A quiet community set amid views of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Niwot is situated just off the highway between Longmont and Boulder. A quaint, cottonwood-shaded downtown features locally owned shops showcasing unique collections of jewelry and gifts, art galleries, coffee shops, award-winning restaurants and more.
While Niwot is home to just about 4,000 residents, the village hosts a variety of year-round signature events, including the popular Rocks & Rails free summer concert series at Whistlestop Park every Thursday evening during the summer. A First Friday art walk spotlights the works of local artisans and public art every month, an Oktoberfest and The Great Pumpkin Party, Parade & Petting Zoo celebrate the fall season and the Enchanted Evening & Holiday Parade usher in the holiday season. Those in town in late February can attend the Let's Wine About Winter Wine & Beer-Tasting Event.
Niwot, which means Left Hand, was named after an Arapaho Indian chief whose people hunted and fished along the Front Range when the first gold miners arrived in 1858. Niwot was platted in 1875, two years after the Colorado Central Railroad extended its tracks northeast from Boulder into town. The railroad extension played a signicant part in the community's history and development for the next 75 years. You can still admire structures built in the early 1900s in the business district on Second Avenue, designated as the Niwot National Historic District. To learn more about the history of Niwot, read local historian Anne Dyni's Niwot, Colorado: Birth of a Railroad Town — available at the local Niwot Market.
Near town is the Boulder Reservoir, a popular spot for swimming, boating, jogging, biking and bird watching. Of course, Boulder's extensive network of trails are also just miles from Niwot.