Highlands Ranch, Colorado | |
|---|---|
 Highlands Ranch, Colorado. | |
 Location of the Highlands Ranch CDP inDouglas County, Colorado | |
  Highlands Ranch Location of the Highlands Ranch CDP in the United States | |
| Coordinates:39°32′38″N104°59′16″W / 39.54389°N 104.98778°W /39.54389; -104.98778 (Highlands Ranch CDP, Colorado)[1] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | Douglas County |
| Government | |
| • Type | unincorporated community |
| Area | |
• Total | 24.294 sq mi (62.920 km2) |
| • Land | 24.268 sq mi (62.855 km2) |
| • Water | 0.025 sq mi (0.065 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,817 ft (1,773 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 105,631 |
| • Density | 3,990/sq mi (1,539/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP Code[3] | 80126, 80129, 80130 and 80163 |
| Area codes | 303 & 720 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2408386[1] |
Highlands Ranch is anunincorporated community and acensus-designated place (CDP) located in and governed byDouglas County,Colorado,United States. The CDP is a part of theDenver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the Highlands Ranch CDP was 105,631 at the2020 census, making it the largest community in Douglas County and the most populous unincorporated community in Colorado.[4] The Highlands Ranch Metropolitan District provides services to the community, which lies inZIP Codes 80126, 80129, 80130, and 80163 (forpost office boxes).[3]
This area of theColorado Front Range was populated by a number ofnomadic tribes, including theUte,Cheyenne andArapaho tribes. Because it was part of the Mississippi River Drainage Area, it was claimed by France by French explorerRené-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and it was named as part of "Louisiana" in 1682. The Spanish gained Louisiana in 1763, and returned it to France in 1801. This area of what is now Northern Douglas County, was in theLouisiana Purchase when it was sold to the United States in 1803.
TheStephen H. Long's Expedition of 1820 entered the area at the beginning of July 1820. That was the first documented exploration of the area by European or United States explorers.[5]
Much of the Denver Metro Area began to be settled as ranch land starting in 1859, but because of a lack of water in the area, it was not permanently settled until around 1870. The first legal settler of the area was Curtis H. Field, who purchased land just on the west side of Santa Fe Drive from the U.S. government on February 25, 1870.[6]
TheHighlands Ranch Mansion[7] (or "Castle Isabel") was built over a period of several years, from 1891 to 1904. The first owner of the house was Samuel Allan Long, who purchased a 40-acre homestead in northern Douglas County in 1884 and later expanded it to a 2,000-acre farm.[8] By 1891 he had built a modest farmhouse on the property and called it Rotherwood after a boyhood farm. The name "Rotherwood", a reference to a boyhood farm of Long's, was found etched above the original front door that led experts to believe so. Long was a prominent innovator of dry land farming techniques in Colorado during the late 19th century.
John W. Springer bought the ranch in 1898 and built theHighlands Ranch Mansion. He built it up to a10,000 acre ranch and farm. It was called "Castle Isabel" for a time for his second wifeIsabel Patterson Springer. He began selling off parts of the ranch in 1911.[9][10] The mansion underwent a renovation from 2010 to 2012 that was funded by Shea Homes.
TheColorado Gold Rush[11] brought people to Colorado in droves during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The city ofDenver, located approximately 12 miles to the north, grew considerably during this time. However, the area remained a series of farms and ranches, and many residents would visit the town ofLittleton, a few miles northward, when they needed to purchase clothing, supplies, or other items.
The Springer land was bought and sold several times throughout the 1920s and 1930s. In 1937 it was bought byLawrence C. Phipps, Jr., who used it to raise cattle and hunt fox. After Phipps died in 1976, the land was bought byMarvin Davis, the owner of an oil company.
