What are homes like in Centennial?
Centennial is a separate city in Arapahoe County, south of Denver, incorporated in 2001. Most of its homes are detached single family houses in subdivisions built between 1970 and 1999, with newer pockets, townhomes and apartments mixed in. Many neighborhoods have an HOA with its own covenants, so the rules for a given street can differ from the city’s code.
Centennial homes are mostly suburban single family houses on subdivision lots, spread across a city of nearly 30 square miles on both sides of Interstate 25. Centennial is its own municipality, not a Denver neighborhood, with its own council, land development code and permits. This guide covers where Centennial is, how it came together, the rules that shape what you can build, and what we suggest buyers and sellers look at closely. For current asking prices and inventory, use the live numbers at the top of this page.
Where is Centennial?
Centennial sits in Arapahoe County on the south side of the Denver metro. According to its general summary, it borders Greenwood Village and Aurora on the north, Littleton on the west, Foxfield and Aurora on the east, and Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree and Parker on the south. It covers about 29.9 square miles, and Interstate 25 roughly splits it in half, with most of the shopping and office uses on the west side.
The boundaries are irregular. East of Interstate 25, residential areas form a checkerboard with Foxfield, parts of Aurora and unincorporated Arapahoe County, so two houses that look like neighbors can sit in different jurisdictions with different taxes and services. Always confirm the city in the legal description, not just the mailing address. Interstate 25 leads north to the Denver Tech Center and downtown Denver, and Arapahoe Road, home to the Centennial Civic Center, is the main east and west route through the middle of the city.
How did Centennial come together?
Centennial is a young city made of older neighborhoods. The city’s history page says voters approved incorporation on September 12, 2000, by a wide margin, and the city officially began on February 7, 2001, when its first officers were sworn in. Voters approved a home rule charter on June 10, 2008. The name refers to Colorado’s admission as a state in 1876, the centennial of the Declaration of Independence.
Much of the city was built decades before it existed. The former Southglenn and Castlewood census designated places were folded into Centennial at incorporation. Southglenn was built as a master planned development by Jordon Perlmutter, and the Southglenn Mall opened in 1974 at Arapahoe Road and University Boulevard. That mall closed in 2006 and was rebuilt as The Streets at SouthGlenn, which opened on August 28, 2009 with space for retail, business and residential uses.
What are the homes like?
Housing data compiled by NeighborhoodScout shows most of Centennial’s homes were built between 1970 and 1999, with smaller shares from the 1940s through the 1960s and from 2000 on. Detached single family homes make up most of the stock, followed by apartments and then townhomes and other attached homes. Three and four bedroom homes are the most common sizes.
In practice most streets are subdivisions where houses went up within a few years of each other, in the plans and materials of their decade, on suburban lots along curving streets and cul de sacs. Each subdivision has its own builder plans and lot pattern, so compare homes within the same subdivision first. Many of the older houses have been updated inside, and the quality and age of kitchens, baths, windows and roofs varies widely between houses on the same street.
What rules shape what you can build?
Centennial has its own Land Development Code, updated in 2010 according to the city’s milestones page. Zoning districts set lot coverage, setbacks and allowed uses, and the city’s property search shows the district for any address.
- HOA covenants. Many Centennial subdivisions have a homeowners association with covenants on exterior colors, fences, additions and more. The city’s ADU page says plainly that HOAs may have their own rules, some may prohibit ADUs, and meeting them is the owner’s responsibility.
- Accessory dwelling units. Centennial now allows ADUs in its AG, RS, RA, RU, NC and NI districts, under the ADU section of the Land Development Code, with a required presubmittal meeting, a separate address and a will serve letter from each utility district.
- Utility and special districts. Water and sewer service often comes from separate utility districts rather than the city, which is why the ADU process asks for those will serve letters. Check the districts listed on a property’s Arapahoe County tax bill.
Streets, parks and getting around
Centennial Center Park, at 13050 East Peakview Avenue, opened in 2012 as the city’s first city owned park and has an amphitheater, playground, seasonal splash pad and walking trails. The High Line Canal Trail, Willow Creek Trail, and Big Dry Creek and Little Dry Creek trails cross the city, along with DeKoevend Park and Dry Creek Dam.
The city’s parks have grown with it. According to the milestones page, Centennial Center Park is part of the Parker Jordan Centennial Open Space, broke ground in 2011 and added a four acre expansion in 2023 with an Arapahoe County Open Spaces grant. The history page notes that Dove Valley Regional Park came into the city through a 2022 annexation. When you look at a home near open space, ask the city which parcels are dedicated park or open space and which could still be developed.
RTD’s Dry Creek station, at 9450 East Dry Creek Road, opened on November 17, 2006 and serves the E, R and T lines. Centennial Airport is next to the city but sits in unincorporated Arapahoe County, so check flight paths if a home is near it.
Buying in Centennial
We usually advise buyers to start with three documents: the HOA covenants and budget, the list of special districts on the tax bill, and the property’s zoning district. Those three tell you more about what you can change and what you will pay to own the home than the listing does.
For homes from the 1970s and 1980s, a sewer line scope, a roof and window age check, and a look at the original furnace, water heater and electrical panel are worth doing. Colorado’s expansive soils make a foundation review sensible on any house, and radon testing applies statewide. Ask whether the home is in Cherry Creek Public Schools or Littleton Public Schools, since both districts serve parts of the city, and confirm the assigned school with the district.
Selling in Centennial
Buyers in Centennial compare houses that are often similar in age and plan, so condition and updates carry the decision: kitchen and bath work, roof age, mechanical systems and yard. We suggest pricing against sales in the same subdivision or a closely matched one, with the same school district and HOA situation, rather than a citywide figure. Have HOA documents, permits for any additions and service records ready before you list. If you have finished a basement or added a room, make sure the permit is closed, because buyers and their inspectors in Centennial routinely ask.
How does Centennial compare with nearby cities?
Just to the north, Greenwood Village homes sit in a separate city with its own zoning and covenants. For acreage and estate lots closer to Denver, compare Cherry Hills Village, and for a separate city farther south in Douglas County, see Castle Pines. All of our guides are on the neighborhoods page.
| At a glance | Centennial |
|---|---|
| City and county | City of Centennial, Arapahoe County |
| Incorporated | February 7, 2001; home rule charter 2008 |
| Main building years | 1970 to 1999, with newer pockets |
| Typical housing | Detached single family homes in subdivisions, plus townhomes and apartments |
| School districts | Cherry Creek Public Schools and Littleton Public Schools |
| Parks and trails | Centennial Center Park, High Line Canal Trail, Willow Creek Trail |
| Light rail | Dry Creek station, E, R and T lines |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Centennial part of Denver?
No. Centennial is a separate home rule city in Arapahoe County, incorporated on February 7, 2001. It has its own city council, land development code and permits, and it is not part of the City and County of Denver.
Which school districts serve Centennial?
Most of Centennial is in Cherry Creek Public Schools, and the western part of the city is in Littleton Public Schools. Confirm the district and the assigned school for a specific address directly with the district before you buy.
Can I build an ADU in Centennial?
The city allows ADUs in several zoning districts under its Land Development Code, but your HOA covenants may limit or prohibit them, so check both before you design one.
Where is the nearest light rail station?
Dry Creek station at 9450 East Dry Creek Road, in Centennial, serves the E, R and T lines and opened in 2006.
If you own in Centennial and want a current read on your home’s value, request a home value review, or book a private consultation to plan a move.
