NORTHEAST DENVER · YORK TO COLORADO BOULEVARD, MLK TO 40TH AVENUE
Clayton
Brick bungalows, the 39th Avenue Greenway and York Street Yards, with the A Line to the airport at 40th and Colorado.
Location: Northeast Denver, from York Street east to Colorado Boulevard and from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard north to 40th Avenue | Vibe: Quiet residential blocks with an industrial north edge | Known for: The Clayton campus, York Street Yards, the 39th Avenue Greenway
Clayton runs from York Street east to Colorado Boulevard and from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard north to 40th Avenue. People often lump it in with Park Hill or Cole, but the city counts it as its own neighborhood, named for the George W. Clayton Trust and College at MLK and Colorado.
George W. Clayton came to Denver in 1859, made his money as a merchant and in real estate, and left his fortune to the city. Clayton College for Boys opened on the campus in 1911 for boys whose fathers had died, and it ran for about 50 years. The 20-acre campus is now Clayton Early Learning, with early childhood programs and other nonprofits in the old buildings.
The north side was industrial. The Army built the Denver Medical Depot at 3800 York St in 1942, and since 2014 it has been turning into York Street Yards, about 20 acres of old warehouses reused for shops, studios, offices and a brewery.
What the housing looks like
Most houses are modest brick bungalows and ranches on tree-lined blocks, with newer duplexes and townhomes mixed in. Blocks near 40th Avenue sit next to rail lines and industrial buildings. Blocks toward MLK are farther from that and closer to City Park, about a mile south.
Clayton at a glance
Residents
Roughly 4,000 to 5,000 people, depending on the estimate.
Getting around
40th & Colorado station on the A Line is at the northeast corner, with trains to Union Station and the airport. Route 40 runs on Colorado Boulevard, and the 39th Avenue Greenway path runs west to Cole.
Public schools
Harrington Elementary at 2401 E 37th Ave has closed, and Clayton is now in DPS’s Greater Five Points and Central enrollment zone, where families choose among several elementaries. Check the DPS school finder for a specific address.
Rules to know
The old Clayton College campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. York Street Yards was rezoned in 2024 to allow housing on the site.
“Clayton is where I send buyers who want a brick bungalow in central Denver and a train to the airport a few minutes away.”
Northeast Denver
Discover Clayton
Local spots worth knowing
🎨
Eastgate
A 66-foot Corten steel sculpture by DeWitt Godfrey that spans 39th Avenue at Steele Street. It went up in 2021 as the east entrance to the 39th Avenue Greenway.
🏭
York Street Yards
The 1942 Army medical depot, with buildings by Denver architect Temple Buell, now holds shops, studios, offices, a brewery and the Lighthouse Writers Workshop. A new gate opened in 2025 to Schafer Park.
☕
Rivers and Roads Coffee
A neighborhood coffee shop and bakery at 2539 E Bruce Randolph Ave that roasts its own coffee. The whole bakery case is gluten-free.
🏛️
Clayton campus
The 20-acre campus at MLK and Colorado, home of Clayton College for Boys from 1911 and now Clayton Early Learning, an Educare school and other nonprofits.
New in Clayton
A 2024 rezoning lets York Street Yards add housing, including an affordable project with Pennrose, next to the existing warehouses.
Clayton real estate
Clayton is mostly smaller, older houses, with some new townhomes on scraped lots. Location inside the neighborhood matters: a bungalow near MLK and one a block from the 40th Avenue rail lines can price quite differently. For a specific house I compare it with recent sales of similar homes on nearby blocks.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index for Clayton, Denver, as of August 31, 2026. All home types, including condos and townhomes.
Want new Clayton listings by email? Open the search, tap Save search, and you’ll get matches the day they hit the MLS.
Who buys in Clayton
Most Clayton buyers want a house with a yard in central Denver at a lower price than Park Hill or Whittier.
First-time buyers
People who want a detached brick house, not a condo, close to City Park and downtown.
Airport commuters
Frequent flyers and airport workers who want 40th & Colorado station close by.
Park Hill shoppers
Buyers who start in Park Hill and cross Colorado Boulevard for similar houses at a lower price.
Clayton questions I get asked
Is Clayton part of Park Hill?
No. Clayton is its own Denver neighborhood, from York Street to Colorado Boulevard and MLK to 40th Avenue. Park Hill starts east of Colorado Boulevard. Listings sometimes use Park Hill or City Park in the description, so I confirm which neighborhood a house is actually in.
How close is the train?
40th & Colorado station on the A Line is at Clayton’s northeast corner. From there it’s a direct ride to Union Station or Denver International Airport. Most of the neighborhood is within a bike ride of the station.
What’s happening at York Street Yards?
York Street Yards, the old Army medical depot at 3800 York St, has been turning into a campus of shops, studios, offices and a brewery since 2014. A 2024 rezoning allows housing on the site, including an affordable project with Pennrose. Blocks next to it may see more activity and construction over the next few years.
Nearby neighborhoods
Cole is west across York Street. Elyria-Swansea is north across 40th Avenue, Northeast Park Hill is east across Colorado Boulevard, and Skyland is south across MLK.
Buying in Clayton? My Denver home buyer’s guide walks through the whole process in 10 steps.
Thinking about Clayton?
Let’s talk about which Clayton blocks are near the rail lines and which are near the greenway, what to check on an older bungalow, and what homes like it have actually sold for.
Or call or text 720.454.5432