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 acres (65 ha) 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..

Getting there

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 1 Denver International Airport (DEN IATA), 8500 Peña Boulevard, Denver CO (22 miles (35 km) east of Arvada), ☏ +1 720-730-4359. One of the ten busiest airports in the world. The airport connects to Arvada via RTD commuter rail lines A and G. 2 Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC IATA), 11755 Airport Way, Broomfield CO (8 miles (13 km) north of Arvada), ☏ +1 720-730-4359. General aviation.

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.

Getting 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.

3 Arvada Gold Strike Station, 4790 West 60th Avenue. Connects to RTD bus route 51. 4 Olde Town Arvada Station, 7510 Grandview Avenue. Connects to RTD bus routes 28, 32, 52, 72, and 76 5 Arvada Ridge Station, 10155 Ridge Road. Connects to RTD bus route 100. 6 Wheat Ridge Ward Station, 12000 Ridge Road. Connects to RTD bus routes 38 and 44. 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 7 Hertz Car Rental, 5595 Sheridan Blvd, ☏ +1 303-432-3186. 8 Enterprise Car Rental, 4298 Kipling Street, ☏ +1 303-421-8401. Rental cars are also available at Denver International Airport and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.

See

Visit Arvada

1 Big Ten Curve, Mouth of Coal Creek Canyon (View from State Highway 72 or ride the Amtrak California Zephyr.). Enormous double 10° "S" curve on the Union Pacific Railroad Moffat Tunnel Route. 2 Cussler Museum, 14959 West 69th Avenue (Two blocks west of C-72 on West 69th Avenue). A rotating display of rare and historically significant automobiles from the extensive collection of the late author Clive Cussler, an Arvada resident. Open May through September. Admission $12, seniors $10, children $8. 3 Gold Strike Park, 5500 W 56th Ave (Two blocks northwest of the junction of C-95 and I-76). Location of the first recorded discovery of gold in the Rocky Mountain region in 1850. free. 4 Majestic View Nature Center, 7030 Garrison Street (Take West 68th Avenue 1.0 mile (1.6 km) west from C-121 to Garrison Street, then right 0.3 miles (0.5 km) to nature center). 10AM-3PM. Exhibits and trails explore this home to Bat, Black Bear (rare), Black bullhead catfish, Bluegill fish, Bobcat, Bullfrog, Bullsnake, Carp fish, Cottontail Rabbit, Coyote, Dagger moth caterpillar, Fox Squirrel, Ground squirrel, Mink, Monarch butterfly, Moose (rare), Mountain Lion (rare), Mule Deer, Muskrat, Ornate Box Turtle (rare), Porcupine (rare), Raccoon, Red fox, Red-Eared Slider turtle, Skunk, Snapping Turtle (rare), Vole, Wapiti (rare), Western & Plains Garter snake, Western Painted Turtle, Woodhouse toad, and over 130 bird species. free. 5 Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, West 95th Lane (Take West Candelas Parkway 1.6 miles (2.6 km) west from Indiana Street to Salvia Street, then right 0.4 miles (0.6 km) to the south entrance). Open sunrise to sunset. Site of a decommissioned nuclear weapons facility, this high prairie refuge is home to elk, deer, raptors, songbirds, waterfowl, prairie dogs, coyotes, and more. free. 6 Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge, 9210 West 80th Avenue (Take West 80th Avenue 1.0 mile (1.6 km) west from C-121 to east entrance). Open sunrise to sunset. Cr

Do

Arts

1 Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd, ☏ +1 720-898-7200. A celebrated regional arts venue, this performance compound hosts many different plays, musicals, and orchestral and choral recitations. It comprises two indoor theaters, an outdoor amphitheater, a convention complex, art galleries, dance studios, and the Arvada Historical Museum.

Recreation 2 Apex Center, 13150 West 72nd Avenue, ☏ +1 303-424-2739. Daily 5:30AM-9PM. Regional recreation center with two regulation ice rinks, a 23,000-square-foot (2,100 m2) water park, a natural rock climbing wall, three full-sized gymnasiums, a skateboard park, and a free indoor playground for young children. $4-12. 3 Indian T