LoDo & Union Station
Denver, CO

Denver’s Founding Neighborhood

LoDo — Lower Downtown — is the oldest neighborhood in Denver and the original heart of the city. William Larimer staked a claim at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River in 1858, laying out the grid of streets that still defines the neighborhood. The name “LoDo” itself was coined by Denver Post columnist Dick Kreck in 1983, who borrowed Manhattan’s SoHo naming convention to help distinguish the lower portion of downtown from the rest of the city.

Union Station, originally the Denver Union Depot, opened in 1881, was the anchor of neighborhood life for nearly a century. The Beaux Arts terminal that stands today replaced the original after a fire and reopened in 1914 as a grand gateway for travelers arriving by rail. When air travel displaced the railroads in the mid-20th century, LoDo fell into decline. By the 1970s and early 1980s, the area had become one of Denver’s roughest stretches.

The turnaround began in 1988 when Denver City Council enacted the Lower Downtown Historic District ordinance, protecting 127 contributing historic structures and providing incentives for rehabilitation rather than demolition. Preservationist Dana Crawford led much of the early revitalization effort. The opening of Wynkoop Brewery by future Denver mayor and Colorado governor John Hickenlooper helped establish the template for adaptive reuse of the neighborhood’s distinctive 19th-century brick warehouses.

The opening of Coors Field in 1995 accelerated the transformation dramatically. Today, LoDo is a National Register Historic District containing some of the finest late 19th and early 20th century commercial architecture in the American West — brick warehouses with cast-iron facades, ornate Victorian commercial buildings, and Larimer Square, Denver’s oldest surviving block, carefully preserved as a vibrant pedestrian retail and dining destination.

The Center of Everything

LoDo’s defining characteristic is its centrality. Union Station serves as Denver’s primary transit hub — the A Line connecting downtown to Denver International Airport runs every 15–30 minutes, Amtrak trains serve the station, and RTD’s light rail and commuter rail lines converge here. The free 16th Street MallRide runs the length of the 16th Street pedestrian mall connecting LoDo to the Civic Center. The Highland Bridge connects directly to LoHi and the Highlands neighborhood to the northwest.

Coors Field (Colorado Rockies) and Ball Arena (Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche) bracket the neighborhood on its northeast and northwest corners respectively, making LoDo one of the only urban neighborhoods in America where residents can walk to professional sports teams in three major leagues. The South Platte River Trail provides cycling access north and south, and Confluence Park — where Cherry Creek meets the Platte — sits at the neighborhood’s western edge.

Urban Activity and the Platte River

• Union Station (transit hub + gathering place)
• Confluence Park (kayaking, paddleboarding)
• South Platte River Trail
• Commons Park (Riverfront Park)
• Larimer Square (pedestrian retail district)
• Coors Field (Colorado Rockies)
• Ball Arena (Nuggets, Avalanche)
• 16th Street Mall (pedestrian + transit)
• Highland Bridge (walk/bike to LoHi)
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• B-Cycle station network
• Denver Art Museum (nearby)

Education Near LoDo

LoDo is primarily a residential neighborhood for young professionals and empty nesters — school-age families are less common than in Denver’s suburban neighborhoods. That said, the neighborhood’s position adjacent to Auraria Campus makes it uniquely convenient for those in higher education, and Denver Public Schools serves the area for families who do live here with children.

School boundaries and enrollment options change — always verify with Denver Public Schools before purchasing.

Where LoDo Eats

LoDo and Union Station have become one of Denver’s premier dining destinations — the renovation of Union Station in particular catalyzed the arrival of acclaimed restaurants in what was already a vibrant neighborhood. The concentration of quality options per block is rivaled only by LoHi among Denver’s urban neighborhoods.

Living in LoDo

LoDo’s residential population is predominantly professionals drawn to walkability, transit access, and proximity to downtown employment. The neighborhood functions as much as a destination as a residential community — the density of entertainment, sports, arts, and dining options per square block is unmatched in the Denver metro.