Colorado Springs is the most populous city within the county of El Paso, Colorado, United States. It is a Home Rule Municipality which is the county seat too, located in south-central Colorado. It is situated within the southern portion of the state. Colorado Springs is situated 65 miles or 106 km south of the City of Denver, which is the Colorado State Capitol. It is situated on Fountain Creek and stands just over 1 mile or 1.6 km above sea level, though certain parts of the city are much lower and significantly higher. Colorado Springs is elevated at 6035 feet or 1839 m.
Situated close to Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs is located on the eastern edge of the Southern Rocky Mountains. The city most recent census numbers have the city at more than 415,000 people. This makes the city of Colorado Springs the states 2nd biggest city. It was also ranked as the 41st most populous city in the United States. In 2010, the Colorado Springs MSA or Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated population of 645,613. Colorado Springs is the largest by measures of area within Colorado State, covering 186.1 square miles or 482 km2.
Colorado Springs' economy is heavily dependent upon tourism, high-technology, and the military. The service sectors have just seen more growth. Some of the largest companies within the city are derived from the defense industry, since they play a vital part within the economy of the city. A big part of this industry is dedicated to the development and operation of numerous projects for missile defense. The aerospace business has also influenced the economy of the city. Slight growth has been recorded though a portion of defense corporations have downsized or left city campuses.
Among the main defense corporations within the city consist of: General Dynamics, SAIC, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, L-3 Communications, Harris Corporation, Boeing and ITT.
A crucial role within the city is because of the US Military. Colorado Springs is home to both Army and Army and Air Force bases. These many military installations order the city of Colorado Springs, to the east and the south and towards the north, not including Schriever Air Force Base, which is situated east of the city within El Paso County.
Another huge percentage of the economy is in the industry of manufacturing high-tech equipment and complex electronic equipment. The last 6 years this sector however has seen a decline of workers from 21,000 to roughly 8,000. There have been significant reductions in information technology and complex electronic equipment. Tourism has also slowed down and in terms of total income generated and jobs the high-tech sector remains 2nd to the military. Research about current trends depicts that the employment ratio for the high-tech sector would continue to decrease in the near future.