Westminster

Gold discovered in the South Platte River Valley in 1858 brought national attention to the area that would become Westminster, Colorado. The promise of fortune and the Land Act of 1862 encouraged many settlers from the east to make Colorado their home instead of heading on to California. Before the settlements came, wildlife like antelope and buffalo made their homes in this area. There is also evidence of Arapaho Indians near the Crown Point (Gregory Hill) area.

After the first permanent white settler, Pleasant DeSpain, built his home in 1870 on 160 acres (near what is now West 76th Avenue and Lowell Street), the area became known as DeSpain Junction and began attracting other settlers including horse breeder Edward Bruce Bowles who was instrumental in constructing the town’s train depot in 1881. In 1885, Connecticut real estate developer C. J. Harris arrived in DeSpain Junction and began buying up land. Soon the town was renamed Harris, but was also known as Darell Park.

In 1891, construction began on the Westminster Castle, which can still be seen as of today at West 83rd Avenue and Federal Boulevard. By 1911, the town had incorporated and was renamed one final time to Westminster, in honor of Westminster University.

Westminster is on several state highways: I-25, US 36, US 287, SH 95, SH 121, and SH 128.

The Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) provides bus service to Westminster and the rest of the metropolitan area. RTD plans to build commuter rail servicing Westminster as part of the Fastracks project that originate in Denver and travel to Longmont and Boulder respectively.

As part of the US 36 Express Lanes Project, a bus rapid transit line was established along the corridor, branded the Flatiron Flyer. The BRT line was completed in 2016, and consists of six stations along US 36, including two in Westminster, Church Ranch Station and Westminster Center Station. The busses travel on managed lanes to increase the efficiency of the service, and offer frequent bus service connecting the Denver metro area with the northwest region’s businesses, federal institutions and the University of Colorado–Boulder. Riders also have convenient and frequent access to downtown Boulder and downtown Denver.

Westminster is served by Denver International Airport and nearby Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.

Companies based in Westminster include DigitalGlobe and Western Fuels Association.

High schools in or near Westminster include the Academy of Charter Schools, Hidden Lake High School, Jefferson Academy High School, Legacy High School, Mountain Range High School, Northglenn High School, Pomona High School, Standley Lake High School, and Westminster High School. In 2010 Adams County School District 50 opened a new Westminster High School replacing both the existing Westminster High School and Ranum High School, which graduated its last class that year.

Westminster is located in western Adams County and northeastern Jefferson County at 39°52′N 105°03′W (39.862, -105.048). It is bordered to the north by Broomfield, to the northeast by Thornton, to the east by Northglenn and Federal Heights, to the southeast by Sherrelwood, Twin Lakes and Berkley, and to the south by Arvada.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Westminster has a total area of 34.05 square miles (88.19 km2), of which 31.73 square miles (82.18 km2) are land and 2.32 square miles (6.01 km2), or 6.81%, are water.