Horse Properties for Sale in Adams County, Colorado

Currently touring the market? Don't miss the featured listing below at 35880 E 149th Ct, Hudson, CO 80642 — ten fenced acres, a permitted barn, and documented horse rights, twenty minutes from Brighton.

Are there horse properties for sale in Adams County, Colorado?

The short answer: Yes — Adams County is one of the few places left in the Denver metro where you can still buy a real horse property inside a 40-minute drive of downtown. Most of them sit in unincorporated Adams County east and north of Brighton, in the Bennett, Strasburg, Watkins, Henderson, Todd Creek and Hudson-address corridors.

Some are on agricultural zoning (A-1, A-2, A-3). Others are estate acreage in platted subdivisions where the horse rights come from the well permit, the covenants and the permit history rather than from an agricultural zone district. The catch almost nobody tells you: a big lot is not automatically a legal horse property, and a residential zone district doesn't automatically mean no horses either. What decides it is the specific parcel's paperwork — the zone district, the well permit's stated usage, the recorded covenants, and whether the barn was permitted. Those four documents are the whole ballgame, and they get pulled before you write an offer, not after.

Brian Lee Burke

Team Leader, The Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC

This page is written and maintained by Brian Lee Burke, Team Leader of The Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC. Twenty-five-plus years selling Front Range real estate, twenty-five-plus years in construction before and alongside it, including thirteen years as a multifamily construction superintendent. On an acreage property that background is the whole game — the house is usually the easy part. It's the barn, the loafing sheds, the septic, the well, the frost-free hydrants, the grading and the fencing that decide whether you bought a dream or a project.

Talk to Brian directly · 303-710-2609 · [email protected]

What counts as a "horse property" in Adams County?

In everyday MLS language, a horse property is any residential parcel where you can legally keep and care for horses on site. In Adams County, that means four things have to line up at the same time:

1. Zoning that permits livestock. The unincorporated county's agricultural districts (A-1, A-2, A-3) are the ones built for it. Residential districts are not.
2. A water right that lets you water animals. A Colorado "household use only" well permit legally does not cover livestock. A domestic well permit generally does.
3. Covenants or an HOA that don't override the zoning. A subdivision can ban horses even where the county allows them. The county's yes does not beat the covenant's no.
4. Infrastructure that actually functions. Shelter, fencing, footing, drainage, winter water, power to the barn, and a place to put a manure pile that isn't your neighbor's fence line.

A listing that says "horse property" in the remarks is a marketing claim, not a legal finding. It gets verified. Every time.

All the cities, towns and communities in Adams County, Colorado

Adams County is Colorado's fifth-largest county by population, serving more than 540,000 residents in the north and northeast Denver metro. The county seat is Brighton. Here is the complete picture — incorporated municipalities first, then the unincorporated communities where nearly all of the horse property actually lives.

Incorporated cities and towns in Adams County

A note on Broomfield: until 2001, part of what is now the City and County of Broomfield sat inside Adams County. Broomfield is its own consolidated city and county today and is not part of Adams County.

Unincorporated Adams County communities and areas

This is where the horse properties are. Unincorporated means the parcel answers to Adams County zoning rather than a municipal code — and it's the county's agricultural districts that make keeping horses possible.

• Strasburg — far-east Adams County along I-70. Large parcels, working ag heritage, genuine ranch country.
• Watkins — I-70 corridor between Aurora and Bennett. Acreage with fast airport and metro access.
• Henderson — along the South Platte between Brighton and Commerce City. Older acreage parcels, some very large.
• Todd Creek — north-central Adams County near Brighton and Thornton. Estate acreage; covenants vary widely and must be read.
• Barr Lake — the Barr Lake State Park area east of Brighton. Acreage with open space and water views.
• Hudson-address Adams County — parcels with a Hudson (80642) mailing address that physically sit in unincorporated Adams County, on the Denver street grid (E 149th Ct, E 167th Ave and similar). Estate subdivisions like The Estates at Bromley South fall here: Hudson mail, Adams County parcel, Brighton 27-J schools. Mailing address, taxing county and school district are three different questions — this trips up buyers constantly. (See the featured listing on E 149th Ct below.)
• Keenesburg-address Adams County — same situation on the northeastern edge. Verify the county before assuming zoning.
• Adams City, Derby, Welby, Dupont, Irondale, North Washington — older near-in unincorporated communities in the western county. Historic, dense, largely not equestrian.
• Sherrelwood, Berkley, Twin Lakes — established unincorporated suburban communities in the southwest county. Not equestrian.

