Lakewoodis thehome rule municipalitythat is themost populous municipalityinJefferson County, Colorado,United States.[1]The city population was 155,984 at the2020 U.S. Census,making Lakewood thefifth most populous cityinColoradoand the167th most populous cityin the United States.[1]Lakewood is asuburbofDenverand is a principal city of theDenver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Areaand a major city of theFront Range Urban Corridor.
Lakewood, Colorado | |
|---|---|
 Green Mountain as seen from Mt. Zion | |
 Flag | |
 Location of the City of Lakewood inJefferson County, Colorado | |
  Lakewood Location of Lakewood in theUnited States  Lakewood Lakewood (the United States) | |
| Coordinates:39°42′17″N105°07′02″W/ 39.70472°N 105.11722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Jefferson County[2] |
| City | Lakewood[1] |
| Platted | July 1, 1889[3] |
| Incorporated | June 24, 1969[4] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home rule municipality[1] |
| • Mayor | Wendi Strom[citation needed][5] |
| Area | |
| 44.647 sq mi (115.635 km2) | |
| • Land | 43.473 sq mi (112.595 km2) |
| • Water | 1.174 sq mi (3.040 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,656 ft (1,724 m) |
| Population | |
| 155,984 | |
| • Rank | 5thin Colorado 167thin the United States |
| • Density | 3,588/sq mi (1,385/km2) |
| •Metro | 2,963,821 (19th) |
| •CSA | 3,623,560 (17th) |
| •Front Range | 5,055,344 |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00(MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00(MDT) |
| ZIP codes | Denver 80214-80215, 80227, 80226-80228, 80232, 80235-80236 Golden 80401 Littleton 80123 |
| Area code(s) | Both303and720 |
| FIPS code | 08-43000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411614[7] |
| Website | www |
History
editThe urban and suburban development of the community known as Lakewood was started in 1889 by Charles Welch andW.A.H. Loveland,who platted a 13-block area alongColfax Avenuewest of Denver in eastern Jefferson County. Loveland, the former president of theColorado Central Railroad,retired to the new community of Lakewood after many years of living inGolden.[citation needed]
Until 1969, the area known as Lakewood had no municipal government, relying instead on severalwater districts,several fire districts, and the government of Jefferson County. Lakewood was a community with policing provided by the Jefferson County Sheriff, several volunteer-staffed fire districts, and some neighborhoods without street lights or sidewalks. However, the community had already existed for about 80 years.[citation needed]
The City of Lakewood wasincorporatedin 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" and the belief that it would be confused with existing communities in Colorado and Missouri.[8]At the time of incorporation, the city population was already over 90,000.[citation needed]
Lakewood never had a traditional downtown area.[9]WestColfax Avenueserved the metropolitan area asU.S. Route 40and the main route joining Denver with theRocky Mountains.[citation needed]As such, Colfax from Harlan west to Kipling and beyond had mostly commercial establishments. In addition to theJewish Consumptives' Relief Society(JCRS) for tuberculosis patients, the small, frame Methodist Church, and telephone exchange, by the 1950s grocery and drug stores, gas stations, restaurants and taverns, several motels, branch banks, a movie theater, a roller rink, a bowling alley, and used car lots emerged there. Several multiple-business "shopping centers" developed followed by much larger centers at JCRS and Westland. The Villa Italia Mall on West Alameda Avenue, 20 blocks south of Colfax, reflected the southward expansion of the Lakewood settlement and housed a larger concentration of retail space. As the mall went into decline, the Lakewood City Council developed a plan to demolish the Villa Italia Mall and replace it with a new development called Belmar.[10]
In 2011, Lakewood was named anAll-America Cityfor the first time.
