Arvada, Colorado
24 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1899 and the latest in 1983. It stands in the Northeast Jefferson census division. It lies in ZIP code area 80004. It stands on Van Bibber Creek. The Survey maps it on the Arvada quadrangle. 124,402 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 5,348 feet above sea level.
On record in Arvada
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 6 records
Arvada Downtownlisted 1998
Arvada Flour Milllisted 1975
Reno Park Addition Historic Districtlisted 1999
Russell-Graves Houselisted 1983
Stocke-Walter Addition Historic Districtlisted 1999- Churches Ranchlisted 1998
Population over time
2 figuresArvada grew from 106,433 to 124,402 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 106,433 | |
| 2020 | 124,402 | +17,969 (+17%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
11 surveys from 24 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1899 USGS West Denver quadrangle1:125000
- 1941 USGS Arvada quadrangle1:31680
- 1944 USGS Arvada quadrangle1:31680
- 1950 USGS Arvada quadrangle1:24000
- 1953 USGS Denver quadrangle1:250000, 6 printings
- 1957 USGS Arvada quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Denver quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Denver quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Denver quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS Arvada quadrangle1:24000, 6 printings
- 1983 USGS Denver West quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
1,205 since 2003Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1,205 fires within 5 miles of Arvada between 2003 and 2020, burning about 165 acres in total. 8 started naturally. 19 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1044 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 34 |
| Smoking | 31 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 20 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 19 |
| Fireworks | 17 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 12 |
| Debris and open burning | 12 |
| Natural | 8 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 6 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | ARVADA |
| 9 September 2010 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | not named |
| 9 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | not named |
| 8 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | N/A |
| 8 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | N/A |
| 8 September 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Arvada Fire Protection District | UNKNOWN |
| 8 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | West Metro Fire Rescue | UNKNOWN |
| 8 September 2011 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | DENVER |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 44 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 44 workings within 5 miles of Arvada: 27 past producers, 10 occurrences, 4 unknowns, 3 producers. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Gold, Gold, Silver, Fire Clay (Refractory). Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | 1973 | |
| Unknown | Fire Clay (Refractory) | Producer | ||
| Unknown | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Occurrence | Sedimentary | |
| Cooley Gravel Co. Pits | Sand and Gravel, Construction, Gold | Past Producer | 1951, 1964 | |
| Gordon Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction, Gold | Past Producer | Gold, Sand and Gravel | |
| Swadley Placers | Gold | Past Producer | 1858, 1859 | |
| Youngfield Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction, Gold | Past Producer | 1979 | |
| Asphalt Paving Co Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Asphalt Paving Co Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Brannan Sand and Gravel Co Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 82 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Arvada in 82 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 67 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 5 lightning, 2 flood. The reports record 1 death and 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2016 | Lightning | Arvada | 1 killed, 1 hurt | Two men at the Indian Tree Golf Course were struck by lightning when they sought shelter from a rapidly developing thunderstorm under a tree. One man suffered minor injuries, while the other died from this injuries. |
| July 2014 | Lightning | Arvada | 1 hurt | A man was injured by a nearby lightning strike while he recorded a video of a thunderstorm with his cell phone. He was standing in his garage, when a nearby lightning bolt knocked him out. He suffered overall body aches and had a ringing sensation in one of his ears. |
| August 2009 | Hail | Arvada | $1,000 | Large hail caused minor damage to a vehicle. |
| June 2024 | Hail | Arvada | - | The report was from mping. |
| June 2024 | Hail | Arvada | - | The report was from mping. |
| June 2024 | Hail | Arvada | - | The report was from mping. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arvada | - | A wet microburst snapped tree limbs up to six inches in diameter. |
| August 2006 | Flash Flood | Arvada | - | Heavy rain caused flash flooding along Leyden Creek in unincorporated Jefferson County, northwest of Arvada. An automated rain gauge in upper Leyden Creek, 6 miles northwest of Arvada, measured 2.68 inches of rain in less than two hours. Two to three feet of water covered the roadway at 82nd and Quaker. |
| July 2004 | Lightning | Arvada | - | Lightning caused power outages in parts of Arvada. Approximately 9,800 customers were without power for 90 minutes. |
| August 2003 | Lightning | Arvada | - | Lightning struck a residence and sparked a fire in Arvada. Damage to the roof and ceiling were extensive. |
| August 1997 | Lightning | Arvada | - | Lightning sparked a small fire to a home causing minor damage. |
| August 1997 | Flood | Arvada | - | Several intersections were flooded as heavy rain producing thunderstorms struck the area. Several cars were damaged by the highwaters and a number of businesses were also flooded. |
| April 1994 | Hail | Arvada | - | Spotters reported pea-size hail covering the ground to a depth of three inches in Arvada (nine miles west northwest of Denver). |
| May 2025 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| August 2018 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| May 2017 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| May 2016 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| August 2014 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| July 2014 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| July 2014 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| July 2014 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| July 2014 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| April 2005 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Hail | Arvada | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alta Vista | 0.4 miles | 24 | |
| Park Slope | 0.7 miles | 24 | |
| Scenic Heights | 0.7 miles | 24 | |
| Koldeway | 0.9 miles | 24 | |
| Columbine Acres | 1.0 miles | 24 | |
| Lyndale Park | 1.2 miles | 24 | |
| Green Valley | 1.5 miles | 24 | |
| Huntington Heights | 1.5 miles | 24 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Arvada | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q590849 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 204709. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.










