LIFESTYLE

NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS

EXISTING LAND USE

Industrial/
Other
Commercial +
Public 57 acres
Mixed Use
71 acres 4%
45 acres
5%
3%

Weighted Access Score %

Accessible
6-14
15-25
26-35

Parks/OSMP
272 acres

36-45
46-56

18%
70%

Residential
1,057 acres

57-69
70-86

ALL ABOUT

NORTH
BOULDER
SIDEWALK GAPS

15% of missing sidwalk links

PARKS & OPEN SPACE

North Boulder is an eclectic area with a variety of housing

types, lot sizes, and street patterns reflecting different eras.
Recent development in North Boulder has followed a
neotraditional development style with a fine-grained street
pattern and with business districts located within walking
distance of residential areas. The areas primary main street
commercial district is located along North Broadway. North
Boulder has good access to open space and trails, and two
greenways run east-west through the area, connecting to
elementary and middle schools.

12
1

parks

5% (city average)
trailheads

community center

SCHOOLS

Public
Crest View Elementary
Centennial Middle
Tara Performing Arts High

Private
Shining Mountain Waldorf
K-12
Harrow Montessori
Elementary

GETTING AROUND
BIKE LANES & TRAILS

26 miles

TRANSIT

69%

of subcommunity within
1/4 mile of transit

NATURE
WATER FEATURES

Wetlands
1.93% of area
35.65
Fourmile Canyon Creek
Wonderland Lake

203.81 miles in Boulder Valley

22%

of subcommunity within
1/4 mile of a trailhead

Wonderland Creek

100 Year Floodplains

13.16% of area
243.29 acres

ALL ABOUT

NORTH
BOULDER

EXISTING LAND USE

PEOPLE & HOUSING

POPULATION

12,670 (2015)
14,100 (projected capacity)

TOTAL DWELLING UNITS

6,080 (2015)
6,700 (projected capacity)

HOUSING UNIT MIX

Manufactured
583
10%
45%

43%
Single-Family
Detached 5 1 %
2,991

2 9 % Multi-Family
1,718
12%

10%
Attached
555

DENSITY (DWELLING UNITS/RESIDENTIAL ACRE)

5.96 units/acre
7.3 units/acre (city average)

AVERAGE SINGLE-FAMILY LOT SIZE

20.6%
(599)

< 5,999 sq ft.

43.1%
(1252)

6,000-10,000 sq ft.

TOTAL JOBS

4,380 (2015)
5,500 (projected capacity)

36.2%
(1052)

10,000 sq ft. >

FUTURE LAND USE

all about

North
Boulder

(BVCP 2010 Plan)

BVCP Land Use

Residential
Very Low Density Residential (VLR)

LAND USE MAP DESIGNATIONS

RESIDENTIAL
Density Residential
LR (2Low
- 6 dwelling units per ac.)

VLR Very Low Density Residential

(2 dwelling units per ac. or less)

Low Density Residential (LR)

Low density areas in the

older section of the city
consist predominantly of
single-family detached
structures.

Very Low density areas in

the older section of the
city consist predominantly
of single-family detached
structures.

Medium Density Residential (MR)

Mixed Density Residential (MXR)
High Density Residential (HR)
Manufactured Housing (MH)
Business

Density Residential
MR Medium
(6 - 14 dwelling units per ac.)
Medium density
areas are generally
situated near
community shopping
areas or along major
arterials of the city.

Community Business (CB)

Transitional Business (TB)

Industrial
Light Industrial (LI)

MXR

Mixed Use Industrial (MUI)

Dakota
Ridge Park

Mixed-Density Residential

High Density Residential

Mixed Use Business (MUB)

Mixed Use Residential (MUR)

Open Space and Mountain Park

MH

(More than 14 dwelling units per ac.)

High density areas are

generally located close
to the University of
Colorado or in areas
planned for transit.

Mixed density areas

surround the downtown
and are located in some
areas planned for new
development.

Community Industrial (CI)

Mixed Use

Dakota
Ridge

HR

(Older areas = 6 - 14 dwelling units per ac.)

(For new areas = 6 - 18 dwelling units per ac.)

Manufactured
Housing

The manufactured
housing designation
is applied to existing
mobile home parks.

BLIP II Pond

Open Space, Acquired (OS-A)

Open Space, Development Rights (OS-DR
Open Space, Other (OS-O)

Other
Agricultural (AG)
Park, Urban and Other (PK-U/

Lee Hill Dr

Public (PUB)

Holiday
Holiday
Park

Northbriar

c
Buena
Vista

BUSINESS
Mixed-Use

Mixed-Use

MUB Business

School
Library

Mixed Use-Business
development may be
deemed appropriate and
will be encouraged in some
business areas. Business or
residential character will
predominate.

Bus Stop
City Limits
Blueline (approximate

Yarmouth Av

TB

Boulder
Meadows

Foothills
Community
Park

Violet Park

Wonderla nd Cree k

Fourmile

Moores

Maxwell
Lake Park
Linden Av

Jay Rd

nC

Sundance
Elks
Park
North

26th
Street
26th St

Catalpa
Park

Carolyn
Heights

Catalpa
Park

LI

Winding
Trail
Village
Kalmia Av

Park
Side

Parkside
Iris Av

Light
Industrial

CI

0.5 Miles

Mixed- Use
Industrial
Mixed Use-Industrial
development may be
deemed appropriate
and will be
encouraged in some
industrial areas where
industrial character
will predominate.

