Centennial, CO

Setting in the Denver Area

Centennial is located in Arapahoe County and is part of the Denver–Aurora–Centennial Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2020 United States census, the city had a population of 108,418.

Interstate 25 runs through the city and roughly divides it in half. Most of Centennial’s business and entertainment centers are west of the highway.

Incorporation and Name

Centennial was incorporated on February 7, 2001, from portions of unincorporated Arapahoe County, including the former Castlewood and Southglenn census-designated places. Area residents had voted to incorporate in 2000 and selected Centennial as the city’s official name during that vote.

The name refers to Colorado’s admission to the Union in 1876, the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence. In 2008, voters approved home rule status by about a two-to-one margin.

Landscape, Trails and Wildlife

Centennial has hills, gullies and ravines, with open spaces that are often paired with parks and recreational trails. Places named in the city include Dry Creek Dam, DeKoevend Park, the High Line Canal Trail, Willow Creek Trail, and the Big Dry Creek and Little Dry Creek Trails.

The city hosts native wildlife and reflects Colorado’s Front Range ecosystem. Recent increases in coyote populations have led to resident education on discouraging coyotes from preying on family pets.

Schools, Government and Business

Most of Centennial is served by Cherry Creek Public Schools, while the western part of the city is within Littleton Public Schools.

Companies based in Centennial include National CineMedia, Emergenetics International and United Launch Alliance. The city is also home to the headquarters of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Arrow Electronics.

Notable Places and Nearby Facilities

Centennial is home to the international headquarters of Gamma Phi Beta sorority. The city was selected in 2008 for Colorado’s first IKEA store, which opened in Centennial in 2011.

Centennial Airport lies adjacent to the city in unincorporated Arapahoe County and predates the city by more than 30 years. Dove Valley, an unincorporated area bordering Centennial, contains the Denver Broncos’ training facilities and team headquarters.

Homes and housing

In Centennial, 17 Mile House Farm Park is a 160-year-old historic farm at 8181 S. Parker Rd. with a farmhouse, barn, silo, milkshed, loafing shed, two windmills and 32 acres of open space. The farmhouse was built in the early 1860s under the Homestead Act of 1862, and the site served pioneers on the Cherokee and Smoky Hill wagon trails before being farmed for the next 100 years. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, acquired by the County in 2001, and guided by a 2007 master plan.

History and landmarks

In Centennial, 17 Mile House Farm Park at 8181 S. Parker Rd. is a 160-year-old farm that served pioneers on the Cherokee and Smoky Hill wagon trails in the 1860s. The Cherry Creek Innovation Campus is a stand-alone college and career preparedness facility for Cherry Creek Schools high school students.

Sources: Centennial, Colorado (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA); files.arapahoeco.gov