A Neighborhood with a Natural Address
The Landing at Standley Lake is one of those Arvada neighborhoods whose identity is tied closely to its setting. Located in northwestern Arvada near Standley Lake, the community is known for quiet residential streets, mature landscaping, neighborhood greenbelts, and easy access to trails and open space. Its name is fitting: “The Landing” suggests a welcoming place to settle, while “Standley Lake” points to the landmark that has shaped this corner of Jefferson County for more than a century.
Although the homes in The Landing are relatively modern, the land around them carries a much older story. Before suburban streets reached the area, this was a broad landscape of prairie, farms, irrigation ditches, reservoirs, and working ranches. The neighborhood’s history is therefore best understood as part of the larger transformation of western Arvada—from agricultural country to a connected suburban community that still preserves strong ties to the landscape.
Before the Houses: Farms, Ditches, and Open Prairie
The Standley Lake basin was part of the agricultural belt north and west of Denver. Early settlers depended on irrigation to make the dry plains productive, and several ditches carried water from Clear Creek and nearby watersheds to fields planted with crops such as wheat and barley.
One important early figure was John S. Kinnear, who filed a homestead claim in the area around 1870 and constructed the Kinnear Ditch to bring water from Coal Creek. By the 1890s, the Kinnear Reservoir was associated with Thomas P. Croke, another major figure in Colorado’s early irrigation history. The network of ditches and reservoirs remains one of the region’s most important historic features, even where modern neighborhoods now occupy former farmland. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standley_Lake?utm_source=openai))
The area that became Standley Lake was once identified on maps by names such as Jones Lake. That changed in the early twentieth century, when irrigation leaders began planning a much larger reservoir to support farms across the northern Denver region.
How Standley Lake Got Its Name
Standley Lake takes its name from Joseph A. Standley, who helped organize the Farmers Reservoir and Irrigation Company, commonly known as FRICO. In 1902, Standley joined Thomas Croke and Milton Smith in creating the company, which sought to build a system of reservoirs, canals, and laterals capable of supplying water to a rapidly developing agricultural district. ([westminsterco.gov](https://www.westminsterco.gov/285/Standley-Lake-History?utm_source=openai))
Construction of the reservoir began in 1908. It was an enormous undertaking for its time, involving steam shovels, draglines, rail cars, and a temporary construction camp near the dam. Work paused during a financial crisis in 1910, but construction resumed after new financing was arranged. The dam was completed in 1911, and the reservoir quickly became a central piece of the region’s irrigation system. ([westminsterco.gov](https://www.westminsterco.gov/285/Standley-Lake-History?utm_source=openai))
The original project was not without difficulty. The dam later failed in 1917, and repairs continued for several years. Despite those setbacks, Standley Lake remained a vital water resource. Its story reflects the determination—and occasional overreach—of the early irrigation companies that helped turn the Front Range plains into productive farmland.
From Water Supply to Regional Landmark
Standley Lake’s role expanded in the middle of the twentieth century. As Westminster and surrounding communities grew, the reservoir became increasingly important as a municipal water source. In 1963, Westminster reached an agreement allowing the city to store water in Standley Lake, and the dam was enlarged to increase storage capacity. That agreement helped provide the water foundation for suburban growth in the decades that followed. ([westminsterco.gov](https://www.westminsterco.gov/285/Standley-Lake-History?utm_source=openai))
The lake also became a focus of regional debate. Westminster, Arvada, Broomfield, and other nearby communities negotiated—and sometimes fought—over annexation, development, utility service, and water rights. These disputes helped shape the modern boundaries of the northwest metro area. For residents of The Landing, the result is a neighborhood positioned near several communities but firmly connected to Arvada through local roads, schools, parks, and public services.
By the 1970s and 1980s, the lake’s recreational value was receiving more attention. Westminster eventually developed Standley Lake Regional Park, which today includes trails, wildlife habitat, picnic areas, camping, fishing, boating, and broad views across the water. The park’s boundaries include West 100th Avenue, 86th Parkway, Independence Street, Kipling Street, and Alkire Street, placing The Landing close to one of the metro area’s most recognizable open-space destinations. ([westminsterco.gov](https://www.westminsterco.gov/285/Standley-Lake-History?utm_source=openai))
The Arrival of The Landing
The Landing at Standley Lake emerged during the major wave of suburban development that changed west and northwest Arvada in the late twentieth century. Housing directories commonly describe the neighborhood as a community of approximately 559 detached single-family homes built between 1987 and 1995. ([activerain.com](https://activerain.com/blogsview/3708029/arvada-co-neighborhood–the-landing-at-standley-lake?utm_source=openai))
Those years were a period of rapid growth throughout Arvada. New subdivisions filled in former agricultural parcels, while roads such as Indiana Street, Kipling Street, 88th Avenue, and 96th Avenue connected residents to schools, shopping, employment centers, and neighboring Westminster. The Landing was designed with the feel of a traditional family neighborhood: winding residential streets, pockets of greenery, sidewalks, and a close relationship to the surrounding lake and trail system.
The name appears to be a community branding choice rather than a reference to an older settlement. Still, it captures the neighborhood’s character well. “The Landing” conveys arrival and belonging, while the Standley Lake name gives the community a strong geographic anchor. Even residents who do not live directly on the water experience the lake as part of their daily landscape.
Streets, Parks, and Community Landmarks
The Landing’s identity is built less around one historic building than around a collection of familiar local places. Streets within and near the neighborhood lead toward Standley Lake, open-space corridors, and adjoining Arvada communities. Nearby Hills at Standley Lake Park, at 8412 Alkire Street, includes a community garden and multipurpose grass field, offering a modern example of how public amenities continue to grow around the lake area. ([arvadaco.gov](https://www.arvadaco.gov/1039/Park-Inventory-and-Amenities?utm_source=openai))
The Standley Lake Library, located near Kipling Street, is another important community institution. In November 2024, Arvada and Jefferson County Public Library opened the Standley Lake Library Trailhead, improving connections to the Rocky Mountain Greenway and nearby public trails. Interpretive displays at the trailhead highlight Arvada’s water history, making the site both a recreation point and a small outdoor classroom. ([arvadaco.gov](https://www.arvadaco.gov/562/Standley-Lake-Library-Trailhead-Project?utm_source=openai))
For many longtime residents, however, the most meaningful landmarks are simpler: a familiar greenbelt, a favorite walking route, a playground where children once played, or the first view of the lake at sunset. These everyday places create the emotional history of The Landing.
A Neighborhood That Continues to Evolve
The Landing has matured gracefully. Trees have grown tall, landscaping has filled in, and the original homes have taken on the comfortable patina of an established neighborhood. Families who moved in during the late 1980s and early 1990s have often stayed for decades, while newer residents have brought fresh energy and different connections to the community.
At the same time, the broader area continues to change. Trail improvements, updated parks, library programs, and regional open-space planning have strengthened the connection between Arvada neighborhoods and Standley Lake. The former agricultural landscape has not disappeared entirely; it survives in the irrigation canals, cottonwood-lined drainage corridors, broad skies, and protected open spaces that frame the neighborhood.
That balance is what makes The Landing at Standley Lake special. It is a suburban community, but not one separated from its past. Beneath the sidewalks and rooftops is the story of homesteaders, ditch builders, irrigation companies, reservoir workers, farmers, and city planners. Today, residents inherit all of it—a neighborhood with a welcoming name, a remarkable water landmark, and a sense of place that feels distinctly west Arvada.