Cimarron Hills
Cimarron Hills is a census-designated place (CDP) located northeast of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Situated along the eastern edge of the Pikes Peak region, the community takes its name from the Spanish word cimarrón, a term that carries strong connotations of wilderness and freedom. The area has developed over more than a century from a railroad corridor into a suburban residential community that forms part of the broader Colorado Springs metropolitan area. Its name, landscape, and history reflect the layered heritage of the American Southwest, combining Indigenous, Spanish, and Anglo-American influences into a place that continues to evolve within one of Colorado's fastest-growing regions.
Name and Etymology
The name Cimarron Hills carries a meaning rooted in the Spanish colonial vocabulary of the American Southwest. According to linguistic and historical reference sources, the term translates roughly to "hills of the wild one" or "hills of the untamed one."[1] The Spanish word cimarrón was historically applied to animals, plants, or people existing outside of domesticated or controlled settings — essentially those that had "gone wild." The term was commonly used by Spanish-speaking settlers across the broader Southwest to describe rugged, untamed terrain or creatures that resisted taming.
In the context of the Colorado landscape, the name is particularly fitting. The hills northeast of Colorado Springs feature rolling terrain that transitions between the dramatic uplifts of the Front Range and the open expanse of the Great Plains. The topography, while not as extreme as the mountain communities to the west, retains a character that reflects the open, semi-arid environment that Spanish explorers and later Anglo-American settlers encountered when moving through this part of the continent.
The broader Cimarron name appears in various places across the American West and Southwest, including rivers, counties, and communities in states such as New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma, all reflecting the same Spanish linguistic heritage. In Colorado, the name connects the northeastern Colorado Springs area to this wider network of Spanish-language place names embedded in the geography of the region.
Geography and Location
Cimarron Hills is situated to the northeast of Colorado Springs, placing it within a zone of suburban and semi-rural development that has expanded considerably since the mid-twentieth century. The community occupies a position on the transition zone between the mountain-influenced terrain of the Front Range urban corridor and the high plains stretching eastward across El Paso County.
The landscape of the area includes the characteristic rolling hills referenced in the community's name. These landforms contribute to the visual character of the neighborhood and distinguish it from the flatter terrain found farther east on the plains. The proximity to Colorado Springs means that residents have relatively direct access to the urban amenities of the city while residing in a lower-density setting.
The region's geography also places it within reach of some of Colorado's most recognizable natural landmarks. A journey through the area can take travelers from the Cimarron Hills community toward destinations such as the Garden of the Gods, the iconic red rock formation located to the west of Colorado Springs.[2] This geographic relationship underscores how Cimarron Hills functions as part of a broader regional landscape that blends suburban development with access to striking natural scenery.
History
Railroad Development
among the most significant early chapters in the documented history of Cimarron Hills involves the expansion of railroad infrastructure through the area during the late nineteenth century. In 1888, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad constructed a main line through Cimarron Hills, connecting the area to the broader national rail network that was transforming the American West during this period.[3]
The arrival of the railroad was a defining moment for many communities along the Front Range and eastern Colorado. Rail lines brought not only economic opportunity but also a measure of accessibility that encouraged settlement and commerce. The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, commonly known as the Rock Island Railroad, was one of the major rail operators of the era, operating an extensive network that linked the Midwest to the West and Southwest.
The railroad's presence in Cimarron Hills positioned the area as part of a larger transportation corridor that served the Colorado Springs region. This infrastructure would prove foundational for subsequent development, even as the specific role of rail transportation shifted over the following decades.
The Rocky Mountain Rocket
Among the passenger services that operated through or near the Cimarron Hills corridor, among the most notable was a train known as the Rocky Mountain Rocket. From 1939 to 1966, this passenger train operated as part of the regional rail network, providing service to travelers along the route.[4]
The Rocky Mountain Rocket era corresponded with a period when passenger rail travel remained an important mode of transportation in the United States, even as competition from automobiles and, later, commercial aviation began to erode ridership. The service ran for nearly three decades, reflecting the sustained demand for rail connectivity in the Colorado Springs area during the mid-twentieth century. Its discontinuation in 1966 aligned with broader national trends as rail passenger service declined and highway infrastructure expanded.
