Golf courses, greenways, parks and proximity to 29 ski areas make Longmont an appealing community for active people of all ages. Located 35 miles north of Denver, Longmont was named one of the top 100 best places to live in the U.S. in 2006 by Money magazine. The community's colorful, multi-cultural history began in 1870 when a group of prominent men in Chicago sold memberships in a new town called the Chicago-Colorado Colony. Early industries included flour milling, sugar beet processing and vegetable farming, which attracted settlers from many countries. Now nearly two-thirds of Colorado's high tech industry is located within 30 miles of Longmont.