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Highlands Ranch Community

The City of Lone Tree was incorporated in 1995 and lies on the east border of Highlands Ranch. Lone Tree is home to approximately 7,500 residents and has a land area of 8.5 square miles. Interstate C-470 borders lone Tree on the north and Interstate I-25 on the east. The Lone Tree Golf Club and the Park Meadows Resort Mall are two of the main attractions to the City of Lone Tree.

There are 20 churches in Highlands Ranch for different religions. Other houses of worship are also accessible in nearby communities. Highlands Ranch also offers numerous community activities throughout the year including Fourth of July celebration, Summer Concert Series, and Highlands Ranch Day.

Highlands Ranch Education

Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree are currently served by 15 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 3 high schools, which are part of the Douglas County School District. The final build-out of Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree will include 5 additional schools.

The mission of the Douglas County School District is to promote the acquisition of knowledge, the development of skills for learning, the understanding of ideals and values, and the enhancement of individual potential. The Douglas County School graduates will be prepared to further pursue their life goals and be citizens whose actions reflect sound character, ethical behavior, and a clear understanding of their own and other’s self-worth and dignity.

To achieve its mission statement the Douglas County School District commits to the following core values: Educational Excellence, Human Diversity, Individual Potential, Life-long Learning, Productive Effort, Shared Responsibility and Ethical Behavior.

Approximately 50% of the classroom teachers in the Douglas County School District have master’s degrees or PhDs. The average years of teaching experience is 10 years. The average class size 23.7 pupils per classroom teacher. The graduation rate is 86.8% and the approximate expenditure per pupil is $5,274 a year.

Highlands Ranch Recreation

The area is blessed with an abundance of recreation and outdoor facilities. There are public golf courses at The Links and The Highlands Ranch Golf Club in Highlands Ranch and The Lone Tree Golf Club in Lone Tree. Additional golf courses at South Suburban, Inverness, Meridian and The Ridge at Castle Pines North are minutes away.

The trail system in the area is at 70 miles and growing. Several miles of new trails are created every year. The longest trail is currently the Highline Canal Trail, which is 8 miles long. The trails are adequate for in-line skating, walking, jogging and cycling. Most of the trails are concrete and 8 feet wide.

There are currently 22 parks in the Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree area. Three of these parks are large multiple-use community parks at Redstone, Northridge and Falcon. Douglas County operates the 92-acre Highlands Heritage Regional Park. The park system accommodates sports teams of all types, tennis, skate parks, batting cages, picnic and family facilities.

The Highlands Ranch Metro District operates major recreation centers in Northridge, Westridge and Eastridge. A fourth center will be opening soon in Southridge. The South Suburban Recreation District is currently building a 50,000 square foot, $10,000,000 recreation center in the Lone Tree area. That center is scheduled to open in 2004. There are outdoor pools in Wildcat Ridge and pools and tennis courts in Heritage Hills and Heritage Estates.

The area has reserved nearly 3,000 acres of open space for the permanent enjoyment of the residents. The Wildcat Mountain Wildlife Reserve has set aside an additional 8,200 acres of open space to the south of Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree.

Highlands Ranch Transportation

Highlands Ranch commuters have access to the C-470, going east and west, that also connects to the I-25 which provides north and south access through the surrounding cities. Residents can also use the I-70 which goes through the Rocky Mountains, and the E-470 which provides easy access to the metro area and to the Denver International Airport.

The Denver International Airport is a 50-minute drive and Centennial Airport is 10-15 minutes from Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree. The Denver Tech Center is 10 minutes away and the sports, cultural and shopping areas in Denver are a 25-30 minute commute. The town of Castle Rock is 8 miles to the south along Interstate I-25 and the town of Parker is 6 miles to the east. The communities of Castle Pines North and Castle Pines Village are just a few mile due south.

Public transportation in Highlands Ranch is served by the Regional Transportation District. Denver International airport is a 40 minutes drive while the Centennial Airport is only a 16 minutes drive away from Highlands Ranch.