Arvada Colorado
Arvada Colorado is located at the northern edge of Jefferson County crossing into Adams county about 7 miles northwest of the capital city Denver. It was the site of the first documented gold discovery in the whole Rocky Mountain Region. The prospector who discovered the gold in 1850 was Lewis Ralston, a man on his way to the California gold rush. While in Colorado, the creek he panned in produced gold, and so his companions decided to name it Ralston Creek. Decades later a main Arvada street was named Ralston Road.
The town of Arvada dates back to 1859 when it was first settled, but wasn’t actually incorporated until August of 1904. It was named after Hiram Arvada Haskin who was the brother-in-law of the original settlers, Mary Wadsworth, and her husband Benjamin – Arvada’s first postmaster. The name Wadsworth is familiar to Denverites, because one of the main thoroughfares which runs north and south was named for this couple.
More Town Facts
| Region: Front Range | County: Jefferson, Adams | |
| Latitude: 39.819962 | Longitude: -105.110975 | Elevation: 5,344 ft (1,662 m) |
Today, Arvada is the 8th most populous city in Colorado, and was known for it’s agriculture when it was being developed. They proudly took the title “Celery Capital of the World” in honor of that thriving industry. The neighboring communities of Wheat Ridge and Lakewood to the south and Westminster to the north had similar agricultural roots. Over the years, the city has grown and agriculture has been pushed aside in the Arvada area. There are a few older neighborhoods which still have a rural feeling and farmhouse style homes, but they are certainly in the minority in the 21st century.
To celebrate the heritage of the area, Olde Town Arvada was restored and renovated with it’s charming little shops and original architecture on display. Old meets new in the Olde Town area in a blend of styles co-existing nicely in the area. One prominent feature of the area is the railway which is part of one of the most scenic routes in the country. The Amtrak California Zephyr goes through Arvada twice daily and goes through the famous Union Station, in downtown Denver. Arvada expects to be part of the future route of the new Light Rail being installed in different areas of the Denver Metro area. A large transit station will transport riders from Arvada to downtown Denver, and connect as far as Denver International Airport (DIA) to the east when the project is complete.
The Arvada Community
Since its beginning on Colorado’s Bicentennial, July 4, 1976, “the Arvada Center has offered year-round concerts and performances in theater and dance; art exhibitions; a history museum; and classes in ceramics, dance, writing, acting, and the visual and musical arts. With more than half of its patrons coming from outside of Jefferson County, the Arvada Center’s influence extends beyond its name, serving more than 350,000 visitors each year.”
