Denver was founded in 1858 during the Pike's Peak gold rush, when prospectors staked a claim at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River. The city sits at exactly 5,280 feet — one mile — above sea level, a fact marked on the State Capitol steps, with the Rocky Mountains' Front Range rising just 12 miles to the west. Denver is the only city ever awarded the Winter Olympics to then turn them down: Colorado voters rejected public funding for the 1976 Games in a 1972 referendum, sending them to Innsbruck instead. Today it anchors a fast-growing tech and outdoor-industry economy, with more craft breweries per capita than almost any other US city.
Nights sit around 11°C and afternoons around 28°C, though some days reach 34°C.
Denver has real seasons: summer afternoons sit around 31°C, winter ones around 7°C.
Some summer days reach 37°C, and some winter nights drop below freezing.
Most of the rain falls in summer, least in winter. In June it rains about 6 days in 30; in January, 4.
Wind is rarely an issue; most months sit between calm and a light breeze. Air quality is worth watching: January averages an AQI of 58, while October clears to 34.
Days stretch to about 14.8 hours of light in June and shrink to 9.2 in December — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
For what you're after, the best months in Denver are July – August. Expect fast internet (410 Mbps) and a high cost of living (about €2800 a month).
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