The two corridors that matter for horses: the eastern plains corridor (Bennett, Strasburg, Watkins, far-east Aurora) and the northern corridor (Brighton, Henderson, Todd Creek, Barr Lake, and the Hudson-address grid). Everything else in the county is suburban.

Adams County horse zoning: which districts actually allow horses?

Unincorporated Adams County is divided into zone districts by the Adams County Development Standards and Regulations. The ones that matter to an equestrian buyer:

Agricultural-3 (A-3)

The county's true ranch district. Its stated purpose is to provide land primarily in holdings of at least thirty-five acres for dryland or irrigated farming, pasturage, or related food production. Permitted principal uses include farming, ranching, nurseries — and a personal equestrian arena is a named permitted use. If you want horses with room to actually work them, A-3 is the strongest position to be in.

Agricultural-2 (A-2) and Agricultural-1 (A-1)

Smaller-holding agricultural districts. Both are livestock-capable districts, but the permitted density, minimum lot size and accessory-structure rules differ by district and by parcel. Confirm the specific parcel's district and its dimensional standards before you rely on any number.

Residential Estate (RE) — read this twice

RE is a single-family detached district for larger lots and larger homes in a spacious, open environment. It is not an agricultural district: per the county's own code interpretation, commercial agricultural use in RE is substantially restricted, with crop farming (excluding hemp) called out as the permitted agricultural use. Residential density in RE runs one dwelling unit per 2.5 acres on well and septic, or one per acre on public water and sewer.

Here is the part that confuses almost everybody, including agents: plenty of genuine, fully functional horse properties in Adams County sit on RE-zoned acreage. Estate subdivisions were platted specifically for large-lot country living, and on those parcels the right to keep horses for personal use comes from the parcel's own documents rather than from an agricultural zone district — most importantly the well permit's stated usage and the recorded covenants.

So RE cuts both ways, and both directions cost people money:

• Don't assume yes. A 3-acre RE lot with a white fence and a loafing shed on it is not automatically a legal horse property. Existing structures do not confer a right, and an unpermitted barn is a liability rather than an asset.
• Don't assume no. Buyers walk away from excellent RE-zoned horse properties because they saw "R-E" on the listing sheet and stopped reading. If the well permit reads household use with livestock, the covenants permit horses, and the barn was pulled under permit, that is a documented horse property — and it will typically be closer to Denver than the equivalent agricultural parcel further out.

The worked example is 35880 E 149th Ct further down this page: ten acres, RE zoning, a community well permitted for household use with livestock, a permitted barn with power and water, and fenced pasture suitable for grazing. That's what the documentation looks like when it's done right.

How to verify a specific parcel

1. Pull the parcel number from the Adams County Assessor.
2. Confirm the zone district and any overlay through Adams County Community and Economic Development — 720-523-6800, or [email protected].
3. Ask specifically about livestock density, permitted accessory structures, arena and setback standards for that district.
4. Pull the recorded covenants separately. County zoning does not override a private covenant.
5. Get it in writing before your inspection deadline passes.

Zoning codes get amended. Treat everything on this page as orientation, not as a legal opinion — the county is the only authority on its own code, and we make that call with them, in writing, inside your contract deadlines.

Wells and water rights on Adams County horse properties

In semi-arid Colorado, water is the constraint that decides everything. A horse drinks roughly 10 to 15 gallons a day. If you don't have the legal right to supply it, the barn is decoration.

