Why you'd want to live in Highlands Ranch

Now a suburb of Denver, Highlands Ranch was first settled around 1860, most notably by Rufus Clark, the so-called Potato King. One of the area’s earliest philanthropists, he donated money and land to what became some of the area’s finest parks. Highlands Ranch is a 22,000-acre master-planned community founded in 1981. The community has a population of 96,000 people. Highlands Ranch is located 12 miles south of Denver in Douglas County and offers a wonderful quality of life and opportunities for an active lifestyle. Highlands Ranch has received national recognition for its great quality of life and amenities. Our community has been named by NerdWallet as one of the best places to raise families in Colorado, recognized nationally by Forbes as one of the top places to move in the nation. Business Week also named Highlands Ranch one of the best places to raise kids. Not only is Highlands Ranch receiving accolades, so is Douglas County. In August 2014, Douglas County ranked second in Movoto Real Estate’s 10 Best Counties in America list. Highlands Ranch boasts 19 parks, several of which include off-leash areas for dogs. More than 60 miles of trails allow for running, biking or simply a short stroll. In addition to the trail and park system, Highlands Ranch has set aside more than 2,000 acres of undeveloped land for exploring. Many other activities including inline skating — either on the bike trails or in the inline hockey arena — await visitors here. For the younger traveler, two public skate parks and a myriad of sporting opportunities abound at the parks scattered around the city. Highlands Ranch is also home to some of the best restaurants in the Denver metro area. Head to Bisetti’s Ristorante, a family-owned venue offering a diverse menu, from Venetian crab cakes to Bistecca Marsala. Top off a great meal with fresh ice cream from the Red Rooster Creamery.