Parker, Colorado
24 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1890 and the latest in 1981. It stands in the Parker census division. It lies in ZIP code area 80138. It lies near Tallman Gulch. The Survey maps it on the Parker quadrangle. 58,512 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 5,869 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Parker
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 1 record
Ruth Memorial Methodist Episcopal Churchlisted 1989
Population over time
2 figuresParker grew from 45,297 to 58,512 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 | 45,297 | |
| 2020 | 58,512 | +13,215 (+29%) |
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.
- 1890 USGS East Denver quadrangle1:125000
- 1935 USGS East Denver Nos. 3 and 4 quadrangle1:48000
- 1942 USGS Parker quadrangle1:31680
- 1949 USGS Parker quadrangle1:24000
- 1953 USGS Denver quadrangle1:250000, 6 printings
- 1957 USGS Denver quadrangle1:250000
- 1957 USGS Parker quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Denver quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Denver quadrangle1:250000
- 1965 USGS Parker quadrangle1:24000, 7 printings
- 1981 USGS Denver East quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
449 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 449 fires within 5 miles of Parker between 1994 and 2020, burning about 288 acres in total. 23 started naturally. 14 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 | 307 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 37 |
| Smoking | 26 |
| Natural | 23 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 14 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 12 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 9 |
| Other causes | 8 |
| Fireworks | 7 |
| Debris and open burning | 6 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 2016 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Metro Fire Rescue | UNKNOWN |
| 8 September 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Metro Fire Rescue | UNKNOWN |
| 8 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Colorado State Forest Service-State Headquarters | not named |
| 8 September 1994 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Douglas County | not named |
| 5 September 1995 | Natural | under an acre | Douglas County | not named |
| 4 September 2017 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | South Metro Fire Rescue | UNKNOWN |
| 3 September 2013 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | South Metro Fire Rescue | UNKNOWN |
| 29 September 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Metro Fire Rescue | UNKNOWN |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
9 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 9 workings within 5 miles of Parker: 3 occurrences, 2 producers, 2 past producers, 2 unknowns. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Clay, Gold, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Feldspar. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newlin Gulch | Feldspar | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | Sedimentary | |
| Gravel Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Unknown | ||
| Gravel Pit | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Unknown | ||
| Newlin Gulch Gold Occurrence | Gold | Occurrence | Placer | |
| Newlin Gulch Placer | Gold | Occurrence | 1895 | |
| Claypit | Clay | Producer | ||
| Claypit | Clay | Producer | ||
| Madis | Clay | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 132 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Parker in 132 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 101 hail, 18 thunderstorm wind, 5 tornado, 5 lightning. 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 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parker | 1 killed, 2 hurt | One construction worker was killed, two others injured, when a strong wind gust caused the scaffolding they were standing on to collapse. |
| August 2002 | Tornado (F0) | Parker | $100,000 | The first tornado, associated with a multi-vortex storm, touched down briefly near E-470 and South Jordan Road. Some fences were damaged and a few trees were blow down. A few of the homes also sustained minor roof damage. |
| August 2007 | Lightning | Parker | $100,000 | no account filed |
| June 2012 | Flash Flood | Parker | $50,000 | Several roads were washed out from The Pinery to 3 miles west of The Pinery. |
| July 1994 | Tornado (F1) | Parker | $50,000 | A small, short-lived tornado caused damage to a house under construction in Parker (16 miles south southeast of Denver). |
| June 1996 | Lightning | Parker | $30,000 | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Flash Flood | Parker | $20,000 | South Metro Fire reported cars are being swamped due to rising waters. |
| June 2012 | Lightning | Parker | $15,000 | Lightning struck a home and damaged the attic. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parker | $15,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds downed a 65-ft blue spruce in Parker. The tree landed onto a home, damaging the roof of the residence. Dozens of holes poked into the shingles and gutters were damaged. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parker | - | The wind gust was recorded at the ASOS station located at the Centennial airport (APA). |
| October 2025 | Hail | Parker | - | The report was received from MPING. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parker | - | From the Centennial Airport (APA). |
| September 2013 | Flash Flood | Parker | - | The combination of heavy rain, coupled with extremely saturated ground conditions, produced additional flash flooding. Several inches of water was reported running through the intersection of Lincoln Ave. and Parker. |
| August 2008 | Tornado (EF0) | Parker | - | A tornado touched down but did no damage. |
| August 2006 | Lightning | Parker | - | Lightning sparked a fire at a home in Lone Tree. |
| July 1997 | Tornado (F1) | Parker | - | A weak touched tornado down damaging a greenhouse as 20 pieces of the fibreglass roof were ripped away. The exact time of the incident was unknown. |
| June 1997 | Tornado (F1) | Parker | - | A tornado touched down near Parker, damaging some construction equipment. The length and path of the storm was approximated. |
| June 2024 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2023 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2023 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2021 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2019 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2019 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2019 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2019 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2019 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2019 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2019 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Parker | - | no account filed |
| August 2018 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2018 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| July 2018 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| August 2015 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Hail | Parker | - | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Hail | Parker | - | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Valley | 1.1 miles | 24 | |
| Saddlebrook | 1.5 miles | 24 | |
| Clarke Farms | 1.5 miles | 24 | |
| Cherry Creek Highlands | 1.8 miles | 24 | |
| Homestead Hills | 1.9 miles | 24 | |
| Ponderosa Hills | 2.4 miles | 24 | |
| Stonegate | 2.4 miles | 24 | |
| Sierra Ridge | 3.1 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 Parker | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q385825 | 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 185051. 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.