• The 35-acre threshold. Colorado generally treats 35+ acre parcels differently from platted subdivision lots. Owning 35 acres or more typically opens the door to a domestic well permit covering household use, fire protection, and watering of domestic animals and livestock.
• "Household use only" permits. On smaller parcels inside platted subdivisions, the permit is frequently restricted to household use — which legally does not include watering livestock, absent an augmentation plan.
• Augmentation plans. Some subdivisions are covered by a decreed augmentation plan that expands what the well may serve. This is parcel-specific and must be confirmed, not assumed.
• Community wells. Several Adams County estate subdivisions are served by a shared community well system rather than individual wells, with the water delivered through the HOA. This is frequently the strongest position an under-35-acre buyer can be in — these systems are often permitted for household use with livestock, and the maintenance is spread across the subdivision. (This is exactly how 35880 E 149th Ct is set up.)
• Public water. Some Adams County acreage is served by a rural water district rather than a well. That changes the math on both cost and capacity.

The single line to look for on any acreage listing: Well Usage. If it reads "Household w/Livestock," you're in business. If it reads "Household Use Only," the horses are a problem until that's solved.

Every well permit gets pulled and read during due diligence — through the Colorado Division of Water Resources — along with the well's yield, depth, age, pump condition and any shared-well agreement. A shared well with a vague or missing agreement is a real problem, and it's a solvable one if you catch it before closing.

Featured Adams County horse property

Horse Property 10 Acres Permitted Barn

35880 E 149th Ct, Hudson, CO 80642

$1,150,000

MLS #6658049 · The Estates at Bromley South · Unincorporated Adams County · Listed by Brian Lee Burke, Keller Williams DTC

Perched on a hilltop with unobstructed views in every direction — mountains, plains and a lake — this is a ten-acre horse property with the setup country buyers keep looking for and rarely find already built. Custom stucco-and-stone ranch, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 3,784 finished square feet on one level plus a finished walkout lower level. Soaring ceilings, arched openings and walls of windows that pull a hundred miles of Colorado into nearly every room.

10Acres 4/4Bed / Bath 3,784Finished Sq Ft 2002Year Built $304Per Sq Ft

The horse setup

• 10.00 acres (435,600 sq ft), fully fenced with fenced pasture, rolling slope, grassed and suitable for grazing
• Barn / loafing shed, 576 sq ft, built 2014 — permitted. Two stalls, hay storage, concrete floor with matting and rubber, electric and water run to the building
• Well usage: household with livestock — community well system, with the HOA covering water
• Horse property designation: Yes on the MLS, with horses on the pasture today
• Sprinklers front and rear, landscaped, private and public maintained road access

The shop, the toys and the trailer

• Detached workshop, 1,800 sq ft, built 2017 — permitted. Three doors including an RV-height door, concrete floor, electrical
• Oversized attached 4-car garage, 1,120 sq ft, with RV garage, 220-volt service, insulated and drywalled, exterior access door, tandem and circular drive
• Room for the trailer, the tractor and everything else without a conversation about it

The house

• Beds / baths: 4 bed, 4 bath (3 full, 1 half) — three bedrooms on the main level including a 21x24 primary suite, plus a bedroom, full bath and office in the walkout
• Square footage: 3,784 finished / 4,026 total; 2,013 above grade
• Built: 2002 · one-level ranch · frame, stone and stucco · composition roof
• Kitchen: maple cabinetry, double ovens, convection oven, cooktop, slate backsplash, wraparound breakfast bar open to the great room, plus a breakfast nook
• Walkout lower level: 16x30 game room, 19x35 family room, second kitchen and wet bar with bar fridge, dining area, bedroom, full bath, office, pellet stove
• Comfort: two fireplaces, forced air, central air, bay windows, double-pane windows, covered deck and patio, home theater
• Views: mountains, plains and lake

