| Thornton is a home rule municipality in Adams and Weld counties in Colorado, located in the northeast quadrant of the Denver Metro Area. Thornton is 10 miles north/northeast of downtown Denver. The city's growing population was at 118,772 on April 1, 2010, The city has a total area of 27.2 square miles.
Thornton has 81 city parks and nearly 2,000 acres of parks and open space. There are over 80 miles of trails throughout the city. Recreational facilities include the Margaret Carpenter Recreation Center and the Thornton Community Center. Golf courses include the Thorncreek Golf Course and Todd Creek Golf.
Thornton has several shopping areas, such as Larkridge Mall, Thornton Town Center, and Thorncreek Crossing Shopping Center. Larkridge is home to national anchor tenants, big box retailers, and restaurants, and has a pedestrian village. Larkridge is anchored by Colorado's first Sears Grand store, Dick's Sporting Goods, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and PetsMart. DaveCo Liquor Store is the largest liquor store in the world.
Due to growth and technological advances, much has changed in the city of Thornton over the last 50 years. However, one thing hasn’t changed, Thornton’s commitment to planning for the future. Construction on FasTracks, will bring alternative modes of transportation for Thornton commuters in the form of commuter rail. Many improvements are also being made to I-25.
As part of the program to expand the recreational opportunities within Thornton, the city will continue its program to acquire future park and open space sites, build new bike tails, connect existing bike trails, and develop parks. |
