Explore Denver And Other Front Range Area Cities

Arvada, Colorado is a beautiful first-ring suburb of Denver, the Mile High City. Arvada retains a small-town feel even with its estimated population of 106,327. Established in 1870, Arvada enjoys a rich history, quiet tree-lined neighborhoods, and a robust mix of business. Our strong civic leadership balances quality of life with an understanding and support of business and economic development.

Arvada’s land encompasses nearly 23,000 acres. Three proximate interstate highways provide easy access to the larger metropolitan region and Denver International Airport. An extraordinary trail system links with Denver trails on the east and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the west, punctuated with thousands of acres of parks and open spaces. Residents and businesses have easy access to world-class research institutions including the University of Colorado and Colorado School of Mines; in addition, the Arvada campus of Red Rocks Community College provides training assistance to meet employer needs.

The City of Arvada is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Jefferson Counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Olde Town Arvada is located just 7 miles (11 km) northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Arvada was 104,830 on 2006-07-01. Arvada is the eighth most populous city in the state of Colorado and the 241st most populous city in the United States.

Boulder, CO is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, just 35 miles northwest of Denver. Home of the University of Colorado's main campus and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder sits 5,430 feet above sea level and is surrounded by a greenbelt of city trails and open spaces. Boulder is known for its natural beauty, outdoor recreation, natural product retailers and restaurants, outstanding transportation options, diverse businesses, and technological and academic resources.

As the flagship university of the state of Colorado, CU-Boulder is a dynamic community of scholars and learners situated on one of the most spectacular college campuses in the country. As one of 34 U.S. public institutions belonging to the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU) – and the only member in the Rocky Mountain region – CU-Boulder has a proud tradition of academic excellence, with four Nobel laureates and more than 50 members of prestigious academic academies.

The City of Boulder is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County, Colorado, United States. Boulder is the 11th most populous city in the State of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in 2005 the population of the City of Boulder was 91,685, the population of the Boulder Metropolitan Statistical Area was 280,440 (161st most populous MSA), the population of the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area was 2,869,377 (15th most populous CSA), and the population of the Front Range Urban Corridor was 3,965,289. Boulder is the home of the University of Colorado at Boulder, the largest university in Colorado and Naropa University, the only accredited Buddhist-inspired university in the United States. Boulder is situated 25 miles (40 km) northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver at an elevation of 5,430 feet (1,655 m).

The City of Cherry Hills Village sits near the western edge of Arapahoe County, which was the first county in Colorado. Residents of Cherry Hills Village chose to incorporate in 1945 due to concerns about adjacent development, including a proposal for a new regional airport near Cherry Hills Village. By incorporating, the City had the authority to establish an ordinance to regulate the lowest altitude at which airplanes could fly over the City.

Ironically, Denver decided to locate its airport elsewhere, and Cherry Hills Village never passed an ordinance governing flight elevations. After incorporating, the City’s first priority was to put essential city services into place. In the mean time, citizens volunteered their services as town treasurer, marshal, attorney, city clerk, and judge. The city clerk worked out of her home, court took place on a porch in a backyard, and police and road departments worked out of their personal vehicles. The first zoning map was developed in 1945, and a land use Master Plan was adopted by the City in 1950.

With this plan, a Community Center District was established at the intersection of Quincy Avenue and University Boulevard. The new plan allowed for a limited amount of commercial uses in order to maintain the City’s unique rural character. In 1966, Cherry Hills Village changed its governance status from a statutory town rule to that of home rule.

Between 1950 and 1970, the City grew 514%, going from 750 residents in 1950 to 4,605 residents in 1970. In 1961, Cherry Hills Village purchased the four acres planned for the Village Center for a mere $20,000. Today, much of the City continues to maintain a rural atmosphere, and it is one of the most beautiful and desirable communities in the metropolitan Denver area. Cherry Hills Village is still predominantly residential and now has a population of about 6,000 residents.