The paperwork, up front

• Zoning: R-E (Residential Estate) — horse rights documented through the well permit usage, the covenants and permitted outbuildings
• Parcel: R0137059, Adams County · Legal: The Estates at Bromley South Amended, Lot 8
• Water and sewer: community well (household with livestock) and septic
• HOA: Bromley Estates, self-managed, $325/quarter ($1,300/year) — covers road maintenance and water
• Taxes: $8,998 (2025 tax year) · special taxing/metro district
• Schools: District 27-J — Mary E Pennock Elementary, Overland Trail Middle, Brighton High School
• Terms: Cash, Conventional, FHA, Jumbo and VA financing
• Location: minutes from Highway 52 and I-76 — an easy run to Brighton, DIA and Denver

Built solid, laid out smart, and sitting on the best lot on the hill. If you've been scrolling listings looking for room to breathe without giving up the metro, this is the one you drive out to see and then find yourself standing in the driveway a lot longer than you planned.

View Full Listing & Photos Text Brian · 303-710-2609

Don't miss a new listing

Adams County horse property inventory is thin and moves fast — set up a standing search with instant alerts, or ask Brian directly about what's coming to market.

Talk to Brian · 303-710-2609

What do horse properties cost in Adams County?

Price on acreage is driven by a different set of levers than a tract home. What actually moves the number:

• Usable acreage, not total acreage. Twenty acres of which six are pasture prices differently than twenty acres of grazable ground.
• Water. A domestic well permit with real yield is worth serious money over a household-use-only permit.
• Improvements that appraise. A permitted, engineered barn on a slab with power and water contributes to value. An unpermitted pole building contributes considerably less, and can complicate the loan.
• Zoning. Agricultural zoning with confirmed livestock rights carries a premium over a large residential lot, and it should.
• Commute geometry. Minutes to E-470, I-76, I-70 and DIA move price more than raw distance does.

Current Adams County, Colorado Acreage Market

Current listing snapshot · Updated August 2026

$495K Median List Price 82 Properties for Sale 37.6 Median Lot Size (Acres) $7,114 Median Price Per Acre 120 Median Days on Market For horse-property buyers: These figures represent Adams County acreage listings overall, not exclusively properties with confirmed horse rights. A horse property's value can vary substantially based on usable pasture, water rights, zoning, permitted barns and other improvements.

Source: Land.com, Adams County, Colorado land listings. Market data accessed August 2026.

Want the real number for a specific property or a specific pocket of the county? That's a conversation, not a web page. Ask for a Smart Pricing Report and you'll get the actual comparable analysis rather than an automated guess.

The acreage walkthrough: what gets inspected

Brian is known around the Front Range for a 24-point check he runs before he's even through the front door — concrete cracking, doorbell quality, porch settling, cobwebs, landscaping, siding type, brickwork, grading. On acreage, that list gets longer, because there's a lot more property to be wrong.

The land

• Grading and drainage — where does snowmelt and storm runoff actually go?
• Usable pasture versus scrub, weeds and unusable ground
• Noxious weed presence and the county's management expectations
• Access and easements — who else has the legal right to cross this land?
• Floodplain status, particularly along the South Platte and its tributaries
• Neighboring land use, current and planned

The structures

• Barn foundation, framing, roof and ventilation
• Stall safety — kick boards, latches, footing, aisle width
• Electrical service to outbuildings, and whether it was permitted
• Frost-free hydrants and winter water strategy
• Fencing type, condition, and horse safety (barbed wire is a conversation)
• Arena footing, drainage and base
• Manure management and storage location
• Permit history on every outbuilding — unpermitted structures become your problem at resale

The systems

• Well permit type, yield test, depth, pump age and pressure tank
• Septic system — location, condition, and Adams County transfer-of-title inspection requirements
• Propane versus natural gas, and tank ownership versus lease
• Utility service reliability at the end of a long rural run
• Internet service — a real issue on the eastern plains and worth confirming before you commit

Selling a horse property in Adams County

Acreage is a different sale. The buyer pool is smaller, more specific and much better informed than a suburban buyer pool — and it's national. People relocate to Colorado specifically for this. Selling one well means:

• Documenting the rights up front. Zone district, well permit, augmentation plan, covenants, permit history. A seller who hands the buyer a verified file sells faster and defends price better than one who makes the buyer go find it.
• Photographing the land, not just the house. Drone, property boundary overlays, barn and arena coverage, and a 3D tour.
• Pricing against real acreage comps. Automated valuation models are consistently unreliable on acreage because they can't weigh water, zoning and outbuildings.
• Marketing to the actual buyer. Equestrian buyers, out-of-state relocations, multi-generational families and co-buyers pooling resources for land.

