Erie is just west of Interstate 25, with easy access to Interstate 70, Denver International Airport, and the entire Front Range of Colorado. The Planning Area of Erie is 48 square miles in size, stretching from the north side of State Highway 52 south to State Highway 7, and between US 287 on the west and Interstate 25 on the east. Erie is 35 minutes from Denver International Airport, 25 minutes from downtown Denver, and 20 minutes from Boulder.

The town was named after the former home of early settler Richard Van Valkenburg in Erie, Pennsylvania.