Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Jefferson County, Colorado

Arapahoe

Ghost town in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States.

Record

About Arapahoe

Arapahoe was one of the first settlements in what is now the U.S. state of Colorado. Nothing remains of the now deserted ghost town in Jefferson County, except a historical marker on the south side of 44th Avenue, between the cities of Golden and Wheat Ridge.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Arapahoe, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Arapahoe is

USGS topographic map around Arapahoe
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

11 historic USGS maps cover Arapahoe

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Arapahoe

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Colorado index.

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Arapahoe, Jefferson County, Colorado": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q4784191.
  3. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  4. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).