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In 1978, a large parcel of land in unincorporated Douglas County was purchased byThe Mission Viejo Company. As the suburbs of Denver expanded, the company desired to build a new planned suburb, called Highlands Ranch, in northern Douglas County, akin to its first planned development ofMission Viejo, California. Initial plans were drawn up, many of which are still being realized. These plans laid out several major streets and called for several schools and recreation centers, as well as a town center and public library. Large parcels of land were sold to private housing developers, such asRichmond Homes. As these developments appeared, they often carried their own names, creating a series of segmented neighborhoods throughout Highlands Ranch. Plans for Highlands Ranch also included a snaking "green belt" which provided for undeveloped land for recreation. The plans also allowed for a large number of public parks and bike paths.
The first homes in Highlands Ranch were built in 1981,[12] near South Broadway. Simultaneously, the state built a new freeway through the area,C-470, which opened in 1985 and was expanded to include express lanes in 2020.[13] Many of the first residents of Highlands Ranch complained about the initial lack of commercial development. Residents had to drive many miles (usually into Littleton) for groceries, entertainment, or medical care. The first public school,Northridge Elementary, opened in 1982. The same year also saw the completion of theNorthridge Recreation Center, an athletic club available to all Highlands Ranch homeowners. The first secondary school, Highlands Ranch Jr/Sr High School, opened in 1987.[14] This institution became solely a high school, namedHighlands Ranch High School, in 1991 with the building of nearbyCresthill Middle School. The first Highlands Ranch branch ofDouglas County Libraries also opened in 1991, housed in a strip mall off Broadway and Springer Drive.
Over the next 25 years, the population of Highlands Ranch increasingly expanded. Highlands Ranch celebrated its 10th anniversary in 1991 with a population of 17,000 residents. Over the next ten years, Highlands Ranch continued to develop on a large scale, and as of the 2020 census has 103,444 residents.[15]
In 1997, The Mission Viejo Company was acquired byShea Properties, which continued to expand the community. This included bringing a regional office ofLucent Technologies, and later in the same complexAvaya Communication, to the area. The year 2000 saw the opening of a much largerHighlands Ranch Library as well as the establishment of theHighlands Ranch Chamber of Commerce.[citation needed]
On December 31, 2017, a gunmanopened fire at the Copper Canyon Apartment Homes, killing a police deputy, and wounded six others, including two civilians. The perpetrator was later killed by theSWAT tactical team in a shootout.
On May 7, 2019, two studentsopened fire at theSTEM School Highlands Ranch, killing a student and injuring eight others. A senior at the time, Kendrick Castillo tackled the gunman and lost his life protecting his classmates.[16] Following the act of heroism, Lucent Boulevard was renamed Kendrick Castillo Way, a memorial was erected in Civic Green Park, and a scholarship fund was established in his honor.[17] The school is located nearColumbine High School, wherea mass shooting occurred in April 1999. Both perpetrators were taken into custody in the aftermath of the shooting.
On June 22, 2023, a severe thunderstorm produced a high end EF-1 tornado around 3:30 pm. The tornado touched down nearColorado State Highway 470 and tracked 8.36 miles through Highlands Ranch and into Lone Tree.[18] The tornado caused extensive tree, roof and fence damage, but no injuries were reported.[19]
Located onColorado State Highway 470 in central Colorado, Highlands Ranch is 13 miles (21 km) south of downtownDenver and 13 miles (21 km) north-northwest ofCastle Rock, thecounty seat.[20]
As a suburb of Denver, Highlands Ranch is part of both the greaterDenver metropolitan area and theFront Range Urban Corridor.[21] It borders several other Denver suburbs includingLittleton andCentennial to the north andAcres Green andLone Tree to the east.[22][23] In addition, Highlands Ranch bordersChatfield State Park to the west. As Highlands Ranch is a CDP, its boundaries are defined by theU.S. Census Bureau and have no legal standing.[24]
The Highlands Ranch CDP has an area of 15,548 acres (62.920 km2), including 16 acres (0.065 km2) of water.[2]
| Climate data for Highlands Ranch, Colorado | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Averageprecipitation inches | 0.62 | 0.80 | 1.47 | 2.23 | 2.33 | 1.96 | 2.08 | 2.22 | 1.44 | 1.36 | 0.91 | 0.62 | 18.04 |
| Averageprecipitation mm | 16 | 20 | 37 | 57 | 59 | 50 | 53 | 56 | 37 | 35 | 23 | 16 | 459 |
| Source:NOAA[25] | |||||||||||||
