Uniting areas of unincorporated Arapahoe County and wanting to eliminate future annexations by Greenwood Village, Centennial officially became a Colorado city in 2001. Its incorporation at the time was the largest in U.S. history.

It has a population of over 100,000 and the city covers almost 30 square miles. Centennial is still having difficulty being recognized, however, since its zip codes still designate its areas as Aurora, Littleton and even Englewood.

Centennial spans a huge part of the metro area, extending from Broadway, all the way east to Saddle Rock Golf Course and Southlands Mall. Its north and south borders are generally Orchard and County Line Roads. You’ll find every type of housing in Centennial — apartments, condos, older home, new homes — the full gamut.

Despite its lingering identity crisis, Centennial is home to many large employers including Oppenheimer Funds, Comcast, United Launch Alliance and US Foods. It is also home to the first ever IKEA store in Colorado.

The South Suburban Parks and Recreation District provides services for residents living in central and west portions of the city. The SSPRD has more than 100 parks, 100 plus miles of trails and 3,800 acres of open space. Facilities include the Goodson Recreation Center and the Family Sports Center, and its accompanying Sports Dome and Family Sports Golf Course. Top Golf, a golf/entertainment facility, is also found in Centennial. Arapahoe Parks and Recreation District provides services to residents living east of Parker Rd. and north of Arapahoe Rd.

Due to its breadth of size, children in Centennial attend schools in both the Cherry Creek and Littleton School Districts.

Los Dos Potrillos and Big Bill’s New York Pizza are two popular Centennial restaurants, both located at Holly and County Line. Los Dos Potrillos has a terrific happy hour and Big Bill’s commitment to providing the best New York style pizza and hosting fundraisers to fight cancer can’t be beat.