[5] Brighton was founded as a stage/railroad depot and farming community named Hughes.

The Hughes, Colorado Territory, post office opened on April 13, 1871,[8] Colorado became a state on August 1, 1876,[9] and the Hughes post office was renamed Brighton on August 4, 1879.

[4][11] Adams County was created on April 15, 1901, with Brighton as its seat.

As of the census[15] of 2000, there were 20,905 people, 6,718 households, and 5,058 families living in the city.

There were 6,990 housing units at an average density of 409.3 per square mile (158.0/km2).

19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Brighton include: Brighton has a sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International: