Highlands Ranch, Colorado
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Highlands Ranch is a census-designated place (CDP) in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The population is 208,143
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[edit] Geography
Highlands Ranch is located at (39.544549, -104.968080)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 61.0 km² (23.5 mi²). 60.9 km² (23.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.09%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 70,931 people, 24,544 households, and 19,744 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,164.4/km² (3,015.4/mi²). There were 25,421 housing units at an average density of 417.3/km² (1,080.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.78% White, 0.01% African American, 0.33% Native American, 4.03% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.02% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.42% of the population.
There were 24,544 households out of which 49.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.0% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 14.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 32.7% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 41.9% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 3.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $86,792, and the median income for a family was $92,563. Males had a median income of $62,474 versus $40,910 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $34,707. 1.8% of the population and 1.2% of families were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under the age of 18 and 4.1% of those 65 and older.
Homes range in price from starter-home levels on up to $1,500,000+ houses, as well as at least 4 high schools and many primary schools.
[edit] History
[edit] Beginnings
Like many parts of the front range of Colorado, the first residents of Highlands Ranch were Native Americans. The area was populated by a number of nomadic tribes, including the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. The first European explorers of Highlands Ranch were Spanish. Highlands Ranch was on the western fringes of the Louisiana Purchase when it was sold to the United States in 1803.
Highlands Ranch was not permenantly settled until 1859. In this year, Dad Rufus "Potato" Clark purchased a 160-acre homestead from the United States. Clark grew prosperous as he planted and sold potato crops, eventually becoming known as the "Potato King of Colorado". Other residents soon moved to the area, and planted crops or raised livestock. The famous Highlands Ranch Mansion (or "Castle Isabel") was built over a period of several years, from 1891 to 1904. The large house was built by John Springer, an eastern businessman, who moved to Colorado for the sake of his wife's health. Springer bought about 23,000 acres of ranch land in the area and used it to raise cattle.
[edit] 20th Century
The Colorado Gold Rush brought people to Colorado in droves during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The city of Denver, located several miles to the north, grew considerably during this time. However, Highlands Ranch remained a series of farms and ranches, and many residents would visit the town of Littleton, 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 1920's and 1930's. In 1937 it was bought by Lawrence C. Phipps, Jr. who used it to raise cattle and hunt fox. After Phipps died in 1976, the land was bought by Marvin Davis, the owner of an oil company.
[edit] The Ranch Becomes a Suburb
In 1978 Highlands Ranch was purchased by Mission Viejo. As the suburbs of Denver expanded, Mission Veijo desired to build a new planned suburb in northern Douglas County, akin to its first planned development of Mission Viejo, California (a suburb of Los Angeles). 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 as Richmond 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. These homes were built off of an extension of South Broadway from Littleton. Simultaneously, the state of Colorado made plans to build a new interstate beltway through the area called C-470, which opened in 1985. 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) to go grocery shopping, rent videos, or attend medical appointments. The first public school, Northridge Elementary opened its doors in 1982. This year also saw the completion of the [Northridge Recreation Center]], an athletic club avaliable to all Highlands Ranch residents. The first secondary school, Highlands Ranch Jr/Sr High School, opened its doors in 1987. This institution became solely a high school, named Highlands Ranch High School in 1991 with the building of nearby Cresthill Middle School. The first public library also opened in 1991 and was housed in a strip mall.
[edit] Massive Growth
Highlands Ranch quickly achieved a reputation as a promising community. Over the next twenty-five years, the population of Highlands Ranch grew exponentially. In 1991, Highlands Ranch celebrated its tenth anniversary with a population of 17,000 residents. Over the next ten years, Highlands Ranch continued to engage in residential and commercial development on a massive scale. This development was augmented by the building of the Park Meadows Retail Center in nearby Lone Tree.
In 1997, Mission Viejo was acquired by Shea Homes. Shea Homes continued to lay plans for expansion of Highlands Ranch. This included the luring of the corperate headquarters of Lucent Technologies to the area. The year 2000 saw the opening of the a much larger Highlands Ranch Public Library as well as the establishment of the Highlands Ranch Chamber of Commerce.
[edit] Highlands Ranch Today
Highlands Ranch celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2006, reporting a population of 86,000 residents. Despite a growing number of local businesses, Highlands Ranch has often been labeled as a "bedroom community" of Denver. Many residents commute to Downtown Denver or the Denver Technological Center.
Highlands Ranch has experienced a certain amount of growing pains. Traffic continues to be a major issue on the town's arteries as well as C-470. Developers have engaged in fearsome battles for water rights throughout Highlands Ranch. The communinity has also faced challenges with teenagers (see the section on Controversy below).
[edit] Governance and Community Covenant
Highlands Ranch is an unincorperated community. As such, it is officially titled "unincorperated Douglas County" (despite the appearance of the name "Highlands Ranch" on many maps). The community utilizes fire and police protection of Douglas County, and all public schools are part of the Douglas County School System.
