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C−History
History · Northglenn

Northglenn dates to 1959, and 3 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 18% of U.S. towns · #99 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it

Most of Northglenn was built recently: 0.1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1974. 3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 20 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1940 on, and the census since 1970.

1959founded
3on the National Register
0.1%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Northglenn’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Northglenn began

When was Northglenn founded?

1959

Northglenn dates its founding to 1959 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1970.

First census: 27,785 in 19702020 census: 38,13167 years

How historic is Northglenn?

C−

More historic than 18% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia.
History grade

What drives Northglenn’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Northglenn is more historic than 18% of U.S. towns, #99 of 159 in Colorado. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Northglenn’s overall grade.
Founding era1959, from Wikipedia: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19400.1% of homes (±0.1) · typical CO town 2.5% · U.S. 8.4%DNational Register3 listings, 22 historic buildings, 5.8 per 10,000 residents · typical CO town 1.1 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 18%
NewerOlder
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)Ahead of 38%

Few Colorado towns list much on the Register (a typical Colorado town has 1.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Northglenn’s 5.8 sits near the middle of its state (64% of Colorado towns have fewer) while its 22 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C. The pre-1940 share (±0.1 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1959.

Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Northglenn’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.A historic districtThe Deza Estates takes in 20 historic buildings.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Northglenn’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Northglenn’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewCOLORADO--SOUTH PARK: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

3 listings protect 22 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
3
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
22
each building in a district counts
first listed
1998
Thede Farmhouse
Thede FarmhouseDeza Estates
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne1
Thede FarmhouseQueen Anne
St. Stephen's Lutheran ChurchBuilt 1964
All 3 listings
Deza EstatesDistrict · listed 2023

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story so far

Northglenn, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Northglenn yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

The City of Northglenn is a home rule municipality located in Adams and Weld counties, Colorado, United States. Northglenn is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census the city's population was 38,131. It was built as a master planned community in 1959 by Jordon Perlmutter. The city is directly connected to Downtown Denver via the Regional Transportation District N Line at the Northglenn/112th station.

Northglenn was established in 1959. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 35,789 to 38,131 (+7%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

Timeline

Northglenn, 1940 to 1972

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 20th century
  2. 1940On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 1959
    FoundingNorthglenn is established
  4. 1964BuiltSt. Stephen's Lutheran Church is built
  5. 1970Born hereBrian Turk is born here
  6. 1972In the archiveCOLORADO--SOUTH PARK
By decade

Northglenn, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1970s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1970s1 item
COLORADO--SOUTH PARK1972COLORADO--SOUTH PARK
1980s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today11 recent
Palmer Ln - Deza Estates2026Palmer Ln - Deza EstatesNorthglenn High School school signage2021Northglenn High School school signageNorthglenn High School outdoor area with students at lunch2021Northglenn High School outdoor area with students at …St. Stephen's Lutheran Church2019St. Stephen's Lutheran ChurchExpress Lane & variable-message signs, NB I-252016Express Lane & variable-message signs, NB I-25112th - Northglenn station construction, 16-10-132016112th - Northglenn station construction, 16-10-13North Metro Rail - N Line construction at 120th2015North Metro Rail - N Line construction at 120thColorado2015ColoradoColorado2015ColoradoNorthglenn, Colorado2014Northglenn, ColoradoPark N Ride in2011Park N Ride in
On the map

Northglenn on the map, 1940 to 1980

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Northglenn. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Northglenn on the 1940 USGS mapNorthglenn on the 1957 USGS mapNorthglenn on the 1965 USGS mapNorthglenn on the 1971 USGS mapNorthglenn on the 1980 USGS map1940Eastlake sheet · 1:31,680

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Northglenn.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

COLORADO--SOUTH PARK
Retake this viewCOLORADO--SOUTH PARK, 1972

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Northglenn’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Northglenn, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,000198020002020Peak: 38,131

Between 27,195 and 38,131 people in every census since 1970.

6 censuses, 1970–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Northglenn’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Old corners and places now gone

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
HillcrestWestview
Gone or out of use
Brannan Sand and Gravel Company Pitmine

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Thornton1 historic placeDWestminster6 historic placesCBroomfield1 historic placeC−

Questions about Northglenn’s history

What year was Northglenn founded?

In 1959, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1970 counted 27,785 people here.

How does Northglenn rank for history?

Northglenn is more historic than 18% of U.S. towns, #99 of 159 in Colorado. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Northglenn?

Three places: the Thede Farmhouse (listed 1998), the St. Stephen's Lutheran Church (2019) and the Deza Estates (2023).

How old are the homes in Northglenn?

0.1% of Northglenn’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 2.5% for a Colorado town; the median home was built in 1974.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.