Bear In The Water Barrel

Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located just east of the geographic center of the state and 61 miles (98 km) south of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. At 6,035 feet (1839 meters) the city sits over one mile 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 an estimated population of 414,358 in 2009, 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. The city covers 186.1 square miles (482 km2), making it Colorado's largest city in area. Colorado Springs was selected as the No. 1 Best Big City in "Best Places to Live" by Money magazine in 2006, and placed number one in Outside's 2009 list of America's Best Cities.