Santa Clara

Among the stunning landscapes of Southern Utah, Santa Clara Heights rises above the rest with hilltop views of nearby red rock formations, mountains and the desert. This residential neighborhood rests one mile north of downtown Santa Clara and seven miles from St. George. The community is part of one of the oldest towns in the region and was founded in 1854 by Jacob Hamblin, a missionary for Brigham Young. Now known as the ‘Garden Spot’ of Washington County, the steadily growing neighborhood is near lava fields and the Santa Clara River, making it especially attractive to outdoor enthusiasts. “Santa Clara Heights is a desirable community with unique properties and scenic views. It’s not cookie-cutter. There are established, older homes but new ones, too. It’s spread out, and it’s one of the only places in the area where you get big trees,” says JD Reese, a Realtor with Red Rock Real Estate with nearly a decade of experience.  Santa Clara Heights doesn’t have shopping and dining options in the community, but plenty of both are just outside the boundaries. One mile northwest, Royal Thai Cuisine Express 89 features an array of Thai dishes, including seven different kinds of curry. A few blocks down, Mo’Bettahs is a regional chain formed in Bountiful, Utah. The owners wanted to bring Hawaiian cuisine to the area, and now locals can have authentic Kalua pork or Pulehu chicken six days a week. Harmons Grocery-Santa Clara is just across the parking lot from Mo’Bettahs and offers cooking classes in addition to produce, meats and pantry items. Frei’s Market is a beloved produce stand founded in 1956 at the southern end of the neighborhood. Slightly further down West Sunset Boulevard, shopping centers like Dixie Sunset Plaza and The Shops at Green Gate Village are within five miles of Santa Clara Heights.   Canyon View Park has a large playground with climbing equipment and a baseball field. There’s even a scavenger hunt with ten clues and objects hidden throughout the space. Swiss Pioneer Memorial Park is centrally located in Santa Clara. It features a wooden jungle gym and play equipment covered by a large canopy and picnic areas surrounded by the nearby hills. Archie H. Gubler Park is one of the largest green spaces in St. George. The sports park has five standard baseball fields and two Little League fields, in addition to a playground and pickleball courts. The Lava Flow Trail runs to the north of the community. The paved 2.3-mile trail is meant for cyclists and hikers of all skill levels.   Well-maintained houses, large lots and quiet streets make Santa Clara Heights a popular place to be. Homebuyers can choose from ranch-style homes, contemporary designs and Spanish-inspired residences among winding roads and cul-de-sacs. “Santa Clara Heights is popular with locals because it’s less congested than some nearby areas. It’s more laid-back, less commercial, and it’s a great place to raise a family. People move in and want to stay there, so there are generational purchases from one family member to another,” says Brian Hickman, a Realtor and associate broker with Realty Executives of Southern Utah and more than 20 years of experience. “There are a lot of ramblers with basements, but different sections of the neighborhood were built at different times. Some are still being built.” Homes sell for a median price of $533,000 after 55 days on the market, although the entire price range is more extensive. Ranch-style houses range from $470,000 to $670,000, while contemporary homes range from $850,000 to $1.8 million.    Students attend Santa Clara School, Lava Ridge Intermediate, Snow Canyon Middle and Snow Canyon High. Niche B-minus-rated Santa Clara School teaches prekindergarten to fifth graders Chinese and English in a dual language immersion program. B-rated Lava Ridge Intermediate allows sixth and seventh graders to earn prizes through good behavior with its Warrior Way Mart initiative. B-rated Snow Canyon Middle provides eighth and ninth graders with extracurriculars like MathCounts, a nationwide competition designed to sharpen math skills and build teamwork. B-rated Snow Canyon High is known for its sports programs, with golf, tennis, cross country and swimming teams.  The neighborhood’s most significant roadways include Santa Clara Drive, North Canyon View Drive and Red Mountain Drive. The Pioneer Parkway is a short drive away. Nearly 92% of people have a 30-minute or less daily commute to nearby Washington or St. George, and 43% of those travelers drive less than 15 minutes. The community is bike-friendly and has sidewalks to connect subdivisions together. The neighborhood lies seven miles from Innovation Medical Group St. George and is 20 miles from St. George Regional Airport. There is no public transportation in Santa Clara Heights.   Santa Clara Heights faces risks of wildfires. Extreme temperatures and strong winds can spur these fast-moving blazes. To lessen the damage an event like this can cause, the city and Washington County ensure flammable debris is kept to a minimum and buildings are up to construction codes.