December 2021 rampage
editOn December 27, 2021, a Denver gunman killed three Denver residents and two Lakewood residents before being killed by seriously wounded Lakewood Police Agent Ashley Ferris.[11]
Geography
editLakewood is located at the junction ofU.S. Route 6andColorado State Highway 121in central Colorado, the city lies immediately west of Denver and 62 miles (100 km) north-northwest of Colorado Springs.[12][13]
Lakewood lies in theColorado Piedmonton the western edge of theGreat Plainsjust east of theFront Rangeof thesouthern Rocky Mountains.[12][14][15]Green Mountain,a 6,854-foot-tall (2,089 m) mesa, is located in the far west-central part of the city.[12]
The city is located in the watershed of theSouth Platte River,and several small tributaries of the river flow generally east through it. From north to south, these includeLakewood Gulch,Weir Gulch, Sanderson Gulch, andBear Creek.Two tributaries of Lakewood Gulch, Dry Gulch, and McIntyre Gulch flow east through the northern part of the city. Turkey Creek, a tributary of Bear Creek, flows northeast through the far southwestern part of the city. In addition, Lena Gulch, a tributary ofClear Creekto the north, flows east then north through the extreme northwestern part of the city.[12]
Several small lakes and reservoirs are in Lakewood. The Soda Lakes lie in the extreme southwestern part of the city. East of them lies Bear Creek Lake, a reservoir fed by Bear Creek and Turkey Creek. Clustered near each other in central Lakewood are Main Reservoir, East Reservoir, Smith Reservoir, Kendrick Lake, and Cottonwood Lake. Northeast of them lies Kountze Lake. In the northwestern part of the city, Lena Gulch both feeds and drains Maple Grove Reservoir. In the extreme southern part of the city lies Bowles Reservoir No. 1 and, just outside the city limits to the reservoir's northeast, Marston Lake.[12]
At the2020 United States Census,the town had a total area of 28,574 acres (115.635 km2), including 751 acres (3.040 km2) of water.[6]
As a suburb of Denver, Lakewood is part of both the greater Denver metropolitan area and theFront Range Urban Corridor.[16]It borders other communities on all sides, includingWheat Ridgeto the north,Edgewaterto the northeast,Denverto the east and southeast,Dakota Ridgeto the south,Morrisonto the southwest, andGolden,West Pleasant View,East Pleasant View,andApplewoodto the northwest.
Climate
editAccording to theKöppen Climate Classificationsystem, Lakewood has acold semi-arid climate,abbreviatedBskon climate maps.
| Climate data for Lakewood, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1962–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
77 (25) |
84 (29) |
86 (30) |
94 (34) |
104 (40) |
103 (39) |
101 (38) |
96 (36) |
89 (32) |
82 (28) |
75 (24) |
104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 65.9 (18.8) |
65.6 (18.7) |
74.0 (23.3) |
78.4 (25.8) |
86.6 (30.3) |
94.9 (34.9) |
97.5 (36.4) |
95.0 (35.0) |
91.2 (32.9) |
82.4 (28.0) |
73.1 (22.8) |
65.2 (18.4) |
98.6 (37.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 44.8 (7.1) |
45.3 (7.4) |
53.4 (11.9) |
59.0 (15.0) |
67.9 (19.9) |
79.8 (26.6) |
85.9 (29.9) |
83.7 (28.7) |
76.2 (24.6) |
63.4 (17.4) |
52.1 (11.2) |
44.6 (7.0) |
63.0 (17.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 32.9 (0.5) |
33.5 (0.8) |
41.0 (5.0) |
47.2 (8.4) |
56.0 (13.3) |
66.7 (19.3) |
72.8 (22.7) |
70.6 (21.4) |
62.4 (16.9) |
50.0 (10.0) |
40.0 (4.4) |
32.3 (0.2) |
50.4 (10.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 21.1 (−6.1) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
35.3 (1.8) |
44.1 (6.7) |
53.5 (11.9) |
59.6 (15.3) |
57.5 (14.2) |
48.6 (9.2) |
36.6 (2.6) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
20.0 (−6.7) |
37.9 (3.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 0.3 (−17.6) |
