Not bad really!

The traffic issues in Colorado Springs are minute as compared to other metro areas across the country! I drive several thousand miles per month in town and in Denver. Believe me, we do not have a traffic problem!

Every morning and afternoon the flow of cars is obviously heavier on I-25 than it is during the rest of the day. Heading south into town from the USAFA area around 630 am takes me about 30 minutes to get to downtown. Sometimes when the roads are a bit snowy or icy it will take a little longer. Typically the traffic seems to be what we in Colorado Springs call “bad” on a Friday afternoon. The slowdowns occur at their worst from the Woodman Road exit on I-25 to the Baptist Road exit heading north. Beyond that, its just not a big problem. Those that have moved here from other parts of the county laugh at the idea of what we call traffic!

Why should we care? We’ll most people don’t give this much thought. It will be very important when you are selecting your home in Colorado Springs. If you work at Fort Carson but want to live in the Powers area (zips 80922, 80923, 80917) you need to know how long it will take to get to work. Lots of people want to live in a certain school district. Again, working at Fort Carson and educating your kids in School District 20 will cost you 40 minutes each way in commuting time.

The biggest traffic issues seem to arise with east-west driving in Colorado Springs. We don’t have a highway going that direction. We do not have a loop off of the highway like many cities have. This means lots of un-timed stop lights and extra driving time. This might come into play if you want to live on the west side of town near hiking and biking trails but work at Peterson AFB or Schriever AFB. Plan on a 30-40 minute drive from the West and Northwest areas (80904,80919) to Peterson AFB.

Lots of people live in Colorado Springs and work to Denver. The drive is not bad at all if you live in the northern part of the city or in Monument (80921,80920,80132). I take classes at University of Denver and commute from 80921 area.  My drive is a total of 50 minutes one way from my house to the college which is located mid-way into the city. Housing can be less expensive and quality of life might be better in Colorado Springs so many people choose to make the drive each day.

If you want to take a look at the local traffic cams, click here. This will give you an idea of what to expect at major routes through the city. If you have questions about where to live, feel free to contact me. I can point you in the right direction when it comes to living and driving in Colorado Springs!

Really, a large number of people who move here every year didn’t necessarily “choose” to come here. These people are our military troops who get PCS orders for Ft. Carson, Peterson AFB, NORAD, Schriever AFB and the United States Air Force Academy. These five installations bring many new people to Colorado Springs each month. Lots of them want to come here and for good reason. Other people begin their search for a new city in order to escape their old one. It’s no secret that fed-up Californians are still relocating here in large numbers.

Colorado Springs offers an excellent quality of life! Look outside the window of where you are currently living. What do you see? I look out my window and see Pikes Peak and the beautiful mountains of Colorado. The sky is usually a bright shade of blue and the air is clean. Our water is crystal clear and tastes great right ut of the tap. Not every city can say that.

Colorado Springs has many employment opportunities.  Aside from the military presense, we have lots of major employers here. USAA, HP, Penrose St. Francis Hospital, Booz Allen-Hamilton, FedEx and many more.

The Pikes Peak region has more outdoor activities than most people have time to even think about doing! If you are a hiker, we have many trails in the city or within a 20 minute drive. Biking is popular as well. We see road bikers commuting to work and riding for pleasure. Mountain biking trails are easily accessible. Local parks have something for everyone as well. You can take a picnic to a neighborhood city park or spend all day in the Garden of the Gods.

Traffic is rarely an issue for Colorado Springs residents. The daily commute for most people is a short one with very few delays. This is a large city but drive times are short. Many people choose to live in Colorado Springs but work in Denver, only an hour away.