The charming town of Niwot is halfway between Boulder and Longmont. Actually, it’s halfway between a lot of things. Ambling into town, the wide main street and red brick storefronts give Niwot an unmistakably Old West character.
Niwot’s the kind of place where you can buy a sack of chicken feed, then stroll next door and buy a Porsche. Further up the town’s historic main street, you can stop by Niwot’s hip art galleries for the First Friday Art Walk before going to buy a saddle, bridle and other horse tack.
The town took form in 1873 as a railroad stop midway between the larger cities of Boulder and Longmont. The trains don’t stop in Niwot anymore, but the legacy of trains and farming is still apparent everywhere you look.
Niwot doesn’t have an official mayor, because technically speaking, the town is not a town at all — it’s an unincorporated part of Boulder County. But it’s status as an unofficial town has done nothing to stop it from developing a distinct town identity and town pride. Niwot takes its name from Chief Niwot, an Arapaho Indian leader who welcomed white settlers to the area in the 1859. Niwot is Arapaho for “Left Hand,” which explains why the town is in Left Hand Valley near Left Hand Canyon and Left Hand Creek.
Niwot has a population that hovers around 4,000, an average home price of $1,300,000 and is on many “Best Places to Live” lists. If you’re looking for beautiful views and a small-town feel but close to Boulder & Longmont, Niwot is definitely the place!
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