Boulder

, referred to as Stone City or Dome City, is one of the most prominent pre-war research centers, and is still a scientific haven in 2253.

Overview
Boulder was always centered on scientific research. The university of Colorado, IBM, and Bell Aerospace were located here. Of course, being next to Cheyenne Mountain (NORAD), Boulder was close enough to be bombarded with the nuclear payload meant for the area. Despite being a direct target in the war, Boulder's most notable structure is still in somewhat working order even 170 years after the the hellish nuclear exchange.

NOTE: The real Cheyenne Mountain (NORAD) is not located near Boulder, it is approximately 97 to 100 miles due south of Boulder. NORAD is just outside the city of Colorado Springs, which is also home to the US Air Force Academy. Both Cheyenne Mountain and Boulder are located along the same line of foothills that stretches across the entire state of Colorado.

Boulder is just a few miles from Rocky Flats, a facility that helped in the processing of nuclear material, including for nuclear weapons. Later it was re-tasked to the disposal of nuclear material. Rocky Flats was rumored to have been fairly high up on the list of targets for the USSR during the Cold War, in the event of a nuclear exchange. So it is fair to say that Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs would all be in the path of fallout clouds, whether the aggressor be the Soviets in the 20th century or the Chinese in 2077. But a nuclear explosion in Colorado Springs would not immediately effect or damage Boulder.

For an overhead map of the area between Boulder and Cheyenne Mountain, simply do a Google Earth search for directions from Boulder to Colorado Springs or refer to Wikipedia's entries for Cheyenne Mountain and Boulder, CO.

Before the Great War
Boulder was long a place where advanced scientific research took place. The University of Colorado, IBM, and Bell Aerospace were located here. Supported by money from Denver's industry and an active military presence, Boulder scientists made advances in medicine (bio-med gel was invented here), alternate energy sources, robotics, and even developed a power armor prototype. Unfortunately, leakage from the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (a nearby toxic waste dump/weapons storage location) caused a poisonous cloud that killed a lot of people in Denver. As an apology, the military funded a program to create a self-sustaining research dome, capable of withstanding a nuclear attack. This "city of the future" was to be a prototype for settlements on the moon and other planets.

Then the war with China began. The USA annexed Canada. Boulder became a hotbed of political activity, as most of the scientists were naturally suspect of the military, and they, their families, and friends staged public protests about the situation, which got much of the city population up in arms. Some of the protests turned into riots, and the riot police were called in to suppress the riots. That squelched it but left everyone at a low simmer. When reports of plague outbreaks in Denver surfaced, many in Boulder feared that an exodus from that city would come here and infect them; they fled north. When the bombs fell, Cheyenne Mountain (a military facility, home of NORAD) was a primary target. A huge section of the mountains became a great radioactive smoking crater. Coupled with attacks on Denver and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Boulder became the center of a triangle of hellish death.

After the Great War
All along the front range of the Rocky Mountains, city after city was cratered from the nuclear weapons; it seems China really wanted Colorado out of the picture. Boulder was no exception, the surface city turned into an ashen wasteland. Only a few buildings were left standing in town. Yet, atop its little hill, the massive Boulder Dome still stands strong.

Outside, Jackals roam around the city, preying on animals and humans alike. Glowing ghouls also inhabit the area, having come from Denver in search of supplies. Inside, with post-war dangers lurking everywhere, the scientists use the Dome as their sanctuary, quarantined until they find a cure for the plague. It's not like they have a choice to abandon the Dome anyway; after all, ZAX is in dire need of new memory storage, and he is the only reason the Dome stays funtional.

Appearances in games
The Boulder Dome did not appear nor was mentioned in any of the published games, but was to appear in the cancelled Fallout 3 project by Black Isle codenamed Van Buren. It is not certain if it will appear in any future Fallout game.