The urban and suburban development of the community known as Lakewood was started in 1889 by Charles Welch andW.A.H. Loveland, who platted a 13-block area alongColfax Avenue west of Denver in eastern Jefferson County. Loveland, the former president of theColorado Central Railroad, retired to the new community of Lakewood after many years of living inGolden.[citation needed]
Until 1969, Lakewood had no municipal government, relying instead on severalwater districts, several fire districts, several volunteer-staffed fire districts, and the government of Jefferson County, including the Jefferson County Sheriff. Additionally, some neighborhoods lacked street lights and sidewalks.[citation needed]
The City of Lakewood wasincorporated in 1969 as Jefferson City. Soon after, an election was held and the city's name was changed to Lakewood, due to an overwhelming dislike of "Jefferson City" and the belief that it would be confused with existing communities in Colorado and Missouri.[10] At the time of incorporation, the city population was already over 90,000.[citation needed]
Lakewood never had a traditional downtown area.[11] WestColfax Avenue served the metropolitan area asU.S. Route 40 and the main route joining Denver with theRocky Mountains.[citation needed] As such, Colfax from Harlan west to Kipling and beyond had mostly commercial establishments. In addition to theJewish Consumptives' Relief Society (JCRS) for tuberculosis patients, the small, frame Methodist Church, and telephone exchange, by the 1950s grocery and drug stores, gas stations, restaurants and taverns, several motels, branch banks, a movie theater, a roller rink, a bowling alley, and used car lots emerged there. Several multiple-business "shopping centers" developed followed by much larger centers at JCRS and Westland. The Villa Italia Mall on West Alameda Avenue, 20 blocks south of Colfax, reflected the southward expansion of the Lakewood settlement and housed a larger concentration of retail space. As the mall went into decline, the Lakewood City Council developed a plan to demolish the Villa Italia Mall and replace it with a new development called Belmar.[12]
In 2011, Lakewood was named anAll-America City for the first time.
On December 27, 2021, a Denver gunman killed three Denver residents and two Lakewood residents before being killed by seriously wounded Lakewood Police Agent Ashley Ferris.[13]
Lakewood is located at the junction ofU.S. Route 6 andColorado State Highway 121 in central Colorado, the city lies immediately west of Denver and 62 miles (100 km) north-northwest of Colorado Springs.[14][15]
The city is located in the watershed of theSouth Platte River, and several small tributaries of the river flow generally east through it. From north to south, these includeLakewood Gulch, Weir Gulch, Sanderson Gulch, andBear Creek. Two tributaries of Lakewood Gulch, Dry Gulch, and McIntyre Gulch flow east through the northern part of the city. Turkey Creek, a tributary of Bear Creek, flows northeast through the far southwestern part of the city. In addition, Lena Gulch, a tributary ofClear Creek to the north, flows east then north through the extreme northwestern part of the city.[14]
Several small lakes and reservoirs are in Lakewood. The Soda Lakes lie in the extreme southwestern part of the city. East of them lies Bear Creek Lake, a reservoir fed by Bear Creek and Turkey Creek. Clustered near each other in central Lakewood are Main Reservoir, East Reservoir, Smith Reservoir, Kendrick Lake, and Cottonwood Lake. Northeast of them lies Kountze Lake. In the northwestern part of the city, Lena Gulch both feeds and drains Maple Grove Reservoir. In the extreme southern part of the city lies Bowles Reservoir No. 1 and, just outside the city limits to the reservoir's northeast, Marston Lake.[14]
At the2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 28,574 acres (115.635 km2), including 751 acres (3.040 km2) of water.[6]
Lakewood, Colorado – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2010 census, 142,980 people, 61,986 households, and 35,882 families were residing in the city. The population density was 3,334.4 inhabitants per square mile (1,287.4/km2). Its 65,758 housing units averaged 1,533.5 per square mile (591.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 82.9%White, 3.1%Asian, 1.6%Black, 1.4%American Indian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 7.7% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races.Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 22.0% of the population.[24]
Of the 61,986 households, 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.1% were not families. About 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27, and the average family size was 2.92.[24]
The distribution of the population by age was 20.8% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.2 years. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.[24]
The median income for a household in the city was $52,960, and for a family was $66,947. Males had a median income of $46,907 versus $41,476 for females. The city'sper capita income was $30,027. About 9.1% of families and 11.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.[24]
As of 2013, 67.3% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.1% were in the armed forces, and 67.3% were in the civilian labor force with 61.1% employed and 6.2% unemployed. The occupational composition of the employed civilian labor force was 38.6% in management, business, science, and arts; 25.9% in sales and office occupations; 16.9% in service occupations; 9.9% in production, transportation, and material moving; and 8.7% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were educational services, health care, and social assistance (18.4%); professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (13.8%); and retail trade (11.9%).[24]
The cost of living index in Lakewood, compared to a U.S. average of 100, is 107.4.[25] As of 2013, the median home value in the city was $238,500, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,546 for housing units with a mortgage and $442 for those without, and the median gross rent was $940.[24]
Lakewood maintains acouncil-manager form of government. Citizens elect a city council consisting of the mayor, who is elected at-large, and 10 city council members, 2 from each of the city's five geographical wards. The mayor and the council members assert the policies for the operation of the city government. The current City Manager, Kathleen Hodgson, is the longest-tenured City Manager in the State of Colorado.[citation needed]
The current mayor is Wendi Strom. The council members representing Ward 1 are Jeslin Shahrezaei and Glenda Sinks; Sophia Mayott-Guerrero and Isabel Cruz represent Ward 2; Roger Low and Rebekah Stewart represent Ward 3; Rich Olver and David Rein represent Ward 4; and Ward 5 is represented by Jacob LaBure and Paula Nystrom.
Bus andlight rail service within the city, and to other areas in the metropolitan area, is provided by theRegional Transportation District. Light rail service to Lakewood began on April 26, 2013, with the opening of theW Line. Seven light rail stations are located within the city, all of which are located along theW Line.
Intercity transportation is provided byBustang.Federal Center station in Lakewood is along Bustang's West Line, which connects Denver to Grand Junction.[37]
Heritage Lakewood Belmar Park is a 20th-century museum and festival grounds, with several historic buildings, and is located near Kountze Lake; the site formerly housed the Belmar family mansion.
At William Fredrick Hayden Park in the foothills of Green Mountain, theColorado National Guard previously used the north side for artillery practice. Since 2012 theDepartment of Defense Military Munitions Response Program has financed investigations to identifyunexploded ordnance there.[38]
The 40 West Arts District includes a bike and "walking art experience" along the light rail line.[39]
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