Request a Smart Pricing Report for your Adams County property.

Downsizing out of a horse property — or into acreage later in life

A large share of Adams County acreage is owned by people who bought it in their thirties and forties and are now in their sixties and seventies. The horses are gone or down to one. The barn is storage. The pasture is a mowing obligation. And the equity in that land is substantial.

This is the core of what The Kenna Real Estate Group does — Front Range downsizing for 55-plus sellers, with the questions asked in the right order:

• Sell first or buy first? On acreage, almost always sell first, because the buyer pool is thin enough that timing is unpredictable. Bridge strategies exist and we plan them in advance.
• Where do you land? One-level ranch living, 55-plus communities, low-maintenance patio homes and gated communities across the Front Range.
• What about the tax hit? Long-held acreage can carry a large capital gain. That's a CPA conversation, and it needs to happen before the property goes on the market.
• What do we do with forty years of accumulation? Estate sale specialists, auction houses for equipment and tack, and senior-move managers.
• What if the move is driven by health or assisted living? Senior placement professionals are part of our referral network.

Co-buying and multi-generational acreage

An increasingly common play in Adams County: two households buying acreage together. Adult children and parents. Two families splitting a 35-acre parcel. Siblings pooling to keep land in the family. Acreage suits this better than a suburban lot, because there's physically room for a second dwelling where zoning permits it.

It works — with the paperwork done properly up front. Ownership structure, exit terms, what happens on a death, a divorce or a job relocation, and who pays for the well pump when it fails. We help structure those purchases and connect you to the attorney who papers them.

Gray divorce and acreage

Dividing a property with land, animals and outbuildings is harder than dividing a house. Brian runs Divorce Workshops Colorado and works these transactions regularly — neutral, organized, and focused on getting both parties an accurate number and a clean sale.

Frequently asked questions

Are there horse properties for sale in Adams County right now?

Yes. Inventory is thin and moves in waves, and the good ones are frequently sold before they get any real market exposure. The most reliable approach is a standing search with instant alerts plus an agent actively working the county.

How many horses can I have per acre in Adams County?

There's no single county-wide number — density depends on the parcel's zone district, its size, and any covenants recorded against it. Confirm the specific parcel with Adams County Community and Economic Development at 720-523-6800 before you rely on any figure.

Which Adams County zoning allows horses?

The agricultural districts — A-1, A-2 and A-3 — are the livestock-capable districts in unincorporated Adams County. A-3 is the large-holding ranch district, intended for holdings of at least 35 acres, and it names a personal equestrian arena as a permitted use.

Can I keep horses on Residential Estate (RE) zoned land in Adams County?

Often yes — but it depends on the specific parcel, not on the zone district alone. Many Adams County estate acreage parcels are documented horse properties, with the right established through the well permit's stated usage, the recorded covenants, and permitted barns and outbuildings. 35880 E 149th Ct is a working example of exactly this.

What does "Household w/Livestock" mean on a listing?

It's the well permit's stated usage, and on an acreage listing it's the most important line on the page. "Household w/Livestock" means the water right covers watering animals. "Household Use Only" means it legally does not.

Do I need 35 acres to have horses in Colorado?

No — but 35 acres is a meaningful legal threshold. At 35+ acres you generally qualify for a domestic well permit that covers watering livestock. Below 35 acres, horses are frequently still permitted, but the water question gets much more complicated.

Can I water my horses from my well?

