Light rail is one of the first things people ask me about when they start looking at Denver, and my answer is that it works well for some commutes and not at all for others. RTD runs 10 rail lines across 113 miles of the metro. Six of them are light rail: the D, E, H, L, R and W lines. The other four are commuter rail lines, which I cover near the end of this page.

Whether a line helps you depends on where you live and where you work, not on how close the nearest platform looks on a map. A home a six-minute walk from a station on a line that never gets near your office is a nice amenity. It is not a commute. This page walks through each light rail line and its stations, points you to my neighborhood guides along the way and lists what I check before I tell a buyer that a home near a station is a good idea.

One warning before the station lists. RTD is in the middle of a multi-year reconstruction of its oldest downtown track, the 1994 rail that carries the D, H and L lines through downtown. Work on the downtown loop and Colfax Avenue began June 7, 2026, and RTD is targeting the end of the first quarter of 2027 to finish. Lines have been shortened, rerouted or paused during the work, so check RTD’s service alerts before you plan a commute around any line, and read the rail project page for the current schedule.

How the system fits together

Denver Union Station in LoDo is the hub. The W Line and E Line both start there, and it is also the stop for commuter rail, including the A Line to Denver International Airport, and for Amtrak’s California Zephyr. The D, H and L lines start a few blocks away in the downtown loop. See my LoDo guide if you want to live near the hub.

RTD sells passes through its NextRide app, its online store and King Soopers and Safeway stores, and you can tap a credit card or mobile wallet at the validator on the platform. There are two fare zones, Local and Airport. I do not print fares here because they change, so check RTD’s fares page and its schedules before you plan a route.

D Line: downtown Denver to Littleton

The D Line is one of the original light rail routes. The first section opened in 1994 and it was extended in 2000. It runs south from the downtown loop through the Auraria campus and Alameda to Englewood, Sheridan and Littleton. Park-and-ride lots sit at Alameda, I-25 & Broadway, Evans, Englewood, Littleton–Downtown and Littleton–Mineral.

• 18th & California / 18th & Stout
• 16th & California / 16th & Stout
• Theatre District–Convention Center
• Colfax at Auraria
• 10th & Osage
• Alameda
• I-25 & Broadway
• Evans
• Englewood
• Oxford–City of Sheridan
• Littleton–Downtown
• Littleton–Mineral

For homes near the southern stations, see my guides to Englewood, Sheridan and Littleton. For the downtown end, start with Auraria.

E Line: Union Station to Lone Tree

The E Line starts at Union Station, passes Ball Arena and Empower Field at Mile High, then follows I-25 south past the University of Denver and through the Denver Tech Center to Lone Tree. It has 21 stations. Park-and-ride lots include Alameda, I-25 & Broadway, University of Denver, Colorado, Yale, Southmoor, Belleview, Orchard, Arapahoe at Village Center, Dry Creek, County Line, Lincoln and RidgeGate Parkway.

• Union Station
• Ball Arena–Elitch Gardens
• Empower Field at Mile High
• Auraria West
• 10th & Osage
• Alameda
• I-25 & Broadway
• Louisiana–Pearl
• University of Denver
• Colorado
• Yale
• Southmoor
• Belleview
• Orchard
• Arapahoe at Village Center
• Dry Creek
• County Line
• Lincoln
• Sky Ridge
• Lone Tree City Center
• RidgeGate Parkway

Homes along this line range from the University and Southmoor Park neighborhoods in Denver to Greenwood Village, the Denver Tech Center and Lone Tree.

H Line: downtown Denver to Aurora

The H Line shares track and stations with the E Line from 10th & Osage through Southmoor, then continues through Dayton, Nine Mile and Iliff to Florida station in Aurora. The extension to Florida opened February 24, 2017. Park-and-ride lots include Alameda, I-25 & Broadway, University of Denver, Colorado, Yale, Southmoor, Dayton, Nine Mile and Iliff.

• 18th & California / 18th & Stout
• 16th & California / 16th & Stout
• Theatre District–Convention Center
• Colfax at Auraria
• 10th & Osage
• Alameda
• I-25 & Broadway
• Louisiana–Pearl
• University of Denver
• Colorado
• Yale
• Southmoor
• Dayton
• Nine Mile
• Iliff
• Florida

The eastern stations serve Aurora. Because the H Line runs on the downtown track being rebuilt, confirm its current route with RTD before you count on it.

