Boulder, CO is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, just 35 miles northwest of Denver. Home of the University of Colorado's main campus and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder sits 5,430 feet above sea level and is surrounded by a greenbelt of city trails and open spaces. Boulder is known for its natural beauty, outdoor recreation, natural product retailers and restaurants, outstanding transportation options, diverse businesses, and technological and academic resources.

As the flagship university of the state of Colorado, CU-Boulder is a dynamic community of scholars and learners situated on one of the most spectacular college campuses in the country. As one of 34 U.S. public institutions belonging to the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU) – and the only member in the Rocky Mountain region – CU-Boulder has a proud tradition of academic excellence, with four Nobel laureates and more than 50 members of prestigious academic academies.

The City of Boulder is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County, Colorado, United States. Boulder is the 11th most populous city in the State of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in 2005 the population of the City of Boulder was 91,685, the population of the Boulder Metropolitan Statistical Area was 280,440 (161st most populous MSA), the population of the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area was 2,869,377 (15th most populous CSA), and the population of the Front Range Urban Corridor was 3,965,289. Boulder is the home of the University of Colorado at Boulder, the largest university in Colorado and Naropa University, the only accredited Buddhist-inspired university in the United States. Boulder is situated 25 miles (40 km) northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver at an elevation of 5,430 feet (1,655 m).