Douglas County, Colorado

Douglas County was one of the original 17 counties created in the Colorado Territory by the Colorado Territorial Legislature on 1861-11-01. The county was named in honor of U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, who died five months before the county was created. The county seat was originally Franktown, but was moved to California Ranch in 1863, and then to Castle Rock in 1874. Although the county's boundaries originally extended eastward to the Kansas state border, in 1874 most of the eastern portion of the county became part of Elbert County.

Positioned south of Denver and north of Colorado Springs, Douglas County has enjoyed incredible growth recently, often ranking as the #1 County in the nation for population growth on a percentage basis. Douglas County is one of Colorado’s most scenic counties. The strikingly beautiful area has approximately 844 square miles of mountains, foothills & plains, and enjoys unparalleled peak-to-peak views of Colorado’s high mountain ranges. Douglas County has a population of 215,226 residents and contains 4 incorporated municipalities: Larkspur, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock & Parker.  Approximately 73% of the population lives in unincorporated areas including Sedalia and Franktown. The county is an ideal mix of rural & suburban areas, village centers and large plots of open space including ranches, greenbelts, public parks & national forest lands. With excellent schools, Beautiful landscape, a thriving economy & scenic neighborhoods, Douglas County is an outstanding place to live, work & raise a family.