Parker is a home rule municipality in Douglas County, Colorado, United States.

[7] In recent years, Parker has become a commuter town at the southeasternmost corner of the Denver metropolitan area.

[9] Stage roads were established on historic Cherokee and Trapper's Trails through present-day Denver.

In 1864, Alfred Butters established the Pine Grove Way Station in a small one-room building (south of the current Parker United Methodist Church) to sell provisions, handle mail and messages, and provide respite for travelers.

His house is on the National Register of Historic Places listings in downtown Denver.

[8] Built at the junction of stage routes, it was called Twenty Mile House for its distance to Denver.

The stage station offered provisions, meals, and lodging, as well as protection for early settlers against attacks by Native Americans.

Chiefs Washington and Colorow led their tribes along Sulphur Gulch, passing and sometimes visiting cabins of early settlers, like John and Elizabeth Tallman.

[10] Tension between settlers and Native Americans began to build in the 1860s due to broken treaties, aggression, and cultural misunderstanding.

It may have been a precipitating factor in the Sand Creek massacre led by General John Chivington later that year.

In 1870, Jonathan Tallman (John's brother) was killed by Native Americans while out riding his mule.

In December 1870,[8] or 1873, a post office was established for the Pine Grove settlement; James Parker was the postmaster.

To ensure that the railroad came through the center of town, rather than along Cherry Creek, James Parker sold his right-of-way for $1 and his brother George sold his right-of-way to bring the railroad into the center of town to Parker station.

[17] James donated three acres for Parker Cemetery around 1884, at which time it held the graves of his two sons.

More businesses were added, including a dry goods store, two more general mercantile stores, another blacksmith shop, a livery stable, barber shop, creamery, stockyard, hotel, church, and a brickworks.

[19] The Parker station of the Colorado and Southern Railway, which was renamed as it expanded its route, closed in 1931.

[17] At least through the 1930s, there were dances the first Saturday of each month at Pikes Peak Grange, located north of Franktown.

[20] The Parker City Land Company began development of a "modern western town" in the 1960s, but they did not complete the housing projects due to financial short-falls.

In the 1970s, first african-american astronaut candidate Ed Dwight was involved in the project as a real estate developer.

[23] Ruth Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[28] Castle Rock, the Douglas County seat, is 15 miles (24 km) to the southwest.

Unincorporated communities that border Parker are Dove Valley to the northwest, Stonegate to the west, and The Pinery to the south.

[30] This climate type is usually found in the outskirts of true deserts in low-latitude, semi-arid regions.

It has cooler, wetter weather resulting from the higher latitude and mid-latitude frontal cyclone activity.

Douglas County School District has among the highest level of students in Colorado.

The Parker Racquet Club opened in 2019 and offers six indoor courts to tennis and pickleball enthusiasts.

Parker also receives the county-wide channel, Douglas County 8, which broadcasts school sports events and assorted programs run by residents.