Does Alta Vista flood?
Alta Vista, Arvada, CO · ZIP code 80004: the ZIP code on 20 of the 21 flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines.
Yes. Insured properties in and around Alta Vista have filed flood claims. About 10% of Alta Vista’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 21 claims from the Census block groups that cover Alta Vista, from 1978 through 2025. 5 of them received a payment, totaling $12,445 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2013 (4 claims), 2010 (2 claims), 1991 (2 claims).
What this page counts as Alta Vista
We could not find an openly licensed official boundary for Alta Vista, so this page uses a census-based area. For this page, Alta Vista means the 2010 Census block groups whose center lies within 1.6 km (1.0 miles) of the U.S. Geological Survey (GNIS) map point for Alta Vista (feature 2354760) and inside the Arvada city limits (U.S. Census Bureau), each block group going to the nearest of the places we cover. Every number below is for exactly those block groups (listed in “How these numbers were made”), so the edges are approximate and may include or leave out a few blocks people would call Alta Vista. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
Past claims do not predict future flooding, and a neighborhood figure cannot tell you about one building. Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and get flood insurance quotes before you sign a lease or a contract.
Check a specific address in Alta Vista
Neighborhood figures are averages. Our address check looks up the FEMA flood zone and the Forest Service’s wildfire hazard potential at one address, from the same public maps: check if your address is in a flood zone.
Flood zones street by street in Alta Vista
The named streets in Alta Vista, longest first, with how much of each street’s length inside Alta Vista lies in FEMA’s high-risk flood zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area, zones A and V). Length is the part inside Alta Vista; the main zone is the FEMA zone covering most of that length. A street can cross several zones, so the zone at one address can differ from the street’s main zone: check the address above for that. 59 shorter streets are not listed.
| Street | Length | In high-risk zones | Main zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garrison St | 1.6 mi | 1.2% | X (unshaded, minimal) (92%) |
| Brooks Dr | 1.6 mi | 62% | AE (62%) |
| Estes St | 1.5 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Dover St | 1.5 mi | 1.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (98%) |
| Ralston Rd | 1.4 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (85%) |
| Field St | 1.3 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Carr St | 1.2 mi | 1.3% | X (unshaded, minimal) (98%) |
| Everett St | 1.2 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Independence St | 1.2 mi | 30% | X (unshaded, minimal) (68%) |
| W 57th Ave | 1.1 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Grandview Ave | 1.1 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Oberon Rd | 1.0 mi | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| W 58th Ave | 5,140 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (78%) |
| Ridge Rd | 4,840 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| W 64th Pl | 4,550 ft | 11% | X (unshaded, minimal) (89%) |
| Iris Way | 4,430 ft | 79% | AE (79%) |
| Balsam St | 4,030 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Dudley St | 3,990 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (96%) |
| Cody St | 3,350 ft | 1.6% | X (unshaded, minimal) (96%) |
| Garland St | 3,340 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (97%) |
| Estes Ct | 3,150 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (99%) |
| Flower St | 3,140 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| Dudley Ct | 3,130 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (98%) |
| W 54th Pl | 3,090 ft | 0.0% | X (unshaded, minimal) (100%) |
| W 65th Ave | 3,050 ft | 1.2% | X (unshaded, minimal) (84%) |
Streets: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads). Flood zones: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, retrieved November 4, 2026. Each street is clipped to the area boundary and measured in an equal-area projection. Street lengths are rounded.
Flood zones in Alta Vista
Share of Alta Vista’s mapped area (about 5.055 km²) in each FEMA flood zone, from FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Effective date of the FIRM panel(s) covering it (08059C0203F, 08059C0204F, 08059C0211F, 08059C0212F): February 5, 2014.
| FEMA zone | Share of area |
|---|---|
| X (unshaded, minimal) | 86% |
| AE | 10% |
| X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) | 3.8% |
What the zones mean
- Zone AE (and A, AH, AO)
- High-risk: part of the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), the area FEMA maps as having a 1-percent chance of flooding in any given year (the “100-year” or base flood). AE areas have a mapped base flood elevation.
- Zone VE (and V)
- High-risk coastal areas, also in the SFHA, where the base flood is expected to bring additional hazards from storm waves.
- Zone X (shaded)
- Moderate hazard: between the limits of the 1-percent and the 0.2-percent-annual-chance (“500-year”) flood.
- Zone X (unshaded)
- Minimal hazard: outside the SFHA and higher than the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood elevation. Minimal is not zero: flood claims are filed from X zones too.
Source: FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
Flood insurance claims over time
Claims filed under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) from the 2010 Census block groups that cover Alta Vista. This area is made of whole block groups, so every claim counted here comes from inside it. Only insured properties appear, so these counts understate total flooding.
