El
Paso County is located
in east central Colorado, where the plains meet the Rocky Mountains.
Colorado Springs is the County Seat, located at the foot of Pikes Peak.
The western boundary of the county is mountainous, including Pikes Peak,
elevation 14,110 feet. The county stretches 13 miles west of Colorado
Springs to the Summit of Pikes Peak, and 42 miles east on the high plains.
The northern half of the county sits above 4 aquifers which supply water
resources, while the City of Colorado Springs has purchased and
transported water from other drainage basins in the mountains of Colorado
to support its needs.
A
wide range of residential opportunities are afforded in the county,
from sprawling ranches to the east, to urban lots, mountain side lots, 5
acre tracts, and high-density townhouse, condominium, and apartment homes.
The county has one of the lowest tax bases along the front range of the
Rocky Mountains, and has a mild, semi-arid climate. I-25, US Highway 24, 2
railroads, and the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport are the key elements
of the County's transportation infrastructure. Other towns in the County
include Calhan, Cascade, Ellicott, Fountain, Green Mountain Falls, Manitou
Springs, Monument, Peyton, Palmer Lake, Ramah, Rush, Truckton, and Yoder.
Regional Building Department is a cooperative effort of the City of
Colorado Springs and El Paso County, insuring that all construction within
the County meets uniform standards.
The
County has over 150,000 acres of open space, and offers year-round
sports opportunities such as hunting, fishing, camping, mountain climbing,
hiking and soaring. Residential elevations vary from 5,000 feet to 8,000
feet in the County. El Paso County has designated significant portions of
land along the I-25 Corridor, the Highway 24 Corridor, and around the
Colorado Springs Airport as State Enterprise Zones. Incentives are
provided to businesses that make capital improvements, hire new employees,
conduct training, rehabilitate old buildings, or do research and
development in the Zones. El Paso County removed its tax on personal
property to give all businesses an incentive for locating activity in the
County. The County also operates a Revolving Loan Fund which is a
federally-funded loan pool designed to create and retain jobs and expand
and diversify the economic base of El Paso County.
