Pueblo (population 106,595) is a Home Rule Municipality in the state of Colorado. It serves as the county seat of Pueblo County. Pueblo is located at the convergence of Fountain Creek and the Arkansas River. The city of Pueblo is the primary city of the Pueblo Metropolitan Statistical Area and an important part of the Front Range Urban Corridor. The city of Denver lies 166 km to the north of Pueblo.
Pueblo is situated in a region considered to be part of the "banana belt" and a semi-arid desert. The average annual precipitation is about 305 mm. Pueblo experiences less snow as opposed to any other major cities within the state.
Due to the city's major steel-producing sector, the city of Pueblo has been called the "Steel City". The steel sector within the city of Pueblo is the largest within the nation.
The city of Pueblo was "Fort Pueblo" during the mid-19th century. During 1859, the Colorado Gold Rush led to the settlement of four towns, which ultimately amalgamated to become Pueblo. Pueblo was the site of one of the most catastrophic floods in the history of the US. The Great Flood of 1921 is one of the state's most well known natural disasters. Thousands of people died and the city sustained millions of dollars in damage. The Historic Arkansas River Project (or also called HARP) features displays and information regarding the Pueblo Flood.
In the last century, steel was a major resource, helping to build the city's infrastructure around steel production. In an effort to expand its economy, Pueblo has created an industrial park and has worked towards redeveloping its downtown center. A lot of aviation and electronics companies are currently located here. The main employment sectors in the city of Pueblo are government, education, construction, healthcare and the leisure and hospitality. Service jobs provide more than 80 percent of jobs. Lots of inhabitants are still working in steel fabrication. Newer sources of employment consist of telemarketing call centers, manufacturing, electronics and aviation companies. Many Pueblo residents commute to the Colorado Springs region for work.
St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center, Parkview Medical Center, and the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo are the largest healthcare employers in the city of Pueblo. Other major employers comprise the County of Pueblo, Pueblo School System, Convergys Corporation, Trane, Rocky Mountain Steel Mills and Walmart.