Highlands occupies a distinctive pocket of western Edina where the landscape itself helps define the neighborhood. Rolling terrain, mature trees, ponds and low-lying natural areas surround residential streets that feel noticeably removed from the busier roads nearby. Highlands Park and Highlands Elementary School sit near the center of the neighborhood, while Mirror Lakes and the grounds of Interlachen Country Club help shape its western edge.
That setting has also influenced the real estate. Highlands includes many homes dating to Edina's postwar growth, but larger lots and desirable settings have supported substantial renovation and luxury new construction over time. Some of the neighborhood's most significant custom homes occupy expansive properties overlooking Mirror Lakes or adjoining the Interlachen golf course.
For buyers exploring Edina homes for sale, Highlands combines an established neighborhood setting with architectural variety, substantial luxury properties and recreation close to home.
A NEIGHBORHOOD SHAPED BY ITS LANDSCAPE
Highlands does not follow the same physical pattern as many of Edina's flatter residential neighborhoods. The neighborhood's entrances along Ayrshire Boulevard and Mirror Lakes Boulevard lead into an interior characterized by changes in elevation, curving streets, mature vegetation and water. The result is a neighborhood that can feel surprisingly secluded despite its central location within the western half of Edina.
The topography also creates meaningful differences between individual properties. Elevation, views, tree cover, lot orientation and proximity to water or parkland can change significantly from one block to another. For homebuyers, those characteristics are important because two homes with similar square footage can offer very different settings.
HIGHLANDS PARK AND FOUR-SEASON RECREATION
At approximately 40 acres, Highlands Park is much more than a neighborhood playground. Located along Doncaster Way, the park includes athletic fields, a playground, picnic areas, tennis courts striped for pickleball, a pond and substantial open and natural space. Its location within the residential neighborhood is equally important: homes surround the park, Highlands Elementary sits nearby, and the surrounding street network makes recreation part of everyday neighborhood life.
The park's role changes with the seasons. Athletic fields, courts, the playground and green space draw activity during warmer months, while winter brings outdoor skating to the neighborhood. Even the recent addition of pickleball striping to the existing tennis courts reflects how an established park can adapt while continuing to serve as shared recreational space at the center of Highlands.
This setting distinguishes Highlands from Edina neighborhoods where major parks or trails are nearby but outside the residential area. Here, the park, elementary school and recreation are all woven into the neighborhood itself.
Learn more about recreation throughout the city in the Edina Parks and Recreation Guide.
LARGE LOTS AND AN EVOLVING HOUSING MIX
Much of Highlands developed during the 1950s and 1960s, and classic ramblers and traditional two-story homes remain an important part of the neighborhood. Yet describing Highlands simply as a mid-century neighborhood misses how much its housing stock has evolved.
Generous lots have supported additions, extensive renovations and luxury new construction throughout Highlands. Original mid-century homes can sit within blocks of substantially renovated residences and large custom homes, creating an architectural mix that reflects several generations of investment in the neighborhood.
For buyers, property-by-property evaluation is especially important. Lot quality, elevation, privacy, renovation history, orientation and surrounding homes can all influence value beyond basic measurements such as finished square footage.
MIRROR LAKES AND INTERLACHEN CREATE SOME OF HIGHLANDS' MOST DISTINCTIVE SETTINGS
Some of Highlands' most notable residential properties are found along Mirror Lakes and near the adjoining grounds of Interlachen Country Club. Here, larger lots, mature landscaping and views toward water or golf-course green space create settings that are difficult to replicate elsewhere in Edina.
Interlachen has occupied its wooded, rolling Edina setting since the early 20th century, and its golf course was redesigned by renowned architect Donald Ross. The club's expansive landscape forms a distinctive edge along this part of the neighborhood.
Homes with Mirror Lakes or Interlachen frontage represent some of Highlands' most distinctive real estate. Custom construction, lot size, privacy, views and the relationship between the residence and its site can all play an important role in how these properties are valued.
WALKABILITY MEANS SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN HIGHLANDS
Highlands is not an urban walk-to-restaurants-and-retail neighborhood like parts of eastern Edina. Its walkability is more residential, with established streets connecting homes to Highlands Park, the playground, athletic fields and Highlands Elementary. For households near the center of the neighborhood, school and recreation can become part of an everyday walking pattern.
That distinction can be lost in a numerical Walk Score, which largely measures access to commercial destinations. Buyers considering Highlands should explore it on foot and pay attention to how a particular home's location relates to the school, park, terrain and neighborhood entrances.
HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY IS PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Highlands Elementary occupies an unusually prominent place in the physical layout and identity of the neighborhood. Located on Doncaster Way within Highlands itself, the school is integrated into the residential area rather than separated from it by a major commercial corridor.
The school also houses Continuous Progress, one of Edina Public Schools' districtwide Choice Programs. Continuous Progress uses multi-grade classrooms and longer-term student and teacher groupings designed to provide continuity over several school years. Because participation in the program is separate from simply living within the Highlands attendance area, buyers should verify current school boundaries and Choice Program enrollment requirements directly with Edina Public Schools. The Edina School District Guide provides additional information about Edina schools and Choice Programs.
WHAT BUYERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HIGHLANDS
Buying in Highlands often requires looking beyond price per square foot. Lot size and elevation, renovation quality, privacy, views and micro-location can create meaningful differences between properties that appear similar on paper. Proximity to Highlands Park and the elementary school may matter to one buyer, while another may place greater value on a larger site, water views or golf-course frontage.
