Thornton, Colorado is situated in both Adams and Weld counties. Officially, it is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Around 10 miles southwest of the city of Thornton lies the capital of the state, Denver. The United States Census Bureau recorded the population as being around 118,770 on April 1, 2010. This is a 44.2% increase from the year 2000 census, where the population was roughly 82,380. The city of Thornton is the 6th most populous city in Colorado and the 213th most heavily populated city within the country.
Until 1953, the city of Thornton was just a farmland. Sam Hoffman changed that when he purchased a plot of land around seven miles north of Denver and laid out a fully planned community. It was the first of its kind in the County of Adams, as well as the first that provided complete municipal services off a single tax levy. The name of the city was chosen to honor Former Colorado Governor Dan Thornton.
The Thornton community Association (or likewise known as TCA) was formed to be able to help guide the community through its growth. There were almost 5,500 people lived in Thornton within around 1,200 houses during the year 1955. During the year 1956 the city of Thornton was incorporated, due mostly in part to the TCA. The very first mayor of Thornton was a City Council candidate, G. Leary. Brian Thornton, is unrelated to the Governor.
Located all around Thornton are 80 parks covering 2,000 acres of land. There are also numerous running and biking trails all over the city. Combined together they stretch more than 80 miles. There are several recreational complexes in Thornton, such as the Thornton Community Center and the Margaret Carpenter Recreation Center. There are also three major golf courses in the city: Riverdale Knolls Golf Course, Thorncreek Golf Course and Heritage Todd Creek Golf Club.
There are several historic locations which are located in the nearby city of Denver, like for instance the Denver Mint, the Colorado State Capitol and the Colorado Governor's Mansion. There is also the Forney Museum of Transportation, that features a variety of antique automobiles, carriages, bicycles, and trains. Some of the other nearby attractions include Grasmer Lake and Holly Park, Park Hill Golf park and Denver Zoo. In the month of September, Thornton hosts the Harvest Fest and the Winterfest during December.