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Parker, Colorado
Town
Mainstreet in downtown Parker
Flag
Location of Parker in Douglas County, Colorado
Coordinates: 39°29′50″N 104°45′57″W / 39.49722°N 104.76583°W / 39.49722; -104.76583
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Douglas
Founded	1864
Incorporated	May 1, 1981
Named after	James Parker
Government
• Type	Home rule municipality
Area [1]
• Town	22.455 sq mi (58.158 km2)
• Land	22.447 sq mi (58.138 km2)
• Water	0.0085 sq mi (0.022 km2)
Elevation [2]	5,834 ft (1,778 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Town	58,512
• Estimate  (2024)[4]	65,473
• Rank	US: 633rd CO: 19th
• Density	2,727.3/sq mi (1,053.01/km2)
• Urban	2,686,147 (US: 18th)
• Metro	2,985,871 (US: 19th)
• Combined	3,663,515 (US: 18th)
Time zone	UTC–7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC–6 (MDT)
ZIP Codes[5]	80134, 80138
Area codes	303, 720, and 983
FIPS code	08-57630
GNIS feature ID	2413117[2]
Sales tax	8.0%[6]
Website	www.parkerco.gov

Parker is a home rule municipality in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. As a self-declared "town" under the home rule statutes, Parker is the second most populous town in the county; Castle Rock is the most populous (the community of Highlands Ranch, with a population of over 100,000, is an unincorporated CDP).^[7] In recent years, Parker has become a commuter town at the southeasternmost corner of the Denver metropolitan area. The population was 58,512 at the 2020 census.^[3] Parker is now the 19th most populous municipality in the state of Colorado.

The first known people to live in the area were ancient and Plains Woodland peoples. Utes, Arapaho, and Cheyenne were in the area by the 1800s. They were all hunter-gatherers who established seasonal camps to acquire food.^[8] A nearby rock shelter, Franktown Cave, shows evidence of habitation beginning in the early Archaic period about 6400 BC and continuing through each of the intervening cultural periods to 1725 AD.^[9]

Stage roads were established on historic Cherokee and Trapper's Trails through present-day Denver. In 1864, Alfred Butters established the Pine Grove Way Station in a small one-room building (south of the current Parker United Methodist Church) to sell provisions, handle mail and messages, and provide respite for travelers.^[8][10] The area was then within the Territory of Colorado (1861–1876). Butters became a state senator and representative. His house is on the National Register of Historic Places listings in downtown Denver.^[10] George Long and his wife purchased the building, moved it to its present location on Main Street, and expanded it to include ten rooms, a ball room and outbuildings.^[8] Built at the junction of stage routes, it was called Twenty Mile House for its distance to Denver. The stage station offered provisions, meals, and lodging, as well as protection for early settlers against attacks by Native Americans.^[8][11]

Initially, there were peaceful interactions with Native Americans. Chiefs Washington and Colorow led their tribes along Sulphur Gulch, passing and sometimes visiting cabins of early settlers, like John and Elizabeth Tallman. During one visit, Chief Washington offered up to 20 ponies in trade for their red-headed son. They occasionally heard the sounds of celebration and mourning from nearby encampments.^[10] Tension between settlers and Native Americans began to build in the 1860s due to broken treaties, aggression, and cultural misunderstanding. People became especially fearful following the Hungate massacre of 1864 in present-day Elbert County, which may have been started by Nathan Hungate shooting a Native American who stole his horse. It may have been a precipitating factor in the Sand Creek massacre led by General John Chivington later that year. John Tallman was one of the first to arrive at the scene of the Hungate Massacre and he served under Chivington during the Sand Creek massacre. The citizens of Parker became quite concerned and closed the school for a brief time after the massacres. In 1870, Jonathan Tallman (John's brother) was killed by Native Americans while out riding his mule.^[10]

In 1869, Twenty Mile House was owned by Nelson and Susan Doud.^[8][11] In 1870, the Douds purchased the Seventeen Mile House in what is now Centennial and sold the Twenty Mile House^[12] to James S. Parker, an American Civil War veteran from Illinois who came to Colorado in 1865.^[8][13] He added a blacksmith shop and mercantile store. In December 1870,^[8] or 1873, a post office was established for the Pine Grove settlement; James Parker was the postmaster.^[14] He built a schoolhouse and provided lodging and the first year's salary for the teacher.^[8] George Parker, James' brother, homesteaded and built a saloon on land east of Parker Road.^[8] George owned most of the land that ultimately became the town of Parker. He encouraged settlers and business development by "parceling out his spread" to newcomers.^[8][10]

