Living in Springs, you naturally end up using Denver International Airport.

Every time I go to Denver International Airport, I find myself wondering about something.

I wonder if this airport is really in Denver or if it should be considered closer to Aurora.

Officially, it is definitely part of Denver. The address of Denver International Airport is 8500 Peña Blvd, Denver, CO 80249.

It is included in the administrative area of the city of Denver, and the airport code is DEN.

However, looking at its location on a map, it is quite far from downtown. It is about 25 miles east of Denver, and in terms of living area or perceived distance, it feels much closer to Aurora.

In fact, development around the airport is expanding significantly toward Aurora.

Logistics centers, hotels, industrial complexes, and residential areas are continuously growing eastward, giving the impression that the center of the city is gradually shifting. While Denver still represents the face of the city with its downtown and western areas, it is true that the presence of Aurora has significantly increased when viewed from the airport.

From the perspective of someone coming from Colorado Springs, this feeling is even more pronounced. As you drive up I-25 and enter Peña Blvd via E-470, you get a strong sense of entering a wide plain rather than the image of Denver with mountains and a city. This is why there is a slight sense of distance between the name Denver and its actual location.

The reason this airport is famous is not just its location.

Denver International Airport opened in 1995 and is the largest airport by area in the United States. The runway length is among the longest in the country, optimized for large aircraft operations. When you first run on the runway, the surroundings are so vast that it feels like an entire city has been turned into an airport.

There are various ways to access it. If you are driving, you can enter directly via Peña Blvd, and from Denver's downtown Union Station, you can take the A Line train, which connects directly to the airport. It takes about 30-40 minutes, and since you can travel without worrying about traffic jams, many business travelers and tourists use it.

However, the real feature of this airport begins once you enter. Due to its enormous size, the transfer process can be quite complicated. After checking in and going through security at the main terminal, Jeppesen Terminal, you cannot go directly to the gate; instead, you have to go down to the basement and take an automated tram.

Terminals A, B, and C are each separated, so you have to take a train similar to a subway to move around the airport.

If you have enough time for your transfer, it's fine, but when you're in a hurry, the atmosphere changes completely. With people dragging their luggage and running, the sound of announcements, and passengers rushing in as the tram doors open, it creates a tension similar to that of a rush hour subway.

Most first-time visitors are somewhat taken aback. The fact that you have to take a train inside the airport feels unfamiliar. However, once you get used to it, you realize it is actually an efficient system. It effectively connects the vast airport.

Every time I go from Colorado Springs to Denver Airport, I think about this. This place is not just Denver's airport; it is a massive gateway used by all of Colorado. The name is Denver, but the perceived location is closer to Aurora, it is as large as an entire city, and you have to take a tram inside.

So now, when someone asks about its location, I explain it like this: "The address is indeed Denver. But it feels more like Aurora. And for transfers... you need to account for the time to take the tram inside the airport."