1.1 (−17.2) |
11.0 (−11.7) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
29.6 (−1.3) |
41.5 (5.3) |
50.6 (10.3) |
47.8 (8.8) |
34.6 (1.4) |
19.3 (−7.1) |
7.6 (−13.6) |
−0.3 (−17.9) |
−6.8 (−21.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −26 (−32) |
−23 (−31) |
−11 (−24) |
−1 (−18) |
19 (−7) |
27 (−3) |
37 (3) |
40 (4) |
16 (−9) |
5 (−15) |
−7 (−22) |
−25 (−32) |
−26 (−32) |
| Averageprecipitationinches (mm) | 0.64 (16) |
0.77 (20) |
1.33 (34) |
2.36 (60) |
2.62 (67) |
2.06 (52) |
2.00 (51) |
1.89 (48) |
1.38 (35) |
1.14 (29) |
0.82 (21) |
0.53 (13) |
17.54 (446) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.0 (20) |
8.6 (22) |
9.2 (23) |
9.1 (23) |
1.7 (4.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
5.2 (13) |
9.2 (23) |
6.7 (17) |
58.0 (147) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 4.5 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 7.2 | 10.3 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 7.2 | 5.7 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 81.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 21.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA[17] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[18] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 19,338 | — | |
| 1970 | 92,743 | 379.6% | |
| 1980 | 113,808 | 22.7% | |
| 1990 | 126,481 | 11.1% | |
| 2000 | 144,126 | 14.0% | |
| 2010 | 142,980 | −0.8% | |
| 2020 | 155,984 | 9.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 155,961 | [19] | 0.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
edit| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[20] | Pop 2010[21] | Pop 2020[22] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitealone (NH) | 113,755 | 101,504 | 103,355 | 78.93% | 70.99% | 66.26% |
| Black or African Americanalone (NH) | 1,910 | 1,924 | 2,733 | 1.33% | 1.35% | 1.75% |
| Native AmericanorAlaska Nativealone (NH) | 1,085 | 987 | 1,106 | 0.75% | 0.69% | 0.71% |
| Asianalone (NH) | 3,854 | 4,347 | 5,798 | 2.67% | 3.04% | 3.72% |
| Pacific Islanderalone (NH) | 112 | 144 | 212 | 0.08% | 0.10% | 0.14% |
| Some Other Racealone (NH) | 175 | 205 | 799 | 0.12% | 0.14% | 0.51% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial(NH) | 2,286 | 2,402 | 6,558 | 1.59% | 1.68% | 4.20% |
| Hispanic or Latino(any race) | 20,949 | 31,467 | 35,423 | 14.54% | 22.01% | 22.71% |
| Total | 144,126 | 142,980 | 155,984 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
editAs of the2010 census,142,980 people, 61,986 households, and 35,882 families were residing in the city. The population density was 3,334.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,287.4/km2). Its 65,758 housing units averaged 1,533.5 per square mile (591.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 82.9%White,3.1%Asian,1.6%Black,1.4%American Indian,0.1%Pacific Islander,7.7% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races.Hispanics and Latinosof any race were 22.0% of the population.[23]
Of the 61,986 households, 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.1% were not families. About 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27, and the average family size was 2.92.[23]
The distribution of the population by age was 20.8% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.2 years. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.[23]
The median income for a household in the city was $52,960, and for a family was $66,947. Males had a median income of $46,907 versus $41,476 for females. The city'sper capita incomewas $30,027. About 9.1% of families and 11.7% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.[23]
Economy
editLakewood's economy is diverse, while the largest employers are the government. Companies based in Lakewood includeEinstein Bros. Bagels,FirstBank,andThe Integer Group.
