What is it like to live in the Broadmoor area of Colorado Springs?

The Broadmoor area is a group of established neighborhoods in southwest Colorado Springs at the base of Cheyenne Mountain, around The Broadmoor resort. Homes range from early estates near the hotel to mid-century homes and newer custom builds on hillside lots, often with mountain and city views. Some sections have an HOA and some don't. Much of the area is in Cheyenne Mountain School District 12. Because it sits on the far southwest side, drives to the north side and the Air Force Academy take longer, so test yours before you buy.

Where the Broadmoor area is

The Broadmoor area covers the southwest corner of the city, in the 80906 ZIP code, along the foothills of Cheyenne Mountain. It takes its name from The Broadmoor, the resort that opened in 1918. The resort is a separate private business: living nearby doesn't come with resort or club privileges, and the Cheyenne Mountain Country Club is a separate membership with its own cost. The area was annexed into Colorado Springs in 1980.

The name covers several neighborhoods, including areas such as Old Broadmoor near the hotel, Broadmoor Bluffs, Broadmoor Glen, Broadmoor Heights, Skyway, and The Spires. Each has its own streets, home ages, and rules, so treat them separately when you compare homes.

Getting around

The location is one of the biggest practical trade-offs. Highway 115 runs south past Cheyenne Mountain State Park toward Fort Carson's Gate 1, and Lake Avenue and Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard connect to I-25. Downtown is a reasonable drive. The north side, the Air Force Academy, and the bases on the east side are farther, and those drives can take a while, especially at rush hour.

Drive the routes you'll actually use at the times you'll use them before you buy. Commute times by area gives estimated drive times from across the city. If being close to a hospital matters to you, the nearest full-service hospitals are in central Colorado Springs, including UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central, a Level I trauma center, so check the drive from the specific home.

The homes

The Broadmoor area developed over about a century. Early homes went up on the streets around the hotel after 1918, and building continued through the mid-20th century and into today, with many homes from the 1960s through the 1980s and newer custom homes on the higher slopes. Architectural styles vary widely, from Spanish Colonial Revival and Tudor to mid-century and contemporary designs.

What that means for buyers:

• A wide range of ages and conditions. Two homes on the same street can be decades apart in age and very different inside. A home with an original roof, furnace, sewer line, windows, or electrical will need updates at some point, so budget for it. Buying an older home in Colorado Springs covers what to look for.
• Lot sizes vary. Lots range from about a quarter acre near the hotel to multi-acre parcels backing to Cheyenne Mountain, with some townhomes and smaller lots in between.
• Hillside lots. Many homes sit on slopes, so ask about drainage, retaining walls, and how the driveway handles snow and ice.
• Check the year built for each home. The El Paso County Assessor's property record shows the year built and other details for any address.

Parks, trails, and open space

The mountain is right there, and the parks are a big part of daily life:

• North Cheyenne Cañon Park, a city regional park with trails, picnic areas, and a rock climbing wall, next to Stratton Open Space.
• Bear Creek Cañon Park, a city regional park with trails and mountain biking, on land donated by the city's founder.
• Cheyenne Mountain State Park, with 2,701 acres and 21 trails totaling more than 28 miles, plus camping. Its entrance is on Highway 115.
• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, on the mountain above the area.

Trail access varies by neighborhood, so ask what's within walking distance of the specific home.

HOA, special district, and property tax costs

Even a paid-off home isn't free. Taxes, HOA dues, any special district levies, and insurance continue, so I recommend knowing the full monthly cost of any home before you decide.

• HOAs. Some sections of the area belong to the Broadmoor Resort Community Association, others have smaller neighborhood or townhome associations, and some have no HOA at all. Ask for the documents and dues for the specific home, and remember that any club membership is separate. What to review before buying a home in an HOA walks through the documents.
• Special districts. No city maintenance district for the Broadmoor area appears in the city's list of maintenance districts, but district boundaries don't always follow neighborhood names, so check the tax area for each address. What a metro district is explains how.
• Property taxes. Two homes at the same price can still have different tax bills because of the school district and other districts they sit in. Why two similar homes can have very different property taxes shows how to compare them.

Schools

Much of the Broadmoor area is in Cheyenne Mountain School District 12, which has five elementary schools, a junior high, and a high school. Its elementary schools generally run through sixth grade, and the junior high covers seventh and eighth grades, which is different from the elementary and middle school split in many other Colorado Springs districts. Not every address in the area is in District 12, and school assignments can change, so verify the district and schools for the specific address with the district before you buy. Neighborhoods by school district explains how to check.

Wildfire risk and insurance

Much of the Broadmoor area sits in the city's wildland-urban interface, where homes meet the forest on Cheyenne Mountain. The Colorado Springs Fire Department says that interface covers about 32,655 acres and that nearly a quarter of the city's residents live in it. The fire department and the U.S. Forest Service are thinning vegetation along Gold Camp Road and Old Stage Road above the area, with work projected to finish in November 2026.

