7 County Denver Metro Area

Looking to relocate and can’t decide on what part of the Denver will suit your lifestyle? We have put together a synopsis of every county and sub city for you. Whether its north, south, east or west of the city, our community page here will get you started and hopefully help you narrow down your options.

But First A Few Definitions:

A Home Rule Municipality  charter allows cities to collect and enforce local sales and use taxes and permits a broader or narrower sales and use tax base. Further, towns are allowed additional types of excise taxes, which may include admissions, entertainment, tourism and lodging taxes.

 A Statutory Town charter allows municipality’s sales tax to be collected by the state.

 A Census Designated Places (CDPs) are the statistical counterparts of incorporated places, and are delineated to provide data for settled concentrations of population that are identifiable by name but are not legally incorporated under the laws of the state in which they are located.

Denver City and County

Officially the City and County of Denver, is the capital and most populous municipality of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. With an estimated population of 727,211 in 2019, Denver is the 19th-most populous city in the United States, the fifth-most populous state capital, and the most populous city located in the Mountain states. Denver is the most populous city within a 500-mile radius and the second-most populous city in the Mountain West after Phoenix, Arizona. In 2016, Denver was named the best place to live in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.

Arapahoe County

Arapahoe County is on the south and southeast side of Denver County and as of the 2010 census, the population was 572,003, making it the third-most populous county in Colorado. The county seat is Littleton, and the most populous city is Aurora. The county was named for the Arapaho Native American tribe who once lived in the region. The county has a total area of 805 square miles.

Aurora

Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality in Colorado, spanning Arapahoe and Adams counties, with the extreme southeastern portion of the city extending into Douglas County. Aurora is one of the principal cities of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city’s population was 325,078 in the 2010 census, which made it the third most populous city in the state of Colorado and the 54th most populous city in the United States. By 2010, the city had grown to 154.7 square miles, surpassing Denver’s 153.0 square miles and ranking as the 54th largest U.S. city in land area.

Centennial

Centennial is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 100,377 at the 2010 United States Census. Centennial is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Centennial is the tenth most populous municipality in the state of Colorado and its 2001 city incorporation was the largest in U.S. history. Centennial is ranked as the 15th-safestcity in the country. Centennial covers 27.9 square miles and is roughly divided in half by Interstate 25, with most of its business and entertainment centers lying west of the highway.

Cherry Hills Village

Cherry Hills Village is a home rule municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 5987 at the 2010 United States Census. Cherry Hills Village is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of the most affluent places in Colorado and the United States. The city hosted two PGA Championships (1941 and 1985) and the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open at the Cherry Hills Country Club. The community was named for a grove of cherry trees near the original town site. The city has a total area of 6.3square miles.

Englewood

Englewood is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. As of 2010, the population was 30,255. Englewood is part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Englewood is located in the South Platte River Valley east of the Front Range and directly south of central Denver. Downtown is located directly east of the confluence of Little Dry Creek and the South Platte River, between Santa Fe Drive and Broadway. Englewood is the fourth most populous city in Arapahoe County and, in 2010, was the twenty-third most populous city in Colorado. The city is 5,371 feet above sea level, higher than Denver and has a total area of 6.6 square miles.

Glendale

Glendale is a Home Rule Municipality located in an exclave of Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The population was 4,184 at the 2010 census. The city is an enclave of (i.e., surrounded by) the City and County of Denver.  Glendale’s fire and medical services have been provided by the Denver Fire Department and Denver Paramedics through a contract by the City and County of Denver since 2005. Glendale is policed by the Glendale Police Department. The city has a total area of 0.6 square miles.

Greenwood Village

Greenwood Village is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The city is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2019, the city has a total population of 15,735. The town was named for the Greenwood Ranch. It was developed during the 1860s when settlers came from the East and Midwest looking for gold. By the early 1900s, it had become a farming community. The city has a total area of 8.1 square miles.

Littleton

Littleton is the Home Rule Municipality in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties and is the county seat of Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The city is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city population was 41,737 at the 2010 United States Census, ranking as the 20th most populous municipality in the State of Colorado. The city is 9 miles south of downtown Denver and the city has a total area of 13.87 square miles.

Sheridan

Sheridan is a Home Rule Municipality in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,664 at the 2010 census. The city has a total area of 2.3 square miles.

