thornton, Colorado
Get To Know The Area
The Denver suburb of Thornton is a relatively new city. First settled in 1954, predominantly by World War II veterans and their families, Thornton quickly grew to encompass its immediate neighbors. Thornton is the easternmost city in the north Denver area, making it the closest city to Denver International Airport.
The city was named after Daniel Thornton, the governor of Colorado during its development, which began in 1953. Thornton originally had only 8,640 people residing in its one square mile land area during that time. It was incorporated in May 1956 and became a Home Rule City in 1967.
With the construction of more facilities and structures in the city came the increase in its population. In 1981, the recorded number of residents increased to 43,000 people.
Thornton boasts nearly 1,000 acres of developed park and recreation centers, and 230 acres of open space — land preserved from development. The local golf course, a 144-acre, 72-par public course features a driving range, putting green and restaurant. Go on a tour to see the more than 170 pieces of public art located around town.
Food
Fun
Charm
What To Do For Fun
Thornton hosts three festivals a year. Thorntonfest is held in May, and features a car show, climbing wall and carnival rides. Other activities at the festival include a petting zoo, canine disk contest and three stages of live music. The Harvest Fest is in September, and celebrates the community spirit of the residents and businesses. Winterfest is held in December and rings in the holiday with a holiday lighting contest and city-provided ice-skating rink and fireworks show. Thornton is also home to Denver Premium Outlets, a LEED-certified mall with designer and lifestyle brands including Marmot, Columbia Factory Store and Tommy Hilfiger.
Parks and Recreation
The city has 25 major parks with the addition of several smaller parks and open areas, providing lots of available opportunities for outdoor recreation. They include Cherry Park, Cherrywood Park, Community Park, North Star Park, Trail Winds East, Trail Winds West, Woodglen Brookshire Park, and Yorkborough Park to name a few.
Time to Mountain Fun
It takes 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnels from Downtown Thornton.
