CENTRAL DENVER · YORK STREET TO COLORADO BOULEVARD
Congress Park
Early 1900s houses on tree-lined blocks, a 12th Avenue main street and a park with a pool and eight tennis courts. The typical home is worth about $761K.
Location: Central Denver, from York Street to Colorado Boulevard, between Colfax and 6th Avenue | Vibe: Old houses, big trees, a neighborhood main street | Known for: Congress Park and its pool, 12th Avenue shops, early 1900s homes
Congress Park runs from York Street east to Colorado Boulevard, between Colfax and 6th Avenue. Most of it was built between about 1890 and the mid-1920s as a streetcar suburb, and the original plats called it Capitol Heights. The name Congress Park, borrowed from the park, didn’t stick to the neighborhood until real estate agents started using it in the 1970s.
The park’s name goes back to 1890, when Senator Henry Teller got Congress to give Denver the old city cemetery land for parkland. The whole area was called Congress Park at first. The west section was later renamed for Walter Cheesman, and the east section kept the original name. Part of the park’s north side sits over Denver Water reservoirs, the first of them built in 1887.
What the housing looks like
You’ll find Queen Anne Victorians, Denver Squares, 1920s bungalows and a good number of duplexes, mostly brick, on lots shaded by old street trees. Houses here are older than in most of Denver, so my inspection list is longer: sewer line, electrical, foundation, and whether past additions and basement finishes were permitted.
The 7th Avenue Historic District runs along 7th Avenue Parkway on the south side of the neighborhood. If a house is inside it, exterior changes go through Denver Landmark Preservation review, and I’ll tell you that before you write an offer.
Congress Park at a glance
Residents
About 11,400 people lived in Congress Park in the 2020 Census, up from about 10,200 in 2010.
Getting around
There’s no rail station in Congress Park. Route 10 runs 12th Avenue, Routes 15 and 15L run Colfax on the north edge, where bus rapid transit construction is underway, Route 6 runs 6th Avenue and Route 40 runs Colorado Boulevard. Colorado Boulevard leads south to I-25.
Rules to know
The 7th Avenue Historic District, Denver’s largest, runs along 7th Avenue Parkway through the south side of the neighborhood. Exterior changes to a house inside it go through Denver Landmark Preservation design review.
“Congress Park is where I send buyers who want an older house, a park with a pool and a hardware store they can walk to.”
Central Denver
Discover Congress Park
Local spots worth knowing
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Congress Park pool
An outdoor pool at 850 Josephine that the city rebuilt for $10.1 million in 2022. There’s a lap pool, a youth pool and a splash pad, and it fills up on hot summer weekends.
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Tennis courts
Eight public courts in the park, which is more than most Denver neighborhood parks have.
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Playground and basketball
A playground and an outdoor basketball court near the pool, with open lawn around them.
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12th Avenue
The neighborhood’s small main street. You can get dinner, coffee and a box of screws within a couple of blocks.
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Shells and Sauce
An Italian restaurant at 2600 E 12th Ave with a patio on the corner.
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12th Avenue Ace Hardware
A neighborhood hardware store at 2640 E 12th Ave. If you own a 100-year-old house, you’ll be here often.
Congress Park real estate
Values in Congress Park are up a little over the past year, while Cheesman Park and Capitol Hill next door are down. That typical value blends single-family houses with duplexes, townhomes and condos, so a renovated single-family house can sell well above it. For a specific house I pull sales that match its size, age and block.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index for Congress Park, Denver, as of August 31, 2026. All home types, including condos and townhomes.
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Who buys in Congress Park
Most Congress Park buyers want an older house close to the center of the city, with a park and shops they can walk to.
Move-up buyers
People leaving a condo or a smaller house who want a yard, a basement and a park nearby without leaving central Denver.
Old-house buyers
Buyers who want original woodwork and brick and are ready for the upkeep that comes with a house built around 1910.
Duplex buyers
People who want to live in one side and rent the other, or buy a side-by-side duplex as a smaller first home.
Congress Park questions I get asked
Is Congress Park the same as Cheesman Park?
No. York Street is the line. Cheesman Park is to the west and is mostly apartments and condos. Congress Park is to the east and is mostly houses and duplexes, and prices reflect that. The two parks were one piece of land until the west part was renamed.
What should I check on a 100-year-old Congress Park house?
A sewer scope, since old clay lines and tree roots are common under these streets. Also the electrical panel and any remaining old wiring, the foundation, and whether additions, basement bedrooms and finished attics were permitted.
Which schools serve Congress Park?
Teller Elementary at 1150 Garfield is inside the neighborhood. School boundaries and enrollment zones change, so I check the Denver Public Schools school finder for the exact address before you buy.
Nearby neighborhoods
Cheesman Park is just west across York Street, with more condos and lower prices. Hale is east across Colorado Boulevard. City Park is north across Colfax.
Buying in Congress Park? My Denver home buyer’s guide walks through the whole process in 10 steps.
Thinking about Congress Park?
Let’s talk about which blocks are close to the park and 12th Avenue and which back up to Colfax or Colorado Boulevard, what a house this age is likely to need, and what homes like it have actually sold for.
Or call or text 720.454.5432