All About The Town of Parker

Parker Colorado is our hometown. We moved here from Austin, Texas in 1987. We arrived with three small children, all of whom went through the school system, from kindergarten through high school. Thirty years later, we can't imagine living anywhere else. We love Parker and we know you will, too.

The Town of Parker is a home rule municipality located in Douglas County, Colorado. Its location is about 23 miles southeast of downtown Denver, putting it at the most southeastern corner of the Denver Metro Area.  Parker CO was founded in 1864. When we moved to Parker in 1987, there weren't that many people here. For most of our major shopping, we had to go north to Aurora. In fact, the official population in 1981 (just six years earlier) was 225 residents. That's crazy when you consider the size of Parker today. Today, incorporated Parker has over 52,000 residents. When you include unincorporated areas, the population is significantly more.

Parker's elevation is 5,869 feet. Think about this is about 600 feet higher than Denver and the rest of the Front Range. And, there are many areas of Parker that sit well above 6000 feet. This elevation explains the incredible views from Parker. Our views tend to be out over the Denver Metro Area, downtown Denver, the Foothills and into the Rocky Mountains. On good days, you can see the magnificent Continental Divide, which divides America's watersheds into west and east. Few communities in Colorado can match Parker's views.

Schools

Schools are one of Parker's best assets. Parker is served by the renowned Douglas County School District.  Frankly, most of the schools in the towns that we serve are excellent.  Douglas County, Arapahoe and Cherry Creek have some of the finest schools in all of the nation. For a complete list of schools, click here.

Parks

The town has done a great job in making sure that the residents have plenty of parkland available for their pleasure. In fact, there are over 250 acres of developed parks. Additionally, 950 acres of dedicated open space can be found throughout the town. Many of the best parks were created by developers inside of specific subdivisions. The town council has done a great job making sure that all major developments are packed full of great amenities. A list of Parker's public parks can be found here. Literally everywhere you look, you'll see parks and open space for your enjoyment. This is one of the many things that Cheryl and I appreciate about Parker.

Probably the most exciting park/recreation area to ever come to Parker is the Rueter-Hess Reservoir. It is a drinking water resource for Parker which also supports water recreation, hiking, and walking trails. One unique attraction located within the Rueter-Hess Recreation area is the incline challenge trail which features 132 steps made of railroad ties. At the top of the incline is a lookout with beautiful views as well as access to longer hiking trails. For all information about Rueter-Hess Recreation, please visit this page.

Arts and Event Venues

Parker is known for it small town feel, but that doesn't mean that we don't have the big city amenities that make a community complete. We have great shopping represented by almost all of the national big box stores. Most of the national restaurant chains are here, and we have a collection of wonderful local independent restaurants as well. Our crown jewel is the Parker Arts, Culture and Events Center (PACE). The PACE center hosts art shows, theater productions, concerts, lectures, meetings, weddings and more. Its 536 seat theater is one of the premier venues in all of Colorado. Another less known gem is the Vehicle Vault. Privately owned, this facility contains one of the premier classic car collections in the nation. Another outstanding event facility is the Colorado Horse Park. It is a world class equestrian event center and is home to a number of events including top hunter/jumper, dressage, and evening competitions during the spring, summer and fall seasons. It also provides annual boarding for over 100 horses.  

Fitness and Recreation Centers

Health and fitness facilities abound here in Parker. Life Time Fitness chose Parker as their first location in Colorado.  It is an amazing place and the outdoor pool area rivals some of those found in places like Las Vegas. The town maintains two massive recreation centers. The Parker Recreation Center is over 70,000 square feet, with two gymnasiums, exercise facilities (cardio and weightlifting), leisure, lap, and therapy pools, outdoor pickleball courts, and more. The Parker Fieldhouse has over 100,000 square feet with sports turf, batting cages, gymnasium, inline rink, track, fitness rooms, and more.

Annual Events

There is always something going on that adds to Parker's appeal. Almost every weekend there are events in downtown Parker. It might be movies in the park, art shows, barbecue cook offs, or even a Farmer's Market. There are also major events like the Parker Days Festival in June, the Parker Fireworks Show on July 4th, the Downtown Fall Festival in September, and the Mayor's Holiday Lighting in November - that's just naming a few!

Medical Facilities

Local medical care is of critical importance to the residents of any community. Parker is in great shape when it comes to providing first class medical services. We have two major hospitals that serve Parker. In Parker, we have Parker Adventist Hospital. And, just a few miles west in Lone Tree is Sky Ridge Medical Center.  

We Love Parker

We could go on and on about how much we love Parker and why. There is so much more information that we could provide.  But, hopefully, we have covered enough to help you get a feel for our wonderful town and why we love to call Parker "home."

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Town Videos

Take a look at these videos of downtown parker and the surrounding areas for a better idea of everything Parker has to offer.