As of 2013, 67.3% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.1% were in the armed forces, and 67.3% were in the civilian labor force with 61.1% employed and 6.2% unemployed. The occupational composition of the employed civilian labor force was 38.6% in management, business, science, and arts; 25.9% in sales and office occupations; 16.9% in service occupations; 9.9% in production, transportation, and material moving; and 8.7% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were educational services, health care, and social assistance (18.4%); professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (13.8%); and retail trade (11.9%).[23]
The cost of living index in Lakewood, compared to a U.S. average of 100, is 107.4.[24]As of 2013, the median home value in the city was $238,500, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,546 for housing units with a mortgage and $442 for those without, and the median gross rent was $940.[23]
Top employers
editAccording to the city's 2023 annual report, the top employers in the city are:[25]
| Rank | Employer | Number of employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver Federal Center | 8,000 |
| 2 | Jefferson County School District R-1 | 3,700 |
| 3 | State of Colorado | 2,610 |
| 4 | St. Anthony Hospital | 1,774 |
| 5 | Terumo BCT | 1,709 |
| 6 | FirstBank | 1,569 |
| 7 | City of Lakewood | 1,438 |
| 8 | Red Rocks Community College | 961 |
| 9 | Encore Electric | 892 |
| 10 | Colorado Christian University | 725 |
Government
edit
Lakewood maintains acouncil-managerform of government. Citizens elect a city council consisting of the mayor, who is elected at-large, and 10 city council members, 2 from each of the city's five geographical wards. The mayor and the council members assert the policies for the operation of the city government. The current City Manager, Kathleen Hodgson, is the longest-tenured City Manager in the State of Colorado.[citation needed]
The current mayor is Wendi Strom. The council members representing Ward 1 are Jeslin Shahrezaei and Glenda Sinks; Sophia Mayott-Guerrero and Isabel Cruz represent Ward 2; Roger Low and Rebekah Stewart represent Ward 3; Rich Olver and David Rein represent Ward 4; and Ward 5 is represented by Jacob LaBure and Paula Nystrom.
The City of Lakewood falls intoColorado House District26, parts of House District 24, and House District 23. Lakewood is represented in thestate houseby Reps.Chris Kennedy,Kerry Tipper,andMonica Duran.[26]
Education
edit
Lakewood is withinJefferson County School District R-1.[27]
Lakewood also housesLakewood High School,Green Mountain High School,Bear Creek High School,Brady Exploration High School, Alameda International High School, andInternational Baccalaureateschools inJefferson County,as well as the privateColorado Academy.
Lakewood is home to several colleges and universities, includingColorado Christian University,Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design,Red Rocks Community College,and theColorado School of Trades.
The town is served by theJefferson County Public Library.
Transportation
editHighways
editNinehighwaysrun through the city of Lakewood:
Interstate 70runs east–west fromUtahtoMaryland.It enters the city fromApplewoodto the east and exits intoWest Pleasant Viewto the west.
US 6 (6th Avenue Freeway)runs east-west within the city. It enters fromDenverto the east before going west intoWest Pleasant View.
US 40 (West Colfax Avenue)enters Lakewood fromDenverto the east before continuing west intoWest Pleasant View.
US 285connects to Lakewood fromDenverto the west before enteringDakota Ridge.It runs along much of the southern edge of the city.
State Highway 8 (Morrison Road)begins in the city of Lakewood at an intersection with South Wadsworth Boulevard before continuing west intoMorrison.
State Highway 95 (South Sheridan Boulevard)defines much of Lakewood's eastern border withDenver.
State Highway 121 (South Wadsworth Boulevard)enters the city fromWheat Ridgeto the north and continues intoDenverto the south.
State Highway 391 (South Kipling Street)begins in Lakewood at an intersection with US 285 before continuing intoWheat Ridge.
State Highway 470runs along the western edge of the city.
Mass transit
editBusandlight railservice within the city, and to other areas in the metropolitan area, is provided by theRegional Transportation District.Light rail service to Lakewood began on April 26, 2013, with the opening of theW Line.Seven light rail stations are located within the city, all of which are located along theW Line.
Intercity transportation is provided byBustang.Federal Center stationin Lakewood is along Bustang's West Line, which connects Denver to Grand Junction.[28]
Points of interest
editLandmarks and historical points of interest include:[citation needed]
- Belmar is the town center with a mix of retail, residential, cultural, and public space.
- The Laboratory of Art and Ideas at Belmarwas located in Belmar until May 2009, and that location is now occupied by:
- the Colorado Campus of the Ohio Center for Broadcasting, a private trade school for the radio and television industry.
- Belmar has a designated Arts District that houses several artist studios and several gallery spaces, and
- "Working with Artists", a nonprofit fine-art photography school.
- Lakewood Cultural Centerfeatures a theater, gallery space, and art classrooms.
- Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park is a 20th-century museum and festival grounds, with several historic buildings, and is located near Kountze Lake; the site formerly housed the Belmar family mansion.