L Line: Welton Street and the downtown loop

The L Line runs along Welton Street from 30th & Downing into the downtown loop, through Five Points, then out to the Auraria campus, 10th & Osage and Alameda. Its northern stations are the closest rail service to the Five Points neighborhood. It has also been affected by the reconstruction, so check that it is running before you count on it.

• 30th & Downing
• 27th & Welton
• 25th & Welton
• 20th & Welton
• 18th & California / 18th & Stout
• 16th & California / 16th & Stout
• Theatre District–Convention Center
• Colfax at Auraria
• 10th & Osage
• Alameda

See my guides to Five Points and Auraria.

R Line: Aurora to Lone Tree

The R Line connects Aurora to the southeast corridor without going downtown. It starts at Peoria, where you can transfer to the A Line for the airport, runs through Fitzsimons, Aurora Metro Center and Florida, then joins the E Line’s route at Belleview and continues to Lone Tree. RTD has extended it to RidgeGate Parkway for now, so check RTD for its current southern end.

• Peoria
• Fitzsimons
• Colfax
• 13th Avenue
• 2nd Avenue & Abilene
• Aurora Metro Center
• Florida
• Iliff
• Nine Mile
• Dayton
• Belleview
• Orchard
• Arapahoe at Village Center
• Dry Creek
• County Line
• Lincoln
• Sky Ridge
• Lone Tree City Center
• RidgeGate Parkway

My guides to Aurora, the Denver Tech Center and Lone Tree cover homes along this line.

W Line: Union Station to Golden

The W Line, also called the West Rail Line, opened April 26, 2013. It runs 12.1 miles from Union Station west through Lakewood and past the Federal Center to Golden. Park-and-ride lots sit at Jefferson County Government Center–Golden, Federal Center, Oak, Lakewood–Wadsworth, Sheridan and Decatur–Federal.

• Union Station
• Ball Arena–Elitch Gardens
• Empower Field at Mile High
• Auraria West
• Decatur–Federal
• Knox
• Perry
• Sheridan
• Lamar
• Lakewood–Wadsworth
• Garrison
• Oak
• Federal Center
• Red Rocks College
• Jefferson County Government Center–Golden

For homes along the west side, see my guides to Lakewood and Golden.

Commuter rail: the A, B, G and N lines

RTD’s four commuter rail lines are separate from light rail, with longer distances between stops. The A Line runs from Union Station to Denver International Airport, and you can reach it from the R Line at Peoria. The B Line serves Westminster, the G Line serves Arvada and Wheat Ridge and the N Line serves the north suburbs, including Northglenn and Thornton. Airport rides use their own fare zone. My guides to Arvada and Northglenn cover two of those areas.

What I check before you buy or sell near a station

A nearby station can help a home, and it can also add noise and traffic. Before I tell a client that a home near light rail is a good idea, I check these things.

• The real walk. I time it on foot instead of trusting the map, because a highway, a rail crossing or a street with no sidewalk can turn a half mile into a drive.
• Where the line goes. I count the transfers between the station and your workplace, and I check the first and last trains against your actual schedule.
• Whether you will use it. If you plan to drive to work anyway, a station nearby adds less than the listing suggests.
• Noise and vibration. I visit at rush hour and again on a weekend evening, because a quiet Sunday tells you nothing about a Tuesday at 8 a.m.
• Parking. I ask how full the park-and-ride lot is at the hour you would leave for work, and what the street parking rules are around the station.
• Service changes. The reconstruction runs into 2027, so I check RTD’s alerts and whether the line you want has been shortened or rerouted.
• Resale. I pull comparable sales on the specific street. I do not assume a premium for being near a station, and I would not pay one without seeing the numbers.

RTD routes, schedules, fares and service status change. Confirm them with RTD before you make plans or a purchase decision.

Marla Doughty
Broker Associate, Compass
720.454.5432 · marla.doughty@compass.com · calendly.com/marlamdoughty