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D−History
History · Silverthorne

Silverthorne was first counted by the census in 1970

More historic than 2% of U.S. towns · #154 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it

Most of Silverthorne was built recently: 0.8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1998. Below: maps from 1929 on and the census since 1970.

1970first census
0on the National Register
0.8%homes built before 1940
3famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Silverthorne began

When was Silverthorne founded?

1970

Silverthorne first appears in the census in 1970.

First census: 400 in 19702020 census: 4,40256 years

How historic is Silverthorne?

D−

More historic than 2% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: the first census.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Silverthorne’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Silverthorne is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #154 of 159 in Colorado. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Silverthorne’s overall grade.
Founding era1970, from the first census: founded 1945 or later, an older era than 2% of U.S. townsD−Homes built before 19400.8% of homes (±1.4) · typical CO town 2.5% · U.S. 8.4%DNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical CO town 1.1 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 2%
NewerOlder
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)Ahead of 3%

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 Silverthorne’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (22% of Colorado towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±1.4 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: the first census (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 Silverthorne’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Silverthorne are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Silverthorne’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Silverthorne came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Silverthorne.

Read it all →

The town was named for Judge Marshall Silverthorn who served as the judge of the Miners' court in Breckenridge. The judge first came to town as a prospector and claimed a section of the Blue River in 1881. After patenting his claim in April 1882, he was disappointed to find the gold to be sparse and the claim a poor bet. The land passed to his daughters on his death in 1887 and was then sold several times to various mining companies. In 1953 Clayton Hill bought the property and subdivided it for homes and stores.

Silverthorne served as a makeshift camp for workers during the construction of the Dillon Reservoir from 1961 to 1963, and later as a stop along Interstate 70. It was eventually incorporated on April 5, 1967.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Silverthorne, 1929 to 1999

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

  1. 20th century
  2. 1929On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 1979Born hereMike Potekhen is born here
  4. 1999Born hereChris Corning is born here
By decade

Silverthorne, decade by decade

Today24 recent
Antler-bedecked barn at the Mount Powell Ranch, near Silverthorne, Colorado2015Antler-bedecked barn at the Mount Powell Ranch, near …Handsome brown barn at the Mount Powell Ranch, near Silverthorne, Colorado2015Handsome brown barn at the Mount Powell Ranch, near S…Colorful supply of fish lures and hooks at the Cutthroat Anglers fly-fishing shop in2015Colorful supply of fish lures and hooks at the Cutthr…A farmers' produce stand, specializing in seasonal fruit, jellies, and jams, in2015A farmers' produce stand, specializing in seasonal fr…Silverthorne, CO, USA - panoramio (4)2014Silverthorne, CO, USA - panoramio (4)Transfer station in2012Transfer station inTarget in2012Target inLake Dillon Fire-Rescue Station 10 in2012Lake Dillon Fire-Rescue Station 10 inI-70 West in2012I-70 West inFresh food section at Target in2012Fresh food section at Target inSilverthorne, Colorado2011Silverthorne, ColoradoPeak I2011Peak IGore Creek Trail2011Gore Creek TrailUntitled photo2011Untitled photoSilverthorne, CO, USA - panoramio (3)2010Silverthorne, CO, USA - panoramio (3)Silverthorne, CO, USA - panoramio (2)2010Silverthorne, CO, USA - panoramio (2)090805 Pine Beetle Damage East of Silverthorn2009090805 Pine Beetle Damage East of SilverthornTarget after Xmas 0872008Target after Xmas 087SilverthorneTargetsnowfall2008SilverthorneTargetsnowfallSilverthorne, CO, USA2008Silverthorne, CO, USASilverthorne, CO, USA - panoramio - Juan Ortega2008Silverthorne, CO, USA - panoramio - Juan OrtegaBones2008BonesSilverthorne2001SilverthorneResidential Area2001Residential Area
On the map

Silverthorne on the map, 1929 to 1987

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

Silverthorne on the 1929 USGS mapSilverthorne on the 1934 USGS mapSilverthorne on the 1970 USGS mapSilverthorne on the 1987 USGS map1929Dillon sheet · 1:62,500

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

People over time

Silverthorne, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5001980200020204,402

Grew from 400 people in 1970 to 4,402 in 2020, more than tenfold.

6 censuses, 1970–2020.

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

Famous people

3 famous people were born in Silverthorne

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
C
Chris CorningAmerican snowboarder · b. 1999
M
Mike PotekhenAmerican racing driver · b. 1979
Sarah HirshlandSports executive, chief executive officer of th…
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

DillonIts storyD

Questions about Silverthorne’s history

What year was Silverthorne founded?

The Silverthorne post office opened in 1970, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

How does Silverthorne rank for history?

Silverthorne is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #154 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.

How old are the homes in Silverthorne?

0.8% of Silverthorne’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.4 points), against a typical 2.5% for a Colorado town; the median home was built in 1998.

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 (22), the Library of Congress (2), Wikipedia, 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.