The University of Wyoming is located in Laramie, a town of 30,000 in the heart of the Rocky Mountain West. Wyoming is investing in its university, helping to make it a leader in academics, research and outreach. The university has state-of-the-art facilities in many areas and is a cultural center for the state. Located on a high plain between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountain ranges, Laramie has more than 300 days of sunshine a year and is near year-round outdoor activities that include skiing, hiking, camping, bicycling, fishing and climbing. The community provides the advantages of a major university and a distinctive identity as an important city in a frontier state. Laramie is near many of Colorado's major cities and university communities (Fort Collins: 1 hour; Boulder: 1.5 hours; Denver: 2 hours; Colorado Springs; 4 hours).