DRCOG FAQ

DRCOG is an acronym for the Denver Regional Council of Governments. DRCOG is a planning organization that was created in 1955 to help local governments collaborate to establish guidelines, set policy and allocate funding in the areas of transportation and personal mobility, growth and development, and aging and disability resources.

DRCOG comprises the following: Adams County, Arapahoe County, Boulder County, the City and County of Broomfield, Clear Creek County, the City and County of Denver, Douglas County, Gilpin County, Jefferson County, the City of Arvada, the City of Aurora, the Town of Bennett, the City of Black Hawk, the City of Boulder, the Town of Bow Mar, the City of Brighton, the City of Castle Pines, the Town of Castle Rock, the City of Centennial, the City of Central City, the City of Cherry Hills Village, the Town of Columbine Valley, the City of Commerce City, the City of Dacono, the Town of Deer Trail, the City of Edgewater, the Town of Empire, the City of Englewood, the Town of Erie, the City of Federal Heights, the Town of Firestone, the Town of Foxfield, the Town of Frederick, the Town of Georgetown, the City of Glendale, the City of Golden, the City of Greenwood Village, the City of Idaho Springs, the City of Lafayette, the City of Lakewood, the Town of Larkspur, the City of Littleton, the Town of Lochbuie, the City of Lone Tree, the City of Longmont, the City of Louisville, the Town of Lyons, the Town of Mead, the Town of Morrison, the Town of Nederland, the City of Northglenn, the Town of Parker, City of Sheridan, the Town of Silver Plume, the Town of Superior, the City of Thornton, the City of Westminster and the City of Wheat Ridge. The organization also has three non-voting members: the Colorado Governor’s Office, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and the Regional Transportation District. The DRCOG Area Agency on Aging service area includes Adams, Arapahoe, Clear Creek, Douglas, Gilpin, Jefferson counties, the City and County of Denver, and the City and County of Broomfield.

Nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains, the Denver region boasts idyllic mountain views and roving plains. Some attractions include the 14,278-foot Gray’s Peak in western Clear Creek County, which is the highest point of the Continental Divide in North America; Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Adams County; the Flatirons in foothills in western Boulder County and Castlewood Canyon State Park in Douglas County.

More than 3.3 million residents live in the DRCOG metro region, according to DRCOG Regional Data Catalog. That’s almost as many people as the entire population of the state of Nevada. The population of the Denver region represents about half the population in the state of Colorado.

DRCOG is an organization that fulfills several roles in the region. The organization receives federal funds for transportation planning purposes and to address quality of life issues for older adults and people with disabilities. DRCOG member governments pay dues based on their population and assessed valuation. In addition, the dues help meet match requirements for federal projects, and  fund the organization's state and federal legislative advocacy efforts.

Since its inception in 1955, the local governments that make up DRCOG have collaborated  to bring to fruition several notable projects such as the Denver International Airport, the Regional Transportation District, known as RTD, Interstate 70, Interstate 25 and the Colorado Convention Center to name a few.