Honors, Awards and Recognition

The City of Littleton has been recognized for a variety of notable accomplishments.

2026

• Littleton Police Department received its seventh Reaccreditation for Advanced Law Enforcement Excellence by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA)
• "Best in Colorado" Colorado Asphalt Pavement Association Award for the 2025 Street Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program

2025

• Ranked first in Colorado "Where a real-life Hallmark holiday story is most likely to unfold" by Action Network
• EDIE Award for "Medium Community of the Year" from the Economic Development Council of Colorado
• The cities of Littleton, Englewood, and Sheridan received the Small City Honorable Mention for the 2025 Mayors’ Climate Protection Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors

2024

• 1st Place — Around Town with Jim: Town Hall Arts Center; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• Award of Honor — Littleton Brand video; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• 2nd Place, The Littleton Report Online; NAGC Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards, Digital eNewsletter category
• USA Today named Littleton one of the five "Best Cities in Colorado"
• WorldAtlas called Littleton one of the "7 Cutest Small Towns In Colorado to Visit In 2024"
• Ranked #2 Best City to Move To by USA Today
• Littleton is well-known for the stunning gardens at Hudson Gardens, the summertime events of Western Welcome Week, the art district, bike trails, and local breweries according to Redfin.com 
• Littleton was ranked 4th Most Connected City in Colorado by highspeedinternet.com

2023

• Ranked 6th Best Place to Live in Colorado for Families by Citytistics.com
• Named Colorado’s Best Small Town for Retirees by World Atlas
• Ranked 3rd in the Best Small Cities in Colorado by wallethub.com
• 2023 Downtown Colorado, Inc. Governor's Award for Downtown Excellence for Best Event — the 2022 Littleton Twilight Criterium
• One of the Best Mid-Range and Small Cities in Colorado by MovingFromTo.com
• Condé Nast Traveler named Littleton one of the eight Best Small Town Day Trips from Denver
• Mentioned by WorldAtlas.com as one of Colorado's Most Charming Beach Towns! 

2022

• Recognized as a Tree City USA for 36th year by ArborDay.org 
• Ranked #32 Best City to Live in the USA by Livability.com
• Ranked in the 92nd percentile for riding bikes by People for Bikes
• 4th Best City for a Family to Live in Colorado, ranked by Livability.com
• Ranked Third-safest "small" city in Colorado (pop. 30,000-100,000) by MoneyGeek

2021

• Weekends on Main, winner of the Downtown Colorado Inc.'s Governor's Award for Downtown Excellence in the Pandemic Response category
• 2nd Place, 2020 Littleton Calendar and Annual Report; NAGC Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards, calendar category
• 2nd Place, The Littleton Report Online; NAGC Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards, eNewsletter category
• Awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Federal Government Finance Officers Association for Littleton's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
• Littleton is one of Colorado's Safest Cities according to a report based on FBI crime statistics.
• The City of Littleton's Finance Team achieved ResourceXcellence in Resource Reallocation and Maximization in the ResourceX Annual Report for their work in Priority Based Budgeting (PBB).

2020

• Littleton's Weekends on Main was mentioned in CDOT's Can•Do Colorado Streetscape Challenge as an example of a "low-cost, quick-win activity" that supports "creative use of public infrastructure."
• Littleton Twilight Criterium was voted the "Best of the Best 2020" by readers of Colorado Community Media, parent company of the Littleton Independent.
• Ranked 19th in the Best Small Cities in America by wallethub.com
• Named #1 Best Commuter Town Near Denver by CommercialCafé.com
• Named 15th Best City to Raise a Family in Colorado by wallethub.com
• Ranked #1 for Best Places to Retire in Colorado by smartasset.com
• Ranked #9 Best City to Live in Colorado by ChamberofCommerce.org
• Recognized by Colorado AAA as one of Colorado's Coolest Main Streets
• Littleton's Twilight Criterium recognized with an honorable mention for the 2019 Colorado Governor's Awards for Downtown Excellence
• Ranked #13 in the Best Places to Visit in Colorado by Dream Vacation Magazine
• 1st Place, Instruction/Training — Lockdown Procedures; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• 2nd Place, Use of Social Media Platforms; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• 2nd Place, Event/Program Promotion — Littleton Twilight Criterium; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• 2nd Place, Documentary — Modern Buildings of Old Littleton; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• 3rd Place, Partnership Production — History of Littleton Fire Rescue; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• 4th Place, Promotion of a City — Best Small City in America; NATOA Government Programming Awards

2018

• Ranked #8 in the Best Small Cities in America by wallethub.com
• 7th most-visited city in Colorado — Denver Business Journal
• 3rd Place, Public Education — Drive Littleton: Traffic Congestion; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• 3rd Place, Documentary — Discover Littleton: Crabapple Route; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• Recognized as the second Greenest City in Colorado by Insurify
• Ranked #42 in the Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S. by livability.com
• Named one of the Top 15 Safest Cities in Colorado by the National Council for Home Safety and Security

