Photo: Lee Coursey · CC BY 2.0Living in Boulder, CO: what to set up and who to call
Boulder has its own drop-off, Western Disposal, on 5880 Butte Mill Road. Xfinity and Ayva Networks both wire most of Boulder; 40% of addresses can get fiber.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Boulder, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Boulder.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Public Service Co. of Colorado), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Boulder. Its homes paid an average of 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $93 a month (its average across Colorado).
Start or move service: xcelenergy.com · (800) 895-4999
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from City of Boulder water system
The City of Boulder water system supplies almost all of Boulder. It draws surface water and serves 166,080 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 86% of the 332 systems serving 100,001–250,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 2.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 64% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. CO0107152.
9 home internet providers serve Boulder
100% of 24,323 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 40% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable, Fiber | 98% | 2,000/250 |
| Ayva Networks | Fixed wireless, Fiber | 98% | 2,500/2,500 |
| CenturyLink | DSL, Fiber | 51% | 940/940 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | 46% | 2,000/1,000 |
| LiveWireNet | Fixed wireless | 95% | 250/100 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 60% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash and recycling in Boulder
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Boulder, from the town’s own site.
Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder CHaRM: Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials
We couldn’t find its opening hours.
Accepted at the curb
- Paper and cardboard
- Plastic bottles, tubs, jugs and jars
- Plastic takeout containers, clamshells and lids
- Cartons
- Metal cans, lids and foil
- Glass bottles and jars
From bouldercolorado.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026; pages dated 2026-09-28T12:00:00Z. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Boulder (98%) is in Boulder Valley School District RE-2; parts are in St. Vrain Valley School District RE 1J (2%).
ASchool gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Boulder spans 6 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Boulder residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Boulder | ZIP’s residents in Boulder |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80304 | Boulder, CO | 24% | 96% |
| 80302 | Boulder, CO | 20% | 80% |
| 80303 | Boulder, CO | 19% | 83% |
| 80305 | Boulder, CO | 16% | 98% |
| 80301 | Boulder, CO | 13% | 52% |
| 80310 | Boulder, CO | 8% | 100% |
80306, 80307, 80308, 80309, 80314 are P.O. box or single-organization ZIPs with no homes.
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Boulder
Who supplies Boulder’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Boulder water system (EPA ID CO0107152). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 86% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 2.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Boulder?
Xcel Energy (Public Service Co. of Colorado), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 15.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Boulder?
Xfinity, Ayva Networks, CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber, LiveWireNet, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Boulder?
80304 (24%), 80302 (20%), 80303 (19%), 80305 (16%), 80301 (13%), 80310 (8%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Boulder in?
Boulder Valley School District RE-2. Parts of the city are in St. Vrain Valley School District RE 1J.
How do I register to vote in Boulder?
In Colorado you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 8 days before). Elections here are run by the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder, Elections Division. Check your registration at sos.state.co.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: Boulder’s own website (bouldercolorado.gov), read Oct 21, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.