Area Descriptions
If you’re new to the Pikes Peak region, these descriptions will help familiarize you with different areas where you may be searching for a home.
All listings in the MLS include a code that indicates the area where the property is located. These codes are listed below. Each of these areas is described in more detail in this appendix along with a map that indicates the general boundaries of each area. Review this appendix to help acquaint you with the Pikes Peak region.
Code Area
BLA Black Forest
BRI Briargate (north and northeast of city within city limits)
CEN Central and Downtown
DIV Divide (west of Woodland Park)
EAS East (N of downtown east to Powers Road)
FAL Falcon
F/V Fountain Valley, Security & Widefield
MAN Manitou Springs
N/E Northeast
N/W Northwest (Peregrine, Rockrimmon, Mtn Shadows)
NGT Northgate (across from USAFA incl. Gleneagle)
OCC Old Colorado City (E of Manitou, W of downtown)
PWR Powers (E of Powers incl. Stetson Hills, Springs Ranch, Cimmaron Hills)
RCK Rock Creek (SW of town, N of Ft. Carson)
S/E Southeast (S of Pikes Peak, E to Powers)
S/W Southwest (W of I-25, S of Bear Creek Park)
TRI Tri-Lakes (N of city limits incl. Monument and Palmer Lake)
UTE Ute Pass (Cascade, Green Mtn. Falls, Chipita Park)
WES West end (S of Garden of the Gods, W of I-25)
WPK Woodland Park (20 min. W of Manitou)
Black Forest School Districts 20, 38, 49
Black Forest is a huge secluded area northeast of Colorado Springs typically characterized by a residence on 2.5 to 10 acres. Many of these lots are wooded acreage, although others are wide open. Trees come at a premium price, with the greatest lot premium for mature, healthy ponderosa, a meadow, a great Pike’s Peak view and a “close-in” location in Academy District 20. Many of the homes were built in the last 15 years, although others date back considerably further. Many are zoned for horses and afford large acreage at a reasonable value. New-built areas east in District 49 include Woodmen Hills, Falcon Hills and Latigo Trails, priced from $200,000 to $400,000 on 3- to 7-acre lots. Higher end communities include Abert, Bridle Bit and Pine Cone Ranch, and private tracts on 10+ acres that qualify as full estates.
Briargate School District 20
The first planned community in Colorado Springs, Briargate is 10-20 minutes north of downtown with homes ranging from $160,000 to $600,000. A large variety of homes are available, and many of the neighborhoods offer desirable amenities such as greenbelts, parks, wide road lanes and open space. A popular location due to the well-regarded District 20 schools, Briargate offers strong historical resale values and easy access to most of Colorado Springs and south Denver.
Central School District 11
The Central Springs offers some of the more identifiable neighborhoods in the city. The “Old North End” has prestigious Victorian-era homes from $400,000 to over $1 million. Other neighborhoods built in the 1930s through the 1960s are as well-kept and charming as any in the city and are less expensive. A limited number of newer homes can be found in the southern section of this area near Valley Hi Golf Course. Some of the subareas include Divine Redeemer, Patty Jewett, Prospect Lake, Knob Hill and Roswell.
Divide School District RE2
Ten minutes west of Woodland Park and almost another 700 feet higher, Divide is at the top of Ute Pass. It is a small town spread out over several square miles. Many homes are single family with acreage. There are subdivisions on municipal water lines in Divide, but most homes are outlying on private well, septic and propane. Most of the subdivisions are semi-custom, small homes (less than 2000 total square feet) in a mountain setting. There are some larger properties, including residences on large acreage in Elk Valley, with some homes topping a million dollars in value. The Divide City Center is 35 minutes west of downtown Colorado Springs, although outlying areas in Divide may be as much as another 25 minutes removed from town.
