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Empire

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Snowcapped peaks above forested mountain valleys in Clear Creek County, Colorado

Discover Empire

Living in Empire, CO

Empire is one of the smallest towns in Clear Creek County, a few hundred people at about 8,600 feet along Highway 40, right where the road starts climbing toward Berthoud Pass. It started as a gold camp in the 1860s and it still has that small, old mining town feel.

Location is the draw. You’re a couple of minutes off I-70, close to Georgetown and Idaho Springs, and Winter Park is right over the pass. Homes run from historic cabins in town to places up the hillsides with serious views, and most of them come with the mountain basics you need to understand going in: the well, the septic, snow load, and how that driveway handles a real storm.

If you want a true mountain town without being hours from Denver, Empire is worth a look. Reach out and I’ll walk you through what’s on the market and what to watch for.

Why buyers end up in Empire

Two ski areas in two directions. Winter Park is over Berthoud Pass, and Loveland and Arapahoe Basin are up I-70.
A town, not a subdivision. You can walk to the post office and know your neighbors by the second week.
Value. Empire has historically been one of the more affordable ways into Clear Creek County.

A real town with about 350 people

Empire has been here since the gold rush. The post office opened in 1861, and the town was incorporated in 1882. It's tiny, around 345 people at the last census. But it has the things that make a place feel like home: the historic Peck House, and the Hard Rock Cafe, which has been feeding miners and locals since 1934, long before the chain ever existed.

The honest part

Empire is higher than Idaho Springs, and winter is longer. Berthoud Pass closes now and then in big storms, and US-40 through town sees a lot of ski traffic on weekends.

Many homes here are older mining-era houses or cabins. They have a lot of charm, and they need a close look at foundations, insulation, wells and septic. Some homes in town are on town water and sewer, and that changes what you need to inspect.

Living here year-round

Groceries and most errands are in Idaho Springs, about 15 minutes away. Georgetown is next door for restaurants and its own small-town charm.

If you've driven through Empire on the way to Winter Park and thought "I could live here," you're not the first. Let's go look.

Nearby: Georgetown · Dumont · Idaho Springs · Clear Creek County

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