The City of Cherry Hills Village is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,958 at the 2000 census. It is one of the most affluent places in Colorado and the United States. It is home to one of Colorado's most prestigious schools, Kent Denver School, which counts former Secretary of State Madeline Albright among its alumni. The city hosted two PGA Championships (1941 & 1985) and the 2005 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship at the Cherry Hills Country Club. According to common stories amongst members, the classic Arnold Palmer iced tea drink is reported to have been started at the Cherry Hills Country Club . Cherry Hills Country Club is a private country club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. The club was founded in 1922 and designed by William Flynn. The club features an eighteen hole golf course, a nine hole par three course, eight tennis courts, and a lap pool. The nine hole course is called the Rip Arnold Course, named for the man who was the club's head golf professional from 1939 to 1962. The club hosts a Pro-Member Invitational every September named for Warren Smith, head professional at Cherry Hills from 1963 to 1991. A bas relief of Smith, who was honored as the PGA of America's Golf Professional of the Year in 1973, now sits near the 1st tee at the course. The championship eighteen hole golf course measures 7,160 yards and is a par 72. However, the course plays much shorter because golf balls travel farther in high altitudes. In 2005 Cherry Hills completed a $12 million dollar renovation on the club house facilities. As of 2006, the membership fee is $95,000.[citation needed] The club's signature colors are cherry red and white.

The City of Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and now the 20th most populous municipality in the State of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Commerce City was 34,189 in 2005, a population increase of 62.87% in the five years since United States Census 2000.

Commerce City is a mixed residential and industrial community that is known for greyhound racing at the Mile High Greyhound Park dog track and for an oil refinery with a capacity of 90,000 barrels per day, operated by Suncor. Dick's Sporting Goods Park, a new soccer stadium in Commerce City, hosts the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. In 1859, John D. "Colonel Jack" Henderson built a ranch, trading post, and hotel on Henderson Island in the South Platte River in Arapahoe County, Kansas Territory. Henderson sold meat and provisions to gold seekers on their way up the South Platte River Trail to the gold fields during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush. Henderson Island was the first permanent settlement in the South Platte River Valley between Fort Saint Vrain in the Nebraska Territory and the Cherry Creek Diggings in the Kansas Territory. Henderson Island is today the site of the Adams County Regional Park and Fairgrounds. Among the first establishments in the modern Commerce City were cemeteries. Riverside Cemetery, founded in 1876, is located in the city's southwest corner at East 52nd Avenue and Brighton Boulevard. Rose Hill Cemetery, in the heart of historic Commerce City, was established in 1892 on what at the time was an open plain by the United Hebrew Cemetery Association. The first school in the area began in 1871 as a one-room schoolhouse, with other schools added in 1899 and later in 1907. This latter school is now part of the North Building at today's Adams City High School.

Several towns were founded in this part of Adams County in the 19th century. Derby, a Burlington Railroad station in 1887, was laid out as a town in 1889, although it was largely vacated by 1891. Irondale was first settled in 1889, named after a foundry that was opened that year. It was incorporated as the Town of Irondale in 1924, but unincorporated in the 1930s due to increasing vacancy. Meanwhile, Adams City was laid out in 1903, with developers hoping the county seat would be established there; however, Brighton was elected county seat in 1904 and Adams City was vacated in 1922. Until the late 1920s, the area was devoted to agriculture, including wheat fields, dairies, and pig farms. Industry moved in, with a refinery established in 1930 and grain elevators built in the late 1930s. Rocky Mountain Arsenal was founded in 1942 due east of the growing community. In 1946 and 1947, Adams County School District 14 was formed from surrounding schools, and Adams City was redeveloped about that time.

In 1951, as Denver was considering annexing the area, a plan to incorporate all of southern Adams County was developed. On July 8th 1952, area residents voted 251 to 24 to incorporate Commerce Town, comprising neighborhoods such as Rose Hill and southern Adams City. Commerce Town annexed part of Derby in 1962, increasing the population over fourfold, enough for the town to gain the status of a city. The city name was duly changed to Commerce City. On April 3rd 2007, the citizens of Commerce City voted overwhelmingly to retain their city's name.

Conifer is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Conifer is located along U.S. Route 285. It is the birthplace of South Park co-creator Trey Parker and child actress Amy Bruckner. The Conifer Post Office has the ZIP Code 80433.

Known in the 1860s as Bradford Junction, Conifer is familiar today to locals as the place where the "Yellow Barn" stands. Bradford Junction was a stop on the stagecoach road to South Park, and a well was dug there in 1864. The community started where Gill's Gulch flows into North Turkey Creek. A few buildings were erected, including a tavern, rest house, and general store. Bradford Junction deteriorated by the 1890s when the stagecoach road was replaced by the Denver and South Park railroad, which moved the center of development from the near Front Range to the frontiers of Colorado and the gold fields. By the 1920s the area was simply known as Conifer while Aspen Park and Marshdale grew as separate entities unto themselves.

