Arvada

Understand

History

The first documented discovery of gold in the Rocky Mountain region occurred on June 22, 1850, when Lewis Ralston, a Georgia prospector headed for the California gold fields, dipped his sluice pan into a small stream near its mouth at Clear Creek. Ralston found about 1/4 ounce (6 g) of gold, then worth about five dollars. Ralston's companions named the stream Ralston's Creek in his honor, but the party left the next morning, drawn by the lure of California gold.

In 1859, Ralston returned with another group of prospectors to the site of his first discovery. The placer gold in the area soon played out, but hard rock deposits of gold were found in the mountains to the west. In 1860, Benjamin F. Wadsworth filed a homestead of 160 acre along Clear Creek, and the following year began digging an irrigation ditch to water his crops. Some of the miners abandoned their search for gold and returned to farm the rich bottom land along Ralston Creek and Clear Creek. They found an eager market for their crops among other gold seekers.

In the summer of 1870, the Colorado Central Railroad laid tracks through the area, and on December 1, 1870, the town of Ralston Point was platted, soon renamed Arvada. Arvada thrived as a farming community, and in the mid-twentieth century, evolved into a residential suburb of the state capital of Denver.

Arvada is a part of the Denver Metropolitan Area (2020 population 3,623,560) and the more extensive Front Range Urban Corridor (2020 population 5,055,344). Residents of Arvada have included Clive Cussler, Roy Halladay, Joe King, Karl Rove, Isaac Slade, and Babe Didrikson Zaharias.

Climate

See also Arvada, Colorado Climate Arvada has a humid continental Köppen climate classification, abbreviated as Dfb. The most comfortable months are generally May through October, although outdoor events are held throughout the year..

Get in

See this Colorado travel map. Colorado is on Mountain Standard Time (UTC-07) in the winter and on Mountain Daylight Time (UTC-06) in the summer.

By air

By highway

Arvada can be reached via two Interstate Highways and four state highways: Arvada is the western terminus of Interstate Highway 76. Rental cars are also available at Denver International Airport and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.

By rail

The Amtrak California Zephyr and Winter Park Express pass through Arvada but only stop at Denver Union Station. You can use the RTD commuter rail G line for the 20-minute ride from Denver Union Station to Arvada.

By bus

Greyhound Lines serve Denver Union Station with RTD commuter rail G line connection to Arvada.

Get around

Addresses in Arvada are numbered on a grid from south to north and from east to west. Numbered avenues in Arvada run east and west and are numbered from West 48th Avenue north to West 96th Avenue. Named streets in Arvada run north and south and are named alphabetically from east to west in five groups from 4100 West to 20000 West.

By rail

Arvada is served by the RTD commuter rail G line which connects to Wheat Ridge and Denver.

At Denver Union Station, the RTD G line connects to the RTD A line to Denver International Airport and to the Amtrak California Zephyr and Winter Park Express.

By bus

Arvada is served by RTD bus routes 28, 32, 51, 52, 72, 76, and 100.

By car

Rental cars are also available at Denver International Airport and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.

Go next

• The National Laboratory of the Rockies lies 9 mi and 14 minutes southwest of Arvada.
• The Coors Brewery in Golden lies 10 mi and 16 minutes by car southwest of Arvada.
• The Colorado State Capitol in Denver lies 10 mi and 20 minutes by car southeast of Arvada.
• Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre lies 13 mi and 20 minutes by car southwest of Arvada.
• The Pearl Street Mall in Boulder lies 22 mi and 35 minutes by car northwest of Arvada.
• The National Center for Atmospheric Research lies 23 mi and 36 minutes by car northwest of Arvada.
• The historic mining towns and casinos of Blackhawk and Central City lie 30 mi and 45 minutes by car west of Arvada.
• The Continental Divide of the Americas at 11992 ft Loveland Pass lies 58 mi and 65 minutes by car west of Arvada.
• The United States Air Force Academy lies 68 mi and 70 minutes by car south of Arvada.
• Estes Park lies 58 mi and 80 minutes by car north of Arvada.
• Winter Park lies 64 mi and 80 minutes by car west of Arvada.
• Colorado Springs lies 80 mi and 80 minutes by car south of Arvada.
• Breckenridge lies 79 mi and 90 minutes by car west of Arvada.
• The 14271 ft summit of Mount Blue Sky lies 58 mi and 1:40 by car southwest of Arvada. (Summit open about June 15-October 1.)
• The Alpine Visitor Center at 11796 ft in Rocky Mountain National Park lies 80 mi and 1:58 by car northwest of Arvada. (Trail Ridge Road open about May 20-October 15.)
• The 4302.31 m summit of Pikes Peak lies 108 mi and 2:15 by car south of Arvada.