Colorado Springs is a military town. Honestly, that’s an understatement. When people talk about Air Force Colorado Springs, they usually mean the Academy, but the reality is a massive, sprawling ecosystem of high-altitude bases, space operations, and thousands of airmen who basically run the global GPS network. It’s a place where the air is thin and the security clearances are incredibly high.
If you've ever looked at the mountains and wondered why there are so many antennas or why the grocery store is full of flight suits, it's because this city is the nerve center for the United States Air Force and Space Force.
It isn't just one base. It’s a web.
The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) gets all the postcards. It makes sense. That chapel looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. But the real heavy lifting happens at places like Peterson Space Force Base and Schriever. Even though the Space Force is its own branch now, it grew out of the Air Force's ribs right here in El Paso County. The culture remains deeply intertwined. You can’t talk about one without the other.
The Academy isn't just for show
Most people see the cadet wing marching and think it’s just a college. It isn’t.
The Air Force Colorado Springs footprint starts at the Academy, which sits on over 18,000 acres. That’s huge. Cadets there aren't just studying history; they are learning to fly gliders and jump out of planes. The academic rigor is brutal. You’re looking at a 10% acceptance rate. If you get in, the government is essentially betting millions of dollars that you’ll become a leader.
One thing people get wrong: they think the Academy is the only Air Force presence.
Wrong.
Drive twenty minutes south and you hit Peterson. Peterson Space Force Base—formerly Peterson Air Force Base—is where North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) lives. Yes, the "Santa Tracker" people, but also the "watching for nuclear missiles" people. It’s a shared space. You have the 21st Space Wing (now Space Delta 2) and the 302nd Airlift Wing, which flies those massive C-130s you see banking over the city.
The diversity of mission sets in one city is actually kind of staggering.
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What happens inside Cheyenne Mountain?
You’ve seen the movies. WarGames. Stargate.
Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station is the stuff of legend, and it's located right on the edge of the city. It’s a bunker carved into solid granite. Massive blast doors. Springs under the buildings to absorb the shock of a nuclear blast. While a lot of the day-to-day operations moved to Peterson years ago for convenience, the mountain is still fully operational.
It serves as the Alternate Command Center for NORAD and USNORTHCOM.
If things go sideways globally, this is where the watchers go. It’s a weird feeling living in a city that is simultaneously a beautiful tourist destination and a primary strategic target. Locals just sort of get used to it. You see the "Cheyenne Mountain" signs while you’re headed to a hiking trail and don't even blink.
Schriever: The base without a runway
This is a weird one. Air Force Colorado Springs includes Schriever Space Force Base, located about 10 miles east of the city.
The weird part? There’s no runway.
Usually, when you think of an Air Force base, you think of screaming jet engines and tarmac. Schriever is different. It’s basically a massive office complex for the smartest people in the military. They control satellites. If your GPS works on your phone right now, you can probably thank someone sitting in a windowless room at Schriever.
They manage the Global Positioning System constellation. They also handle the Defense Satellite Communications System.
It’s high-stakes tech work. The security there is famously tight—even compared to other bases. Because there’s no flight line, it’s quiet. But the power they wield over global infrastructure is immense.
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The economic engine nobody talks about
Let’s be real for a second. Without the military, Colorado Springs would be a very different, much poorer place.
The Department of Defense pours billions into the local economy every year. We’re talking about defense contractors like Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing. They set up shop here specifically to be close to the Air Force leadership.
The job market is heavily skewed toward defense. If you have a TS/SCI clearance in Colorado Springs, you’re basically gold.
It creates this unique demographic. You have 22-year-old lieutenants with high-level responsibilities and retired generals who stay in the area to consult. It makes the city feel more disciplined, maybe a bit more conservative, but also incredibly global. People move here from all over the world because the Air Force told them to, and a huge chunk of them decide to never leave.
Why the altitude actually matters
You might wonder why they put all this stuff here. It wasn't just for the view of Pikes Peak.