In 1932 the oldest general store in the area burned down, to be replaced by a succession of shopping centers, punctuated by the current Safeway and shopping center. In its heyday, the area was primarily a cattle ranching area, and there is still some ranching in southern parts of the community. There are several areas of new development in the community, including a new Safeway center completed in late 2006 and a King Soopers center with a Qdoba, Wendy's, and a few other convenience stores, which was completed in 2005. Highway 73 from Evergreen underwent some upgrades in 2005, and included much needed turning lanes at Bradford Junction by the Yellow Barn, and straightening in front of the High School. North Turkey Creek was re-routed significantly after the construction. Students living within Jefferson County attend Jefferson County schools. Those neighborhood schools are Elk Creek Elementary School, West Jefferson Elementary School, West Jefferson Middle School and Conifer High School. Prior to 1996, high school students matriculated to Evergreen High School in neighboring Evergreen. Students living in Park County west of Conifer Junction attend Platte Canyon Schools. Those neighborhood schools are Deer Creek Elementary School, Fitzsimmons Middle School, and Platte Canyon High School. The high schools in Evergreen and Conifer are considered sports rivals. There are many families in the Conifer, Evergreen, Pine, and Bailey area that homeschool their children. There were approximately 200 homeschool families in 2006.

Here is some trivia to know about Conifer. Conifer is depicted in the South Park episodes "Grey Dawn" and "The Return of the Fellowship of the Rings to the Two Towers" as the home of the fictional Two Towers video store. South Park creator Trey Parker is from Conifer. The Aspen Park neighborhood of Conifer was home to the Coney Island hot dog stand from 1970 until 2006, when it was moved to Bailey, Colorado. A magnitude 3.1 tremor centered on Berrian Mountain about 1 mile north of Conifer occurred on November 1, 1981, at 8:03 p.m. MST. Conifer is home to one of two Safeway flagship stores (the other being in Boulder, Colorado). The Safeway was moved to a new building in late 2006 above highway 285.

Statistics

The City and County of Denver (pronounced /'d?nv?/) is the capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States. Denver is located in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains.

The Denver downtown district is located immediately east of the confluence of Cherry Creek with the South Platte River, approximately 15 miles (24 km) east of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Denver is nicknamed the Mile-High City because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5280 feet or 1609.344 m) above sea level. The United States Census Bureau estimates that, in 2006, the population of the City and County of Denver was 566,974, making it the 26th most populous U.S. city. The Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated 2006 population of 2,408,750 and ranked as the 21st most populous U.S. metropolitan statistical area, and the larger Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area had an estimated 2006 population of 2,927,911 and ranked as the 17th most populous U.S. metropolitan area. The city claims to have the 10th largest downtown in the United States.

History

Denver City was founded in November of 1858 as a mining town during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush in western Kansas Territory. That summer, a group of gold prospectors from Lawrence, Kansas, arrived and established Montana City on the banks of the South Platte River. This was the first settlement in what was later to become the city of Denver. The site faded quickly, however, and was abandoned in favor of Auraria (named after the gold-mining town of Auraria, Georgia) and St. Charles City by the summer of 1859. The Montana City site is now Grant-Frontier Park and includes mining equipment and a log cabin replica. On November 22, 1858, General William Larimer, a land speculator from eastern Kansas, placed cottonwood logs to stake a claim on the hill overlooking the confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek, across the creek from the existing mining settlement of Auraria. Larimer named the town site Denver City to curry favor with Kansas Territorial Governor James W. Denver.

Larimer hoped that the town's name would help make it the county seat of Arapaho County, but ironically Governor Denver had already resigned from office. The location was accessible to existing trails and was across the South Platte River from the site of seasonal encampments of the Cheyenne and Arapaho. The site of these first towns is now the site of Confluence Park in downtown Denver. Larimer, along with associates in the St. Charles City Land Company, sold parcels in the town to merchants and miners, with the intention of creating a major city that would cater to new emigrants. Denver City was a frontier town, with an economy based on servicing local miners with gambling, saloons, livestock and goods trading. In the early years, land parcels were often traded for grubstakes or gambled away by miners in Auraria. The Colorado Territory was created on February 28, 1861, Arapahoe County was formed on November 1, 1861, and Denver City was incorporated on November 7, 1861. Denver City served as the Arapahoe County Seat from 1861 until consolidation in 1902.

