Stone tools dating to the Paleo-Indian and Archaic periods have been found on the mountain’s western slope. The Pikes Peak area has a long history of human habitation that began almost 12,000 years ago. Other prominent attractions in the county include the US Air Force Academy, Fort Carson, Garden of the Gods, the Pikes Peak Highway, the Broadmoor Hotel, and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

There, Highway 24 meets Interstate 25, the major north-south thoroughfare in El Paso County. Shadowed by Highway 24, Fountain Creek runs out of Ute Pass until its confluence with Monument Creek in Colorado Springs. Some of Colorado’s most popular tourist attractions lie along the stretch of US Highway 24 that connects Ute Pass and Colorado Springs, including the town of Manitou Springs, the Cave of the Winds, and the Manitou Cog Railway. The name El Paso comes from Spanish and refers to Ute Pass, which crests in neighboring Teller County at the town of Divide. The county was created in 1861 as one of the original seventeen counties of the Colorado Territory. El Paso County is bordered by Douglas and ElbertCounties to the north, Lincoln County to the east, Pueblo County to the south, and Fremont and TellerCounties to the west. The small communities of Falcon, Peyton, Calhan, Ellicott, and Yoder dot the Great Plains in the eastern part of the county. Nearly two-thirds of its residents live in Colorado Springs surrounding communities include Fountain (population 25,846), Cimarron Hills (16,161) Black Forest (13,116), Gleneagle (6,611), Monument (5,530), and Manitou Springs (4,992). El Paso’s population of 663,519 makes it the second-most populous county in the state. Pikes Peak, the state’s most famous mountain, lies within its borders, and the county seat, Colorado Springs, is the second-largest city in Colorado.

Next, drive for another 17 minutes then stop at Elephant Bar Restaurant and stay for 1 hour.ĭrive for 12 minutes then stop at United States Air Force Academy and stay for 1 hour.įinally, drive for about 5 minutes and arrive at Air Force Academy.El Paso County covers 2,130 square miles in east central Colorado, situated between the southern end of the Front Range and the Great Plains. With the full itinerary planned out, we can estimateĭrive for about 18 minutes, then stop in Colorado Springs and stay for about 1 hour. Helping you figure out travel plans in detail. If it's a real road trip, you might want to check out interesting places along the way, or maybe eat at a great restaurant. Let's say you're actually planning a road trip to Air Force Academy, and you want to stop on the way to explore.

Google maps usafa to fort carson