Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post
Allison Menchaca, 10, left, and Keila Flores, 14, right, David Quirino, 12, second from right, and Mibsam Flores, 11, second from left, have fun on the swings outside of Monaco Elementary school on April 28, 2021, in Commerce City. The runaway growth of Denver’s suburbs over the past 20 years is expected to slow over the next two decades but demographics still project a surge in the metro area’s population from around 3.2 million today to approximately 4.3 million in 2040 with the bulk of residents settling in cities surrounding Denver.