Arvada, Colorado
Arvada is a city of 122,634 people in Adams County, Colorado, founded in 1859.
Why visit Arvada
Townapedia lists 38 museums and landmarks, 119 parks and trails, 230 places to eat, 12 places to stay and 10 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Harkins Arvada 14, Heinie's Market, Colorado Railroad Museum and Ammunition Igloo.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; December lows average 17°F, and about 76 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Arvada
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Arvada
Arvada () is a home rule city located in Jefferson and Adams counties, Colorado, United States. The city population was 124,402 at the 2020 United States census, with 121,510 residing in Jefferson County and 2,892 in Adams County. Arvada is the seventh most populous city in Colorado. The city is a part of the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.
From the Wikipedia article Arvada, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do10
Colorado School of Mines
School · 6.9 mi
Public university in Golden, Colorado, U.S.
Lakeside Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 6.2 mi
Family-owned amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado adjacent to Denver
Regis University
School · 7.0 mi
Private Jesuit university in Denver, Colorado, US
Museums and landmarks38
Ammunition Igloo
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.4 mi
Historic military facility near Golden, Colorado, USA
Arvada Flour Mill
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.4 mi
Historic mill in Arvada, Colorado, USA
Astor House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.6 mi
Hotel in Golden, Colorado
Barnes–Peery House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.4 mi
Historic house in Colorado, United States
Bowles House
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 5.9 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Colorado
Camp George West Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.8 mi
Historic district in Colorado, United States
Colorado Amphitheater
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.4 mi
Amphitheatre in Colorado, United States of America
Colorado National Guard Armory
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.7 mi
Armory in Golden, United States of America
Golden High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.5 mi
High school in Colorado, United States
Harris Park School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.2 mi
School building in Westminster, Colorado
Herman Coors House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.8 mi
Historic home in Golden, Colorado
26 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds119
Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park
Sports field and stadium · 4.3 mi
107 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes230
Hunter Bay Coffee Roasters
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 4.4 mi
According to https://www.hunterbay.com/pages/abouthunterbay, founded in 1991 in Missoula, MT, but this location opened in 2016.
5600 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada
Mo-Th 06:30-18:30; Fr 06:30-20:30; Sa 07:00-20:30; Su 07:00-18:30
Arvada Villa Italian Restaurant
Restaurant · Italian · 3.3 mi
9609 West 57th Place, Arvada
Tu-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-20:30; Su 12:00-20:00
Beau Jo's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 4.7 mi
7525 West 53rd Avenue, Arvada
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-21:30
Bonfire Burritos
Restaurant · Mexican · 4.3 mi
5800 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada
Mo-Fr 06:00-14:00; Sa-Su 07:00-15:00
Cupbop - Korean BBQ in a Cup
Restaurant · Korean · 4.8 mi
7450 West 52nd Avenue, Arvada
Mo-Sa 10:30-21:00
Dutch Bros. Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 4.7 mi
3478 Clear Creek Drive, Wheat Ridge
Mo-Th 05:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-23:00; Su 05:00-22:00
218 more on the map.
History
The region arround Arvada has been inhabited by Native Americans and their Paleo-American ancestors for at least 13,500 years and possibly more than 37,000 years. Before 1858, the Arvada area was occupied by the Arapaho and Cheyenne people. The Ute and Comanche people would also occasionally visit the area. White American travelers would generally avoid the Southern Rocky Mountains and would usually travel along the Oregon Trail through what is now Wyoming.
The first documented discovery of gold in the Rocky Mountain region occurred on June 22, 1850, when Lewis Ralston, a Georgia prospector traveling with a party headed for the California gold fields, dipped his sluice pan into a small stream near its confluence with Clear Creek. He found about ¼ troy ounce (8 g) of gold, then worth about five dollars (about $1,300 USD today.) While Ralston was elated, the rest of the party was unimpressed and continued on to California the next morning. Ralston continued panning for gold, but after a few days gave up and caught up with his party. The site of Lewis Ralston's gold discovery now lies along Ralston Creek in the City of Arvada's Gold Strike Park.
From the History section of Arvada, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay12
Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Wheat Ridge Denver West
Motel and hotel · 4.5 mi
4205 Clear Creek Drive, Wheat Ridge
Motel 6 Wheat Ridge, CO - West - Denver North
Motel and hotel · 4.0 mi
9920 West 49th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
Churches and places of worship39
Calvary Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 6.7 mi
First Presbyterian Church of Golden and Unger House
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 6.7 mi
Shopping33
Gas and EV charging45
Schools, colleges and libraries80
Healthcare16
Indian Tree Chiropractic, P.C.
Clinic and pharmacy · 3.7 mi
7878 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada
Nerve Watch Intraoperative Neuromonitoring
Clinic and pharmacy · 4.5 mi
3984 Youngfield Street
Map of Arvada
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°F | 17°F | 0.6 in | 9.6 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 18°F | 0.8 in | 11.9 in |
| Mar | 57°F | 26°F | 1.5 in | 12.9 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 33°F | 2.3 in | 12.1 in |
| May | 71°F | 42°F | 2.6 in | 2.2 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 51°F | 1.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 57°F | 1.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 54°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 45°F | 1.3 in | 1.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 34°F | 1.2 in | 5.9 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 24°F | 0.9 in | 10.0 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 17°F | 0.6 in | 9.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wheat Ridge 2 (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Adams County has had 9 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2015-07-16: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2013-09-14: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2013-09-12: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2007-01-07: Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Wheat Ridge 5 mi southeast, about 8 min by car
- Westminster 6 mi northeast, about 9 min by car
- Superior 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Berkley 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Golden 7 mi southwest, about 11 min by car
- Federal Heights 7 mi east, about 12 min by car
- Sherrelwood 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- Lakewood 9 mi south, about 15 min by car
- Louisville 9 mi north, about 15 min by car
- Broomfield 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Arvada Olde Town Arvada CO, Hustvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Colorado Railroad Museum depot building, Footwarrior, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.