Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States.

The ski area was founded by Pete Seibert and local rancher Earl Eaton in 1962, at the base of Vail Pass.

Seibert, a New England native, served in the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division during World War II, which trained at Camp Hale, 14 miles south of Vail between Red Cliff and Leadville.

[14] Seibert, with other former members of the 10th Mountain Division, returned to Colorado after World War II with the intention of opening a ski resort.

In the early 1960s, Seibert got funds from a group of Colorado investors, including Jack Tweedy, and with Earl Eaton bought a ranch at the base of the mountain and eventually incorporated as Vail Associates.

Shortly after, Shepard recruited Rod Slifer from Aspen to be the assistant ski school director.

The village was established at the base of the mountain for local residents and offered lodging for visitors.

The mountain resort also includes 17 miles of recreation paths, botanical gardens, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Depending on the classification used, it is either an alpine or subarctic climate transitional with humid continental due to the mild daytime temperatures in September bringing the daily mean to around 50 °F (10 °C).

Vail is also developing as a cultural center, with various art and music venues active throughout the summer.

[25] A Vail Resorts spokesperson said in 2022 that there is a deficit of some 6,000 beds for the county's work force.

[28] Vail has a council-manager form of government and is led by a seven-member town council elected at-large.

The current mayor is Kim Langmaid, whose seat will be vacated following the 2023 town council election due to term limits.

Higher education is available at the Vail Valley campus of Colorado Mountain College, located in Edwards.

[30] Vail is served by Eagle County Airport near Gypsum, 30 miles (48 km) to the west.

Native Americans used to call the area near the airport the "hole in the sky" because storms seemed to avoid it.

The town operates the largest free shuttle bus system in the United States and has ten hybrid-electric buses.

The In-Town Shuttle provides service every five minutes during peak winter times, and every 15 minutes off-peak, between Golden Peak, Vail Village, the business district, and Lionshead, with live schedule information provided at bus stops by Global Positioning System technology, which tracks buses.

To the west, it meets U.S. Highway 24 at Dowd Junction, passes through Avon, Edwards, Colorado, and Eagle, through Glenwood Canyon traveling and on to Grand Junction, and reaches Utah, where it ends at the intersection with Interstate 15.