CLOSE-IN SOUTH METRO, OFTEN OVERLOOKED
Sheridan
A small independent city between Denver, Englewood and Littleton — with light rail, the South Platte River trail system and a wider range of housing than any of its neighbors
Location: Arapahoe County, bordered by Denver and Englewood, just north of Littleton | Vibe: Everyday, unpretentious, in transition | Known for: River Point, light rail access and South Platte River trails
Most people who drive through Sheridan have no idea they’ve left Denver. It covers about 2.3 square miles southwest of the city, bordered by Denver on the north and west and Englewood on the east and south, with Littleton just beyond. There’s no dramatic gateway sign, no obvious transition, but it’s been an independent municipality since 1890.
Two Towns That Became One
Sheridan’s history goes back further than most of its neighbors’. John McBroom came through in 1858 as a wagon master with the Army, claimed land where Bear Creek meets the South Platte, and built the area’s first cabin. Peter Magnes, a Swedish immigrant, arrived the following year, farmed the bottomland and is credited with introducing sugar beets to Colorado.
Magnes platted a settlement called Petersburg in 1873, and it grew into one of the principal towns south of Denver along the Santa Fe Trail. McBroom’s brother Isaac laid out a separate six-block plat called Sheridan Junction in 1887. The two communities merged and incorporated together on April 14, 1890, taking the name Sheridan after General Philip H. Sheridan. The city became a statutory city in 1959 and adopted a home rule charter in 2002.
The other piece of that history sits right next door: Fort Logan, established by Congress in 1887 on 640 acres and named for General John A. Logan. The site operates today as a state mental health facility, and the surrounding Fort Logan neighborhood is one of Sheridan’s immediate neighbors on the Denver side.
A Different Kind of Small Town
Sheridan doesn’t have the polished feel of some of the metro’s other tiny municipalities. It’s a genuinely mixed community: older single-family neighborhoods, apartments and condos, commercial corridors along Santa Fe and Federal, and ongoing redevelopment. That variety is the point. Where a lot of close-in south metro communities offer one housing type at one price band, Sheridan offers several.
For buyers who want to stay close to Denver but are finding pricing in some neighboring areas increasingly difficult, that mix is worth a look. It’s one of the few places this close in where the housing stock hasn’t been homogenized.
The honest tradeoff: Sheridan is a city in transition, and that cuts both ways. Redevelopment has brought new retail and investment, but you’ll find blocks in very different stages side by side. This is a place where walking the specific street matters more than reading about the city.
Sheridan Highlights
Light Rail Access
RTD’s D Line serves the area at the Oxford-City of Sheridan station — a direct ride toward downtown Denver
River Point at Sheridan
A 135-acre retail, dining and entertainment district built on a former landfill — anchored by Target
South Platte River Trails
Direct access to the regional trail system, with South Platte Park and its five lakes just south in Littleton
South Suburban Parks
Served by South Suburban Park and Recreation District — 100+ parks, rec centers and roughly 100 miles of trails
Varied Housing Stock
Older single-family homes, apartments and condos, plus newer redevelopment — a wider range than most close-in neighbors
Discover Sheridan
What it’s like to live here
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River Point at Sheridan
One of the metro’s more remarkable redevelopment stories: 135 acres of former landfill turned into a retail, dining and entertainment district on the city’s eastern edge.
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Light Rail on the D Line
The Oxford-City of Sheridan station puts downtown Denver within a straightforward transit ride, a real advantage over comparably priced areas farther out.
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The South Platte Trail
The regional trail runs right through, connecting north toward downtown and south to South Platte Park in Littleton: 880 acres of open space with five lakes and a nature center.
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Three Highways, One Small City
US 85 (Santa Fe) runs the eastern edge, US 285 cuts east-west, and Federal Boulevard runs north-south. Getting anywhere in the south metro is unusually simple.
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Fort Logan History
Established by Congress in 1887 on 640 acres next door and named for General John A. Logan, a piece of 19th-century Colorado still shaping the area’s geography.
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Older Than Most of Its Neighbors
Settled in 1858, platted as Petersburg in 1873, incorporated in 1890, and the Swedish immigrant who farmed here is credited with bringing sugar beets to Colorado.
Who Buys in Sheridan
Sheridan tends to attract buyers who care more about location and access than about a recognizable address.
Location-First Buyers
People who want to be close to Denver, Englewood and Littleton at once, with light rail and three highways at hand, and who would rather spend their budget on position than on a name.
Buyers Who Want Options
Because the housing stock is genuinely mixed (older single-family, condos, apartments, newer construction) Sheridan gives buyers more than one way in. That’s uncommon this close to the city.
Trail and Outdoor Buyers
The South Platte trail system and South Suburban’s parks and rec centers give Sheridan an outdoor life that’s easy to miss from the highway but obvious once you live here.
Interested in Sheridan?
Sheridan is a city where the block matters as much as the city does. Let’s walk a few of them together and talk about what’s actually available, what’s changing, and how it compares to Englewood and Littleton right now.