.

The Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area article started life as a Denver Metropolitan Area article. While the label Denver Metropolitan Area is almost universally used in the metro area, the name of the article was changed to Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area to coincide with the United States Census Bureau designated Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Unfortunately, the Census Bureau also designated a Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area. The definition of the Denver Region used by the Denver Regional Council of Governments is the most common used locally.

I recommend that the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area article be retained (and possibly renamed to the more popular Denver Metropolitan Area) for general information about Metropolitan Denver. The portions of the article that deal with a specific regional entity such as the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area or the Denver Regional Council of Governments should be moved to those articles.

--Buaidh 22:54, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

The Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area includes communities such as Alma, Fairplay, Hartsel, Guffey, Lake George, Simla, and Matheson that few locals would consider to be part of the Denver Metropolitan Area, while excluding cities like Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, and Erie that most locals do consider to be part of the Denver Metropolitan Area.

The Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area also splits the Town of Superior with the Boulder Metropolitan Statistical Area and splits the City of Northglenn, the City of Thornton, the City of Brighton, and the Town of Lochbuie with the Greeley Metropolitan Statistical Area.

--Buaidh 20:40, 9 January 2007 (UTC)