• Elevation: 8,150 feet

• Size: 4.5 square miles, 8.5 miles in length

• Location: 100 miles west of Denver on Interstate 70 in Eagle County and easily accessible via the Eagle County Regional Airport, 35 miles to the west. Vail is surrounded by 350,000 acres of White River National Forest land.

• Climate: Vail receives more than 335 inches of snow annually and almost 300 days of sunshine each year. During the summer, daytime temperatures average 75 degrees and 45 degrees for the nighttime low. Winter daytime temperatures average 45 degrees, with lows dipping below 30 degrees.

On the heels of its success as a resort, Vail has evolved into an appealing recreation-friendly alpine community now comprised of approximately 5,500 full-time residents and an estimated 5,000 part-time residents. Together, Vail is considered to be a leader in its resort-community qualities and best practices. Examples include:

• One of the largest free transit systems in the nation.
• First modern roundabout interchange in the nation.
• More open space (30 percent of its lands) than any other resort community in the nation. A 1% real estate transfer tax, in place since the 1980s, funds parks and open space and further supports environmentally sustainable initiatives.
• Home to Gore Creek, one of only 11 Gold Medal fishing streams in the state.
• 4% ski lift tax is the first of its kind in the country and represents the highest contribution level by a ski resort to its municipal partner in the state and perhaps the nation. The funds assist in the operation of Vail’s free transit system.
• Only U.S. designation to host three World Alpine Ski Championships (1989,1999, 2015).
• First venue for New York Philharmonic summer residency outside the state of New York.
• Recognized as a resort leader in redevelopment initiatives of $1.5 billion in public-private investments from 2004 to 2008, representing more than 50 percent of property in the core areas of Vail Village and Lionshead.
• Ranked as a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists with 15 miles of recreation paths from East Vail to West Vail and countless miles of hiking and biking trails on Vail Mountain and the surrounding area.
• Host to Vail Lacrosse Shootout and King of the Mountain Volleyball events for over 40 years.
• Home to Burton US Open Snowboarding Championship since 2013.
• Most connected resort in North America with a state-of-the-art, outdoor small cell network. The wireless network is capable of handling massive amounts of data and is an essential component of public safety, advanced connectivity and many new technologies on which Vail depends.
• First destination in the U.S. to become a certified sustainable destination (2017) and the first mountain resort destination in the world to be certified by a Global Sustainable Tourism Council-accredited certifying body, Green Destinations.
• Known for employing many of the best-practice green design principles of its time, Vail Public Library featured the largest green roof west of the Mississippi River upon its opening in 1983. Now, nearly 40 years later, the building remains a leader in green design and an important and beautiful icon for the community.
• Permanent public art collection managed by Art in Public Places includes over 60 works ranging from painting, sculptures, murals, playground components, to site-integrated art, most of which created by Colorado artists.
• Fosters cultural exchanges and idea-sharing through its Global Friendship Exchange Program, which includes partnerships with San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Yamanouchi-machi, Japan.
• Recognized nationally by the Urban Land Institute for housing policy leadership through the Vail InDEED deed-restriction acquisition program established in 2018.
• One of the safest resort communities in the world with an incredibly low crime rate coupled with high clearance rates of crimes investigated. Police Department has been accredited by Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police since 2005.
• First mountain community to host Kurdish police officials from Iraq to learn about community policing and leadership in 2012.
• Police Chief leading social justice and police reform as incoming president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2021.
• Vail Fire and Emergency Services recognized as a leader in community wildfire preparedness through active leadership with the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Fire Adapted Colorado.
  
  

Vail Resorts, Inc. is the operator of Vail Mountain.

Coveted as one of the largest ski resorts in the world with more than 5,300 acres of skiable terrain, seven legendary Back Bowls spanning seven miles, and the most groomed terrain on the planet, Vail has been an extraordinary winter vacation destination for passionate skiers and snowboarders for more than 50 years. It is home to world-class athletes during the U.S. Ski Team early-season training sessions in Golden Peak, the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships and the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships. Under blue skies more than 300 days each year, friends and families reconnect and celebrate here from year to year and generation to generation. The vacation experience is exceptional, from the Vail Ski & Snowboard School to events, activities and festivals, shops and spas, abundant culinary experiences and luxurious accommodations. Coupled with the vision inherent in the spirit of Vail’s founders, and a modern day commitment to excellence in all aspects of guest service and operations, Vail is a mountain resort like nothing on earth.

