Highlands
LoHi's restaurants and skyline views, West Highland's bungalows, and the bluff above the river.
Pricing trends
The Highlands prices with Wash Park at the top of Denver's close-in neighborhoods. New townhomes in LoHi set the attached-home benchmark for the city, while renovated bungalows in West Highland command a premium over similar homes in Sunnyside or Berkeley. Values have been steadier since 2022 after a long run of gains.
| Denver, August 2026 | Median price | Homes sold | Days on market | Active listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Family | $635,000−5.6% vs August 2025 | 483 | 38average days | 1,874 |
| Townhome / condo | $360,000−10.0% vs August 2025 | 213 | 65average days | 2,002 |
Citywide figures for Denver. Source: Local Market Update, August 2026, REcolorado data compiled by the Colorado Association of REALTORS®. Neighborhood-level figures vary; ask me for comparables on any specific home. See all area tables.
About Highlands
The Highlands is the bluff northwest of downtown across the South Platte, once its own town and now Denver's most sought-after close-in neighborhood. Lower Highland, or LoHi, has the restaurants and the modern townhomes; West Highland and the Highland Square blocks keep the Victorian cottages and bungalows. It is where buyers who want to walk to dinner and still have a front porch end up.
Location
The Highlands stretches from the river and Interstate 25 west to Sheridan Boulevard and from Speer Boulevard and West 29th Avenue north to 38th Avenue, with Sloan's Lake to the southwest, Sunnyside to the north and Berkeley to the northwest. The Highland pedestrian bridge and the Platte River bridge put LoHi within a fifteen-minute walk of Union Station.
History and background
Where it sits. Highlands sits on the west bank of the South Platte River in northwest Denver, between Speer Boulevard on the south and 38th Avenue on the north, and stretching west to Federal Boulevard. It is also called LoHi, with West Highlands to its west.
Highlands is named for the high ground on the west side of the South Platte, which Denver founder William Larimer claimed in 1858. The Rocky Mountain News praised it in 1859 as a handsome place for residences overlooking Auraria and Denver. Settling was slow, but by the late 1800's it was a working-class and immigrant part of the Northside.
The Highlands struggled to keep up city services such as schools, and in 1896 residents voted to be annexed by Denver. John and Mary Elitch bought a 16-acre farm here in 1887 and opened Elitch Gardens in 1890 at 38th and Tennyson. The historic Elitch Theatre still stands at that spot.
The nickname LoHi became popular in the early 2000's, when developer Paul Tamburello redeveloped the old Olinger mortuary and restaurateur Dave Query moved his Lola restaurant there. People kept saying they were going to Highlands Square, so they began calling the complex the LoHi Marketplace.
Why people like it. People like Highlands for views of the downtown skyline, historic Victorian and bungalow streets, and the restaurants and bars of LoHi and the shops of West Highlands, all close to downtown.
Fun fact. LoHi's Little Man Ice Cream shop is a 28-foot-tall replica of a 1950s milk can. It opened in 2008 and is named for founder Paul Tamburello's father.
Sources and caveats for this history
Housing and architecture
LoHi is now largely 2000s and newer townhomes, slot homes and condominiums with rooftop decks aimed at the skyline, with the surviving Victorian cottages mixed in. West Highland and the Highland Square area hold 1890s to 1920s Queen Anne cottages, Denver Squares and brick bungalows on 25- and 37-foot lots, plus the Potter Highlands historic district. Pop-tops and scrapes are common everywhere outside the historic district.
Parks and recreation
Highland Park and Hirshorn Park are the local greens, Sloan's Lake is a short walk southwest, and Commons Park and the river trails are at the bottom of the bluff. Jefferson Park's hill gives another skyline view, and the 32nd Avenue corridor is as much a place to stroll as to shop.
Dining, shopping and daily life
LoHi's restaurant cluster around 15th, 16th and Boulder streets is one of the densest in the city, with rooftop patios aimed at downtown. Highland Square, at 32nd and Lowell, has the neighborhood's bookshop, bakery, bars and restaurants, and Tennyson Street in Berkeley is close. Groceries are at the Safeway on 38th or the Natural Grocers on 32nd.
Nearby
Other nearby communities
Northwest Denver Sloan's Lake and Villa Park Denver's second-largest park, the W Line to downtown, and the city's most active new-construction corridor. 
Northwest Denver Berkeley and Tennyson Street Two lakes, a main street of shops and restaurants, and bungalows that families grow into. 
Northwest Denver Sunnyside The Highlands' quieter northern neighbor, with bungalows, a new rail station and a growing 44th Avenue. 
Northwest Denver Jefferson Park A small hilltop neighborhood of new townhomes and old cottages with the stadium and the skyline below. 
Northwest Denver Regis and Chaffee Park Mid-century ranches and bungalows around Regis University, the most attainable corner of northwest Denver. 
Northwest Denver West Colfax Sloan's Lake's southern neighbor, remade by the W Line and the St. Anthony hospital redevelopment. Let’s talk about Highlands
Tell me what you are looking for in Highlands
Share your timing and what matters most, and I will come back with homes, comparables and an honest read on the market.
Geoffry Kaatz
Real Estate Consultant and Licensed Realtor
303-517-9671
geoffry.kaatz@compass.com
200 Columbine St, Suite 500
Denver, CO 80206