The name of the settlement was changed to Parker in 1882.^[14][15] It was first called Parkers' for the two brothers and largest landowners, but the apostrophe was later dropped.^[10] That year, the Denver and New Orleans Railroad completed the initial railroad route^[16] that provided service between Denver, Parker, and Colorado Springs. To ensure that the railroad came through the center of town, rather than along Cherry Creek, James Parker sold his right-of-way for $1 and his brother George sold his right-of-way to bring the railroad into the center of town to Parker station.^[17]

James donated three acres for Parker Cemetery around 1884, at which time it held the graves of his two sons. It holds the graves of early settlers, the earliest known death was in 1870. Parker (died 1910) and his wife Mattie (died 1887) are also buried there.^[8] In the mid-1880s, gold was found at Newlin Gulch (site of the current Rueter–Hess Reservoir.) More businesses were added, including a dry goods store, two more general mercantile stores, another blacksmith shop, a livery stable, barber shop, creamery, stockyard, hotel, church, and a brickworks. Many of these were added by 1900.^[8][10] Victorian architectural style houses were built along Pikes Peak Drive in the 1910s.^[19] The Parker station of the Colorado and Southern Railway, which was renamed as it expanded its route, closed in 1931.^[17]

At least through the 1930s, there were dances the first Saturday of each month at Pikes Peak Grange, located north of Franktown. The dances were attended by teenagers from Parker and Elizabeth.^[20]

The Parker City Land Company began development of a "modern western town" in the 1960s, but they did not complete the housing projects due to financial short-falls. In the 1970s, first african-american astronaut candidate Ed Dwight was involved in the project as a real estate developer.^[21] The developer skipped town in 1971. About 1980 or 1981, the development was completed by another builder. Dean Salibury advocated for Parker's incorporation to protect its landowners.^[20] The town was incorporated in 1981,^[22] and Salisbury was Parker's first mayor.^[20] Parker grew exponentially in the mid-1990s and mid-2000s, during the growth of Denver's southern suburbs.^[22] In 1981 there were 285 people in Parker and by 2014 48,000 people resided in the town.^[19]

The Twenty Mile post office, originally the Pine Grove post office building, was restored by the Parker Area Historical Society. It is located on Mainstreet, just west of Parker Road.^[23] Ruth Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[24] The town of Parker was given a grant by the History Colorado State Historical Fund a restoration project for the Parker Consolidated School at the Mainstreet Center.^[25] The Hood House, one of two houses that did not sustain any damage during the flood of Tallman Gulch in 1912, is located in Preservation Park.^[26] Some of the other historic sites include Tallman–Newlin Cabin and Parker Cemetery.^[19]

Parker is located in northeastern Douglas County.^[27] Its northernmost border follows the Arapahoe County line, and the city of Aurora touches the town's northeast border. The center of Parker is 23 miles (37 km) southeast of downtown Denver.^[28] Castle Rock, the Douglas County seat, is 15 miles (24 km) to the southwest. Unincorporated communities that border Parker are Dove Valley to the northwest, Stonegate to the west, and The Pinery to the south.^[29] Parker sits at an elevation of 5,900 feet above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.455 square miles (58.158 km²), of which 0.00 square miles (0.008 km²), or 0.02%, is water.^[1] Cherry Creek flows through Parker on its way north toward Denver.^[30]

This climate type is usually found in the outskirts of true deserts in low-latitude, semi-arid regions. It has cooler, wetter weather resulting from the higher latitude and mid-latitude frontal cyclone activity. Annual precipitation totals are greater than in tropical and subtropical desert climates. Yearly variations in amount are not as extreme as in the true deserts but are nevertheless large. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "BSk". (mid latitude Steppe Climate).

As of the American Community Survey of 2022, there were 61,222 people, 20,083 households, and 6,525 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,619.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,011.5/km²). There were housing units at an average density of 897.8 per square mile (346.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 84.4% White, 4.9% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.88% from other races, 1.01% Black, and 6.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.1% of the population.

There were 20,083 households, out of which 45.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples living together, 18.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of people living alone, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the town, the age of the population is trending older, with 28.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $120,075, and the median income for a family was $136,520. Males had a median income of $93,090 versus $63,008 for females. The per capita income for the town was $48,857. About 1.8% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2010 census, there were 45297 people, _ households, and _ families residing in the town.

