Setting in the Denver Area
Arvada is a home rule city in Jefferson and Adams counties. It is part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor. The Olde Town Arvada historic district sits northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver.
At the 2020 United States census, Arvada had a population of 124,402, with most residents living in the Jefferson County portion of the city. The city’s total area at that census included land and water covering 25,325 acres.
Local Character
Arvada is primarily residential, with light industry and professional offices. Olde Town Arvada contains shops, restaurants, and the Olde Town Arvada Transit Hub. Main restaurant and retail corridors include Wadsworth Boulevard, Ralston Road, and Kipling Street.
Early History and Settlement
The area around Arvada has been inhabited by Native Americans and their Paleo-American ancestors for at least 13,500 years, and possibly longer. Before 1858, the area was occupied by the Arapaho and Cheyenne people, while the Ute and Comanche people also visited at times.
Gold was documented near the confluence of a small stream and Clear Creek in 1850 by Lewis Ralston. The site of that discovery is now along Ralston Creek in Gold Strike Park. In 1860, Benjamin F. Wadsworth claimed a homestead along Clear Creek and later began an irrigation ditch for crops.
Railroad, Farming, and Growth
Railroad tracks reached the area in 1870, and Benjamin Wadsworth and Louis A. Reno platted the Ralston Point townsite that year. The community was soon renamed Arvada in honor of Hiram Arvada Haskin. The post office opened in 1871, and the town incorporated in 1904.
Irrigation ditches supported agriculture, and Arvada became a supplier of produce and dairy products. In the first half of the twentieth century, it became known for Pascal celery. After World War II, Arvada grew quickly as a suburb of Denver.
Notable Places and Connections
Local attractions include the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, the Cussler Museum rare automobile collection, the Olde Town Arvada historic district, Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, and Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge.
Arvada is served by the Regional Transportation District commuter rail G Line, with stations at Arvada Ridge, Olde Town Arvada, and 60th & Sheridan/Arvada Gold Strike, along with service to Union Station in Downtown Denver. The city is also served by RTD bus routes, Denver International Airport, and nearby Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.
What it is like
Arvada is a historic urban western town with over 120,000 residents, located between Denver and Boulder and near the I-70 corridor. It is described as having a hip small-town vibe in an urban setting, with a historic downtown, restaurants, coffee shops, breweries, galleries, shopping, trails, arts and culture, schools and Rocky Mountain views. Arvada was once known as the Celery Capital of the World and is tied to the 1850 gold discovery by Lewis Ralston and the Colorado Central Railroad.
History and landmarks
Arvada Downtown, listed on the National Register on Jul 15, 1998, includes primarily brick commercial buildings, plus some residential and church buildings, at addresses including Wadsworth Blvd., Grandview Ave., Grant Pl., Yukon St., and W. 57th Ave. The Arvada Historical Society was founded in 1972 by Lois Lindstrom, its first president, who inspired The Arvada Center and organized a successful 1974 bond issue. Its headquarters and archives are in the historic McIlvoy House at 7307 Grandview Avenue, and it owns Arvada Flour Mills and Belgin Cemetery.
Sources: Arvada, Colorado (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA); visitarvada.org; historycolorado.org