2017

• 3rd Place, Arts & Culture — #ShareLittleton; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• Honorable Mention, Videography — Littleton Videography Reel; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• Award of Excellence, Redesigned Website — Littleton, Colorado Website, NAGC Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards
• Award of Excellence, News Release — Toilet Paper Helps Extend the Life of Roads, NAGC Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards
• Award of Excellence, Educational Program — Littleton Fire Rescue 2016 Recruit Training;NAGC Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards
• Ranked 6th in Colorado in crime reduction from 2012-2016 from ValuePenguin.com
• Named #1 Small Town in Colorado, and 10th Best Small City in America by wallethub.com
• Named one of the Top 10 Hottest Housing Markets in the U.S. by CBS Money Watch
• Ranked #8 in the 2017 Best Places to Retire by Livability
• Ranked 9th Best City in Colorado for Families by SmartAsset
• Public Technology Institute's 2017 Technology Solutions Significant Achievement Award in GIS for Development Activity List and Historic Walking Tour
• Ranked first among the easiest places to sell a home in Colorado by SmartAsset.com
• Ranked #51 in the top 100 U.S. cities for seniors to retire by goodcall.com
• Ranked #1 in consumer credit scores for the 100 largest U.S. cities by LendEDU.com
• Ranked sixth in Colorado for money management by wallethub.com

2016

• 1st Place, Special Event — 2015 Downtown Littleton Elf Crawl, NAGC Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards
• One of 5 Fun Day Trips from Denver mentioned on US News & World Report Travel website
• Ranked #4 Best Small City in America by Wallethub.com
• Listed in the 10 Best Places to Live in Colorado by Livability.com
• Ranked #1 in Colorado for the Best Places to Retire by SmartAsset.com
• Ranked #4 for cities in Colorado which made the top 100 Best Places to Live in the USA
• Ranked #1 city in Colorado for fewest traffic fatalities per 100k by ConsumerAffairs.com
• Ranked #9 in the Top 10 Healthiest Large Employers in Denver Metro Area by the Denver Business Journal
• Ranked #24 in the Top 100 Best Places to Live by Livability.com
• Finalist for the Denver Business Journal's 2016 Healthiest Employers
• Ranked #7 in SmartAsset's Healthiest Housing Markets in Colorado

2015

• Ranked #2 Best Small City in America by Wallethub.com
• Second Place, Documentary — Danny Dietz Littleton History Moment; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• Third Place, Profile of a City/County Dept. — Littleton Conflict Resolution Center; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• Award of Excellence, Community Scorecard and Annual Report,NAGC Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards
• Ranked #2 in Movoto's Best Denver Suburb to Retire
• Ranked #5 in Movoto's Best Denver Suburbs For Young Professionals
• Ranked #10 in Movoto's Best Denver Suburbs
• Ranked #9 in NerdWallet's Best Places for Millennial Job Seekers
• Ranked #9 in ValuePenguin's Safest Places in Colorado
• Nominee for Metro Denver Healthiest Employer; Denver Business Journal

2014

• First Place, Profile of a City Department — I Found My Dream Home in Littleton; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• Second Place, Documentary — Littleton History Moment, Wolhurst; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• Second Place, Documentary, Event Coverage — Coloradans Helping Coloradans: September 2013 Flood; NATOA Government Programming Awards 
• Silver Circle Award for Branding/New Logo; 3CMA Savvy Award 
• APA Colorado Merit Award for Community Engagement — Inspire Littleton; Online community engagement project
• Top 10 Cities on the Rise in Colorado (#7); NerdWallet.com
• Second Place, Public Art & Points of Interest in Littleton; NAGC Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards
• "Fit City," first city in Colorado to receive this designation from LiveWell Colorado's HEAL Cities & Towns campaign
• Make a Splash Hero Award — Tim Woodward, LFR Water Rescue Team Leader; National Drowning Prevention Alliance
• Top 10 Friendliest Small Cities (#6); Movoto Blog
• Gold AVA Digital Award for Outstanding Digital Communication (Web site); Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals

2013

• Member's Choice Award for Small Population — LittletonGov.org; NAGW Pinnacle Award
• First Place, Promotional Video Campaign — Littleton History Moments; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• Second Place, Ethnic Experience — Mapuche: The People of the Land; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• First Place, Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Award — READ Posters; NAGC Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards

2012 

• First Place, Public Safety Programming — Littleton Fire Rescue Ice Rescue Training; NATOA Government Programming Awards

2011

• First Place, Documentary — Pivotal Points: A Maps Exhibit at the Littleton Museum ; NATOA Government Programming Awards
• Best Places to Raise Kids in Colorado (#7); Bloomberg Businessweek