As of the 2000 census, there were 23,558 people, 7,929 households, and 6,525 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,615.2 people per square mile (623.4/km²). There were 8,352 housing units at an average density of 572.6 per square mile (221.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.60% White, 1.71% Asian, 1.01% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.88% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.80% of the population.

There were 7,929 households out of which 52.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.8% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 13.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the town the population was spread out with 34.0% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 43.4% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 2.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $74,116, and the median income for a family was $77,384. Males had a median income of $52,070 versus $35,700 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,479. About 1.7% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.

Parker is served by Douglas County School District. Douglas County School District has among the highest level of students in Colorado. Students have scored, on average, 12 to 19 percent above the state average.^[33] The district was rated 9th in the state in 2009.^[34] The Pine Lane Elementary School had the largest student enrollment in Parker until Mammoth Heights Elementary opened in January 2007 and took the overload.

Two of the three principal high schools in the area, Ponderosa and Chaparral High School, have a cross-town rivalry and compete annually for The Pride of Parker trophy. Legend High School opened in 2008, as Douglas County's ninth high school.

Private schools in Parker include:

• Ave Maria Catholic School (PK-8)
• Southeast Christian School (PK-8)
• Lutheran High School Parker (9–12)
• Parker Montessori Educational Institute (PK-K)
• Montessori Academy (PK-K)

For other Parker and Douglas County school information:

• Pine Lane Primary
• Frontier Valley Elementary School
• Pine Lane Intermediate
• Pine Grove Elementary School
• Mammoth Heights Elementary School
• Cherokee Trail Elementary
• Iron Horse Elementary
• Prairie Crossing Elementary
• Legacy Point Elementary
• Gold Rush Elementary
• Pioneer Elementary School
• Global Village Academy

Parker Secondary Schools:

• Sierra Middle School
• Sagewood Middle School
• Cimarron Middle School
• Legend High School
• Ponderosa High School
• Chaparral High School

Parker also has six public charter schools:

• American Academy (annual lottery)
• Challenge to Excellence Charter School (annual lottery)
• North Star Academy (annual lottery)
• Parker Core Knowledge Charter School (students selected through a wait list; application at birth strongly recommended in order to gain entry for kindergarten)
• Leman Academy of Excellence (K-8)
• Parker Performing Arts School (K-8)

College classes:

• The University Center at Chaparral
• Arapahoe Community College (Parker campus)
• University of Colorado South Denver Campus (Located at the old Wildlife Experience on Lincoln Ave.)

Post-Secondary Education:

• Rocky Vista University - College of Osteopathic Medicine

AdventHealth Parker is the only hospital.^[35]

The Town maintains 10 trails with over 27 miles of concrete paved, multi-use trails, over 6 miles of natural surface equestrian trails and a 1.8-mile natural surface, multi-use loop trail. The Cherry Creek Trail runs along Cherry Creek, north and south through Parker. Bicycling, hiking, nature walks, and cross-country skiing are all popular uses.

The Rueter–Hess Reservoir is located west of town and is not yet open for recreational use of the water as of 2021, although trails around the reservoir are open. Planned activities there include fishing, hiking, and non-motorized boating.^[36] No natural streams flow into the reservoir, instead, water rights owned by the Parker Water and Sanitation District provide water delivered via Cherry Creek and local canals. If filled to capacity, the surface size would be 1,140 acres.

The Parker Recreation Center is located alongside Lincoln Avenue and has several amenities such as gyms, swimming pools, fitness and cycling studios, sports and fitness classes, and more.

The Parker Field House offers 100,000 square feet (9,300 m²) of space, including sports turf, batting cages, gymnasiums, inline rink with Sport Court flooring, and climbing.

The Parker Racquet Club opened in 2019 and offers six indoor courts to tennis and pickleball enthusiasts. Phase 2, opening in 2023, adds one of the first paddle courts in Colorado, and additional outdoor tennis courts and pickleball courts.

The town currently maintains about 250 acres of developed parkland and more than 900 acres of open space.^[37]

Parker is home to the Parker Arts, Culture, & Events Center (PACE). It is a venue that hosts art exhibits, art classes, theater productions, and concerts. It is the official home of the Parker Symphony Orchestra, a community orchestra established in 1994, that offers a full season of orchestra concerts annually. The Parker Symphony was formerly the South Suburban Community Orchestra.