Bennett

Bennett is a Statutory Town in Adams and Arapahoe counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The town population was 2,308 at the 2010 United States Census. Bennett is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bennett is located at the intersection of State Highways 36 and 79, just north of Interstate 70. The town has a total area of 5.6 square miles and the highest temperature ever recorded in Colorado occurred in Bennett on July 11, 1888, when it reached 118°F.

Bow Maris

Bow Maris a Statutory Town in Arapahoe and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The town population was 866 at the 2010 United States Census. Bow Mar is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town has a total area of 0.8 square miles.

Columbine Valley

Columbine Valley is a Statutory Town located in western Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 1,256 at the 2010 United States Census. Columbine Valley is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town has a total area of 1.0 square mile.

Foxfield

Foxfield is a Statutory Town located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The population was 685 at the 2010 census. The town is bordered by the cities of Aurora and Centennial. The town has a total area of 1.3 square miles.

Watkins

Watkins is a census-designated place (CDP )in Arapahoe and Adams counties, Colorado, United States, adjacent to the city of Aurora. It was formerly an incorporated town. The post office serving Watkins, which actually lies within the Aurora city limits, has the ZIP Code 80137. As of the 2010 census Watkins had a population of 653. A post office called Watkins has been in operation since 1878. The community was named after L. A. Watkins, a cattleman. Long an unincorporated community, Watkins incorporated as a town on June 15, 2004. However, on November 7, 2006, the town voted to revert to being an unincorporated community by a margin of 308-184.

Adams County

Adams County is on north and northeast of Denver County and is the fifth-most populous county in Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the population was 441,603. The county seat is Brighton. The county is named for Alva Adams, an early Governor of the State of Colorado in 1887–1889. The county has a total area of 1,184 square miles

Arvada

Arvada is a Home Rule Municipality in Jefferson and Adams counties, a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area in Colorado. As of the 2010 census the population was 106,433 and in 2019 the estimated population was 121,272, ranking Arvada as the seventh most populous municipality in Colorado. The Olde Town Arvada historic district is 7 miles northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver.  Arvada is located in northeastern Jefferson County; a small portion of the city extends east into Adams County. The city has a total area of 32.8 square miles.

Aurora

Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality in Colorado, spanning Arapahoe and Adams counties, with the extreme southeastern portion of the city extending into Douglas County. Aurora is one of the principal cities of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city’s population was 325,078 in the 2010 census, which made it the third most populous city in the state of Colorado and the 54th most populous city in the United States. By 2010, the city had grown to 154.7 square miles, surpassing Denver’s 153.0 square miles and ranking as the54th largest U.S. city in land area.

Brighton

Brighton is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties and is also the county seat of Adams County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 41,554 in 2018. It is often considered a suburb of Denver. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.1 square miles.

Commerce City

Commerce City is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado, United States. Commerce City is a northern suburb of Denver and as of 2019 is the 18th most populous municipality in Colorado. The city population was 45,913 at the 2010 United States Census, a population increase of 118.7% in the ten years since the 2000 census. Commerce City is a mixed residential and industrial community that is known for an oil refinery with a capacity of 90,000 barrels per day, operated by Suncor. Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, a soccer stadium in Commerce City, hosts the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. The city has a total area of 25.9 square miles.

Federal Heights

Federal Heights is a Home Rule Municipality located in Adams County, Colorado. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,467, although 2019 updated numbers indicate 12,827 people live in the city. The community was named for its location on Federal Boulevard and was officially incorporated in 1940. The city has a total area of 1.8 square miles.

Northglenn

Northglenn is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Weld counties in Colorado. As of the 2010 census the city’s population was 35,789. It was built as a master planned community in 1959 by Jordon Perlmutter. The city is directly connected to Downtown Denver via the forthcoming Regional Transportation District N Line at Northglenn/112th station. The city has a total area of 7.5 square miles.

Westminster

Westminster is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Westminster is a northwest suburb of Denver. The Westminster Municipal Center is located 9 miles north-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol. As of the 2010 census the population of Westminster was 106,114, and as of 2019 the estimated population was 113,166. Westminster is the seventh most populous city in Colorado and the 237th most populous city in the United States. Westminster is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area. Westminster is located in western Adams County and northeastern Jefferson County. The city has a total area of 34.05 square miles.

