Do You Need a Car in RiNo, Denver?

Short answer: No, you do not need a car in RiNo.

In fact, having a car can often be more of a hassle than a help due to limited street parking, heavy foot traffic, and narrow, busy corridors like Larimer Street and Walnut Street.

RiNo is packed with young professionals, creative types, and remote workers who chose the area specifically because they’d rather walk to a coffee shop than sit in traffic. A lot of residents work right in the neighborhood for local tech startups, design studios, marketing agencies, or the area's huge food and craft beverage scene. For those who do commute, most are just taking a quick four-minute train ride into Downtown Denver for corporate, legal, or finance jobs—while plenty of others work entirely from home, making a daily driving commute a non-issue.

Here's why you can easily skip the car in RiNo:

• Exceptional Walkability: RiNo is one of Denver’s most walkable, dense neighborhoods. Galleries, studio spaces, food halls (like Denver Central Market), terrific restaurants, microbreweries, and shops are packed tightly within a few key corridors (primarily Larimer, Walnut, and Blake streets). RiNo also has some nice local options for groceries that are easily a quick walk or roll away.

• Direct Airport & Downtown Rail Line: Located just one block from Forge, the RTD A Line commuter rail stops directly at the 38th & Blake Station in RiNo. It takes you straight to Denver Union Station (downtown) in just 4 minutes or out to Denver International Airport (DEN) in under 35 minutes without dealing with traffic.

• Micromobility & Biking: Denver’s shared e-bike and scooter programs (Lime and Bird) are everywhere in RiNo. The neighborhood also sits right alongside the South Platte River Trail, giving you direct, traffic-free bike paths connecting to downtown and neighboring areas.

• Easy Rideshares: If you're heading out late or venturing across town (like over to LoHi or Cap Hill), Uber and Lyft are abundant with fast pickup times throughout the district.

When a car is useful..

You may want to consider a rideshare or rental for these items:

• Heading to the Mountains: If weekend plans include hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park, skiing, or exploring mountain towns along I-70, you’ll definitely need a vehicle (or a pre-booked regional shuttle like Bustang/Pegasus).

• Suburban Commutes: If your work or meetings take you out to sprawling metro employment hubs like Golden, Boulder, or Tech Center/South Denver, driving gives you direct access without navigating transfers or regional bus schedules.j

• Big Box Shopping Trips: While delivery apps can easily cover most routine grocery runs, but driving is still the easiest option if you want to dodge delivery fees, shop in person, or haul home extra-large items from stores like Target or Costco.

Forge Your Path

Explore award-winning, LEED Gold-certified, unique luxury apartments at Forge in RiNo, Denver. View our currently available apartments for rent, or schedule a tour online.