Twentieth-Century Development
The transition away from railroad-centered development and toward automobile-oriented suburban growth shaped Cimarron Hills in ways consistent with patterns seen across much of American suburbia during the postwar period. As Colorado Springs expanded, neighboring communities and unincorporated areas like Cimarron Hills absorbed residential growth, becoming home to families seeking proximity to the city's employment, services, and military installations.
The community's history also includes chapters that reflect broader social tensions. In the early twenty-first century, the Cimarron Hills area became the setting for a reported incident involving an anti-Muslim demonstration organized by a local motorcycle club. According to reporting by Reuters, plans for what was described as an "anti-Ramadan barbecue" in the Cimarron Hills area drew condemnation from civil rights organizations.[5] The incident attracted national media attention and was cited as part of a pattern of anti-Muslim activity occurring in various parts of the United States during that period. The episode, while not representative of the community as a whole, formed part of the documented recent history of the area.
Community Character
Cimarron Hills functions as a census-designated place, a designation used by the United States Census Bureau to identify concentrations of population that lack their own municipal government but nonetheless represent coherent communities deserving of statistical recognition. As a CDP, Cimarron Hills is not an incorporated municipality and does not have its own city government; instead, it falls under the jurisdiction of El Paso County for most governmental purposes.
This unincorporated status is common among communities that have grown up on the fringes of larger cities, where the demand for basic services outpaces formal municipal organization. Residents of Cimarron Hills rely on county services for many functions that incorporated towns and cities provide through their own governmental structures.
The community's proximity to Colorado Springs — one of Colorado's largest cities and home to several major U.S. military installations including Fort Carson and Peterson Space Force Base — means that the local economy and population are closely tied to the dynamics of the broader metropolitan area. Many residents commute to Colorado Springs for work, shopping, and other activities, while the Cimarron Hills area itself provides lower-cost residential options compared to many neighborhoods within the city limits.
Regional Context
Understanding Cimarron Hills requires situating it within the broader context of the Colorado Springs metropolitan area and El Paso County, among the most populous counties in Colorado. The region has experienced significant population growth over the past several decades, driven by expansion of the military sector, technology industries, and general migration to Colorado from other states.
The area's landscape connects it visually and historically to some of the most recognized features of the region. The transition from the suburban character of Cimarron Hills to the dramatic geology of destinations like the Garden of the Gods represents one of the defining contrasts of life in the Colorado Springs area — the everyday residential landscape existing in close proximity to extraordinary natural formations.[6]
The history of rail development in the area also connects Cimarron Hills to the broader story of Colorado's transportation infrastructure. The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, which played a crucial role in the development of Colorado's mountain communities, operated throughout the region during the same era when the Rock Island line ran through Cimarron Hills, and various local histories document the overlapping roles these railroads played in shaping settlement patterns across the Front Range and beyond.
Name Distinction
It is worth noting that the Cimarron Hills name is shared by a private golf club and residential community located in Georgetown, Texas, which has no geographic or administrative connection to the Colorado community. The Texas Cimarron Hills Golf and Country Club has appeared in various Texas golf rankings and discussions of the golf industry.[7][8] Similarly, the golf industry's general trends have been discussed in the context of clubs bearing the Cimarron Hills name in Texas.[9] These Texas references are unrelated to Cimarron Hills, Colorado, and should not be confused with the Colorado community documented in this article.
The shared name reflects how commonly the cimarrón terminology spread across the landscape of the American West and Southwest, resulting in multiple places and institutions carrying variations of the same evocative Spanish term in different states.
See Also
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- El Paso County, Colorado
- Garden of the Gods
- Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad
- Front Range Urban Corridor