By decade
| Decade | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2 | $150 |
| 1980s | 3 | $0 |
| 1990s | 3 | $0 |
| 2000s | 3 | $0 |
| 2010s | 9 | $12,295 |
| 2020s | 1 | $0 |
By year of loss
Named flood events with the most claims
- Late summer storms: 4 claims
FEMA labels some events only as “Flooding”. Claims by the flood zone the property was rated in:
- A/AE/AH/AO (high risk): 16
- X/B/C (moderate or minimal): 5
How much is flood insurance in Alta Vista?
The typical National Flood Insurance Program policy on single-family homes in Alta Vista costs $876 a year: the median of 151 policies that started between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $712 and $998. That is the full amount paid for the year, the premium plus FEMA’s fees and surcharges, and every one of these policies is priced under Risk Rating 2.0. A quote for one building can be far from this: its elevation, foundation, age, coverage and deductible all change the price. Private flood insurance is not included.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Policies - v3, computed November 4, 2026.
Why home insurance costs what it does in Alta Vista
This section is educational and is not insurance advice.
Flood insurance
ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines. This is a ZIP code on at least 5% of the flood claims counted for Alta Vista, within 10 km of it.
- ZIP code 80004: the median National Flood Insurance Program policy cost for single-family homes was $850 a year, the middle of 297 policies that started between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $702 and $1,020. These policies are priced under Risk Rating 2.0.
- ZIP code 80004: NFIP records list 35 flood claims with a loss year from 1978 through 2025. The claims dataset is as of September 8, 2026.
Fire and wind
- USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities gives Arvada, CO a Risk to Homes national percentile rank of 0.966, which its methods call Very High (above the 90th percentile). That is the city rating, not a rating of Alta Vista alone. The summary file is dated April 15, 2026.
What to ask your agent
- Ask the agent how old the roof is.
- Ask whether a wind-mitigation discount is available for this house.
- Ask how flood coverage differs from the homeowners policy. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood. Flood coverage is a separate policy.
- Ask whether the policy has a separate hurricane or windstorm deductible, and how that deductible is calculated.
- Ask when coverage would start. A new National Flood Insurance Program policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase.
Flood coverage and the 30-day wait: FEMA fact sheet, Jan. 21, 2025; 44 CFR 61.11.
What do NFIP records show for flood insurance in Alta Vista?
ZIP code 80004: the median National Flood Insurance Program policy cost for single-family homes was $850 a year, the middle of 297 policies that started between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Half of them cost between $702 and $1,020. These policies are priced under Risk Rating 2.0. ZIP code 80004: NFIP records list 35 flood claims with a loss year from 1978 through 2025. The claims dataset is as of September 8, 2026.
What do public fire and wind records show for Alta Vista?
USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities gives Arvada, CO a Risk to Homes national percentile rank of 0.966, which its methods call Very High (above the 90th percentile). That is the city rating, not a rating of Alta Vista alone. The summary file is dated April 15, 2026.
What should I ask an insurance agent about a home in Alta Vista?
Ask the agent how old the roof is. Ask whether a wind-mitigation discount is available for this house. Ask how flood coverage differs from the homeowners policy. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood. Flood coverage is a separate policy. Ask whether the policy has a separate hurricane or windstorm deductible, and how that deductible is calculated. Ask when coverage would start. A new National Flood Insurance Program policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase.
Sources: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3; OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3; USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities, community summaries; Wildfire Risk to Communities methods.
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Wildfire hazard potential in Alta Vista
The USDA Forest Service’s 2023 Wildfire Hazard Potential map places about 8.1% of Alta Vista’s mapped area in its High or Very High classes, and 85% in land it treats as non-burnable, such as most developed land (USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Hazard Potential 2023).
| Wildfire hazard potential class | Share of Alta Vista |
|---|---|
| High | 8.1% |
| Moderate | 7.3% |
| Non-burnable | 85% |
Wildfire Hazard Potential is the Forest Service’s index of the relative potential for wildfire that would be difficult to contain, built from fire simulations, vegetation and fuels data, and the locations of past fires. On its own it is not a map of wildfire risk to a particular home, and it is not a forecast for any season. It is a national map at 270 m resolution, meant for comparing large landscapes; the Forest Service’s map service counts about 124 of its cells inside Alta Vista. Embers can carry fire beyond the mapped classes (USDA Forest Service, Fire Modeling Institute: Wildfire Hazard Potential).
Wildfire hazard data: USDA Forest Service, Fire Modeling Institute (public domain under CC0). The Forest Service does not endorse this site.
Before you rent or buy in Alta Vista
- Look up the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center; a neighborhood can mix high-risk and minimal-hazard zones.
- Ask the landlord or seller about past flooding and flood insurance claims at the property.
- Get a flood insurance quote early: new NFIP policies usually take 30 days to start (FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy).
- Ask which floor the unit is on and where parking, storage and mechanical equipment sit.
Living in Alta Vista
Flood maps are only one part of choosing a neighborhood. To compare Alta Vista with other Arvada neighborhoods on more than flooding, see Arvada on StrollPlace.