Bennett

Bennett is a Statutory Town in Adams and Arapahoe counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The town population was 2,308 at the 2010 United States Census. Bennett is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bennett is located at the intersection of State Highways 36 and 79, just north of Interstate 70. The town has a total area of 5.6 square miles and the highest temperature ever recorded in Colorado occurred in Bennett on July 11, 1888, when it reached 118°F.

Watkins

Watkins is a census-designated place (CDP) in Arapahoe and Adams counties, Colorado, United States, adjacent to the city of Aurora. It was formerly an incorporated town. The post office serving Watkins, which actually lies within the Aurora city limits, has the ZIP Code 80137. As of the 2010 census Watkins had a population of 653. A post office called Watkins has been in operation since 1878. The community was named after L. A. Watkins, a cattleman. Long an unincorporated community, Watkins incorporated as a town on June 15, 2004. However, on November 7, 2006, the town voted to revert to being an unincorporated community by a margin of 308-184.

Broomfield City and County

Broomfield is a city and a county located north and northwest of Denver in Colorado. Broomfield has a consolidated city-county government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The city is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its population was 55,889 at the 2010 United States Census; making it the 16th most populous municipality and the 13th most populous county in Colorado. The city has a total area of 34 square miles; it is the smallest county by area in Colorado and the 5th smallest in the United States. Broomfield is the second most densely populated county in Colorado behind Denver.

Boulder County

Boulder County is northwest of Denver County and as of the 2010 census, the population was 294,567. The most populous municipality in the county and the county seat is Boulder. Boulder County comprises the Boulder, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Denver-Aurora, CO Combined Statistical Area. The county has a total area of 740 square miles.

Boulder

Boulder is the home rule municipality, county seat, and most populous municipality of Boulder County, Colorado. The city is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of 5,430 feet above sea level, located 25 miles northwest of Denver. Boulder’s population is estimated to be 105,673 as of 2019. It is home of the main campus of the University of Colorado, the state’s largest university. The city frequently receives high rankings in art, health, well-being, quality of life, and education. The city has a total area of 25.7 square miles.

Lafayette

Lafayette is a Home Rule Municipality located in Boulder County, Colorado. The city population was 24,453 at the 2010 United States Census. Lafayette is located in southeastern Boulder County and has a total area of 9.3 square miles.

Louisville

Louisville is a home rule municipality in Boulder County, Colorado. The city population was 18,376 at the 2010 United States Census. Louisville began as a rough mining community in 1877, suffered through a period of extraordinary labor violence early in the 20th century, and then, when the mines closed in the 1950s, made a transition to a suburban residential community. CNN/Money and Money magazine have consistently listed Louisville as one of the 100 best places to live in the United States, ranking it among the top 100 in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017. Louisville is located in southeastern Boulder County and the city has a total area of 8.0 square miles.

Erie

Erie is a Statutory Town in Boulder and Weld counties in Colorado. The population as of the 2010 census was 18,135, up from 6,291 at the 2000 census. Erie is located just west of Interstate 25; Erie is approximately 35 minutes from Denver International Airport, 25 minutes from Denver and 20 minutes from Boulder. Erie is located in the southwest corner of Weld County and extends west into eastern Boulder County. Erie has a total area of 17.3 square mile.

Superior

Superior is a Statutory Town in Boulder County in Colorado, with a small, uninhabited segment of land area extending into Jefferson County . According to the 2010 census, the population of the city was 12,483. The town has a total area of 4.01 square miles.

Jefferson County

Jefferson County is on the west side of Denver County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 534,543, making it the fourth-most populous county in Colorado. The county seat is Golden, and the most populous city is Lakewood. The county has a total area of 774 square miles.

Arvada

Arvada is a Home Rule Municipality in Jefferson and Adams counties, a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area in Colorado. As of the 2010 census the population was 106,433 and in 2019 the estimated population was 121,272, ranking Arvada as the seventh most populous municipality in Colorado. The Olde Town Arvada historic district is 7 miles northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Arvada is located in northeastern Jefferson County; a small portion of the city extends east into Adams County. The city has a total area of 32.8 square miles.

Edgewater

Edgewater is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado. Edgewater is located immediately west of Denver, in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population is 5,170. Edgewater is surrounded by Denver to the east, Lakewood to the south and west, and Wheat Ridge to the north. The city has a total area of 0.7 square miles.

