In 1962, the Vail ski resort was founded by a local rancher and World War II vet returning from battle. The area had been accessed in the 1940’s by Charles Vail the original highway engineer that routed the current highway I-70 corridor through what is now known as Vail Pass. By 1969, Vail had become the most popular ski resort in the state which was held for the past 50 years. As a sleepy ranch community Vail took some time to expand out of it’s agriculture and ranching roots to a tourism based economy.
Following the war, many of the Alpen Cultures of Europe migrated here to begin a new life in the United States. They brought with them their architecture, their land management, and their knowledge of hundreds of years of city building, giving Vail its Swiss, German and Austrian roots. Look around today and see how those cultures accented and created this amazing city we call home.
Vail is located at around 8,100 ft above the sea or 2500 meters as many of the European immigrants that came here after the war liked to measure it, now encompassing over 5000 acres. The valley has exploded since the late 80’s when Vail expanded into the infamous China Bowl. Vail lost its “largest ski resort in North America” Title in 2003 when Whistler and Blackcomb combined their Vancouver area resorts to surpass our beloved town. As Vail resort grew, it swallowed that resort by incorporating it into it’s portfolio in 2016 making it one of the most powerful ski companies in the entire world.
With Highway I-70 splitting the town in two gave way to Vail being joked about as a glamorous truck stop, but to those of us that live here, we know the benefits of having access to the the highway and the big city providing an escape in those times of need. Only 100 miles away is the capital of Colorado-Denver, making our valley easily accessible to the city dwellers for weekend escapes (all be it that they now have to get up a lot earlier to make the trek up to our little slice of heaven). It also gives our community access to world wide travel with the completion of the Denver International Airport in 1994.
For the past 50 year, Vail has been known as a winter destination, but in the last 20 or so, tourists have started flocking to our zone for the amazing summers and summer time activities. From biking, hiking, and fishing to camping, rafting, and hunting- the warm days and cool nights have filled the streets throughout the year. Many parts of the country are starting to realize that higher altitudes bring a reprieve from the scorching heats of summers allowing for an escape from the brutal days over 100 degrees.
Vail’s town council and leadershiup have continually grown tthe allure of this ski town to a global tourists dream. From Sunday farmers markets to world class concerts and festivals, to the annual GoPro games and Vail snow days the list goes on on and on bringing events for all types of interests to the area making this town known for luxury experiences and activities. With a quiet mountain town feel, even busy events are made comfortable with one of the only free public bus systems in America that runs the entire valley from East Vail to West.
With those that have visited or even lived here, you know that Vail was created as a walking town in the spirit of Zermatt, St. Moritz and Garmisch. These towns have made