Lakewood

Lakewood is its own city and the largest in Jefferson County, sitting directly west of Denver. Sheridan Boulevard forms much of the line with Denver, Wheat Ridge is to the north, US 285 follows much of the south edge, and C-470 runs along the west edge. It covers about 44.6 square miles and counted 155,984 residents in 2020, fifth most of any city in Colorado.

A Colfax plat, a war plant and a fast 1960s

W.A.H. Loveland and Charles Welch platted 13 blocks along Colfax on July 1, 1889, near today's Harlan Street, and named the place Lakewood. During World War II, the Denver Ordnance Plant went up on old ranch land, and the 1890s Devinny farmhouse at 6th and Wadsworth was torn down in 1942 to make room for a freeway. After the war the plant became the Denver Federal Center, still the city's biggest employer at about 8,000 workers.

Growth came all at once: 19,338 people in 1960, 92,743 by 1970. The city incorporated in June 1969 as Jefferson City, and voters renamed it Lakewood soon after.

The houses and the zoning vote

The oldest blocks sit in the northeast, near Colfax. The city has finished historic survey plans for Northeast Lakewood, the Eiber neighborhood, Morse Park and the West Colfax corridor, out of 12 priority areas among its older neighborhoods. Those surveys document buildings and stop there: they don't create landmarks or historic districts, and designation needs the owner's consent. If you're buying in one of those areas, ask whether the house has been surveyed or has any designation.

In 2026, voters struck down a zoning reform that had allowed duplexes, triplexes and multi-family housing on land zoned only for single-family homes. If you're buying a lot with plans to add units, read the current code for that parcel before you count on it.

Colfax, Belmar and Union Boulevard

Lakewood never had a traditional downtown, and Colfax was the main commercial street for decades. Casa Bonita has been at 6715 W. Colfax since 1974: the pink building with the gold dome, a 30-foot indoor waterfall and cliff divers. Trey Parker and Matt Stone bought it in 2021 and reopened it in 2023.

South on West Alameda, Belmar replaced the struggling Villa Italia mall about 20 years ago and now works as the city's de facto downtown, with shops, restaurants and outdoor patios. On Union Boulevard, 240 Union has been the local fine-dining standby since 1989, cooking from a wood-fired open kitchen. Down on West Jewell, Cafe Jordano has served Italian food since 1990, and its gnocchi in cream sauce is the dish people order most.

Green Mountain, Bear Creek Lake and Heritage Lakewood

William F. Hayden Park on Green Mountain is more than 2,400 acres of open space, with a 6.6-mile loop trail and a 6,800-foot summit. Some trails start right off residential streets: North Access from Indiana Avenue, Narrow Point at Alkire Street and Cedar Drive. If you want to walk from your door onto a mountain, look at the blocks near those trailheads. Old artillery shell fragments still turn up there, so leave anything odd alone and call 911.

Bear Creek Lake Park, entered from West Morrison Road, covers 2,624 acres with a swim beach open Memorial Day to Labor Day, an archery range and a campground open April through October. Entry is by day pass or annual pass. Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park holds 15 historic buildings and an outdoor amphitheater.

Getting into Denver

RTD's W Line light rail opened April 26, 2013, and has seven stations in the city. Lakewood•Wadsworth and Federal Center both have parking, and trains run on to Union Station. By car, US 6 (the 6th Avenue freeway) cuts east to west through the middle of town, Colfax (US 40) carries on into Denver, and Wadsworth and Kipling are the big north-south roads.