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Plan a visit

Park once, then walk it

Niwot sits off the Diagonal Highway between Boulder and Longmont. Leave the car on or near Second Avenue and everything below is within a fifteen-minute walk.

Orientation

DIAGONAL HWY 119 RAIL CORRIDOR SECOND AVENUE Old Town Cottonwood Sq. Whistle Stop Park P P P TRAIL ACCESS →

Schematic, not to scale. It shows how the pieces sit relative to one another, not exact distances or street geometry.

Get directions
Old Town, Second Avenue The historic commercial block Directions ↗
Cottonwood Square Shops, kitchens and services Directions ↗
Whistle Stop Park The caboose and the concert lawn Directions ↗
Trail access, east of town Regional trail and open space Directions ↗
Arriving

Getting here

Drive times are estimates for normal conditions and vary with traffic, weather and construction. Check a live routing service before you set out.

From Boulder

About 20 min

North-east on the Diagonal Highway, then east into Niwot.

From Longmont

About 15 min

South-west on the Diagonal Highway, then east into Niwot.

From Denver

About 50 min

North on I-25, then west toward Longmont and the Diagonal Highway.

From the airport

About 1 hr

From Denver International, depending on route and time of day.

On the ground

Parking, walking and transit

Niwot is unincorporated, so parking rules, road work and trail closures are set by Boulder County rather than a town. Posted signs override anything written here.

Parking
Street parking along Second Avenue and lot parking serving the Old Town block and Cottonwood Square. Free at time of writing; posted restrictions apply.
On foot
Old Town is walkable end to end in about ten minutes, with continuous sidewalks and short crossings.
By bike
The regional trail corridor between Boulder and Longmont runs past the community and connects to quiet county roads.
Transit
Regional bus service runs along the Diagonal corridor. Routes, stops and fares change, so check the operator before travelling.
Dogs
Leash and waste rules on trails and open space are set by Boulder County Parks & Open Space.
Best time
Weekday mornings for a quiet walk. Summer Thursday evenings for the concert series beside the caboose.
Accessibility

What we can confirm

Second Avenue has continuous sidewalks with curb ramps at the cross streets, and the Whistle Stop Park lawn is reached from a paved path. Entrances vary across the historic block: several have a single step at the door and some have raised wooden porches.

Step-free access differs building by building, so contact a business directly before relying on it. Corrections to this section are welcome and published with their date.

Contribute

Add a listing, an event, or a correction

Business owners, event organizers and residents keep this guide accurate. Send yours and it goes in with the date it was verified.

Go direct instead

For anything official — permits, roads, ballots, water — the responsible body is the only reliable contact.

Roads, permits, open space Boulder County ↗
Business directory and events Niwot Business Association ↗
Emergency Call 911