The elevation—6,035 feet at the Academy—actually serves a purpose for training. It’s hard to breathe. If you can run a physical fitness test here, you can run one anywhere. For the pilots, it’s about understanding high-altitude physiology.
Also, being in the middle of the country makes sense from a "don't get hit by a submarine-launched missile" perspective. It’s about as far from a coast as you can get. During the Cold War, that geographic isolation was a major selling point.
Navigating the city as a civilian
Living near Air Force Colorado Springs means following a certain set of unwritten rules.
- Don't be surprised by the noise. "The sound of freedom" is what they call the jets, but it's really just loud.
- Expect traffic near the gates. Powers Boulevard and Academy Boulevard are basically arteries for the bases.
- Respect the gate guards. They aren't there to chat.
The relationship between the city and the military is mostly harmonious, but there are friction points. Water usage is a big one. There have been ongoing discussions and lawsuits regarding PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the groundwater near Peterson, which has impacted neighboring communities like Fountain and Security-Widefield. It’s a serious issue that the Air Force has been working to mitigate, providing bottled water and filtration systems to affected residents. It’s a reminder that having a massive military presence isn't always just about parades and flyovers; there are real environmental footprints to manage.
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The Space Force transition
Since 2019, the vibe has shifted.
The "Air Force" part of Colorado Springs is now sharing the spotlight with the Space Force. Peterson, Schriever, and Cheyenne Mountain were all renamed to reflect the new branch.
Is it just a name change? Not really.
It brought more funding and more specialized personnel. It solidified Colorado Springs as the "Space Capital" of the world, even if Huntsville, Alabama or Cape Canaveral might argue the point. The headquarters for U.S. Space Command was a huge political football for a few years, with a planned move to Alabama that eventually got scrapped by the Biden administration.
Keeping Space Command in Colorado Springs was a massive win for the local leadership. It kept thousands of jobs in place and ensured the city remains the brain of the military's space operations.
How to actually engage with the bases
If you're a visitor, you can't just wander onto Peterson or Schriever. They will turn you around at the gate with a very large gun.
But the Air Force Academy is different.
The North Gate is usually open to the public during daylight hours. You can visit the visitor center, see the B-52 display, and walk around parts of the campus. Note: the iconic Cadet Chapel is currently undergoing a massive, multi-year renovation to fix leaks that have plagued it since the 1960s. It’s currently wrapped in a giant metal box. Don't expect to see those famous spires until at least 2026 or 2027.
Still, the views of the hiking trails—like Stanley Canyon—on base are incredible.
Actionable steps for those moving or visiting
If you’re coming to the area for work or because of a PCS (Permanent Change of Station), here is what you actually need to do:
- Check your car's registration requirements. Colorado has specific rules for military members that can save you a ton of money on taxes if you aren't a resident.
- Get a pass for the Academy early. If you want to attend a football game at Falcon Stadium, traffic is a nightmare. Plan to arrive two hours early.
- Investigate the "Base Housing" vs. "Off-Base" trade-off. Housing in Colorado Springs has skyrocketed in price. Many airmen are looking at places like Peyton or Falcon for more bang for their buck, even if the commute is longer.
- Prepare for the weather. It’s not just cold. It’s "sunny and 60 degrees in the morning, blizzard by 3 PM" weather. The bases are quick to call for "delayed entry" or "early release" when the roads get slick.
- Download the AF Connect App. Select "U.S. Air Force Academy" or "Peterson" to get real-time gate closures and emergency alerts.
Air Force Colorado Springs isn't just a collection of buildings; it's a culture of high-altitude discipline that essentially guards the modern world’s digital and physical infrastructure. Whether you're watching a cadet graduate or tracking a satellite from a bunker, the impact of this city on global security is impossible to ignore. It’s a high-desert powerhouse that keeps the lights on—and the missiles away—for the rest of us.