Highlands Ranch Douglas County

Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Douglas County, Colorado, United States. CDP is part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. Denver is located approximately 12 miles north. The Highlands Ranch CDP covers 15,548 acres (62.920 km2), including 16 acres (0.065 km2) of water.

Located on Colorado State Highway 470 in central Colorado, Highlands Ranch is 13 miles (21 km) south of downtown Denver and 13 miles (21 km) north-northwest of Castle Rock, the county seat. As a suburb of Denver, Highlands Ranch is part of both the greater Denver metropolitan area and the Front Range Urban Corridor. It borders several other Denver suburbs including Littleton and Centennial to the north and Acres Green and Lone Tree to the east. In addition, Highlands Ranch borders Chatfield State Park to the west.

Highlands Ranch is home to Highlands Ranch Mansion. Another recreational area is Play Street Museum – Highlands Ranch. The community is teeming with parks and green spaces including Sand Creek Park, Playground, Cougar Run Park, Links Golf Course, Cheese Ranch, Highland Heritage Regional Park, Highlands Ranch Community Association – Southridge Rec Center, Civic Green Park, Foothills Park, Discovery Park/Main Gate, Redstone Park, and Windmill Park. UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital is located on the western half of Colorado State Highway 470.

Highlands Ranch is teeming with schools including Arrowwood Elementary, Acres Green Elementary, Bear Canyon Elementary, Buffalo Ridge Elementary School, Cresthill Middle School, Mountain Ridge Middle School, Ranch View Middle School, STEM School Highlands Ranch, Rocky Heights Middle School, 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.