In 1865, Denver City became the Territorial Capital. With its new-found importance, Denver City shortened its name to just Denver. On August 1, 1876, Denver became the State Capital when Colorado was admitted to the Union. Between the years 1880-1895 the city experienced a huge rise in city corruption, as crime bosses, such as Soapy Smith, worked side-by-side with elected officials and the police to control the elections, gambling, and the bunko gangs. In 1887, the precursor to the international charity United Way was formed in Denver by local religious leaders who raised funds and coordinated various charities to help Denver's poor. By 1890, Denver had grown to be the second largest city west of Omaha, but by 1900 it had dropped to third place behind San Francisco and Los Angeles. In 1901 the Colorado General Assembly voted to split Arapahoe County into three parts: a new consolidated City and County of Denver, a new Adams County, and the remainder of the Arapahoe County to be renamed South Arapahoe County. A ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court, subsequent legislation, and a referendum delayed the creation of the City and County of Denver until 1902-11-15.

Denver hosted the 1908 Democratic National Convention to promote the city's status on the national political and socio-economic stage. Beat icon Neal Cassady was raised on Larimer Street in Denver, and a portion of Jack Kerouac's beat masterpiece On the Road takes place in the city, and is based on the beat's actual experiences in Denver during a road trip. Beat poet Allen Ginsberg lived for a time in a basement apartment on Grant Street (no longer standing), and Kerouac briefly owned a home in the Denver suburb of Lakewood in the late spring and summer of 1949. In addition, Ginsberg helped found the "Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa," in nearby Boulder at the Buddhist college Naropa University, then Naropa Institute.

Denver was selected to host the 1976 Winter Olympics to coincide with Colorado's centennial celebration, but Colorado voters struck down ballot initiatives allocating public funds to pay for the high costs of the games, so the games were moved to Innsbruck, Austria. The notoriety of becoming the only city ever to decline to host an Olympiad after being selected has made subsequent bids difficult. The movement against hosting the games was based largely on environmental issues and was led by then State Representative Richard Lamm. Lamm was subsequently elected as Colorado governor in 1974. Denver has also been known historically as the Queen City of the Plains because of its important role in the agricultural industry of the plains regions along the foothills of the Colorado Front Range. Several US Navy ships have been named USS Denver in honor of the city.

Evergreen is in Jefferson County, in the Denver metro area. The latitude of Evergreen is 39.633N. The longitude is -105.316W. Elevation is 7,054 feet. Evergreen is a census-designated place (CDP) and a U.S. Post Office in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Evergreen is roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of the City and County of Denver. The population was 9,216 at the 2000 census. The Evergreen Post Office has the ZIP Codes 80437 and 80439.

Homesteader Thomas Bergen arrived in 1859, establishing a ranch and stage stop north of present-day downtown Evergreen. Bergen's Ranch was recognized as a settled area at the establishment of Jefferson County, Jefferson Territory. Subsequent settlers homesteaded south of Bergen along Bear Creek Canyon and the downtown area grew around the confluence of Cub Creek and Bear Creek. Fellow homesteader Dwight P. Wilmot is credited with naming the area "Evergreen"; his home has been preserved and still functions as a private residence across the street from his namesake Wilmot Elementary School. The town grew on the lumber demand for buildings in Denver and by the 1880s, the town could boast a population of 200 people and six operating sawmills. Improvement of the road from Denver up Bear Creek Canyon in 1911 and electrical service reaching the town in 1917 spurred further growth and the town became a popular summer destination for Denver residents.

Resorts like Troutdale-in-the-Pines, Greystone Guest Ranch and the Brook Forest Inn opened and entertained Denverites and celebrities including film stars of the day and Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt, who both vacationed at the Troutdale. In the 1950s, improved utilities in town and the rising popularity of automobiles began to entice more future residents to stay year-round and the town became known as a commuter community.

Since Evergreen is an unincorporated area, services usually provided by a city's government are provided by multiple agencies. The county maintains the roads (less State Highway 74), oversees planning and zoning, provides primary and secondary education through its school district and provides law enforcement through its sheriff's office. Evergreen Fire/Rescue provides fire protection and emergency medical response service. Water and sewer services operate under the administration of the Evergreen Metropolitan District.

The City of Federal Heights is a Statutory City located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. As of 2005, the city is estimated to have a total population of 11,706.

Federal Heights is the home of a major water park named Water World. Water World is a water park that is part of the Hyland Hills Park and Recreation District and located in Federal Heights, Colorado, roughly 10 miles north of downtown Denver, Colorado. The park first opened in 1979 and is generally open from late May through Labor Day (early September). The park occupies 64 acres (259,000 m²) making it one of the largest water parks in the U.S. in terms of acreage, and as of the 2007 season, has 44 attractions including a multitude of water slides (one of which is called the "Flat Line", featuring a 70 degree speed drop down the 80 foot tall slide), a "lazy river" (a circular artificial river with a slow moving current), inflatable tube rides, multi-passenger inflatable raft rides, and a water-themed fun house.

