Lakewood

Lakewood

Lakewood’s name derives from a subdivision established near West Colfax and Harlan Street in 1889 by the owner of the Colorado Central Railroad, William Loveland. The community remained unincorporated until 1969 when fears of annexation by Denver and a lack of law enforcement resources started to concern its residents. The creation of Lakewood that year was one of the largest up to that time in the entire metro area. Lakewood now has over 160,000 residents, making it the 5th most populous city in Colorado and the most populous in Jefferson County. The city covers 44 square files and includes over 7,200 acres of open space, 240 miles of multi-use trails, more than 110 parks, 4 recreation centers and three golf courses. Art enthusiasts will love what the city has to offer with facilities such as the Lakewood Cultural Center, Heritage Lakewood, and Washington Heights Arts Center. Beautiful public art installations can also be found throughout the city. Lakewood resides in the Jefferson County R1 School District and features more than 100 elementary, middle, and high schools. Shopping locations like Belmar and Colorado Mills make Lakewood a shopping destination for people from all over Colorado. Lakewood is also home to one of the most famous restaurants in the entire metro, Casa Bonita. This signature Colorado tourist attraction was just saved from possible closure when the creators of the TV show, South Park, purchased the restaurant in August, 2021. Denver and the surrounding suburbs are easily accessible via light rail and RTD bus services. A mixture of urban and suburban housing options are found throughout the city. Lakewood’s home values are appreciating quickly but are very reasonable compared to many of the surrounding cities. The median home price for homes that closed in the last quarter of 2021 was $526,000, up 18.2% year-over-year. Learn more about Lakewood here.