Parker is also home to Colorado School of Dance, which partners with PACE each December to produce the "Nutcracker of Parker." The annual ballet has been a Parker tradition since 2003.

Parker currently has one local magazine and one local paper. Search Parker Magazine is the local magazine and the Parker Chronicle is the local paper. Parker also receives the county-wide channel, Douglas County 8, which broadcasts school sports events and assorted programs run by residents.^[38]

Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Parker include:

• Josh Adams (born 1993), basketball point guard^[39]
• George Brauchler - attorney, former district attorney for Colorado's 18th Judicial District^[40]
• Bobby Dalbec (born 1995), baseball player^[41]
• Hayden Dalton (born 1996), basketball player for Hapoel Holon of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
• Kellen Damico (born 1989), tennis player^[42]
• Scott Elrod (born 1975), actor^[43]
• John Grant (born 1968), singer-songwriter^[44]
• Milan Hejduk (born 1976), former ice hockey player for Colorado Avalanche. Won Stanley Cup in 2001.
• Michael "Ffish" Hemschoot (born 1973), animator, film director^[45]
• Hal Koerner (born 1976), distance runner^[46]
• John C. Malone (born 1941), billionaire media magnate^[47]
• Chris Martinez (born 1970), soccer defender^[48]
• Bob McCord (1934–2016), ice hockey player
• Chad Muma, football player^[49]
• Dana Perino (born 1972), White House Press Secretary (2007-2009)^[50]
• Scott Petersen (born 1970), golfer^[51]
• Mark Scheffel (born 1959), Colorado state legislator^[52]
• Cal Turner Jr. (born 1940), billionaire retail executive^[53]
• Derrick White (born 1994), basketball player for the Boston Celtics, 2024 NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist^[54]

• List of municipalities in Colorado

• McLaughlin, Frank B. (1998). A Guidebook to Historic Sites in the Parker Area: What They Look Like, what They Looked Like, how to Find Them, Their History. Parker Area Historical Society.
• Miller, Ruth L. (2005). Parker, Colorado: An Historical Narrative. Parker Area Historical Society.
• Whelchel, Sandy (1996). A Folk History of Parker and Hilltop. Parker Distributing/Paintbrush Press. ISBN 978-1-878406-08-8.
• Whiteley, Lee (1999). The Cherokee Trail: Bent's Old Fort to Fort Bridger. Johnson Printing. ISBN 978-0-9671351-1-3.

• Town of Parker website
• Parker Area Chamber of Commerce
• Parker Area Historical Society

Littleton, Colorado
Home rule municipality[1]
Downtown Littleton, 2015.
Location of the City of Littleton in Arapahoe,
Littleton Location of the City of Littleton in the United States.
Coordinates: 39°36′48″N 105°1′0″W / 39.61333°N 105.01667°W / 39.61333; -105.01667
Country	United States
State	Colorado
Counties[2]	Arapahoe County
City[1]	Littleton
Settled	1862
Incorporated	March 13, 1890[4]
Named after	Richard Little
Government
• Type	Council–manager government
• Mayor	Kyle Schlachter [5]
Area [6]
• Total	35.63 km2 (13.76 sq mi)
• Land	32.69 km2 (12.62 sq mi)
• Water	2.93 km2 (1.13 sq mi)
Elevation [7]	1,645 m (5,397 ft)
Population  (2020)
• Total	45,652[3]
• Density	1,281.92/km2 (3,320.15/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
ZIP codes[8]	80120-80130, 80160-80163 (PO Boxes), 80165, 80166
Area codes	Both 303 and 720
FIPS code	08-45255
GNIS feature ID	2410845[7]
Highways	US 85, SH 75, SH 88, SH 470
Website	littletonco.gov/

Littleton is a home rule municipality city located in Arapahoe county, Colorado, United States. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area.^[10][11] The city population was 45,652 at the 2020 United States census, ranking as the 20th most populous municipality in Colorado.

The city of Littleton's history dates back to the 1859 Pike's Peak gold rush, which brought not just gold seekers, but merchants and farmers to the community. Richard Sullivan Little was an engineer from New Hampshire who came West to work on irrigation systems. Little soon decided to settle in the area at present day Littleton and brought his wife Angeline from the East in 1862. The Littles and neighbors built the Rough and Ready Flour Mill in 1867, which provided a solid economic base in the community. By 1890, the community had grown to 245 people and the residents voted to incorporate the Town of Littleton.^[12]

Littleton grew significantly throughout the 1950s and 1960s due to its proximity to Denver and to the Martin Marietta facilities, which produced the Titan rocket and other aerospace products. Littleton is today fully engulfed in metropolitan Denver.

