Woodland Park, CO

Woodland Park is a suburb of Denver located in Jefferson County. The population was 54,715 at the 2010 census. Woodland Park is bordered by Lakewood to the north, Golden to the east, Greenwood Village to the south and southwest, and Highlands Ranch to the west.

The city was founded in 1891 as a farming community on land that had been donated by George A. Hickenlooper and James F. Hickenlooper. The first post office opened in 1893 with the name " Lakewood". In 1895, it was renamed " Woodland Park" after a local park named Woodland Park which had been donated by J.D. Webster and Wm. Geddes Lawrence. The city's name was changed back to Lakewood in 1951 when Jefferson County annexed it into its boundaries.

In 1903, Charles Lathrop bought of land just outside of town for what would become his estate, Fairmount Farms (now known as Fairmount Estates). This area would eventually become one of Woodland Park's most prestigious neighborhoods and home to many prominent families including the Mellons (who built their home on what is now known as Mellon Ridge), Vanderbilts (whose estate sits atop Lookout Mountain), Rockefellers (whose estate overlooks downtown Denver), Carnegies (whose estate sits atop Red Rocks), and Kennedys (whose family owns much of Cherry Hills Village).

In recent years, Woodland Park has seen significant growth due to its proximity to downtown Denver as well as its many amenities such as parks, trails, golf courses, schools and shopping districts. Many new homes have been built in recent years along with several high-rise apartments complexes which have helped make Woodland Park one of Colorado's most popular suburbs