Today thousands of families and more than one-thousand businesses call scenic Highlands Ranch home, making it one of the most sought after communities in the region.

The ivy draped, English-Tudor style Highlands Ranch Mansion, which still stands, along with a towering stone windmill, was erected atop these commanding heights east of the South Platte River Valley in the late 1800s on an estate that eventually grew to 23,000 acres.

Several years after relocating his Arapahoe Hunt Club to the highlands, Lawrence Phipps Jr. purchased the entire estate in 1937 for use as a cattle ranch. The price? $250! A steal, even then, considering that the magnificent Front Range view alone is priceless.

Located 12 miles south of Denver along C-470 and just a mile west of I-25, Highlands Ranch enjoys excellent access to Downtown Denver, DIA, mountain resorts, and world-class business parks and shopping centers. Renowned Park Meadows Mall is minutes away on the north side of C-470.

With 61 percent of the area devoted to recreation, and 85 percent of residences located within one-quarter mile of a park, open space, or trail, Highlands Ranch numbers among the top 20 master-planned communities in the nation. It was named best selling master-planned community in 1993-94.

Virtually a self-contained community, Highlands Ranch is the epitome of healthful Colorado living. Outdoor recreational facilities include 70 miles of paved and crushed-gravel trails and 21 parks ranging from quaint pockets of green to full-featured community parks.

Two golf courses, the Links and Highlands Golf, offer an exhilarating golfing experience to players at all levels, while state-of-the-art Shea Stadium at Redstone Park boasts seating for 3000, a press box, filming balcony, and electronic scoreboard for soccer, football, special events.

The New-Urbanist style Town Center, dominated by a soaring 72-foot clock tower, has given Highlands Ranch a pedestrian oriented heart in the manner of a traditional downtown neighborhood replete with a variety of residences, shops, eateries, and municipal offices.

Featured along intimate avenues are the Civic Green, community library, widely acclaimed Tattered Cover Bookstore, a day-care center, and convenient RTD Park-n-Ride offering connections to both the southwest and southeast Light-Rail corridors.

Popular anchor stores include Home Depot, Office Max, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Among myriad other activity centers are the AMC 24 Theaters, Centennial Business Park, Wildcat Shopping Center, Gateway Center and Centura Health Care, Marketplace I & II, University Park, and the Shops at Highlands Walk.