- At William Fredrick Hayden Park in the foothills of Green Mountain, theColorado National Guardpreviously used the north side for artillery practice. Since 2012 theDepartment of DefenseMilitary Munitions Response Program has financed investigations to identifyunexploded ordnancethere.[29]
- The 40 West Arts District includes a bike and "walking art experience" along the light rail line.[30]
Notable people
editSister cities
editLakewood has foursister cities,as designated bySister Cities International:
Chester, Cheshire,United Kingdom- Portsmouth, Hampshire,United Kingdom, also a Friendship City
Stade, Lower Saxony,Germany[31]
Sutherland Shire, Sydney, New South Wales,Australia[32]
See also
edit
Footnotes
editReferences
edit- ^abcde"Active Colorado Municipalities".State of Colorado,Colorado Department of Local Affairs,Division of Local Government.RetrievedJanuary 27,2021.
- ^"Colorado Counties".State of Colorado,Colorado Department of Local Affairs,Division of Local Government.RetrievedJanuary 27,2021.
- ^"Historical Timeline: The 1880s".Jefferson County, Colorado.
- ^Aguilar, John (June 24, 2019)."Lakewood marks 50th birthday, half a century after telling Denver" no "to annexation".The Denver Post.
- ^"City Council Members".Lakewood, Colorado.
- ^abc"Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data".United States Census Bureau,United States Department of Commerce.August 12, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 4,2021.
- ^abU.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lakewood, Colorado
- ^Standish, LeRoy."Lakewood's come a long way".Colorado Community Media.
- ^Autobee, R. & Autobee, K. (2011).Early Lakewood.United States: Arcadia Publishing, p. 67.
- ^The Christian Science Monitor (May 22, 2009)."After the mall: Retrofitting suburbia".The Christian Science Monitor.
- ^Nicholson, Kieran (December 29, 2021)."Lakewood police agent shot on Monday in exchange with the suspected killer is identified".The Denver Post.RetrievedAugust 25,2022.
- ^abcde"Lakewood, CO".Google Maps.RetrievedMarch 4,2015.
- ^"Distance Calculator".Infoplease.RetrievedMarch 4,2015.
- ^"Physiographic Provinces of Colorado [Map]".Colorado Geological Survey.RetrievedMarch 4,2015.
- ^"General Map of Colorado".Colorado Life Zones.Archived fromthe originalon March 3, 2016.RetrievedMarch 4,2015.
- ^"OMB Bulletin No. 13-01"(PDF).Office of Management and Budget.February 28, 2013.Archived(PDF)from the original on February 7, 2017.RetrievedMarch 4,2015– viaNational Archives.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedAugust 9,2022.
- ^ "NOAA Online Weather Data".National Weather Service.RetrievedAugust 9,2022.
- ^"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedMarch 24,2024.
- ^"P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Lakewood city, Colorado".United States Census Bureau.
- ^"P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lakewood city, Colorado".United States Census Bureau.
- ^"P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Lakewood city, Colorado".United States Census Bureau.
- ^abcdef"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedMarch 4,2015.
- ^"Lakewood, Colorado".City-Data.com.RetrievedMarch 9,2015.
- ^Comprehensive Annual Financial Report(PDF)(Report). City of Lakewood, Colorado. 2023.
- ^ [Colorado] State House District 26.COMaps(Report). Archived fromthe originalon February 12, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 21,2009.
- ^"2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Jefferson County, CO"(PDF).U.S. Census Bureau.RetrievedJuly 19,2022.-Text list
- ^"Bustang Schedules".RideBustang.CDOT.
- ^ Briggs, Austin (July 29, 2015)."Old explosives still being found at Lakewood's Green Mountain park".The Denver Post.Digital First Media.RetrievedJuly 31,2015.
- ^ "ArtLine".www.40westartline.org(org home page).RetrievedFebruary 5,2020.
- ^Stade is located on the German Timber-Frame Road
- ^"Sister cities".Sutherland Shire Council.
External links
edit
Mediafrom Commons
Travel informationfrom Wikivoyage