Littleton became widely known in 1999 when the Columbine High School massacre occurred, where two of the school's students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered 12 students and one teacher, injured 23 others and then killed themselves.^[13] News media wrongly reported that the incident happened in the city, because the school's ZIP code is primarily associated with Littleton.^[14] The school is located in adjacent Columbine, an unincorporated community, which is not a place name accepted by the U.S. Postal Service;^[14] by default, locations in ZIP code 80123 use "Littleton" in their mailing addresses.^[15] Columbine High School is in the Jefferson County school system and is not one of the Littleton Public Schools.^[16][17]

Littleton is located in central Colorado north of the junction of U.S. Route 85 and Colorado State Highway 470; the city is 9 miles (14 km) south of downtown Denver and 55 miles (89 km) north of Colorado Springs.^[18][19]

Littleton lies on the South Platte River in the Colorado Piedmont region of the Great Plains a few miles east of the Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains.^[18][20][21] Most of the city lies on the east side of the river. Several small tributaries of the river flow northwest through the city; from north to south, these include Big Dry Creek, Slaughterhouse Gulch, Lee Gulch, and Dad Clark Gulch. In addition, several small lakes and reservoirs are located along the river in the southwestern part of the city. Immediately west of the river are Cooley Lake, Bufflehead Lake, South Platte Reservoir, Eaglewatch Lake, Redtail Lake, and Blackrock Lake. Wolhurst Lake and McLellen Reservoir are east of the river, fed and drained by Dad Clark Gulch. Chatfield Reservoir lies immediately southwest of the city.^[18]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.87 square miles (35.9 km²) of which 12.98 square miles (33.6 km²) is land and 0.89 square miles (2.3 km²) (6.4%) is water.^[22]

As a suburb of Denver, Littleton is part of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area and the Front Range Urban Corridor.^[23] It shares a border with Denver and Englewood on the north, Greenwood Village on the northeast, Centennial on the east, Highlands Ranch on the south, Columbine and Columbine Valley on the west, and Bow Mar on the northwest.^[22]

Unlike most county seats of suburban counties, Littleton is on the same house numbering grid, including its downtown, as the major city, in this case, Denver.

As of the 2020 census, there were 45,652 people and 20,300 households residing in the city. The population density was 3,215.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,241.5/km²). There were 21,476 housing units, of which 1,272 were vacant. In 2023 the racial makeup of the city was 83.1% White, 2.9% Asian, 1.6% African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 7.8% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 12.6% of the population. 10.3% of residents spoke a language other than English at home; 7.0% of the city's population spoke Spanish.^[27]

There were 20,300 households, out of which 18.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 20.6% had a male householder with no spouse, and 27.5% had a female householder with no spouse. The average household size was 2.19.^[27]

As of 2023 the distribution of the population by age was 18.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.^[27]

The median income for a household in the city was $96,611, and the median income for a family was $130,080. Males had a median income of $52,674 versus $40,297 for females. The city's per capita income was $126,140. About 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.^[27]

As of 2023, 68.0% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. The occupational composition of the employed civilian labor force was: 54.2% in management, business, science, and arts; 17.3% in sales and office occupations; 12.6% in service occupations; 9.3% in production, transportation, and material moving; and 6.7% 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 (20.3%); professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (16.0%); and finance and insurance, and real estate and rental leasing (9.5%).^[27]

The cost of living in Littleton is average; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the community is 102.7.^[28] As of 2023, the median home value in the city was $596,700, the median selected monthly owner cost was $2,320 for housing units with a mortgage and $732 for those without, and the median gross rent was $1,731.^[27]

The city's housing stock is primarily made up of either detached single-family or apartment buildings.^[29] In 2025, there was a proposal to permit so-called "missing middle" housing (duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes) in neighborhoods that were exclusively zoned for single-family homes, but six council members voted against it while Mayor Pro Tem Stephen Barr cast the lone vote in favor of the proposal.^[29]

Littleton is a home-rule municipality with a council-manager form of government. The city council makes policy for the city and approves the annual city budget. The city manager implements the council's policies and oversees day-to-day administration of the city government and its departments.^[30]

As the county seat, Littleton is the administrative center of Arapahoe County. The county government's main Administration Building is located in Littleton, and most county government departments base their operations in the city.^[31]

