Photo: Yassie · CC BY-SA 4.0Living in Golden, CO: what to set up and who to call
The closest public drop-off to Golden is Quail Street Recycling Center, 5 miles out; the town decides whether residents may use it. Centura Health-St. Anthony Hospital, 4.7 miles away, is the nearest emergency room.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Golden, 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 Golden.
Power comes from Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (Public Service Co. of Colorado), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Golden. 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 Golden water system
The City of Golden water system supplies almost all of Golden. It draws surface water and serves 38,288 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 83% of the 3,525 systems serving 10,001–50,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2023–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
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. CO0130040.
9 home internet providers serve Golden
99% of 5,642 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 32% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Cable | 99% | 2,000/250 |
| CenturyLink | DSL, Fiber | 60% | 140/20 |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber | 35% | 2,000/1,000 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 80% | 100/20 |
| LiveWireNet | Fixed wireless | 71% | 250/100 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 70% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Trash day in Golden is Monday, depending on your street
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Golden, from the town’s own site.
Your pickup week
- TrashEvery week, on your street’s day (Mon)Look up your day on cityofgolden.gov
- Bulky itemsCall to book
Accepted at the curb
- Metal cans
- Envelopes with plastic address windows
- Molded paper egg cartons
- Packing tape on boxes
- Starbucks cups
From cityofgolden.gov, cms3.revize.com, the town’s official site, checked Oct 21, 2026. 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.
Golden is in Jefferson County School District R-1.
A−School 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.
Golden spans 2 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Golden residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Golden | ZIP’s residents in Golden |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80401 | Golden, CO | 74% | 36% |
| 80403 | Golden, CO | 26% | 25% |
80402, 80419 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 Golden
Who supplies Golden’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The City of Golden water system (EPA ID CO0130040). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 83% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jan 2023–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Golden?
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 Golden?
Xfinity, CenturyLink, Quantum Fiber, T-Mobile, LiveWireNet, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Golden?
80401 (74%), 80403 (26%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Golden in?
Jefferson County School District R-1.
How do I register to vote in Golden?
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 Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder. 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: Golden’s own website (cityofgolden.gov, cms3.revize.com), 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.