The Ute tribe were the original inhabitants of what is now known as the Vail Valley, with archeological evidence of their presence dating as far back as 7000 BCE. The Utes, whose self-name is the Nuches, referred to the area as “The Shining Mountains” due to its majestic peaks, which shone with snow even in summer.

The valley offered a cool summer retreat and fresh hunting grounds for the Utes who spent winters in the more arid land of western Colorado. White settlers began to arrive in the 1860’s, with a surge in the 1870's as word spread that the Gore Range contained both gold and silver. As mines were set up and railroad tracks laid down, the Northern Utes were pushed from Colorado onto northeastern Utah reservations. The 1879 Meeker incident was the final impetus for the Ute removal of 1881. During the forced removal, the Utes allegedly set fire to thousands of acres of trees, resulting in the deforested area today known as Vail's famous Back Bowls.

It wasn't long before the miners depleted the area's mineral resources and abandoned the valley. It remained a peaceful home for sheep ranchers until 1939, when construction began on Highway 6, running from Denver through the Gore Valley. Charlie Vail, the project's engineer, lent his name to the road--the Vail Pass--and eventually to the Town of Vail, too. During World War II, the Army's Tenth Mountain Division used the Vail area for backcountry survival training. After the war, many of the men who trained there were drawn back to the mountain valleys. Pete Seibert, one of Vail's founding fathers, was one such veteran; he returned to the Valley along with fellow troopers Bill "Sarge" Brown and Bob Parker. The three vets shared a great vision of a mountain ski community. In 1954, Earl Eaton, a uranium prospector with a similar vision, teamed up with Seibert to draw up a plan for a ski resort.

Construction began in spring 1962, and by fall 1966, the Town of Vail was incorporated. Vail had one of the first gondolas in the United States, along with two double chairlifts and a beginner poma lift, serving six square miles of terrain. Several restaurants, hotels and a medical clinic opened their doors soon thereafter.

By the mid-1970s, discriminating skiers had discovered Vail, and the town had earned the reputation as one of Colorado's best ski areas. When Gerald Ford, who owned a house in Vail, became President of the United States in 1974, the ski town made front-page news. Vail was soon recognized worldwide as the ski resort.

During the early 1980s, the area blossomed as a year-round resort. Golf courses were laid out and mountain-biking trails were added; gondolas and chairlifts began transporting sightseers instead of skiers; hot-air balloon rallies, tennis tournaments and concerts featuring everything from chamber music to rock became part of the Vail summer scene.

In the 1990s, a managed growth pact between the Town of Vail, Vail Resorts and U.S. Forest Service preceded the opening of Blue Ski Basin which added 645 acres of additional skiable terrain on Vail Mountain. The agreement served as the catalyst for construction of roundabouts to improve the town’s carrying capacity as well as other initiatives, including the pursuit of affordable housing and open space protections to improve the quality of life and quality of experience for residents and guests.

Another milestone occurred in 2005 with the start of Vail’s Billion Dollar Renewal when more than half the town’s commercial areas received a facelift following an infusion of private and public sector investments. New and renovated hotel units, additional commercial space and improved public spaces were included in the renewal which has contributed to Vail’s distinction as the preeminent resort industry leader which was celebrated during Vail’s 50th anniversary in 2012.

Later, in elevating Vail’s leadership position as the Premier International Mountain Resort Community, Vail proudly joined Beaver Creek in hosting the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships and became home to the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships in 2013.

Equally celebrated is Vail’s evolution as a thriving community which received a significant boost in 2021 following a $100 million expansion of Vail Health hospital. In pursuit of its ambitious housing goals, one of the most innovative programs in the nation was initiated in 2018 through the Vail InDEED deed-restriction purchase program which has welcomed a new generation of homeowners to carry on Vail’s rich tradition of leadership and stewardship. Following a decades-long commitment to balance tourism growth with local environmental and community needs, Vail became the first destination in the U.S. to become a certified sustainable destination in 2017 and the first mountain resort destination in the world to receive certification by a Global Sustainable Tourism Council-accredited certifying body, Green Destinations. Looking to the future, Vail is poised to pursue a series of sustainability initiatives to significantly reduce its carbon footprint by 50% by the year 2030 through its Climate Action Collaborative initiative.