Littleton lies mostly within Colorado's 6th U.S. Congressional District, but changes made to Colorado's congressional districts in 2012 put the extreme southwestern portion of the city into Colorado's 1st congressional district.^[32] For the purposes of representation in the Colorado General Assembly, the city is located in the 26th and 30th districts of the Colorado Senate and the 3rd, 38th, and 43rd districts of the Colorado House of Representatives.^[33]

The council consists of seven members - one member for each of the four legislative districts, two at-large members, and the mayor.^[34] Beginning in 2021, all council members are elected to 4-year terms. General elections for city council are held in odd-numbered years with either three or four council seats up for election. In 2021, Littleton voters elected the first popularly-elected mayor to a four-year term.

*Joel Zink was appointed to fill the vacancy created when Council Member Gretchen Rydin stepped down following her election to the Colorado State Legislature. The term expires in November 2025.

The place name "Littleton" was assigned to eleven ZIP codes which cover a vast area west, east, and south of the city much larger than the city itself. This area includes the following unincorporated communities:

• Acres Green, Colorado
• Carriage Club, Colorado (since incorporated as a neighborhood of Lone Tree)
• Columbine, Colorado
• Heritage Hills, Colorado
• Highlands Ranch, Colorado ("Highlands Ranch" is also acceptable in place of "Littleton" in mailing addresses)
• Ken Caryl, Colorado
• Roxborough Park, Colorado

In addition, an extreme southwest portion of Denver, the Marston neighborhood, is located in a ZIP code (80123) with "Littleton" as the preferred place name for use in mailing addresses, though "Denver" is also acceptable. The Federal Correctional Institution, Englewood, also located in this ZIP code, is neither in Littleton^[35] nor Englewood, but in unincorporated Jefferson County.^[36]

The majority of the portion in Arapahoe County is in Littleton Public Schools. Small portions are in the Sheridan School District 2 and Englewood School District 1.^[37]

The small portion of Littleton in Jefferson County is within Jeffco Public Schools.^[38] The small portion of Littleton in Douglas County is within Douglas County School District RE-1.^[39]

• Arapahoe Community College
• Denver Seminary

The Colorado Center for the Blind, a skills training program for blind teenagers and adults operated by the National Federation of the Blind, is located in Littleton.

Four highways run through the city of Littleton:

• US 85 (South Santa Fe Drive) is the longest highway within the municipality. It runs from the city's northern border with Englewood to the city's southern border with Highlands Ranch.
• State Highway 75 (South Platte Canyon Road) begins in Littleton at an intersection with West Bowles Avenue before continuing south into Columbine Valley. Later on it runs along the western border of Littleton with Columbine.
• State Highway 88 (East Belleview Avenue) runs near the northern edge of the city. The highway both enters and exits Littleton through Englewood.
• State Highway 470 runs along the southern edge of the city. It enters east from Highlands Ranch before going west to Columbine.

The Regional Transportation District provides bus and light rail service to Littleton. Light rail service to the city began on July 14, 2000, on the C and D Lines, however C Line operation ended on January 10, 2021. There are two light rail stations within the city, Littleton-Downtown station located within downtown Littleton and Littleton-Mineral station located near the Aspen Grove shopping center, which serves as the southern terminus of the D Line.

• Town Hall Arts Center
• The Depot Art Gallery and Littleton Fine Arts Guild
• Littleton Symphony Orchestra
• Voices West (fka Littleton Chorale)
• Littleton Museum
• SpaceX Falcon 9 booster^[41]

Western Welcome Week
Since the late 1920s, Littleton has celebrated Western Welcome Week - an annual community celebration in the greater Littleton area. Western Welcome Week started in the late 1920s, and has been held every year since. Western Welcome Week includes over 40 events benefiting dozens of local civic and charitable organizations.^[42]

Candlelight Walk
The Candlelight Walk is a Littleton tradition, featuring an evening of holiday festivities, culminating in the illumination of the trees on Main Street.^[43]

The Littleton Twilight Criterium occurs in the late summer in Historic Downtown Littleton on a 0.8-mile course. The event features famous athletes, concerts, and a cruiser ride for the general public.^[44]

The only hospital is AdventHealth Littleton.^[45]

• Hudson Gardens
• Town Hall Arts Center, providing professional theater to the surrounding metro area.
• The Littleton Museum
• Gravesite of Alfred (Alferd) Packer