Community
Industrial
The Community Industrial classification is shown for
those areas where the predominant uses provide a
direct service to the planning area. These uses include
smaller scale auto-related uses, small printing operations,
building contractors, building supply warehouses, small
manufacturing operations and similar uses.

OPEN SPACE AND MOUNTAIN PARKS

Open Space
Acquired

Land already acquired by the city

or Boulder County for open space
purposes.

OS-DR Open Space

Development Rights
Privately owned land with
conservation easements or other
development restrictions.

Open Space

OS-O Other

Other public and private land designated prior to 1981 that the city and county
would like to preserve through various preservation methods including but not
limited to intergovernmental agreements, dedications or acquisitions.

OTHER
PK-U/O

Park, Urban and Other

Urban and Other Parks includes public

lands used for a variety of active and
passive recreational purposes.

0.25

MUI
Light Industrial areas
are primarily research
and development, light
manufacturing, large scale
printing and publishing,
electronics or other
intensive employment uses.

OS-A

Melody
Park
Pineview
Park

MIXED-USE

ree
k

Centennial

19th St

Forest
Glen

Norwood /
Quince

Ca
ny
o

Githens
Acres

Orchard
Park

Wonderland
Hills

INDUSTRIAL

28th St

Broadway

Wonderland Lake

A Community Business
area is the focal point
for commercial activity
serving a subcommunity
or a collection of
neighborhoods.

In Mixed Use-Residential
areas, residential
character will
predominate, although
neighborhood scale retail
and personal service uses
will be allowed.

The Transitional Business

designation is usually zoned
for less intensive business
uses than in the General
Business areas, and they
often provide a transition to
residential areas.

Crestview
Crestview
Park

Community
Business

Transitional
Business

Violet Av

North
Wonderland

CB

MUR Residential

PUB Public
Public/Semi-Public land use designations
encompass a wide range of public and private
non-profit uses that provide a community
service.

AG

Agriculture

An Agriculture land use designation identifies land in the Service Area that is planned to
remain in agricultural use. Uses that are auxiliary to agriculture, such as home, a barn, and
outbuildings and the incidental sales of farm or horticultural products are expected on land
with this designation.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LEGACY OF

NORTH BOULDER & PALO PARK

The Colorado Air National Guard constructs a

$4 million facility to serve as their headquarters at
the junction of Broadway and Lee Hill Road.

1850

1949

1950

Paul and Louise Hoffman develop the Palo Park

neighborhood. They take the first two letters from
their first names to come up with Palo. 1955-

1960

1860

1875

Capt. Clinton M. Tyler builds one of the

earliest substantial houses in North Boulder.
Its located 2940 20th St. and was
constructed at a cost of $10,000.

1870

1880

1890

1901
1906

Oil is discovered on Neil McKenzies ranch,

beginning the intense, but short-lived oil
boom of Boulder. At its peak, the McKenzie
well produced 75 to 100 barrels a day.

J. P. Maxwell builds a house at 3737

Broadway. He was a member of the first
Colorado State Senate in 1876 and was also
Boulders third mayor.

1900

1956

Beech Aircraft Co. acquires 760 acres in North

Boulder to build their facility.

The Silver Lake

Ditch is developed by J.P.
Maxwell,
supplying water
to the farmers in
the area.

1970

1980

1888

1910

1930

1933

Part of the North Boulder & Palo Park

Fact Sheet, August 2015

Many properties in North Boulder were devoted

agricultural uses, including ranching and fruit and
vegetable farms. Mr. Newland, at 3011 Broadway, was
one of the first successful fruit growers known for
his large grape, apple, and strawberry crops.

City of Boulder
Open Space
purchases the
1967
227-acre Erni
property on the
Dakota Ridge
immediately
following the
first open space
sales tax
election.

1969

1920

Ted Allen, a resident of North

Boulder and world-class
horseshoe pitcher, wins his
first World Championship at
the Worlds Fair of 1933 in
Chicago. He would later go on
to win nine more World
Championships.

1960

1870s1950s

1919

The Boulder Country Club is organized. A nine-hole

golf course and Prairie Style clubhouse are constructed on the 72-acre Sale family ranch (the area presently
known as the Palo Park neighborhood).

1946

1940

K. K. Parsons acquires about 300

acres and establishes the Wineglass
Horse Ranch near 26th Street. For
the next fifty years he raises
award-winning Appaloosa horses.

The Holiday
Drive-in Theater
is relocated from
28th and Pennsylvania to North
Boulder. It
operated until
1988. Easy Rider
Lane is named
for the last film
shown at the
drive-in theater.

1990

1987

2000

2002

1999

Development of Dakota Ridge neighborhood begins,

one of the first developments in Boulder to provide
affordable housing at a large scale.

The Boulder Shelter for the Homeless is established

and opens its facility along Broadway.

2010

The Holiday Drive-in Marquee is designated as a

City of Boulder landmark.

1950
Photographs and historic facts courtesy of the Boulder Carnegie Branch Library, City
of Boulder, Denver Public Library Western History & Genealogy Department Digital
Collections, and Stephen H. Hart Library and Research Center Collections.