Buckley Air Force Base is within the Aurora, Colorado city limits. Aurora is the third most populated city in Colorado, and the largest city in the state by land area. The city has about 333,000 people, and is mainly in Arapahoe County, which has a population of about 595,000 people. The city also extends moderately into Adams County and slightly into Douglas County.

The next nearest major city is Denver, the capital of Colorado and largest city in the state. Denver is a city-county, and has a population of about 620,000. This is the Mile-High City; the city is 1 mile high exactly, on the steps of the Colorado State Capitol. This puts the city at a slightly lower elevation than the surrounding area; Denver is in a valley.

Overall the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area has a population of about 2.6 million people. Other nearby communities include Centennial, Littleton, Englewood, and many smaller cities.

It is about 7 miles from "downtown" Aurora to Buckley; this takes about 15 minutes to commute, but the city is very large in area and travel times can vary significantly. The average commute in Aurora is about 30 minutes.

Major local employers are Buckley AFB itself, Anschutz Medical Campus, the University of Colorado Hospital, Children's Hospital, Aurora Public Schools, the Raytheon Company, and ADT Security Services. There is also a large local economy in aerospace, notably Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. This is a large metropolitan area, and jobs in many fields are available.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in the Aurora area is an average of $865 per month.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in Aurora is about $179,000, compared to $238,000 for Colorado. The average price for a house in Arapahoe County is about $231,000.

Short Description of the Area: Aurora is a mid-sized city on the eastern edge of the Denver metropolitan area, near the north-central area of Colorado. The area is generally fairly flat, with rolling plains to the east. Denver itself is in the Platte River Valley, so most drives to downtown Denver are downhill, and drives from Denver uphill. To the east are more plains; due west is the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Climate and Weather: The area has a semi-arid climate, winter temperatures of 18 to 45 and summer temperatures in the 57-89 degrees Fahrenheit range. The area has hot, semi-humid summers with occasional heat waves up to 101. Winters are cold, dry, and snowy, with occasional blizzards and heavy snowfall. Spring is usually wet and pleasant. Thunderstorms and tornadoes are a serious weather hazard from late spring through late summer. Overall the area is highly varied with distinct seasons.

Transportation: The Denver Metro area is served by an extensive and developing transit system, including a bus system and several light rail lines of the Regional Transportation District. The light rail lines do not come particularly close to Buckley, but the bus system has a wide net and can generally get you where you're going.