Highlands Ranch, Colorado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Census Designated Place
Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
Location of the Highlands Ranch CDP in Douglas County, Colorado.
Highlands Ranch, Colorado Location in the United States
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	3,985/sq mi (1,539/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP Code	80126, 80129, 80130 and 80163
Area codes	303 & 720
GNIS feature	Highlands Ranch CDP

Highlands Ranch is a large community in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. It's not officially a city, but it's a "census-designated place" (CDP). This means the government counts its population like a city. Highlands Ranch is part of the bigger Denver area. In 2020, over 105,000 people lived here, making it the biggest community in Colorado that isn't a city. The Highlands Ranch Metropolitan District helps provide services to the people living there.

History of Highlands Ranch

Early Days and First Settlers

Long ago, Native American tribes like the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho lived in the area. In 1682, a French explorer claimed the land for France, calling it "Louisiana." Later, it became Spanish, then French again. In 1803, the United States bought it as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

The first time European or U.S. explorers officially visited the area was in July 1820. This was during the Stephen H. Long's Expedition.

People started settling around Denver in 1859. But because there wasn't much water, this specific area wasn't settled until about 1870. The first person to legally own land here was Curtis H. Field. He bought land from the U.S. government in February 1870.

The Highlands Ranch Mansion

The famous Highlands Ranch Mansion was built between 1891 and 1904. The first owner was Samuel Allan Long. He bought a 40-acre farm in 1884 and made it much bigger. By 1891, he had a farmhouse called Rotherwood.

In 1898, John W. Springer bought the ranch. He made it a huge 10,000-acre ranch and farm. He even called the mansion "Castle Isabel" after his second wife. The mansion was later fixed up between 2010 and 2012.

Growth in the 20th Century

The Colorado Gold Rush brought many people to Colorado. The city of Denver grew a lot. But Highlands Ranch stayed mostly farms and ranches. People would go to nearby Littleton to buy things.

The ranch land was sold many times in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1937, Lawrence C. Phipps, Jr. bought it. He used it for raising cattle and hunting. After he passed away in 1976, Marvin Davis, an oil company owner, bought the land.

Becoming a Modern Suburb

In 1978, a company called The Mission Viejo Company bought a large piece of land. They wanted to build a new planned community, like one they had built in California. They called it Highlands Ranch.

They made plans for streets, schools, recreation centers, a town center, and a library. They sold land to home builders. This led to many different neighborhoods in Highlands Ranch. The plans also included "green belts" for open space and many parks and bike paths.

The first homes were built in 1981. A new highway, C-470, opened in 1985, making it easier to get around. At first, there weren't many stores, so people had to drive to Littleton for groceries or fun.

The first public school, Northridge Elementary, opened in 1982. The Northridge Recreation Center, a sports club, also opened that year. The first middle/high school opened in 1987. It later became Highlands Ranch High School. The first library branch opened in 1991.

Recent Times

Highlands Ranch grew quickly over the next 25 years. By 1991, it had 17,000 residents.

In 1997, Shea Properties took over from The Mission Viejo Company. They kept expanding the community. Big companies like Lucent Technologies and Avaya Communication opened offices here. In 2000, a much larger Highlands Ranch Library opened.

Highlands Ranch has experienced some difficult events. In December 2017, there was a shooting incident at an apartment complex. In May 2019, there was a shooting incident at the STEM School Highlands Ranch. In June 2023, a strong tornado caused damage to trees, roofs, and fences, but thankfully no one was hurt.

Geography and Location

Highlands Ranch is in central Colorado. It's about 13 miles (21 km) south of downtown Denver. It's also about 13 miles (21 km) north of Castle Rock, which is the county seat.

Highlands Ranch is a suburb of Denver. It's part of the larger Denver metropolitan area. It borders other suburbs like Littleton and Centennial to the north. To the east are Acres Green and Lone Tree. To the west is Chatfield State Park.

The total area of Highlands Ranch is about 24.3 square miles (62.9 square kilometers). Only a very small part of this is water.

Population and People

The United States Census Bureau first counted Highlands Ranch as a CDP in 1990.

In 2010, there were 96,713 people living in Highlands Ranch. There were over 34,000 households. Many families lived there, with 48% of households having children under 18. Most households (67.5%) were married couples.

The average age of people in Highlands Ranch was about 36 years old. About 32% of the population was under 18.

The average income for a household in 2010 was about $104,411. For families, it was about $113,944. Only a small number of families (1.1%) lived below the poverty line.

Economy and Jobs

Many people in Highlands Ranch work. In 2013, about 75% of people over 16 had jobs. Most jobs were in management, business, science, and arts (58.2%). Sales and office jobs were also common (26.4%).

The main industries where people worked were:

• Education, healthcare, and social help (20.5%)
• Professional, scientific, and management services (16.1%)
• Finance, insurance, and real estate (12.2%)

The cost of living in Highlands Ranch is a bit higher than the average for the U.S. In 2013, the average home value was $335,900.

Some well-known companies have their main offices in Highlands Ranch. These include UDR, Inc. and Peterson's. Visa Inc. also has a big operations center here.

Education

Highlands Ranch is part of the Douglas County School District. This district serves all the public schools in the area.

High Schools

• Highlands Ranch High School
• Mountain Vista High School
• Rock Canyon High School
• SkyView Academy
• STEM School Highlands Ranch
• ThunderRidge High School
• Valor Christian High School (Private school)

Middle Schools

• Ben Franklin Academy (Charter school)
• Cherry Hills Christian Middle School (Private school)
• Cresthill Middle School
• Mountain Ridge Middle School
• Platte River Academy (Charter school)
• Ranch View Middle School
• STEM School Highlands Ranch
• Skyview Academy
• Rocky Heights Middle School

Elementary Schools

• Arma Dei Academy (Private school)
• Arrowwood Elementary
• Acres Green Elementary
• Bear Canyon Elementary
• Ben Franklin Academy (Charter school)
• Buffalo Ridge Elementary School
• Cherry Hills Christian School (Private school)
• Copper Mesa Elementary
• Cougar Run Elementary
• Coyote Creek Elementary
• Eagle Ridge Elementary
• Eldorado Elementary
• Fox Creek Elementary
• Heritage Elementary
• Mile High Academy
• Northridge Elementary
• North Star Academy Charter School (Charter school)
• Platte River Academy (Charter school)
• Redstone Elementary
• Saddle Ranch Elementary
• Sand Creek Elementary
• Summit View Elementary
• STEM School Highlands Ranch
• Stone Mountain Elementary
• Timber Trail Elementary
• Trailblazer Elementary
• Wildcat Mountain Elementary
• Sky Ridge Academy
• Skyview Academy (Charter school)

Notable People

Many interesting people have lived in or are from Highlands Ranch. These include:

• Actress Keri Russell
• Physicist William C. Davidon
• NFL All-Pro Running Back Christian McCaffrey
• U.S. Olympic luger Courtney Zablocki
• Czech hockey player Milan Hejduk
• Ethan Horvath, a goalkeeper for the U.S. National Soccer Team and Cardiff City F.C.
• Gavin Sawchuk, a Running Back for the University of Oklahoma
• Jacob Lissek, a professional and international goalkeeper

See also

In Spanish: Highlands Ranch para niños