Vail, Colorado

File:Lionshead Vail Colorado.JPG

File:Lost Lake Panoramic facing north (Eagle, County, CO) - panoramio.jpg

Vail was incorporated in 1966, four years after the opening of Vail Ski Resort. The ski area was founded by Pete Seibert and local rancher Earl Eaton in 1962, at the base of Vail Pass. The pass was named after Charles Vail, the highway engineer who routed U.S. Highway 6 through the Eagle Valley in 1940, which eventually became Interstate 70. Seibert, a New England native, served in the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division during World War II, which trained at Camp Hale, 14 miles south of Vail between Red Cliff and Leadville. He was wounded in Italy at the Battle of Riva Ridge but went on to become a professional skier after he recovered.

Seibert, with other former members of the 10th Mountain Division, returned to Colorado after World War II with the intention of opening a ski resort. During training for ski troopers at Camp Hale, he bivouacked on Vail Mountain and identified it as an ideal ski mountain. In the early 1960s, Seibert got funds from a group of Colorado investors, including Jack Tweedy, and with Earl Eaton bought a ranch at the base of the mountain and eventually incorporated as Vail Associates. As plans continued for a new ski resort, Seibert hired Morrie Shepard as Vail's first ski school director. Shortly after, Shepard recruited Rod Slifer from Aspen to be the assistant ski school director. Slifer also became the only real estate broker in the early years of Vail and would later be the broker in the transaction that allowed Vail to buy a ranch, now known as the world-famous Beaver Creek.

In December 1962, Vail officially opened for its first season. It operated a gondola lift and two ski lifts on the mountain owned by the United States Forest Service. The village was established at the base of the mountain for local residents and offered lodging for visitors. It quickly grew throughout the valley, with housing added first in East Vail and then West Vail, and additional lodging added in Lionshead in the late 1960s.[http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Vail-Associates-Inc-company-History.html Vail Associates]. Retrieved November 3, 2011{{cite web | title=History of Vail | url=http://www.coloradoskihistory.com/areahistory/vail.html | publisher=Colorado Ski History | access-date= November 3, 2011}}

Within the first year, the village had a ski shop operated by Dick Hauserman and Joe Langmaid, a ski boutique operated by Blanche Hauserman and Bunny Langmaid, a hotel and restaurant operated by Pepi Gramshammer, and the mountain had a manager.[https://books.google.com/books?id=wlgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27&dq Skiing Heritage Journal], March 2002. By 1969, Vail was the most popular ski resort in the state. In 1988 Vail opened China Bowl, making Vail the third largest ski area in North America.

In 2023, the village paid $17 million to Vail Resorts to prevent Vail Resorts from building housing for 165 workers. This was preceded by a lengthy conflict where the village sought to block the construction of housing.{{Cite web |last=Blevins |first=Jason |date=September 21, 2023 |title=Town of Vail must pay $17.5 million for parcel where Vail Resorts planned housing but town wants for wildlife |url=http://coloradosun.com/2023/09/21/vail-condemnation-bighorn-housing-land/ |website=The Colorado Sun |language=en-US}}

File:Blue Sky Basin Vail Colorado USA.jpg in Vail Ski Resort]]

Vail's average elevation is {{convert|8,150|ft|m}} above sea level. The town has a total area of {{convert|4.5|sqmi|km2}}, with no lakes (there is, however, at least one pond). Gore Creek flows from east to west through the center of town.

The town is surrounded by the White River National Forest and the Vail Ski Resort is leased from the United States Forest Service. Mount of the Holy Cross is visible from Vail Mountain.

{{See also|Vail Ski Resort}}

Vail Mountain rises from {{convert|8,120|ft|m}} to {{convert|11,570|ft|m}}, giving a vertical rise of {{convert|3,450|ft|m}}.{{cite web

|url=http://www.vail.com/mountain/explore-mountain/stats-facts.aspx

|title=Stats and facts

|publisher=Vail Management Company

|access-date=February 28, 2010}}

It has a {{convert|5289|acre|ha|0}} skiable area, 33 ski lifts, 193 marked skiing trails on three faces: the front side, the back bowls, and Blue Sky Basin. The seven back bowls are Sun Down Bowl, Sun Up Bowl, Teacup Bowl, China Bowl, Siberia Bowl, Inner Mongolia Bowl, and Outer Mongolia Bowl. Blue Sky Basin includes Pete's Bowl and Earl's Bowl—to commemorate Pete Seibert and Earl Eaton. The mountain resort also includes 17 miles of recreation paths, botanical gardens, and an outdoor amphitheater.{{Cite web |title=Welcome To Vail! {{!}} Vail, CO |url=https://www.vailgov.com/visiting/welcome-to-vail |access-date=October 19, 2022 |website=www.vailgov.com |language=en}}

Vail has warm summers and cold winters because of its elevation. Depending on the classification used, it is either an alpine or subarctic climate transitional with humid continental due to the mild daytime temperatures in September bringing the daily mean to around {{convert|50|F|C}}. Minimum temperatures mostly remain below the freezing point from late September to late May. The town receives an average of {{convert|200|inch|m}} of snowfall per season, with even more in the surrounding mountains. Roads may close occasionally during heavy snowfall. Summer temperatures can reach the 80s, but are more often in the mid to high 70s. Combined with mountain breezes, this makes summers refreshing and cool. For being a borderline subarctic climate daytime temperatures are very mild, indicating high diurnal temperature variation due to the altitude.

{{Weather box

|location = Vail, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1985–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 51

|Feb record high F = 55

|Mar record high F = 66

|Apr record high F = 74

|May record high F = 82

|Jun record high F = 91

|Jul record high F = 95

|Aug record high F = 92

|Sep record high F = 86

|Oct record high F = 78

|Nov record high F = 66

|Dec record high F = 51

|year record high F =

|Jan avg record high F = 40.9

|Feb avg record high F = 45.6

|Mar avg record high F = 55.0

|Apr avg record high F = 64.1

|May avg record high F = 74.4

|Jun avg record high F = 81.1

|Jul avg record high F = 84.6

|Aug avg record high F = 82.2

|Sep avg record high F = 77.0

|Oct avg record high F = 68.5

|Nov avg record high F = 52.7

|Dec avg record high F = 41.0

|year avg record high F = 85.0

|Jan high F = 28.5

|Feb high F = 33.0

|Mar high F = 41.7

|Apr high F = 49.4

|May high F = 60.4

|Jun high F = 71.4

|Jul high F = 76.7

|Aug high F = 74.0

|Sep high F = 66.6

|Oct high F = 54.1

|Nov high F = 37.7

|Dec high F = 28.0

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 17.5

|Feb mean F = 21.1

|Mar mean F = 29.2

|Apr mean F = 36.6

|May mean F = 45.7

|Jun mean F = 53.5

|Jul mean F = 59.2

|Aug mean F = 57.4

|Sep mean F = 50.3

|Oct mean F = 39.7

|Nov mean F = 26.4

|Dec mean F = 17.6

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 6.6

|Feb low F = 9.2

|Mar low F = 16.7

|Apr low F = 23.8

|May low F = 31.0

|Jun low F = 35.6

|Jul low F = 41.6

|Aug low F = 40.8

|Sep low F = 34.0

|Oct low F = 25.2

|Nov low F = 15.1

|Dec low F = 7.1

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -10.3

|Feb avg record low F = -7.5

|Mar avg record low F = -0.1

|Apr avg record low F = 10.7

|May avg record low F = 20.9

|Jun avg record low F = 28.3

|Jul avg record low F = 34.8

|Aug avg record low F = 34.4

|Sep avg record low F = 24.3

|Oct avg record low F = 10.9

|Nov avg record low F = -2.9

|Dec avg record low F = -9.0

|year avg record low F = -12.9

|Jan record low F = -21

|Feb record low F = -32

|Mar record low F = -16

|Apr record low F = -1

|May record low F = 14

|Jun record low F = 20

|Jul record low F = 22

|Aug record low F = 22

|Sep record low F = 14

|Oct record low F = -6

|Nov record low F = -16

|Dec record low F = -22

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 1.98

|Feb precipitation inch = 2.01

|Mar precipitation inch = 1.76

|Apr precipitation inch = 2.41

|May precipitation inch = 2.00

|Jun precipitation inch = 1.24

|Jul precipitation inch = 1.77

|Aug precipitation inch = 1.75

|Sep precipitation inch = 1.96

|Oct precipitation inch = 1.83

|Nov precipitation inch = 2.00

|Dec precipitation inch = 1.73

|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 12.1

|Feb precipitation days = 11.5

|Mar precipitation days = 9.7

|Apr precipitation days = 9.4

|May precipitation days = 9.2

|Jun precipitation days = 6.9

|Jul precipitation days = 10.0

|Aug precipitation days = 11.0

|Sep precipitation days = 9.1

|Oct precipitation days = 7.2

|Nov precipitation days = 9.5

|Dec precipitation days = 10.9

|Jan snow inch = 35.3

|Feb snow inch = 35.7

|Mar snow inch = 28.2

|Apr snow inch = 21.2

|May snow inch = 4.8

|Jun snow inch = 0.6

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.9

|Oct snow inch = 8.6

|Nov snow inch = 25.9

|Dec snow inch = 28.0

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 12.0

|Feb snow days = 11.7

|Mar snow days = 9.2

|Apr snow days = 7.9

|May snow days = 2.4

|Jun snow days = 0.3

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.

|Sep snow days = 0.6

|Oct snow days = 3.5

|Nov snow days = 8.9

|Dec snow days = 10.7

|Jan snow depth inch = 33.3

|Feb snow depth inch = 38.4

|Mar snow depth inch = 34.8

|Apr snow depth inch = 20.9

|May snow depth inch = 6.1

|Jun snow depth inch = 0.5

|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0

|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0

|Sep snow depth inch = 0.6

|Oct snow depth inch = 4.3

|Nov snow depth inch = 12.9

|Dec snow depth inch = 22.3

|year snow depth inch = 38.8

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00058575&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Vail, CO

|access-date = December 6, 2022

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=gjt

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Grand Junction

|access-date = December 6, 2022

}}

}}

File:The view from Vail Pass (2588659728).jpg is one of Colorado's mountain passes located in the Rocky Mountains, and carries I-70 between Copper Mountain (pictured) and Vail.]]

{{US Census population

|1970= 484

|1980= 2261

|1990= 3659

|2000= 4531

|2010= 5305

|2020= 4835

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref=

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}} 2020

}}

The 2020 census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}} found 4,835 people living in the 2,268 households in the town. There were 7,300 housing units, with 67.3% of them being unoccupied. The racial makeup of the town was 86.33% White, 0.83% African American, 0.41% Native American, 1.80% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 3.02% from other races, and 7.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 10.34% of the population.

Of the 2,268 households, 46.4% were married couples, 18.4% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 26.6% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average family size was 2.62 people.

The population age distribution was 7.8% people under the age of 20, 31.7% from 20 to 39, 28.7% from 40 to 59, 29.7% from 60 to 79, and 3.6% who were 80 years of age or older. The median age was 50.2 years.

The median household income was $100,417, and the median family income was $127,336. 6.0% of the population were in poverty. The average rent was $1,514, and the homeownership rate was 75%.

7% of the population had a high school or equivalent education, 19.2% had some college but no degree, 6.5% had an associate's degree, 41.5% had a bachelor's degree, and 25.1% had a graduate or professional degree.

The Vail economy relies heavily on tourism. The main attraction in Vail is winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding on the mountain, in addition to snowmobiling and snowshoeing, among many other winter sports. Vail is also a summer resort and golfing center. Summer activities include guided hikes, mountain biking, horseback riding, carriage rides and fishing. Vail is also developing as a cultural center, with various art and music venues active throughout the summer. The town has a developed culinary center, with a variety of restaurants.

The median house price is over $1 million in Vail, making it one of Colorado's most expensive housing markets.{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Robert |title=A typical home in Vail, Colorado, is over $1 million, leaving workers with few living options. 4 people take us inside their housing crisis as home prices in tourist towns across the country spike. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/vail-colorado-affordable-housing-employees-2023-2#:~:text=A%20typical%20home%20in%20Vail,towns%20across%20the%20country%20spike.&text=Vail%20is%20among%20the%20most,home%20price%20over%20$1%20million. |access-date=2025-01-05 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}} The town faces a worker shortage, as there is insufficient housing.{{Cite web |date=2022-11-14 |title=In Vail, housing shortage threatens America's ski wonderland |url=https://apnews.com/article/travel-sports-colorado-sheep-vail-7a622d88e2678b32ce8be58be6884dd4 |website=AP News |language=en}} A Vail Resorts spokesperson said in 2022 that there is a deficit of some 6,000 beds for the county's work force.{{Cite news |last=Britschgi |first=Christian |date=October 26, 2022 |title=Colorado Town Seizing Ski Resort's Land To Stop It Building Employee Housing |url=https://www.adventure-journal.com/2022/10/colorado-town-seizing-ski-resorts-land-to-stop-it-building-employee-housing/ |access-date=October 27, 2022 |work=Adventure Journal |language=en-US}} Vail residents have opposed proposals to increase housing supply in the town.{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Spencer |date=2024-10-02 |title=Parcel fight is over in Vail; Colorado ski resort now focused on new base with affordable housing - CBS Colorado |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/parcel-fight-vail-colorado-over-ski-resort-new-base-affordable-housing/ |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}

{{multiple image

| direction = vertical

| align =

| footer = The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens are the world's highest botanical gardens.

