Cedar Creek in Olathe, KS: Lake, Golf, Schools and What It Costs to Live There

If you've only seen Olathe from I-35, Cedar Creek will not compute. You come off K-10 at the K-7 interchange, turn south, and within a couple of minutes the strip centers are gone and you're driving past waterfalls at the entrance, a golf course threading through a valley, and a lake big enough that people actually sail on it. This is the northwest corner of Olathe, ZIP code 66061, and it's the community I get asked about most by families who want space and water without giving up Johnson County schools and a reasonable commute.

Here's what I tell them — the amenities, the five neighborhoods, the schools, the HOA question, and what you'll realistically pay in 2026.

The quick facts

Cedar Creek was founded in 1989 by Cedar Creek Development, and it's still being built out today. The developer's own numbers put the community at more than 5,000 acres with more than 1,600 families living here, organized into 20-plus individual neighborhoods. For scale, that's not a subdivision — it's a small town with its own elementary school inside the community.

The centerpiece is Shadow Lake, a 65-acre private lake at the heart of the community. Residents canoe, sail, paddleboard, fish for bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish, and launch small boats from lakeside docks. There are several smaller lakes and ponds scattered through the neighborhoods too. One honest correction while we're here: you'll see other lake sizes floating around, including an "88-acre" figure in some of my own older Olathe writing. The developer lists it at 65 acres, so that's the number I'm using going forward.

Shadow Glen Golf Club is a private club whose course winds through Cedar Creek Valley. Membership is separate from your HOA — living in Cedar Creek does not make you a member, and you don't have to join to live here. If you're weighing a golf membership as part of your monthly budget, my Kansas City country club membership costs guide walks through how to think about initiation fees and dues across the metro.

Amenities you actually get with your HOA

This is where Cedar Creek earns its reputation. Community-wide, residents have access to three pools (two of them saltwater, including a free-form pool at the Swim & Racquet complex), lighted tennis and pickleball courts, sand volleyball and basketball, a clubhouse that hosts community events and can be booked for private functions, and a trail system that connects the neighborhoods to three parks: Lakeshore Park on the water, Hidden Lakes Park, and Southglen Park. A resident-run group, Cedar Creek Social, runs the calendar of events.

Compared with the newer master-planned communities I write about in south Overland Park — Sundance Ridge with its ski-lodge clubhouse, or Mission Ranch — Cedar Creek's advantage is maturity. The trees are grown, the lake is stocked, and the amenities have been operating for decades rather than being promised on a site plan.

The five neighborhoods and what they cost

Cedar Creek's active sales neighborhoods span a wide price range, which is unusual for one community. These are the developer's published ranges as of late 2026; treat them as a starting point and let me pull current MLS data before you anchor on a number.

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A few things jump out. First, the two maintenance-provided sections (the Meadows and the Villas) are a real option for the "we want the lake but not the mower" buyer — if that's you, read my maintenance-provided homes guide for what those HOAs typically cover and what they don't. Second, lot premiums matter here more than almost anywhere in Olathe: a wooded valley view in Canyon Oaks and a flat interior lot in Valley Ridge are different products with different resale stories. Third, new construction in Cedar Creek is a trickle, not a flood — a handful of homesites at a time — so if you want to build, you'll be choosing between a builder's spec home and a to-be-built contract. My spec vs. to-be-built guide covers the trade-offs.

Schools: check the address, not the brochure

Cedar Creek's sales office lists the Olathe School District (USD 233) feeder pattern: Cedar Creek Elementary, which sits inside the community on South Clare Road, then Mission Trail Junior High and Olathe West High School. St. James Academy, the Catholic high school in Lenexa, is a short drive.

Here's the detail most buyers miss, and it's the same one I flag in my Olathe neighborhoods guide: west Olathe sits near the line between Olathe USD 233 and De Soto USD 232, and some third-party sites describe parts of the Cedar Creek area as feeding the De Soto district. Do not assume. Before you write an offer on any specific home, we verify the assigned schools by address with the district. It takes ten minutes and it's saved more than one of my clients from an expensive surprise.

HOA: what to ask before you fall in love

Cedar Creek runs on a layered HOA structure — a master association for the community-wide amenities, plus a sub-association for each village with its own architectural standards and, in the maintenance-provided sections, its own lawn and snow services. That's normal for a community this size, but it means you need the full picture: master dues, village dues, any special assessments, and the reserve study. I cover how to read those documents in what Johnson County HOA dues actually cover. Ask for the current budget for both associations and get it in writing during your inspection period.

Who Cedar Creek is right for (and who should keep looking)

Cedar Creek is a strong fit if you want water and golf in your daily life, you like the idea of a mature community where the trees are already grown, and your commute runs toward Lenexa, Lawrence or the K-10 corridor. The developer's drive-time estimates are about 12 minutes to Oak Park Mall and roughly 15 minutes to Town Center Plaza; downtown Kansas City and the airport are a longer haul, closer to 35 to 45 minutes.

It's a weaker fit if your work is in south Overland Park or Leawood and you'd rather be 10 minutes from 135th Street — in that case I'd point you toward Olathe's newer construction corridors or south Johnson County. And if you specifically need the Blue Valley school district, Cedar Creek is not it; that's a different part of the county, and I'm happy to walk you through the Olathe market as a whole so you can compare.

Let's look at Cedar Creek together

I work with families buying new construction and relocating into Johnson County, and Cedar Creek is one of the places I most enjoy showing because the reaction at the lake is always the same. If you want current listings, the real HOA numbers for a specific village, or a straight answer on whether a particular lot is worth its premium, let's talk.

Schedule a 20-minute consultation — no pressure, no pitch, just clarity on whether Cedar Creek fits your family.

Already own in Cedar Creek and thinking about your next move? Get a free home value report and I'll show you what your neighborhood has actually been selling for.

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