Golden

Golden is the Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the base of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush on June 16, 1859, the mining camp was originally named “Golden City” in honor of Thomas L. Golden. Golden City served as the capital of the provisional Territory of Jefferson from 1860 to 1861, and capital of the official Territory of Colorado from 1862 to 1867. In 1867, the territorial capital was moved about 12 miles east to Denver City. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,867.  The City has a total area of 9.73 square miles.

Lakewood

Lakewood is a home-rule municipality that is the most-populous municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado. Lakewood is the fifth-most populous city in Colorado and the 172nd-most populous city in the United States. The city population was 142,980 at the 2010 United States Census. The City of Lakewood was incorporated in 1969 as Jefferson City. Soon after, an election was held and the city’s name was changed to Lakewood, due to an overwhelming dislike of “Jefferson City”. The city lies immediately west of Denver and has a total area of 44.06 square miles.

Littleton

Littleton is the Home Rule Municipality in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties that is the county seat of Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The city is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city population was 41,737 at the 2010 United States Census, ranking as the 20th most populous municipality in the State of Colorado.  The city is 9 miles south of downtown Denver and the city has a total area of 13.87 square miles.

Westminster

Westminster is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Westminster is a northwest suburb of Denver. The Westminster Municipal Center is located 9 miles north-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol. As of the 2010 census the population of Westminster was 106,114, and as of 2019 the estimated population was 113,166. Westminster is the seventh most populous city in Colorado and the 237th most populous city in the United States. Westminster is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Denver-Aurora-Boulder Combined Statistical Area. Westminster is located in western Adams County and northeastern Jefferson County. The city has a total area of 34.05 square miles.

Wheat Ridge

Wheat Ridge is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado. Wheat Ridge is a western suburb of Denver. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Center is approximately 5 miles west-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. The city had a population of 30,166 as of the 2010 Census.  The city is immediately west of Denver and has a total area of 9.55 square miles.

Bow Mar

Bow Mar is a Statutory Town in Arapahoe and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. The town population was 866 at the 2010 United States Census. Bow Mar is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town has a total area of 0.8 square miles.

Lakeside

Lakeside is a Statutory Town in Jefferson County, Colorado. The town population was 8 at the 2010 United States Census, making Lakeside the least populous municipality in the State of Colorado. Lakeside is immediately west of the City and County of Denver, the most populous municipality in the state. The Denver Post Office (ZIP Code 80212) serves Lakeside. The town’s namesake lake is Lake Rhoda, which covers 20% of its total area. A year after its incorporation on November 12, 1907, the Lakeside Amusement Park, nicknamed “White City”, opened on the eastern shores. The town has a total area of 0.2 square miles.

Morrison

Morrison is a Home Rule Municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 428 at the 2010 census. Red Rocks Amphitheatre is located nearby. The town has a total area of 2.2 square miles. The Morrison postal ZIP code (80465) extends west up Turkey Creek Canyon and south of the town. It thus applies to an area covering approximately 5,000 addresses. Because the Morrison Post Office serves this large area beyond the town boundaries proper, many events and people connected with “Morrison” are actually in unincorporated portions of Jefferson County.

Mountain View

Mountain View is a home rule municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado. Mountain View is situated west of, and adjacent to, the city and county of Denver. As of the 2010 census, the population of Mountain View was 507. The Denver Post Office (ZIP Code 80212) serves Mountain View.  Mountain View has a total area of 0.09 square miles.

Superior

Superior is a Statutory Town in Boulder County in Colorado, with a small, uninhabited segment of land area extending into Jefferson County. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city was 12,483.  The town has a total area of 4.01 square miles.

Evergreen

Evergreen is a census-designated place (CDP) and a U.S. Post Office in Jefferson County, Colorado. Evergreen is roughly 29 miles west of Denver. The population was 9,038 at the 2010 census. The CDP has a total area of 11.6 square miles.

Genesee

Genesee is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, Colorado. The population was 3,609 at the 2010 census. Genesee is located about 26 miles from downtown Denver and the CDP has a total area of 6.7 square miles.

Indian Hills

Indian Hills is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, Colorado. The population was 1,280 at the 2010 census. The Indian Hills Post Office has the ZIP Code 80454 and is in the extreme southwest corner of the metro area. The CDP has a total area of 4.7 square miles.