East School District 11
Palmer Park, a signature open space, is contained almost entirely within this region as well as one of the city’s two major shopping malls, the Citadel. Eastern Colorado Springs offers a great deal of housing variety, from inexpensive homes near the Citadel Mall to acreage in the city limits near Peyton Pines. Prices range from $80,000 to $500,000 depending upon location and lot size. There has been very little new construction in this established area over the last ten years, but there are some isolated pockets. Some of the neighborhoods that exist in eastern Colorado Springs are often overlooked, primarily because homes are rarely listed. Country Club, Villa Loma and the homes on the ridge near Chelton and Maizeland all offer exceptional style and views. Village 7 and Homestead offer consistent values, and homes there typically sell and rent quickly.
Falcon School District 49
East of Marksheffel Blvd. is classified as Falcon, a rural area characterized by rolling hills and prairie. Many of the homes are on very large lots, many in excess of an acre, with true acreage existing throughout the area. Homes under $200,000 generally are tied down mobiles or modulars on a foundation. The exception is new construction in Woodmen Hills on the northern end of the area. Close proximity to Schriever Air Force Base.
Fountain Valley School Districts 3, 8
This area south of the city offers some of the more affordable housing in the metro area. The area features subdivisions and track homes in a wide price range. Some of the communities are more rural in nature. All are within close proximity to NORAD, Peterson AFB and Fort Carson. Working north to south, visitors first reach Security on the northwest corner of the area, followed closely by the larger Widefield area. Fountain is its own town and does not share utilities or services with the city of Colorado Springs.
Manitou School District 14
An area unto itself, Manitou is on the far west side of the city of Colorado Springs, bordering Garden of the Gods on the east and Pike’s Peak on the west. It is an arts community with a high tourism base, and housing opportunities vary from older Victorian-era cottages to unique hillside homes and a subdivision known as Crystal Hills. Crystal Park (above Crystal Hills) is a private, 2000-acre gated community on the foothills of Pike’s Peak. Cedar Heights is an exclusive gated community west of Garden of the Gods. Prices range from $300,000 to multi-million-dollar properties with unique views in three directions.
Northeast School Districts 11, 20
This is one of the earlier Colorado Springs expansions with the Academy and Union Blvd. intersection acting as the hub. Vista Grande, Garden Ranch and Deliverance are some of the more affordable neighborhoods, and the many neighborhoods of Norwood generally represent the newer areas. Newer still is University Park, which is on the southwest corner of this area with a commanding view of Pike’s Peak, downtown and Garden of the Gods. Like its more established northern neighbors, Erindale and Brookwood, this area offers semi-custom to full-custom homes. Please note that a strip of homes south of Briargate and north of Deliverance Drive are District 20 homes in the N/E region. All others are School District 11.
Northwest School Districts 11, 20
Most of this area was undeveloped prior to 1970, when Rockrimmon began development. Additional developments include Mountain Shadows, Oak Valley Ranch and Pinon Valley in School District 11, and Peregrine and Pinecliff (aka Point of the Pines), Southface, Tamarron, Woodstone, Woodmen Valley and Woodmen Oaks in School District 20. This area is characterized by larger homes set in a foothill environment often near open space. View lots generally have the largest homes. Home values range from $85,000 condos to $1,000,000 homes in Peregrine and Woodman Oaks backing to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Northgate School District 20
Ten minutes north of Colorado Springs and to the east of the Air Force Academy, many of the Gleneagle homes sit alongside the Gleneagle Golf Course. Other homes are located further east approaching the Black Forest on 2.5- to 5-acre lots. Lot sizes are varied and, like Monument, the views are often excellent. Just to the south are Trailridge and the many new construction neighborhoods of this post-1998 master-planned community. These new neighborhoods include Deer Creek, Trailridge, Serenity Park and Middle Creek Manor. The master plan does include a new private resort community called Flying Horse Ranch and future access to the south via Powers Boulevard expansion.
Old Colorado City School District 11
Just west of downtown and stretching to Manitou is a mostly commercial district known as Old Colorado City. Home of the 19th century gold-processing operation, Old Colorado City is surrounded on the north by an older neighborhood of bungalows and Victorian houses. Some condominium and townhome complexes have been built on the three bluffs, and a development of homes is being built between Highway 24 and Bear Creek Park known as Crown Hill Mesa.
