The City of Wheat Ridge is a home rule municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is located immediately west of Denver and is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Center is approximately west-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. The city had a population of 32,398 as of the 2020 Census.

thumb|left|[[Clear Creek (Colorado)|Clear Creek flows through a green zone with lakes, trails and parks.]]

Wheat Ridge is located in the Colorado Piedmont on the western edge of the Great Plains just east of the Front Range of the Southern Rocky Mountains. Clear Creek, a tributary of the South Platte River, flows east then northeast through the city. Lena Gulch, a tributary of Clear Creek, flows northeast through the southwest part of the city.

As a suburb of Denver, Wheat Ridge is part of both the greater Denver metropolitan area and the Front Range Urban Corridor. It borders other communities on all sides including: Arvada to the north; Lakeside, Mountain View, and Denver to the east; Edgewater to the southeast; Lakewood to the south; Applewood to the southwest; and Fairmount to the northwest.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Wheat Ridge had a population of 32,398. The median age was 41.1 years. 16.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.3 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 14,663 households in Wheat Ridge, of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.6% were married-couple households, 23.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 13,976 households, of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18, 36.5% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.4% were non-families. 38.4% of households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12, and the average family size was 2.81. As of 2013, the median home value in the city was $237,500, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,556 for housing units with a mortgage and $406 for those without, and the median gross rent was $820. City Council adopted Ordinance 1491 in May 2011 which supports urban agriculture in Wheat Ridge. This ordinance updated the city's regulations so that community gardens (under the category of “urban gardens”), farmers’ markets, and produce stands are now allowed in any zone district.

A summary of the three uses permitted in each zone district may be found below.

  • Urban Gardens – an urban garden is defined as an area of land formally managed, organized, and maintained by an individual or group of individuals to grow and harvest food crops or non-food ornamental crops, such as flowers. Common examples of urban gardens include: • Community gardens, where plots of land are leased for a minimal cost and crops are usually consumed or donated • Market gardens, where crops are sold for profit • Community supported agriculture (CSA), where crops are sold or donated for shareholder consumption Urban gardens are allowed in all zone districts, including residential.
  • Farmers’ Markets – farmers' markets are allowed in any zone district, except in residential zone districts on properties where the primary use is a single- or two-family home. Farmers’ markets require a business license, which you may apply for through the city's Sales Tax Division.
  • Produce Stands - a produce stand is a temporary structure where agricultural products such as raw vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, plants, nuts, honey, and eggs are sold. Value-added agricultural products which are made from raw agricultural products such as jams and jellies may also be sold from produce stands. Produce stands require a business license, which you may apply for through the city's Sales Tax Division. Produce stands on residential properties must also follow the rules for home occupations.

Community development

Wheat Ridge Envision Wheat Ridge Comprehensive Plan

Following direction from the City Council, the City embarked on a Comprehensive Plan Update that began in the fall of 2008. The City hired a consultant, Clarion Associates, with the expertise in comprehensive plan development to assist the City in updating the plan. In addition, the City formed a Citizens Advisory Committee to provide advice and feedback to the Planning Commission and City Council on the development of the Plan. On October 12, 2009, City Council approved a resolution, Resolution 52–2009, adopting the Envision Wheat Ridge Comprehensive Plan.

Culture

Points of interest

Wheat Ridge is home to the James H. Baugh House, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. The Baugh House is an 1860 hand-hewn log cabin encased in a circa 1904 frame farmhouse, and one of several historic structures in the Wheat Ridge Historic Park. The Wheat Ridge Historical Society, in cooperation with the Colorado Historical Society and the City of Wheat Ridge, restored the house, which was designated on August 14, 2012.

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Wheat Ridge include actor and singer Dean Reed, Jolly Rancher founders Bill and Dorothy Harmsen, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, and U.S. Olympic cyclist Linda Brenneman.

See also

  • List of municipalities in Colorado

References

  • Wheat Ridge Historical Society