What that means for buyers:

• Insurance first. Get a homeowners insurance quote for the specific home early in your search, before your insurance deadline in the contract. Some insurers price wildfire risk partly by area, and Colorado now requires insurers to give you a wildfire risk score for your property and to consider mitigation you've done.
• Mitigation. Defensible space, ember-resistant vents, and the roof material all matter. Ask the seller what mitigation has been done.
• Evacuation routes. Know the routes out of the neighborhood, and sign up for local emergency notifications.

Why insurance varies so much between Colorado Springs homes explains the factors.

Check every home, every time

Every home is different, and every neighborhood is different. The HOA, insurance, special districts, the age of the home, and the age of its systems all matter, so I recommend checking all of them every time.

Colorado's standard purchase contract builds in time to do that. By separate deadlines, you can review the HOA documents, complete your inspection, and confirm you can get insurance. If something you find isn't acceptable, you can end the contract by that deadline, in your sole discretion, and your earnest money is returned. How earnest money works in Colorado Springs explains that protection.

What could change the area

• More public land on Cheyenne Mountain. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is adding about 357 acres between Cheyenne Mountain State Park and Highway 115, and the city approved buying an adjacent 126 acres, which would move the park's entrance out to the highway. In 2026 the city also proposed buying about 80 more acres on the mountain's upper slopes for a planned trail loop.
• New trails. The city's Fishers Canyon Open Space, next to Cheyenne Mountain, has a trail plan, with no public access yet in 2026.

For the wider picture, see what it's like to live on the west side of Colorado Springs.

How to decide whether the Broadmoor area fits

• If you'll drive to the north side or the Academy often, test that drive at rush hour first. It's one of the biggest trade-offs of the location.
• If you're drawn to an older home, compare the cost of the updates you'd want, and ask for permits and receipts for past work.
• If insurance cost is a deciding factor, get a quote before you commit to a home, and ask about any mitigation work.
• If you're comparing HOA and non-HOA homes, read the rules and dues for each, and compare the full monthly cost.

What could change the answer

• The exact school district and schools for the address.
• The insurance quote and wildfire risk score for the specific home.
• The HOA, if any, and its dues and rules.
• How updated the home is, and the age of its roof, sewer line, and major systems.
• Your commute route and the time of day you drive it.

When to talk with a professional

Get a homeowners insurance quote early, and ask how the wildfire score and any mitigation affect it. Hire an independent home inspector, and consider a sewer scope and a drainage review on an older home or a steep lot. Read the HOA documents before your deadline. Check the property's tax districts with the El Paso County Assessor or Treasurer. Verify schools with the district. And work with a local real estate professional who can compare homes in the Broadmoor area with others in your price range, including the full monthly cost.

Sources

• The Broadmoor, historical timeline: https://www.broadmoor.com/historical-timeline
• Wikipedia, Broadmoor, Colorado (1980 annexation): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadmoor,_Colorado
• Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Cheyenne Mountain State Park brochure: https://cpw.state.co.us/sites/default/files/dam/5kdmua7w7p/cheyenne-mountain-state-park-brochure.pdf
• The Colorado Sun, "Colorado is expanding Cheyenne Mountain State Park, protecting the popular site's 'front door'" (January 2026): https://coloradosun.com/2026/01/22/cheyenne-mountain-state-park-expansion/
• The Gazette, "Proposed acquisition in line with 'bigger vision' for Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs" (April 2026): https://gazette.com/2026/04/09/proposed-acquisition-in-line-with-bigger-vision-for-cheyenne-mountain-in-colorado-springs/
• The Gazette, "Expanded trails, future destinations among this year's plans for Pikes Peak region" (January 2026): https://gazette.com/2026/01/12/expanded-trails-future-destinations-among-this-years-plans-for-pikes-peak-region/
• Wikipedia, Parks in Colorado Springs, Colorado (North Cheyenne Cañon and Bear Creek Cañon parks): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parks_in_Colorado_Springs,_Colorado
• Cheyenne Mountain School District 12, About Our District: https://www.cmsd12.org/page/about-the-district
• Colorado Department of Education, Cheyenne Mountain Junior High School profile: https://www.cde.state.co.us/schoolview/explore/profile/1020/1588
• Colorado Springs Fire Department, wildfire mitigation partnership with the USDA Forest Service: https://csfd.coloradosprings.gov/node/161321
• City of Colorado Springs, Special Improvement Maintenance Districts: https://coloradosprings.gov/SIMD
• Colorado General Assembly, HB25-1182 (wildfire risk scores in homeowners insurance): https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb25-1182
• Colorado Division of Real Estate, Contracts and Forms (Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate): https://dre.colorado.gov/real-estate-broker-contracts-and-forms
• El Paso County Assessor (property records): https://assessor.elpasoco.com
• UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central: https://www.uchealth.org/locations/uchealth-memorial-hospital-central/