Lyons Railroad Depot · National Register of Historic Places
Lyons’s story
146 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1955.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1880Lyons is settled
LyonsCO
A town of 2,119, settled in 1880. 2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Colorado town.
Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,119
2025 Census estimate · −4.1% since 2020
Typical home
$747K
−0.9% in a year
Household income
$123K
median
Median age
46.4
years
Jobs based here
552
A commuter town
Is Lyons a good place to live?
Lyons’ best subject grades are an A+ for health, an A for walkability, and an A− for schools; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. 75% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Lyons, above both Colorado’s towns (44%) and U.S. towns (29%). Only 5 of Colorado’s 218 towns score lower on hazard risk. Homes are expensive, about $747K for a typical one and 7.2 times the Boulder metro’s $104K median household income. Lyons’ trail density is 4.7 miles per square mile, where Colorado’s towns sit at 1.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Lyons's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 99% of U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 12 of Colorado’s 218 towns do better. Lyons has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Lyons stand out
Where Lyons beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Lyons11.6
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical CO town5.2
Civic lifeA+
2.2 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Colorado town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD−
Inland flooding and avalanches at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Lyons for work
Where Lyons’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
552jobs based in Lyons
8%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Lyons grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Lyons is from typical.
HealthHealthier than 98% of U.S. towns; Longmont United Hospital 8 miles awayA+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listD−Open →Cost of livingDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 5.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Jobs & income$123K median household incomeB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors7 miles of trails; 16% conserved landA+Open →History5 places on the National Register; 1 notable person born hereB+Open →Civic life11.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lyons: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lyons, and how to reach them.
PowerTown of LyonsEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterTown of Lyons water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTown Of Lyons Recycling CenterMon–Sun 7 am–7 pmOpenStreetMap
Register to voteOnlineIn 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).vote.govWho runs elections hereBoulder County Clerk and Recorder, Elections DivisionBoulder County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes80540, 8050380540 99% · 80503 1%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lyons.
HealthA+
A smaller share of adults sleep under 7 hours in Lyons than in most of Colorado or the rest of the country
23% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Lyons. Among 160 Colorado towns, just 7 have a lower share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Lyons. 9.1% of adults smoke cigarettes in Lyons.
98%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Lyons | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 26% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 30% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 27% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Colorado
10 better15 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Lyons | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 2.9% | 9.2% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.5% | 11.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 7.8% |
Longmont United Hospital
8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA−
Public schools in Lyons beat 82% of Colorado districts
Its public schools are run by the St. Vrain Valley School District No. The largest public high school is Lyons Middle/Senior High School, with 344 students.
82%of CO districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyons Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 255 | A |
| Lyons Middle/Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 344 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Lyons stands out in Colorado and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
Lyons’ FEMA risk score is 95 of 100. Since 1980, 69 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lyons.
95risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingAvalanchesWildfire
69
paid flood claims since 1980
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade D
For cost of living, Lyons earns a D
The median rent in Lyons is $1,981 a month. The typical Lyons home is worth about $747,000, down 0.9% in a year, 41% above the Colorado typical home. 86% of Lyons households own their home.
$747KZillow home value
| Lyons | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,981 a month | $1,808 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 86% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Lyons$747K
Colorado$529K
−0.9%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Most of Lyons’ workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Lyons for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Lyons has added 118 jobs, to 552 in 2023. The top destinations are Boulder (24%), Longmont (13%) and Denver (9%).
8%work in town
| Lyons | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $123,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Lyons8%
Boulder24%
Longmont13%
Denver9%
Aurora2%
15 mi
median commute distance
552
jobs based in Lyons
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsA+
15.7% of Lyons is conserved land
6.6 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Bohn Park, at 32 acres with 1.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
15.7%conserved
15.7%
conserved · 138 of 881 acres
6.6 mi
of trails · 4.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bohn Park | 1.5 mi | 32 |
| 2. LaVern M. Johnson Park | 0.6 mi | 11 |
| 3. Sandstone Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Lyons has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Lyons has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 17° and about 47 inches of snow falls in a winter.
47″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–45°
Spring33–61°
Summer53–84°
Fall35–64°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearby attractions
All 74 attractions →Red Rocks Amphitheatre and 60 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lyons. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi TheatreRed Rocks Amphitheatre
13 mi National ParkRocky Mountain National Park4.2M visitors a year
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaEmpower Field at Mile High
36 mi Stadium & arenaBall Arena
35 mi Stadium & arenaCoors Field
18 mi MountainLongs PeakSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Red Rocks Amphitheatre: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rocky Mountain National Park: Charles M. Sauer -- Charlessauer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Empower Field at Mile High: Thelastcanadian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ball Arena: KM Newnham, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Coors Field: Matt Kozlowski, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Longs Peak: Photo by Scott Bauer., Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lyons
19pages on Lyons
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Lyons
Naropa UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Boulder14.4 mi$36,620 tuitionUniversity of Colorado BoulderUniversity or college · Public · Boulder14.8 mi$15,666 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Lyons residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Colorado.
Landmarks
5 places in Lyons on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Lyons
Town in Colorado, United States
Lyons is a Statutory Town in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2,209 at the 2020 United States census, up from 2,033 at the 2010 United States census. Lyons is located at the confluence of North St. Vrain Creek and South St. Vrain Creek, 20 miles (32 km) east of Rocky Mountain National Park. Due to its location at the intersection of State Highway 7 and U.S. Highway 36, both of which lead to the national park, it is sometimes referred to as "The Double Gateway to the Rockies".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1880
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,371 ft
- ZIP code
- 80540
Questions about Lyons
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lyons, CO a good place to live?
2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Colorado town.
Is Lyons, CO expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.