As an unincorperated community, Highlands Ranch is ultimately goverened by a three-member Board of County Comissioners. These comissioners are elected from three geographic districts in Highlands Ranch. In addition, all Highlands Ranch residents are asked to sign and follow a Community Covenant. This covenant places firm guidelines on such issues as housing decoration, fencing, and contribution to the area's library and recreation centers. The covenant is enforced by the Highlands Ranch Community Association, or "HRCA".
[edit] Boundaries
As Highlands Ranch is still an unincorperated community, the boudaries are somewhat undefined (although the land belonging to Shea Homes does make this matter clearer). The generally accepted boudaries are the Douglas County Line to the north, Quebec Street to the east, Santa Fe Boulevard to the west, and Daniels Park to the south.
Highlands Ranch is bordered by Littleton to the north, the community of Lone Tree to the east, and the towns of Castle Pines and Sedalia to the south.
[edit] Schools
[edit] High Schools
- Highlands Ranch High School
- Mountain Vista High School
- Rock Canyon High School
- Thunder Ridge High School
[edit] Middle Schools
- Cresthill Middle School
- Mountain Ridge Middle School
- Ranch View Middle School
- Rocky Heights Middle School
[edit] Elementary Schools
- Arrowwood Elementary
- Bear Canyon Elementary
- Copper Mesa Elementary
- Cougar Run Elementary
- Coyote Creek Elementary
- Eldorado Elementary
- Fox Creek Elementary
- Heritage Elementary
- Northridge Elementary
- Redstone Elementary
- Saddle Ranch Elementary
- Sand Creek Elementary
- Summit View Elementary
- Trailblazer Elementary
[edit] Controversy
Highlands Ranch is often used in the national media as the textbook example of urban sprawl. Being primarily composed of single-use zoning, residents are nearly entirely dependent on the automobile as a means of transportation. It is on the fringes of the metro area and consists of some of the areas lowest housing densities, along with a relative dearth of office and retail. What differentiates Highlands Ranch from surrounding communities is its massive area and population (if incorporated, it would be one of the largest cities in Colorado). There are few examples of a single residential development of such massive size anywhere else in the country. Some argue that Highlands Ranch is a primary contributor to traffic woes on Colorado State Highway 470 and on Interstate 25.
Others counter that Highlands Ranch is no different from most other suburban development in Denver and around the nation. It is merely its size and population that gives it such a high profile. Highlands Ranch residents tend to be very satisfied with their living situation, arguing that they have little interest in living in higher density neighborhoods. In fact, many in Highlands Ranch championed the extension of Light Rail to southern areas of metro Denver to allow for easier commutes downtown.
[edit] Issues with Youth
In recent years, there have been many issues with teenagers in Highlands Ranch. In 1992 Highlands Ranch High School students Marcus Fernandez and TJ White were detained by Colorado State Trooper Lyle Wohlers on a stretch of Interstate 70 near Georgetown, Colorado. At the time, the youths were driving a stolen car. After Wohlers called for assistance, he was shot and killed by Fernandez. Fernandez and White were tried as adults. Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison, and White recieved 32 years of prison as an accomplice. In the wake of the shooting, many Colorado residents were stunned that such a violent outburst could come out of two teenagers from an affluent community.
In 1993, Highlands Ranch High School became ensnared in a conflict with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. This occured when the high school's theater department peformed a production of "The Foreigner" by Larry Shue. This play featured white students wearing the garb of the Ku Klux Klan. The NAACP expressed its concern about the appearance of the play's Klan memembers in a school that was almost completely white. The NAACP stated that the play was ill-timed, as it was performed soon after a violent protest of a Klan rally in Denver on Martin Luther King Day. The concerns were broadcast throughout the Denver media. However, despite its controversy, the production went ahead, and was performed to sold-out audiences.
In January of 1996, several residents were startled by the appearance of an elusive group called the SRA. The SRA was allegedly a cohort of teenage boys that delivered flyers and toilet-paper-wrapped coat hangers to Highlands Ranch ouses at night. These youths shouted slogans as they drove through the streets of the community. The SRA created an uproar in Highlands Ranch when a copy of a self-labeled "manifesto" was delivered to local newspapers and the police department. This manifesto took the form of a rambling free verse poem accusing the people of Highlands Ranch of hypocrisy and insensitivity to the poor. By the beginning of February, the SRA seemed to halt its actions. Throughout Denver, SRA copy-cat organizations (with various acronym names) were formed in several high schools, but these organizations seemeed focus more on juvinile pranks and vandalism.
Rates of drug and alchohol abuse among teenagers rose significantly during the late 1990's. In 1996, a major drug sting was conducted at Highlands Ranch High School, leading to the arrest of several students. The focus on Highlands Ranch teens was further intensified after the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in bordering Littleton. Since this event, Highlands Ranch schools have invested heavily in school security and non-violence programs.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