| image1 =Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, Vail, CO - gate.jpg

| image2 = Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, Vail, CO - bridge.jpg

}}

• Bravo! Vail – featuring the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
• Vail Film Festival – in March or early April, annually
• Vail International Dance Festival – summer dance festival featuring major ballet and contemporary dance companies. Notable companies include the New York City Ballet, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and the San Francisco Ballet.
• Vail Lacrosse Shootout – Late June-Early July Ford Park.
• Vail Summer Bluegrass Series – Free, 4-week long bluegrass concert series in Lionshead Village; end of June – July
• Taste of Vail, First week of April: The iconic food and wine event of Vail
• Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships
• Vail Resorts Snow Days

• Betty Ford Alpine Gardens
• Colorado Ski Museum
• The Steadman Clinic & Steadman Philippon Research Institute – sports medicine clinic and research center for orthopedic injuries
• Vail Health Hospital
• Vail Ski Resort
• Vail Nature Center

File:Clocktower Gore Range Vail Colorado.JPG

Charles "Ted" Kindel was the first mayor of Vail, elected when it became a town on August 3, 1966.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vaildaily.com/news/ted-kindel-vails-first-mayor/|title=Ted Kindel – Vail's first mayor|last=Hauserman|first=Dick|language=en-US|access-date=August 29, 2019}}

Vail has a council-manager form of government and is led by a seven-member town council elected at-large. The current mayor is Kim Langmaid, whose seat will be vacated following the 2023 town council election due to term limits.{{cite web |title=News List Vail, CO |url=https://www.vailgov.com/Home/Components/News/News/456/15 |website=www.vailgov.com |access-date=April 6, 2022}}

The flag of Vail is flown by government buildings and businesses in Vail. It is composed of three stripes which are light blue, white, and dark green, which represent the blue Colorado sky, white powder snow, and the surrounding Evergreen forest, respectively. Centered on the flag is the original Vail element, which consists of two "V"s, the upper to represent the surrounding mountains, while the lower represents the Vail Valley. A gold wreath surrounds the element to represent excellence and achievement.{{cite web |title=Flag Etiquette Information Vail, CO |url=https://www.vailgov.com/government/departments/town-clerk-s-office/flag-etiquette-information |website=www.vailgov.com |access-date=April 6, 2022}}

Vail's public schools are part of Eagle County School District RE-50, with high school students attending the nearby Battle Mountain High School in Edwards. Eagle County Schools also offers the Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy, a joint program with area ski programs for students in grades 5–12 who are involved in competitive skiing and snowboarding. Private schools in the Vail area include Vail Mountain School (K-12), Vail Christian High School (9–12), St. Clare of Assisi Catholic School (K-8), and the Vail Academy (PK-8).

Higher education is available at the Vail Valley campus of Colorado Mountain College, located in Edwards.

The Vail Daily newspaper is published by Swift Communications.

A broadcast translator for public radio station KUNC allows listeners in the Eagle Valley to listen at 99.7 FM.

Two specialty television networks have stations in Vail, Plum TV and Resort Sports Network. The latter, branded as TV-8, also broadcasts on the low-powered UHF station K34QB-D. The Ski Channel is available only on DirecTV on Channel 1860.

During the mid-1970s, Vail became known as the Western White House of President Gerald Ford, when he conducted much of the nation's business from The Lodge at Vail hotel. The national media followed Ford to Vail and often broadcast television pictures of Vail's mountain slopes.[http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20060714/NEWS/60714010 "Ford celebrates 93rd birthday in Vail"] Vail Daily July 14, 2006.

File:Powder Day Vail Colorado USA.jpg at Vail Ski Resort]]

Vail is served by Eagle County Airport near Gypsum, {{convert|30|mile}} to the west. Native Americans used to call the area near the airport the "hole in the sky" because storms seemed to avoid it. Vail is modeled on European ski towns, many of which are car-free, and the town is partially pedestrianized. The town operates the largest free shuttle bus system in the United States and has ten hybrid-electric buses. At each bus stop, a sign reports when the next two buses will arrive.

The In-Town Shuttle provides service every five minutes during peak winter times, and every 15 minutes off-peak, between Golden Peak, Vail Village, the business district, and Lionshead, with live schedule information provided at bus stops by Global Positioning System technology, which tracks buses. Other routes centering on the Transportation Center service the East and West Vail districts on a scheduled, but less frequent basis.[http://www.vailgov.com/subpage.asp?dept_id=46 "Transportation & Parking"], Town of Vail. Retrieved: May 12, 2011.

Eagle County provides bus service from the Transportation Center with service to Vail, Leadville, Minturn, Eagle-Vail, Avon, Beaver Creek, Edwards, Eagle, Gypsum and Dotsero.

The Colorado Department of Transportation, through its Bustang program, provides intercity transportation to Vail along its West Line. The West Line goes from Denver to Grand Junction and back.{{cite web |last1=Bustang Schedule |title=Schedules |url=https://ridebustang.com/schedules/#west |website=RideBustang |publisher=CDOT}}

Interstate 70 runs east–west through the middle of Vail and is the only road to or from Vail, with exits at East Vail, at the base of Vail Pass, the town of Vail, and West Vail. From the east, the highway comes from Denver, {{convert|97|mile}} away, passes through Eisenhower Tunnel and over the Continental Divide, by-passing Loveland Pass, and over Vail Pass, dropping down into Vail Valley. To the west, it meets U.S. Highway 24 at Dowd Junction, passes through Avon, Edwards, Colorado, and Eagle, through Glenwood Canyon traveling and on to Grand Junction, and reaches Utah, where it ends at the intersection with Interstate 15.

In West Vail, U.S. Route 6 (which still exists as a service road between East Vail, Vail, and West Vail) merges with I-70 at Dowd Junction. I-70 roughly follows the original Highway 6 route until the two highways diverge again in Silverthorne, {{convert|31|mile}} to the east.

• Joanna Cameron, actress
• Toby Dawson, Olympic skier
• Rob Eaton, musician
• Laurence D. Fink, businessman
• Betty Ford, Former First Lady of the United States (1974–1977)
• Gerald Ford, Former President of the United States (1974–1977)
• John Glenn, astronaut and politician
• James Hetfield, musician
• Buddy Lazier, auto racing driver
• Flinn Lazier, auto racing driver and skier
• Brad Ludden, kayaker
• Seth Morrison, skier
• Tracee Metcalfe, alpinist and physician
• Sarah Schleper, Olympic skier
• Mikaela Shiffrin, Olympic skier
• Richard Steadman, surgeon
• Oscar Tang, financier
• Katie Uhlaender, Olympic skeleton racer
• Lindsey Vonn, Olympic skier

{{See also|List of sister cities in Colorado}}

Vail has a sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:

• {{flagicon|Switzerland}} St. Moritz, Grisons, Switzerland{{cite web |title=Alpenmetropole St. Moritz |url=https://www.gemeinde-stmoritz.ch/ueber-st-moritz/portrait |website=Gemeinde St. Moritz}}

• Vail is mentioned in episode 9 of season 1 in the TV show Friends, as the place Rachel Green could not afford a ticket to go ski with her family.{{Citation|title=The One Where Underdog Gets Away|date=November 17, 1994|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0583492/|access-date=January 13, 2020}}
• Vail, Colorado is referenced in the Stephen Adly-Guirgis play Den of Thieves as the place Paul would like to go to for a "Holistic wellness retreat".Guirgis, Stephen Adly. Den of thieves. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 2004. Print.
• The Kardashian sisters filmed in Vail, Colorado for their TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians in 2016. Khloé Kardashian, Kendall, and Kylie Jenner skied and snowboarded down the mountain while exploring Vail's Vail Village and Lionshead.{{Cite news|url=http://www.instyle.com/news/kardashian-jenner-family-vacation-ski-colorado|title=The Kardashian-Jenner Clan Hits the Snowcapped Slopes of Vail—See the Fun Vacation Pics|work=InStyle.com|access-date=May 23, 2018|language=en}}
• In March 2021, the cast of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City was loading into a van to embark on a group vacation to Vail when federal agents swarmed the scene to arrest Jen Shah for committing wire fraud and money laundering.{{Cite web |title=RHOSLC: Homeland Security Searches for Jen Shah as the Ladies Prepare for Vail Getaway |url=https://people.com/tv/rhoslc-homeland-security-searches-for-jen-shah-as-ladies-prepare-for-vail-getaway/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=People.com |language=en}}

{{portal|Colorado }}

• Vail Lacrosse Shootout
• Vail Pass
• Vail Ski Resort

{{clear}}

{{reflist}}

{{sister project links|auto=yes}}

• {{official website|http://www.vailgov.com/}}
• [http://www.vailvalleypartnership.com Vail Valley Partnership], Chamber of Commerce

{{Eagle County, Colorado}}

{{Colorado|expanded}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1966 establishments in Colorado

Category:Car-free zones in the United States

Category:Populated places established in 1966

Category:Towns in Colorado

Category:Towns in Eagle County, Colorado