Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Population: 30,000
Located in Jefferson County
Back in the boom days of the mid 19th century, would-be miners made their way to Central City and Georgetown along the Old Prospect Trail. As they traveled through the area northwest of Denver they would comment about the "wheat as far as you can see along the ridge".
Today the Old Prospect Trail is West 38th Avenue, and the area northwest of old Denver is the city of Wheat Ridge. The wheat was replaced first by orchards, which supplied fruits and berries to all parts of the state. These were later taken over by truck gardens that yielded to carnation filled green houses that were supplanted by the today's subdivisions. Today perhaps ten greenhouses survive in the northwest metro area.
Part of this horticultural heritage lives on today in the annual Carnation Festival celebrating the city's anniversary each August. Initiated in 1970, this festival has become the most visible image builder for the city and annually draws thousands of visitors.
Wheat Ridge occupies approximately nine square miles of ridges and valleys in the northwest sector of the Denver Metro area. While Wheat Ridge occupies more space along I-70 than any other municipality, there are plenty of quiet neighborhoods, greenbelts and parks that contribute to the city's pleasant residential environment; and the convenient highway access makes an easy commute to downtown Denver or to the nearby mountains.
The Wheat Ridge Recreation District identified Clear Creek as a tremendous community attribute, and maintains a systems of parks and greenbelt trails along it. Wheat Ridge is completely surrounded by other communities, restricting its ability to expand outward. This directs improvements toward the existing city and enhances the charm of the established neighborhoods and small business areas.
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