Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in the South Central portion of Central Colorado. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located 61 miles (98 km) south of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. At 6,035 feet (1839 m) the city stands over one mile (1.6 km) above sea level, though some areas of the city are significantly higher. Colorado Springs is situated near the base of one of the most famous American mountains, Pikes Peak, at the eastern edge of the southern Rocky Mountains.

With a 2010 Census of 416,427, it is the second most populous city in the state of Colorado, behind Denver, and the 46th most populous city in the United States, while the Colorado Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated population of 626,227 in 2009. The city covers 186.1 square miles (482 km and placed number one in Outside's 2009 list of America's Best Cities.