What are homes like in Greenwood Village?
Greenwood Village is a separate city in Arapahoe County, immediately south of Denver, not a Denver neighborhood. Its housing ranges from horse property zoned for two and a half acre lots near the High Line Canal to smaller lot subdivisions, townhomes and condos closer to the Denver Tech Center. The zoning district on a parcel tells you a great deal about what you are buying.
Greenwood Village homes cover a wider range than most buyers expect from one small city. The village incorporated in 1950 to keep control of its rural land, received a home rule charter in 1968, and later grew to include part of the Denver Tech Center. This guide explains where Greenwood Village is, how it was built, the zoning that shapes each lot, and what we suggest buyers and sellers look at. For current asking prices and inventory, use the live numbers at the top of this page.
Where is Greenwood Village?
The city’s overview places Greenwood Village in Arapahoe County immediately south of Denver, covering about 8.3 square miles. The city of Centennial has surrounded it since 2010, apart from its border with Denver. Cherry Hills Village borders it to the north, on the west side of the city.
Interstate 25 cuts through the city from north to south. Two light rail stations on RTD’s Southeast Line serve it, both on the west side of the interstate according to the city’s transportation page: Orchard Station off Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, which opened on November 17, 2006, and Arapahoe at Village Center Station, with a walkway to a park and ride on the east side of the highway. Main roads include Belleview Avenue, Orchard Road, Arapahoe Road, University Boulevard and Holly Street.
How was Greenwood Village built?
The city’s history page says settlers arrived in the 1860s, and by the early 1900s the area held orchards of cherry, apple, apricot, plum and pear trees. The name comes from the Greenwood Ranch run by Cyrus G. Richardson, whose 1899 farm map showed eight reservoirs.
Incorporation followed a fight over land use. The city’s account of its founding says residents south of Belleview Road had already turned back a drive in theater and a power line when Englewood moved to condemn land at 900 East Belleview for a reservoir. Attorney Charles Roland “Rollie” Enos proposed a new town that could set its own zoning, and voters approved it on September 8, 1950, by 74 to 64. The Colorado Supreme Court upheld the incorporation in November 1951. The first town was roughly three miles long and one mile wide, bounded by Belleview Road, Holly Street, Orchard Road and South Clarkson Street.
Rapid growth began in the 1970s with the Denver Technological Center. Mayor Freda Poundstone resisted annexation by Denver, and the 1974 Poundstone Amendment to the state constitution limited Denver’s ability to annex land in neighboring counties. That is why the city now holds both rural estates and office towers.
What are the homes like?
West of Interstate 25, especially south of Belleview Avenue and along the High Line Canal, the older parts of the village are mostly detached homes on large lots, many with room for horses and outbuildings. Some subdivisions here trace back to the Greenwood Ranch; the history page notes that the ranch’s southern half included Horseshoe Park and The Preserve. Closer to the Tech Center and east of the interstate, you will find newer subdivisions on smaller lots, along with townhomes and condos.
Because the village was assembled over decades, from the original 1950 town to land annexed along the interstate after 1974, house age, lot size and covenants change from one subdivision to the next. Older homes on original parcels sit near recent custom rebuilds, and the zoning district names, which run from R2.5 down to R0.05, give a quick sense of how lot sizes step down across the city.
Some history survives on the ground. The Cherry Creek Schoolhouse, built in 1874, is preserved on the Cherry Creek High School campus and is the oldest surviving school building in the city. The High Line Canal, an old irrigation ditch, still shapes lot lines and trail access across the west side.
| At a glance | Greenwood Village |
|---|---|
| Type of place | Separate home rule city, not part of Denver |
| County | Arapahoe |
| Incorporated | 1950; home rule charter in 1968 |
| Residential zoning | Nine districts, from R2.5 down to R0.05 |
| Light rail | Orchard Station, Arapahoe at Village Center Station |
| Named parks | Marjorie Perry Nature Preserve, Westlands Park, Silo Park, Village Greens Park |
| Neighbors | Denver, Cherry Hills Village, Centennial |
What rules shape what you can build?