TheUnited States Census Bureau initially defined theHighlands Ranch CDP for the1990 United States census.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10,181 | — |
| 2000 | 70,931 | +596.7% |
| 2010 | 96,713 | +36.3% |
| 2020 | 105,631 | +9.2% |
| Source:United States Census Bureau | ||
As of the2010 census, there were 96,713 people, 34,054 households, and 26,535 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,986.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,539.2/km2). There were 35,167 housing units at an average density of 1,449.6 units per square mile (559.7 units/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.7%White, 5.6%Asian, 1.2%African American, 0.4%American Indian, 0.0%Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races.Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 7.2% of the population.[26]
There were 34,054 households, out of which 48.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples living together, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84, and the average family size was 3.27.[26]
The distribution of the population by age was 32.0% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.3 years. The gender makeup of the CDP was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.[26]
The median income for a household in the CDP was $104,411, and the median income for a family was $113,944. Males had a median income of $84,067 versus $54,962 for females. The CDP'sper capita income was $43,137. About 1.1% of families and 1.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.[26]
As of 2013, 74.9% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 0.1% was in the armed forces, and 74.8% was in the civilian labor force with 71.1% employed and 3.7% unemployed. The occupational composition of the employed civilian labor force was: 58.2% in management, business, science, and arts; 26.4% in sales and office occupations; 8.6% in service occupations; 3.7% in production, transportation, and material moving; 3.2% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: educational services, health care, and social assistance (20.5%); professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services (16.1%); finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing (12.2%).[26]
The cost of living in Highlands Ranch is above average; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the community is 107.4.[27] As of 2013, the median home value in the CDP was $335,900, the median selected monthly owner cost was $2,070 for housing units with a mortgage and $533 for those without, and the median gross rent was $1,504.[26]
Notable companies headquartered in Highlands Ranch includeUDR, Inc. andPeterson's.Visa Inc.'s Operations Center Central is based in Highlands Ranch.
Highlands Ranch is anunincorporated community within Douglas County. Most municipal services, such as the construction and upkeep of arterial roads, parks and open space areas, are performed by the Highlands Ranch Metro District, a special district under state law, which is funded mostly by property taxes and state lottery funds.[28] Highlands Ranch is policed by Douglas County Sheriffs Office, withSouth Metro Fire Rescue providing fire protection, and all public schools are part of theDouglas County School System.
In addition, all Highlands Ranch residents are asked to sign and follow a community covenant as dictated by theHighlands Ranch Community Association or "HRCA". This covenant places firm guidelines on such issues as housing decoration, fencing, and contribution to the area's library and recreation centers. The Highlands Ranch Community Association obtains its funding through commonhomeowner association fees and covenant violation fines and, for this reason, is not usually recognized as a government, but rather as a localnon-profit organization.[29]
Highlands Ranch lies withinColorado's 4th U.S. Congressional District.[30] For the purposes of representation in theColorado General Assembly, the CDP is located in the 30th district of theColorado Senate and the 39th and 43rd districts of theColorado House of Representatives.[31]
ZIP codes 80126, 80129, 80130, and 80163 – assigned by default to the adjacent City ofLittleton – serve Highlands Ranch.[3]
Highlands Ranch is served by theDouglas County School District.
Notable individuals who were born in or have lived in Highlands Ranch include actressKeri Russell,[36] physicistWilliam C. Davidon,[37]NFL All Pro Running BackChristian McCaffrey, U.S. Olympic lugerCourtney Zablocki,[38] Czech-American hockey playerMilan Hejduk,[39] andEthan Horvath, goalkeeper for theUnited States National Soccer Team andCardiff City F.C.,Gavin Sawchuk, Running Back for the University of Oklahoma, andJacob Lissek, professional and international goalkeeper.
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Media from Commons
Travel information from WikivoyageMunicipalities and communities ofDouglas County, Colorado,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |