| In 2000, the metro area reached a
population of 2.58 million, three-fourths of whom live in the suburban
counties—Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson.
Roughly 20 percent of the core city population is Spanish-surnamed,
13 percent African-American, two percent Asian and one percent Native
American. Denver has elected Hispanic (Fredrico Peña, 1983-91)
and African-American (Wellington Webb, 1991-2001) mayors in recent
years and has enjoyed relatively smooth race relations.
The Rocky Mountain metropolis boomed during the 1990s, as the eastern
suburb of Aurora became Colorado’s third-largest city and the
western suburb of Lakewood became the fourth-largest.
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