History of The Hills: Summerlin's First Village

The Hills holds a distinction no other Summerlin village can claim: it was the very first. When the Howard Hughes Corporation broke ground in 1990, The Hills became the foundation of what would grow into one of the largest and most successful master planned communities in the United States.

How Did The Hills Summerlin Get Started?

Summerlin takes its name from Jean Amelia Summerlin, the paternal grandmother of billionaire aviator and businessman Howard Hughes. Hughes acquired roughly 25,000 acres of desert land on the western edge of Las Vegas, and after his death in 1976, the Howard Hughes Corporation began planning the master community that would eventually bear his grandmother's name.

Construction on The Hills began in 1990, the same year the first leg of Summerlin Parkway was completed to Town Center Drive. The Howard Hughes Corporation built The Hills Park months before the first homes were finished, establishing early on that green space and quality of life would define the community's identity.

Who Were the First Residents of Summerlin?

Cal and Maria Champlin, along with their children, became the first family to move into Summerlin when they settled in The Hills in March 1991. Their arrival marked the beginning of a residential community that now spans over 22,500 acres and houses more than 120,000 people. Within two years, enough families had moved in to justify Summerlin's first public school: Lummis Elementary opened in 1993 within The Hills village.

The early 1990s brought rapid growth. The Hills South opened in 1991 as Summerlin's second village, adding 725 acres and eventually eight neighborhoods including four guard gated enclaves. TPC Summerlin also opened in 1991, and in 1996, Tiger Woods won his first PGA Tour victory at the course during the Las Vegas Invitational.

What Does The Hills Look Like Today?

The Hills encompasses 394 acres and 11 neighborhoods, with homes built between 1990 and 2000. Mature trees, established landscaping, and wide tree lined streets give the village a settled character that newer Summerlin developments have not yet achieved. Home prices range from the $300,000s to the $700,000s in the original village, with The Hills South offering luxury estates from the upper $800,000s to over $10,000,000.

Ryan Rose on The Hills' Legacy

Ryan Rose points to The Hills as proof that Summerlin's earliest neighborhoods have aged exceptionally well. Over three decades of appreciation, stable HOA governance, and consistent reinvestment by homeowners have kept The Hills competitive with far newer communities in the valley.

To explore homes in Summerlin's original village, contact Ryan Rose for a personalized market tour.

Explore More Las Vegas Communities

- The Hills Summerlin Community Guide - The Hills Park Summerlin - The Hills Summerlin for Families

Source: Summerlin.com