GENERAL INFORMATION Population: city, 316,480; Colorado Springs Metro Area, 454,220. Colorado Springs, situated on a mesa (6,008 feet [1,831 m]) near the eastern base of Pikes Peak – east of Pike National Forest, was founded in 1871 as a rail terminal by General William J. Palmer, builder of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. The establishment of military installations (U.S. Air Force Academy, The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the US Space Command gave impetus to development. The city is home to Colorado College, the University of Colorado at Colorado, Springs, the Nazarene Bible College and the U. S. Olympic Center. Flight times: Chicago-2 hrs., London-9 hrs., N.Y.-3 hrs., Los Angles-2.5 hrs, Miami-4 hrs. City Center to airport: 20 min. TRANSPORTATION Colorado Springs Airport, served by nine major national and regional airlines, has approximately fifty arrivals and departures daily with nonstop service to Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, and Cincinnati. There are also daily direct flights to over twenty other cities. Highways (The automobile is the best mode of individual transportation) Interstate-25 runs North/South through Colorado Springs. I-25 goes directly to Denver and the state's main East/West corridor, Interstate-70. Highway 83 runs through the northern portion of city. State Highway 94 runs through the eastern portion of city. State Highway 115 runs North/South and bisects city. Highway 24 runs East/West and bisects city and is the main route to the mountains. Highway 85/87 is located in southern portion of city. Colorado Springs is an hour drive to Denver. WEATHER Colorado Springs has a mild, dry and arid climate. The city receives only 8-14 inches (20.3 - 36 cm) of precipitation a year (about the same as Los Angeles), and records 300 days of sunshine a year. Average Daily High/Low Temperature: • March: 62°f / 32°f • June: 89°f / 58°f • September: 73°f / 42°f • December:r 42°f / 24°f Click for a current weather forecast for Colorado Springs.