Only if the permit allows it. A "household use only" permit legally does not cover livestock watering. This is verified through the Colorado Division of Water Resources during due diligence, not assumed from the fact that there's a hose bib in the barn.

Can an HOA ban horses even if the county allows them?

Yes. Recorded covenants can restrict or prohibit livestock, limit outbuildings, regulate trailer parking, and require specific manure handling — regardless of what the zoning permits.

Can I run a boarding or training business on my Adams County property?

That's a different question than whether you can keep your own horses. Commercial equine operations typically require different zoning or a use permit. Bring the business plan into the search from day one.

Which parts of Adams County have the most horse properties?

Two corridors. East: Bennett, Strasburg, Watkins and far-east Aurora along I-70. North: Brighton, Henderson, Todd Creek, Barr Lake and the Hudson-address grid.

What cities are in Adams County, Colorado?

Brighton (county seat), Commerce City, Thornton, Northglenn and Federal Heights are entirely or primarily in Adams County. Westminster, Arvada and Aurora are partly in Adams County. Bennett and Lochbuie are partly in Adams County.

My mailing address says Hudson — am I in Adams County or Weld County?

It depends on the parcel, not the postal address. Properties addressed on the Denver street grid (E 149th Ct, E 167th Ave) are typically unincorporated Adams County, while Weld County parcels are typically addressed on County Roads. Confirm with the Assessor.

Are horse properties harder to finance?

They can be. Appraisals get complicated when a large share of the value sits in outbuildings or when there's any hint of commercial ag use. Lender selection matters here more than on a tract home.

Do barns and outbuildings add appraised value?

Permitted, well-built, functional structures do. Unpermitted structures contribute far less and can create financing and resale friction.

Does keeping horses qualify my land for agricultural property tax status?

Usually not on its own. Colorado's agricultural classification generally requires a for-profit agricultural operation, and horses kept for personal pleasure typically don't qualify.

How long do horse properties take to sell in Adams County?

Longer than suburban homes, and with much more variance. Correct pricing and complete documentation shorten that timeline more than anything else.

What should I inspect that a normal home inspection misses?

Well yield and permit, septic condition and county transfer requirements, barn structure and electrical, fencing safety, arena drainage, frost-free hydrants, grading, easements, floodplain status, and permit history on every outbuilding.

Is Adams County acreage affected by Denver International Airport?

The county surrounds most of DIA, and the Aerotropolis development area east of the airport is under active growth. It's worth understanding what's planned near a parcel before you buy it.

Can two families buy an acreage property together?

Yes, and it's increasingly common. The purchase needs the ownership structure and exit terms papered before closing rather than after.

I'm 60-plus and ready to sell the acreage. Where do I start?

With a real valuation and a timeline, in that order. From there we build the plan: sell-first strategy, where you land, the tax conversation with your CPA, and the estate-sale and senior-move network.

Do I need an agent who specializes in horse properties?

You need one who will actually verify the zoning, pull the well permit, read the covenants and inspect the outbuildings — and who will tell you plainly when a property doesn't work.

Work with Brian Lee Burke on your Adams County horse property

Brian Lee Burke

Team Leader, The Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC

Brian Lee Burke — Team Leader, The Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC. Twenty-five-plus years in Front Range real estate, twenty-five-plus years in construction including thirteen years as a multifamily construction superintendent, and tens of thousands of units walked before that. Realtor of the Year multiple times, 5-Star Agent recognition every year since 2012, and 275-plus five-star Google reviews.

They call him the hardest working man in real estate. Acreage is where that actually pays off, because there's more property to walk and more that can be wrong.

Team: 303-955-4220  ·  Email: [email protected]  ·  Web: kennarealestate.com

View 35880 E 149th Ct Search Adams County Horse Properties

Zoning, water and tax information on this page is general orientation for Colorado buyers and sellers and is not legal, tax or engineering advice. Codes change. Verify every parcel-specific fact with Adams County Community and Economic Development, the Adams County Assessor, and the Colorado Division of Water Resources before relying on it. Last reviewed: August 2026.