Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a allocation of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the Highlands Ranch CDP was 105,631 at the United States Census 2020, making it the most populous unincorporated community in the State of Colorado. The Highlands Ranch Metropolitan District provides facilities to the community, which lies in ZIP Codes 80126, 80129, 80130, and 80163 (for proclaim office boxes).

Like many parts of the Colorado Front Range, the first residents of the area were Native Americans. The Place was populated by a number of nomadic tribes, including the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. Because it was share of the Mississippi River Drainage Area, it was claimed by France by French opportunist René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle and it was named as part of “Louisiana” in 1682. The Spanish gained Louisiana in 1763, and returned it to France in 1801. This area of what is now Northern Douglas County, was in the Louisiana Purchase similar to it was sold to the United States in 1803.

The Stephen H. Long’s Expedition of 1820 entered the area at the coming on of July 1820. That was the first documented exploration of the Place by European or United States explorers.

Much of the Denver Metro Area began to be established as ranch land starting in 1859, but because of a want of water in the area, it was not permanently granted until something like 1870. The first genuine settler of the Place was Curtis H. Field, who purchased estate just on the west side of Santa Fe Drive from the US government on February 25, 1870.