Milestones Icon: U.S. Highway 36

A toll road from 1952 to 1967, U.S. Highway 36, which opened in 1952, was the first direct connection between Denver and Boulder, running through Broomfield.

Known as the Denver-Boulder Turnpike, the stretch of road initially was tolled, and after two months almost 4,000 cars used it each day.

Today, more than 80,000 vehicles travel daily on U.S. 36.

The land surrounding the highway was almost completely undeveloped when the highway was built. Nowadays, cities like Westminster and Broomfield are large developing hubs of business. Boulder saw an almost immediate increase in population after the highway opened. The city grew by about 20,000…