Major companies are increasingly departing Colorado, shrinking their footprint or bypassing it altogether for expansion or relocation, a new report shows.

Why it matters: The findings — from a recent Colorado Chamber Foundation study — are sounding an alarm about the state's economic competitiveness and business environment.

• What's lost are well-paying jobs, community investments and talent.

What they're saying: "We need to do some things differently if we want our companies to stay and to grow and to locate in Colorado," Chamber Foundation executive director Rachel Beck told Axios Denver.

By the numbers: Since 2019, at least 98 companies have relocated or skipped Colorado, including 27 in 2025 alone — costing at least 13,600 jobs.

• A separate analysis of Securities and Exchange Commission filings found Colorado lost 70 public company headquarters since 2022 and gained 36 — a net loss of 34.
• Texas, California, Arizona and North Carolina are the top destinations poaching Colorado companies.

BFD: Colorado counted 140 public company headquarters last year — the fewest in at least seven years.

• The trend may continue this year. In February, Palantir, the state's largest public company, announced plans to move its headquarters from Denver to Miami amid a broader wave of companies flocking to Florida.

What they did: The study draws on publicly available data, including corporate announcements, layoff notices and federal filings.

If anything, says Cynthia Eveleth-Havens, the chamber's chief strategy officer, "it's just the tip of the iceberg."

• It echoes a chamber poll in 2025 that found 26% of businesses in Colorado were eyeing out-of-state investment opportunities, up from 17% the previous year.

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The Polis administration yesterday said a passenger train running from Denver to Fort Collins would cost $333 million to build and roughly $30 million annually to maintain.

Why it matters: The public is finally getting a glimpse of the project's real price tag — and residents could be on the hook.

Context: The estimates are roughly half previous projections, senior strategic adviser to Gov. Jared Polis, Lisa Kaufmann, said at a briefing.

How it works: The train would operate seven days a week with three daily round-trips and eight stops from Fort Collins to Denver, state and transit officials said at a virtual town hall.

• A southbound train leaving Fort Collins around 6:27am would arrive at Denver Union Station at about 8:15am, estimates show.
• One late-morning option and one evening option also would be available.

Between the lines: Loveland, Longmont, Boulder, Louisville, Broomfield and Westminster are the additional stops for the newly named Colorado Connector passenger train.

What's next: Multiple agencies must sign off before the plan can move forward to begin the design phase.

What we're watching

New and upcoming bars and restaurants are lighting up the city, including a sprinkling of high-profile debuts from culinary luminaries.

Zoom in: We found six spots that recently opened or are set for spring debuts.

• Good Luck Club, an early 2000s-themed bar, opened on South Broadway last week.
• FiNO opened inside the All In Hotel on East Colfax in March, serving Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
• Fonda Maize, chef Johnny Curiel and his wife Kasie Curiel's latest concept and foray into RiNo, goes live May 13.
• Olive & Finch opens its latest location in the Golden Triangle on April 25.
• Shuck Brothers launched at Avanti last week, specializing in oysters and other seafood.
• Uchiko, an upscale sushi spot in Cherry Creek, imagined by chef Tyson Cole, debuted in February.

The other side: Denver's food industry continues to struggle and contract, with a disruptive transit project along Colfax causing headaches for shop owners on that corridor.

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🏓 A pickleball venue called Doubles Club is taking over the former Infinite Monkey Theorem building in RiNo with plans to open this summer. (BizDen 🔑)

🏠 To balance the state budget, Colorado lawmakers gutted Proposition 123 funds for affordable housing, pulling money from programs that build rental housing for low-income families. (Colorado Sun)

1️⃣ The Nederland mayoral race came down to one vote Tuesday, with incumbent Billy Giblin leading Mayor Pro Tem Nichole Sterling. (CBS Colorado)

⚖️ Environmentalists are suing Colorado, claiming the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley does not have a pollution permit. (Denver Post 🔑)

🗳️ Republicans picked Christy Peterson, a 41-year-old office manager and accountant for a construction company, as the party's nominee in Denver's heavily Democratic 1st Congressional District. (Denverite)

NASA's Artemis II crew is set to splash down off the coast of San Diego today after their 10-day mission around the Moon.

Why it matters: The astronauts and their record-setting spaceflight have captured our attention and hearts over the past week, and a local Navy team plays a key role in their recovery.

The crew and Orion spacecraft will parachute down into the Pacific Ocean about 50 miles off the coast around 5pm.

• The reentry and landing likely won't be visible from shore, but NASA is streaming it live.