city, seat (1862) of Summit county, central Colorado, U.S. Situated at an elevation of 9,600 feet (2,926 metres), Breckenridge was the scene of one of the earliest gold strikes in Colorado, in 1859; the town grew around the goldfields, and within a decade it contained several fine hotels and theatres. The present downtown preserves the character of the original city centre, and some 250 of its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Mining continued until the mid-1940s, after which Breckenridge was largely depopulated. In the 1960s the mountains near Breckenridge became a favourite destination of alpine skiers, including Olympian athletes in training, and a resort industry grew to serve them; tourism is now the city's economic mainstay. Sections of the Arapahoe National Forest are nearby. Inc. 1880. Pop. (1990) 1,285; (2000) 2,408.