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The transcontinental railroad bypassed Denver for Cheyenne Wyoming concerning city leaders. In 1870, the residents of Denver passed bonds that brought a 106-mile rail spur from the railroad in Cheyenne to Denver. By 1880, the Union Pacific, the Denver & Rio Grande Western, the Denver, South Park & Pacific, and the Colorado Central railroads were serving Denver.  Union Station was opened in 1881. In those early years, Union Station was the portal to Denver and LoDo the first part of the city that welcomed visitors.

For decades, LoDo was the center of Denver’s commerce driven by the railroad. By the mid-twentieth-century, area buildings began to deteriorate as businesses moved or failed as highways and airports took away from the importance of Union Station and train transportation. As Denver's industrial economy continued to shift away from the area, almost 20% of the buildings were demolished in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1988, the Denver City Council created the Lower Downtown Historic District in an attempt to turn the tide of blight and destruction of Denver's heritage. The District limited building heights, saved buildings from demolition, and established guidelines for building rehabilitation and new construction. LoDo's historic designation saved 27-blocks and over 120-historic structures, helping to create a mixed-use urban village of art galleries, restaurants, nightclubs, and retail stores on the ground floors of historic buildings, with offices, condos and lofts commonly on the upper floors. The building height restrictions meant plenty of sunshine accessing the street-level. The "low-rise" pedestrian feel of an 1880's city was preserved.

In 1989, LoDo District, Inc. was formed dedicated to community and focused on the needs of the neighborhood. In 1995, Coors Field opened on the edge of the LoDo Historic District and the area continued to revitalize itself. In 2000, the Pepsi Center, located on the other edge of the neighborhood, opened to propel the neighborhood into a sport fan's haven. Today, the neighborhood includes a historic collection of storefronts, warehouses, industrial buildings and commercial structures that have been renovated into offices, lofts and retail space.

LoDo residents are conveniently close to all that Denver has to offer. Residents can quickly access the Cherry Creek bike path, the thirty-acre Commons Park in the Central Platte Valley, or catch the light rail at the RTD's Market Street Station for destinations throughout the City. Denver plans to add approximately 120-miles of light rail track over the coming years. A short walk from LoDo brings you to the Denver Performing Arts Center for concerts, plays, operas, movies, and ballets. LoDo is home to over 100-restaurants and 30 art galleries within its boundaries of the South Platte River, Speer Boulevard, 23rd Street and Lawrence Street.