Greenwood Village’s zoning code has nine residential districts, named R2.5, R2.0, R1.5, R1.0, R0.75, R0.5, R0.25, R0.1 and R0.05 in the code index published by Zoneomics. The largest, R2.5, requires a lot of at least 2.5 acres and 200 feet wide, front and rear setbacks of 100 feet and side setbacks of 50 feet, and a principal building height of 30 feet on lots over 2.25 acres. Riding stables and agriculture are allowed by right in that district.
The city’s overview mentions its neighborhood associations, and many subdivisions have covenants that can add design review on top of city zoning. Before you plan an addition, barn or rebuild, confirm the zoning district with the city’s planning staff and read the covenants for that subdivision.
Parks, trails and getting around
The city’s parks page says 5.47 miles of the High Line Canal Trail run through Greenwood Village on its west side. The Marjorie Perry Nature Preserve, 59 acres along the canal south of Belleview Avenue, is surrounded by canal trails, and the Colorado Boulevard Equestrian Trail starts from the Orchard Road High Line Canal trailhead. On the east side, Westlands Park is at 5701 South Quebec Street, Silo Park at 9300 East Orchard Road and Village Greens Park at 9501 East Union Avenue. Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre is also in the city.
What should buyers check in Greenwood Village?
Start with the zoning district and the covenants, since they decide what you can add or rebuild. On large lots, review the survey, easements, any ditch or canal crossing, well or septic records if the home is not on public service, and fencing and barn condition on horse property. For older homes we suggest a sewer line scope, a foundation and drainage review, a roof inspection and a radon test, which is standard advice for Colorado homes.
Location within the village matters. A home near the canal and away from arterial roads compares differently from one near Interstate 25, Belleview Avenue or the office areas. Check which public school district serves the address, because most of the city is in the Cherry Creek School District and a portion is in Littleton Public Schools.
Timing deserves thought too. The number of large lot parcels is fixed by zoning, so if you need a specific district or acreage, it helps to define your search early, line up financing and inspectors, and be ready when the right parcel lists.
What should sellers know?
Buyers here compare like with like: a two and a half acre parcel west of the interstate is a different product from a newer home on a smaller lot near the Tech Center. We usually advise pricing against sales in the same zoning district and similar lot size rather than citywide figures. Gather the survey, permit history, covenant documents and any HOA approvals for past work before listing. On horse property, present the barn, arena and fencing as clearly as the house.
How does Greenwood Village compare with nearby areas?
Our Cherry Hills Village guide covers the city just to the northwest, which zones most of its residential land for one acre lots or larger and has no multifamily zone. Centennial, which surrounds most of Greenwood Village, incorporated in 2001 and is a separate, larger city. Farther south on Interstate 25, Castle Pines is a Douglas County city incorporated in 2008. You can see every guide on our neighborhoods page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Greenwood Village part of Denver?
No. Greenwood Village is its own home rule city in Arapahoe County. It incorporated in 1950, borders Denver to the north and is otherwise largely surrounded by Centennial.
Can you keep horses in Greenwood Village?
In some districts, yes. The R2.5 district, with a 2.5 acre minimum lot, allows riding stables and agriculture by right. Other districts and HOA covenants have their own rules, so confirm with the city and the subdivision documents for a specific lot.
Which light rail stations serve Greenwood Village?
Orchard Station, at 5652 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, and Arapahoe at Village Center Station. Both are on RTD’s Southeast Line on the west side of Interstate 25.
How much of the High Line Canal Trail is in Greenwood Village?
The city reports 5.47 miles of the High Line Canal Trail on its west side, including the stretch past the 59 acre Marjorie Perry Nature Preserve south of Belleview Avenue.
Thinking about selling? Request a home value for your Greenwood Village home, or book a private consultation with us.
