CONGRESSMAN Jared Polis 2nd DISTRICT OF COLORADO

The ten counties that make up Colorado’s Second District—Adams, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Eagle, Gilpin, Grand, Jefferson, Summit, and Weld—truly represent the essence of Colorado.  From the heartland agriculture on the edges of the district’s eastern border, to famous ski areas and towering 14,000 foot peaks, and the ground-breaking research institutions and top tier university in between, Colorado’s second district is home to both world class athletes and world class minds. The 2nd Congressional District of Colorado contains Boulder, Broomfield, and part of Adams County, and extends west for some 120 miles along Interstate 70 through the Rocky Mountains. Its varied geography and demography fall generally into three groupings: the greater Boulder area, Broomfield and Adams Counties, and the central mountains.

Greater Boulder: Nestled against the Front Range of the Rockies, Boulder is home to the 29,000-student University of Colorado (CU), a top tier research university located on one of the most spectacular campuses in the country.   Dubbed the “adventure capital of the U.S.,” Boulder is one of the nation's leading centers for hiking and mountain biking, and has been named the nation’s number one town for outdoor sports by Outdoor magazine. Ongoing research at CU Boulder, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s wind farm, and NOAA’s National Center for Atmospheric Research, makes Boulder the center of global warming research in the United States.  Always forward-thinking, Boulder is the nation’s first “SmartGrid” city and one of the first cities to enact an “Open Space” program to prevent urban sprawl.

Broomfield and Adams Counties: Colorado’s Second District also contains some of the northern and northwestern suburbs of Denver—Northglenn, Thornton, Broomfield, and Westminster.  Located along the U.S. 36 high-tech corridor, Broomfield is part of the Second District’s growing hotbed of clean energy development, and home to national leaders in solar, wind and energy technologies, as well as bio-tech and computer mainstays such Sun Microsystems.  Thornton, named for former Governor of Colorado Daniel Thornton, is the largest city in the district and home to several fast growing businesses, including Ascent Solar, which began manufacturing solar energy equipment here in 2008.

Central Mountains: The central mountains are the foundation of our state’s tourism economy, boasting world class ski resorts and unbeatable mountain scenery.  Once dependent on mining and agriculture, Vail evolved into an international resort after returning 10th Mountain Division troops introduced skiing to the Eagle River Valley in the 1940s and developed the area’s first ski resort. Colorado’s Second District is now recognized internationally as one of the most desirable international ski destinations, including Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin and Beaver Creek, Winter Park and Copper Mountain, and Loveland.

Interactive Map of CD-2

District Demographics

City and County Information

Colleges and Universities

State Government Information