The park has two wave pools which include the older and tamer Captain Jack's Wave Pool, as well as the newer and more intense Thunder Bay wave pool, which shocks park guests with a single giant wave of water (reaching 8 feet in height) approximately every five minutes. The park has several more unique water attractions as well, some of the most notable being the "Screamin' Mimi" a ride where guests take board-type vehicles down a roller coaster like track, reaching speeds of 30 mph before landing in a pool and bouncing across the water. The space bowl sends riders down an enclosed body slide before entering an enclosed circular bowl and dropping out into a pool of water. One of the park's newest attractions is similar to the space bowl, "Revolution" sends guests down a slide into an open bowl as well, however riders ride on rafts instead of it being a body slide. Also notable is the popular pitch black inflatable raft slide, "Storm" which includes lighting and sound effects. The park's newest attraction is the "Turbo Racer" opened in 2007, a racing slide attraction, which features eight side by side lanes and an open air finish. However Water World's trademark attraction is a unique raft water slide that takes place completely inside. It's called "Voyage to the Center of the Earth", and riders ride in small circular multi passenger inflatable rafts, and travel through an artificial cavern. It is themed to a newly discovered cave that reportedly has creatures from the prehistoric era still inhabiting it. It includes steep downward spirals, sudden drop offs, and various dinosaurs, including a T-rex encounter at the end of the ride. The ride is unusual for a water park attraction, in its extensive theming, and in that it can take in excess of 5 minutes to complete, making it one of the longest rides at any water park. Some footage of the ride can be viewed on the park's website. The park is ranked number 7 by a 2006 Travel Channel list of the top 10 water parks in the United States.

Golden was established in the mid-19th century. It served as a supply stop for gold miners heading into the mountains. Closer to home, people have always done some gold panning in Clear Creek right in Golden. A lot of coal mining took place in Golden, and a lot of clay was extracted, particularly by the Parfet family. The area also included several farms, in the valley that now holds the Coors complex.

The territorial legislature met here from 1862-1867, in the building that now holds The Old Capitol Grill restaurant. Local outrage ran high when Denver snagged the honor of becoming the capitol.

The Colorado School of Mines was established in 1870, by an Episcopal Bishop. Their first building was established where the Youth Corrections facility now sits. Three years later, in 1873, they opened their first building in the school's present location. The school was turned over to Colorado Territory in 1874 and became a state institution when Colorado attained statehood in 1876.

Lakewood is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Lakewood is the fourth most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 164th most populous city in the United States. The City of Lakewood was incorporated in 1969. At the time of incorporation the city population was already over 90,000, making Lakewood one of the largest cities, at the time of original incorporation, in the history of the United States.

The urban/suburban development of the community known as Lakewood was begun in 1889 by Charles Welch and W.A.H. Loveland, who platted a 13-block area along Colfax Avenue west of Denver in eastern Jefferson County. Loveland, the former president of the Colorado Central Railroad, retired to the new community of Lakewood after many years of living in nearby Golden. Lakewood's economy is diverse while the largest employers are government. The Denver Federal Center employs about 6,200 people and The Jefferson County R-1 school district employs 3,930. Gambro, a medical devices manufacturer, employs 1,654 people.

Belmar is a new modern main street with a mix of retail and residential buildings that replaced the old Villa Italia Mall.

Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality in Arapahoe County and Jefferson County in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County[5] and the 17th most populous city in the State of Colorado. The City of Littleton's history dates back to the 1859 "Pikes Peak" gold rush, which brought not only gold seekers, but merchants and farmers to the community.

Richard Sullivan Little was an engineer from New Hampshire that made his way out west to work on irrigation systems. Little quickly fell in love with the area that is present day Littleton and brought his wife Angeline out from the East in 1962. The Littles, along with many neighbors built the Rough and Ready Flour Mill in 1867, which provided a solid economic base in the community. By 1890, the community had grown to 245 people and the residents voted to incorporate the Town of Littleton.

The Colorado Center for the Blind, a skills training program for blind teenagers and adults operated by the National Federation of the Blind, is located in Littleton. The Denver Theological Seminary is also in Littleton. Intelligent Vehicle Safety Technologies' "Desert Tortoise," a competitor in the DARPA Grand Challenge, is based in Littleton.