Buyer and renter FAQ
Does Alta Vista flood?
Yes. Insured properties in and around Alta Vista have filed flood claims. About 10% of Alta Vista’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. NFIP flood insurance records list 21 claims from the Census block groups that cover Alta Vista, from 1978 through 2025. 5 of them received a payment, totaling $12,445 (not adjusted for inflation). The busiest years were 2013 (4 claims), 2010 (2 claims), 1991 (2 claims). Past claims do not predict future flooding, and conditions vary street by street, so check the specific address.
Is Alta Vista in a flood zone?
About 10% of Alta Vista’s mapped area is inside FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area; the rest is in moderate or minimal-hazard Zone X. Shares by zone: X (unshaded, minimal) 86%; AE 10%; X (shaded, 0.2% annual chance) 3.8%. The FIRM panel(s) covering it took effect February 5, 2014.
Which streets in Alta Vista are in a high-risk flood zone?
Most of the length of Brooks Dr and Iris Way lies in FEMA high-risk zones (the Special Flood Hazard Area). Less than 10% of Garrison St, Estes St, Dover St, Ralston Rd, Field St, Carr St, Everett St and W 57th Ave does. Zones can change along a street, so check the exact address.
What ZIP code is Alta Vista in?
Alta Vista is in Arvada, CO. ZIP code 80004: the ZIP code on 20 of the 21 flood insurance claims counted here. ZIP codes do not follow neighborhood lines. Check the specific address for its own flood zone.
Do renters need flood insurance?
Standard renters policies usually do not cover flood. Renters in a community that participates in the NFIP can buy contents-only flood coverage, up to $100,000 for belongings.
How long does a new flood policy take to start?
A new NFIP policy generally takes effect 30 days after purchase. Exceptions include no wait when the policy is bought while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage, and a one-day wait in a newly designated high-risk zone within 12 months of the map change.
How much coverage can NFIP provide?
For a one-to-four family home, NFIP building coverage goes up to $250,000 and contents coverage up to $100,000. You can buy flood insurance even if you are not in a high-risk zone, as long as your community participates in the NFIP.
Is Alta Vista in a wildfire hazard area?
The USDA Forest Service’s 2023 Wildfire Hazard Potential map places about 8.1% of Alta Vista’s mapped area in its High or Very High classes and 85% in land it treats as non-burnable. It compares landscapes nationally; it is not a forecast and does not rate any home.
How much is flood insurance in Alta Vista?
The typical NFIP flood insurance policy on single-family homes in Alta Vista cost $876 a year: the median of 151 policies that started between September 1, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Half cost between $712 and $998. One building’s quote can be far from this; its elevation, foundation, age, coverage and deductible all change the price.
FAQ sources: FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy; FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025); 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
Nearby neighborhoods
How these numbers were made
Area: the census-based definition above, using U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names. Flood zone shares: the area polygon intersected with FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels, area computed in an equal-area projection; retrieved November 4, 2026. Claims: OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3 records for Jefferson County (county code 08059), dataset as of September 8, 2026, retrieved November 4, 2026. Claims are counted for exactly the block groups that make up the area. Block groups used: 080590103053, 080590103082, 080590104021, 080590103041, 080590102101, 080590103042, 080590103052, 080590103081, 080590103043. Neighboring pages can share a block group, so their counts can overlap. Paid totals add building, contents and Increased Cost of Compliance payments and are not adjusted for inflation; a claim whose FEMA record shows a negative payment (an adjustment) counts as zero. Wildfire hazard potential: the 2023 classified map’s 270 m cells that the Forest Service image service counts inside the polygon, as a share per class. See the methodology.
Sources
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims - v3. Retrieved on November 4, 2026.
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), Flood Hazard Zones and FIRM Panels. Retrieved on November 4, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, 2010 Census Block Groups and U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) domestic names.
- FEMA Glossary: Flood Zones.
- FloodSmart (NFIP): Buy a Flood Insurance Policy.
- FEMA Fact Sheet: Think you don’t need flood insurance? Think again (Jan. 21, 2025).
- 44 CFR 61.11, Effective date and time of coverage.
- OpenFEMA Terms and Conditions.
- Dillon, Gregory K. 2023. Wildfire Hazard Potential for the United States (270-m), version 2023. 4th Edition. Updated 17 July 2024. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive (2023 classified map, 270 m resolution; read November 4, 2026).
- USDA Forest Service, Fire Modeling Institute: Wildfire Hazard Potential.
- FEMA OpenFEMA Dataset: FIMA NFIP Redacted Policies - v3.
- OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Policies v3.
- OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3.
- USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities, community summaries.
- Wildfire Risk to Communities methods.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb, Transportation (primary, secondary and local roads).
Data as of September 8, 2026 (FEMA claims) and November 4, 2026 (flood zones); hazard data computed November 4, 2026. Page last updated November 4, 2026.