Overview
Tucked away at the foot of the McDowell Mountains in North Scottsdale, DC Ranch is a master-planned community that celebrates community, family and luxury living. There are four distinct residential villages: Country Club Village, Desert Camp Village, Desert Parks Village and Silverleaf Village. Residential properties range in price from the high $200,000’s to over $10,000,000.
From condominiums and townhomes to villas and custom homes, DC Ranch provides a beautiful, and masterfully maintained residential area for young professionals, busy families and retirees. With 4,000 acres, 2,600 homes sites, and elevations ranging from 1,580-3,840 feet, the community offers spectacular views of the McDowell Mountains, Pinnacle Peak and the city below.
DC Ranch is located in the heart of North Scottsdale just 5 minutes from the Loop 101 Freeway. The Scottsdale Airport is a 10-minute drive, and the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is just 25 minutes away.
As its name suggests, DC Ranch was formerly a cattle ranch. Inaugurated in 1885 and run by an ambitious cowboy, E.O. Brown, the cattle ranch prospered until the late 1950’s. In 1993, the neighborhood was conceived through thoughtful planning and consideration as a model Scottsdale community with land set aside for everything from homes and shopping to schools and recreational trails. Vernon D. Swaback, the youngest apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, served as architect of DC Ranch. The development was approved in 1995 and construction of the community began.
Swaback refers to DC Ranch as “an orchestration of natural materials”. The landscape philosophy is focused on preserving the natural features of the Sonoran Desert. Native plants were re-purposed throughout the development, and native stone from the site was used to create the low stone walls seen in the common areas. Streets and pathways were intentionally laid out to highlight the fantastic views and vistas. Standards for signage, lighting, landscaping, and structures were developed in keeping with the character of the desert and the rustic heritage of the area. The use of split rail fences was implemented to reflect the area’s ranch history.
The four villages in DC Ranch each contain a handful of small neighborhoods. Most loop around small central parks, and many of the homes were designed with “front-of-house living”, with front porches and courtyards, and homes fronting to neighborhood parks.
- Country Club Village – 485 residential properties including custom and semi-custom homes and townhomes. The Country Club at DC Ranch is located within the neighborhood gates.
- Desert Camp Village – 655 residences with single-family homes, condominiums and townhomes within walking distance to The Desert Camp Community Center and the Market Street shopping district.
- Desert Parks Village – 677 single-family and townhome residences, located near DC Ranch Crossing and Canyon Village shopping districts and The Homestead Community Center
- Silverleaf Village – 783 custom residences ranging in size from 3,000 to more than 15,000 square feet. The properties range from custom single-family estates to custom patio homes, townhomes and condominiums. Silverleaf Club is nestled within this village.
The governance structure that oversees the master-planned community involves 3 separate entities:
1) The Covenant Commission is responsible for maintaining architectural integrity and design throughout the community as well as with individual properties and their landscaping.
2) The Ranch Association is responsible for day to day operations involving security and maintenance of public grounds and buildings.
3) The Community Council is responsible for creating a connected and welcoming community and sense of belonging among residents. The Community Council also manages operations of both The Desert Camp Community Center and The Homestead Community Center. Taken together, these 3 community governance bodies assure that the unique look and feel of the community is sustained long term to enhance property values and the quality of life at DC Ranch.
Just drive into DC Ranch and you’ll see why the community is heralded as one of the Phoenix Metro area’s best places to live.
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