Powers School Districts 11, 49
The area east of Powers Road is uniformly called Powers. This area is a combination of near-new developments and 15-year-old developments. Springs Ranch and Stetson Hills are the two largest and fastest growing active developments in Colorado Springs. Stetson Hills is on the north, and Springs Ranch is on the south. Further south, Cimarron Hills is older, smaller and slightly more affordable in the county and not the city. Additional subareas include Ridgeview, Indigo Ranch, Constitution Hills and Northcrest.
Rock Creek School District 8
Northwest of Fort Carson and southwest of Cheyenne Mountain are canyons and hillsides with larger homes on acreage. This area, also known as Turkey Creek Canyon, is largely characterized by sun-exposed slopes, arid terrain and tremendous views and privacy. The area is 20 to 40 minutes from downtown Colorado Springs depending upon lot and is also easily accessible to Canon City and Pueblo.
Southeast School Districts 2, 11
Southeastern Colorado Springs offers the least expensive housing in the metro area. Homes are typically smaller; however, there has been some limited new home construction occurring over the last few years with larger homes (3000 total square feet) in the $160s. An enormous area on the map, S/E typically has some of the largest selection of homes due to the large number of existing homes already built.
Southwest Districts 2, 12, 11
This area is split into two parts—District 2 and District 12. District 2 homes are built after 1950, and new construction has tapered off to in-fill levels. A number of home styles exist, with the majority being $140,000 to $200,000. New construction is available around $200,000. There are also numerous townhomes and patio homes in this area, and demand has greatly increased since the completion of the new World Arena and the establishment of the surrounding area as a commercial hub. District 12 includes some of the most expensive real estate in the city, including the prestigious Broadmoor and upper Skyway neighborhoods. New construction is still ongoing in the Broadmoor Bluffs/Spires area. With the exception of a few townhome complexes and older homes in Ivywild and lower Skyway, almost all prices range upwards of $200,000 in these neighborhoods.
Tri-Lakes School District 38
This area lies 20 minutes north of Colorado Springs in the pines, rolling hills and the “Tri Lakes” (Monument, Palmer & Woodmoor). Homes are among the largest and most expensive in the area. Properties also include some of the more striking views of the front range. Subareas include Woodmoor, King’s Deer, Bent Tree, Higby Estates, Fox Run, Wing Tip, Canterbury, Palmer Lake, Forest View, Timberview, High Forest Ranch and Jackson Creek.
Ute Pass School District 14
Ute Pass is actually three little towns working their way up US Highway 24 before reaching Woodland Park. Cascade is at the base of Pike’s Peak. Chipita Park and Green Mountain Falls dot the southern hillside just inside the El Paso County line. All are in Manitou, school district 14. Elevation ranges from 7100 feet to almost 8200 feet at Green Mountain Falls. Sloping lots filled with trees are common.
West School District 11
Western Colorado Springs is generally defined by land west of the I-25 corridor. However, the local MLS area does include a strip ten blocks either side of Fillmore to Union Blvd. Western Colorado Springs offers close proximity to many high-tech companies as well as downtown. The largest landmark is Garden of the Gods Park and surrounding open space. These features add value to older established neighborhoods like Pleasant Valley. Home prices are generally higher on this side of town due to the foothill setting and proximity to some of the city’s more expensive developments such as Kissing Camels.
Woodland Park School District RE2
Woodland Park is a town of 12,000 people at 8450 feet. It has its own grocery stores and amenities, some nice restaurants and several surreal views of Pike’s Peak. Single family homes are the rule, with values ranging from mobiles and modulars on the land at $100,000, to executive community subdivisions in the $350,000 to $1,000,000 range, to magnificent multi-million-dollar mountain estates on acreage (typically 35+ acres). “Woodland” is 25 minutes from downtown Colorado Springs