The condition and future potential of the home also deserve careful consideration. An original property on an exceptional lot, a comprehensively renovated home and a newer custom residence each require a different approach to value. Understanding both the house and its specific setting within Highlands is particularly important when comparing opportunities.
For current inventory and broader comparisons, explore Edina homes for sale or review the Highlands neighborhood guide.
WHAT HIGHLANDS' CHARACTER MEANS FOR SELLERS
Selling a Highlands home effectively requires identifying which aspects of the property matter most within the neighborhood. For one home, that may be an unusually large lot. For another, it may be proximity to Highlands Park or the elementary school. Luxury properties may instead be defined by architecture, privacy, extensive improvements, Mirror Lakes views or their relationship to Interlachen.
Those distinctions should influence preparation, pricing and marketing. A renovated rambler, an original home with redevelopment potential and a custom luxury residence should not be positioned as interchangeable simply because they share the same neighborhood. Strong marketing tells both stories: what is distinctive about the individual property and why its particular location within Highlands matters.
WHY HIGHLANDS STANDS APART
Highlands brings together characteristics that are difficult to separate: rolling terrain and natural areas, a substantial neighborhood park and elementary school, generous lots, evolving architecture and distinctive luxury settings along Mirror Lakes and Interlachen. Mid-century homes remain part of its identity even as renovations and custom construction continue to reshape individual properties. The result is an established Edina neighborhood where the relationship between the home, the land and its specific location can matter as much as the house itself.
EXPLORE MORE ABOUT EDINA
Highlands is one part of a much broader collection of Edina neighborhoods, each with its own housing, landscape and lifestyle characteristics. These resources provide additional context for buyers and sellers comparing different areas of the city:
- Highlands Neighborhood Guide: Explore homes for sale, neighborhood information and additional Highlands resources.
- Highlands Real Estate Market Overview: Review recent sales activity, pricing trends and market performance in Highlands.
- Edina Homes for Sale: Explore current listings and broader Edina real estate information.
- Edina Neighborhood Guides: Compare Highlands with neighborhoods throughout Edina.
- Edina Parks and Recreation Guide: Learn more about parks, trails and recreational amenities across the city.
- Edina School District Guide: Explore Edina schools, attendance areas and Choice Programs.
- Rolling Green: Explore another western Edina neighborhood known for substantial homes and distinctive lots.
- Indian Hills: Learn about another western Edina neighborhood shaped by larger lots, mature landscapes and luxury homes.
Together, these resources provide a more complete picture of how Highlands fits within Edina's broader residential and luxury real estate market.
FAQS
WHAT IS THE HIGHLANDS NEIGHBORHOOD IN EDINA KNOWN FOR?
Highlands is known for its rolling landscape, large lots, Highlands Park, Highlands Elementary School and varied housing stock. The neighborhood also includes significant luxury homes, particularly in settings near Mirror Lakes and Interlachen Country Club.
WHAT TYPES OF HOMES ARE FOUND IN HIGHLANDS?
Highlands includes many homes originally built during the 1950s and 1960s, including ramblers and traditional two-story designs. Renovations, additions and luxury new construction have created a much broader mix of homes throughout the neighborhood.
DOES HIGHLANDS HAVE LARGE LOTS?
Many Highlands properties have generous lots compared with more densely developed areas of Edina. Lot size varies considerably, however, and buyers should evaluate each property's dimensions, topography, privacy and setting individually.
ARE THERE LUXURY HOMES IN HIGHLANDS?
Yes. Highlands has experienced substantial investment in renovation and luxury custom construction. Some of its most distinctive luxury properties are located on larger sites near Mirror Lakes and along the Interlachen Country Club golf course.
WHAT IS HIGHLANDS PARK LIKE?
Highlands Park is an approximately 40-acre neighborhood park with athletic fields, a playground, picnic areas, tennis courts striped for pickleball, skating and a pond, along with green and natural areas.
IS HIGHLANDS A WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOOD?
Highlands is primarily residential rather than a commercial walkability neighborhood. Its internal layout allows many residents to walk neighborhood streets to Highlands Park and Highlands Elementary, while most shopping, dining and everyday errands generally require traveling outside the neighborhood.
WHAT IS CONTINUOUS PROGRESS AT HIGHLANDS ELEMENTARY?
Continuous Progress is a districtwide Edina Public Schools Choice Program housed at Highlands Elementary. The program uses multi-grade classroom groupings and emphasizes continuity between students, teachers and families over multiple school years. Enrollment requirements should be confirmed directly with Edina Public Schools.
HOW DOES HIGHLANDS COMPARE WITH OTHER LUXURY EDINA NEIGHBORHOODS?
Highlands is particularly distinguished by its rolling terrain, larger lots, central neighborhood park and school, and luxury properties near Mirror Lakes and Interlachen. Buyers comparing western Edina may also consider Rolling Green, Indian Hills, and other Edina neighborhoods, depending on the type of home, lot and setting they prefer.
If you're considering buying or selling a home in Highlands, understanding the differences between individual lots, homes and micro-locations can be especially important. With more than two decades of experience working throughout Edina, contact Josh Sprague to evaluate a Highlands property, compare neighborhoods or develop a strategy for your next move.
