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is a Home Rule Municipality located in Eagle County, Colorado. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,589. The town was established in 1966 at the base of Vail Ski Resort, which opened in December 1962. The town is famous for having the second largest single ski mountain in North America and other winter sports in addition to being a year round destination for outdoor activities.
The town of Vail was incorporated in 1966, four years after the opening of Vail Ski Resort. The ski area was founded by Pete Seibert and the local rancher Earl Eaton in 1962, between the town of Eagle and Vail Pass. The pass was named after Charles Vail, the highway engineer that routed U.S. Highway 6 through the valley in 1940.
Seibert, a New England native, served in the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division during World War II, which trained at Camp Hale, just southeast of Vail. He was seriously wounded in Italy and was told he should become a professional skier when he recovered. He was noticed as the best skier in the world for a short time.