The Complete Cimarrone Guide. (2026)

Executive Summary

Cimarrone Golf & Country Club is a gated, 24-hour-manned golf community in the County Road 210 West corridor of northwest St. Johns County, in the 32259 ZIP, about three miles from I-95 for a quick run to the Southside, downtown Jacksonville, and St. Augustine. Built out between roughly 1995 and 2007 into about 750 single-family homes on golf, lake, and wooded lots, it is a well-established, fully built community with mature landscaping.

Its defining cost feature is the absence of a CDD, which is rare in northwest St. Johns County, where most communities carry one. Cimarrone funds its amenities through an HOA of roughly fifteen hundred dollars a year, and the 18-hole semi-private golf course, designed by David Postlethwait, carries a separate, optional membership rather than being bundled into the HOA.

The amenity package has been substantially upgraded in recent years. A 10,000-square-foot clubhouse with a restaurant and lounge anchors the community, joined by clay tennis courts, a pool, an expanded fitness center, two new ADA playgrounds, a regulation lighted basketball court, improved soccer and baseball fields, a dog park, a covered picnic area, and a jogging track, all behind a manned gate.

The honest trade-offs are an established housing stock that varies in condition, an HOA higher than a typical no-CDD community because it funds country-club-grade amenities, and golf dues that are separate. The most valuable move you can make is to have your own agent rather than the listing agent, who works for the seller.

Quick Facts

Community Overview & History

Cimarrone Golf & Country Club was built out between roughly 1995 and 2007 in the County Road 210 West corridor of northwest St. Johns County, an area prized for being away from it all while sitting about three miles from I-95. It is the only manned, gated golf neighborhood in the 210 area, directly across from the South Hampton golf community, and it has matured into a quiet, fully built community of about 750 homes with established trees and landscaping.

The community is organized for privacy and recreation. It is gated on all sides and monitored around the clock by security staff, and its homes look out on golf-course, lake, and wooded views. The 18-hole semi-private course, designed by David Postlethwait, runs through the community, with golf offered as a separate, optional membership rather than bundled into the homeowner dues.

Cimarrone's standout structural feature is the absence of a CDD, which is uncommon in northwest St. Johns County. The community funds a deep, recently upgraded amenity package through an HOA of roughly fifteen hundred dollars a year, which buys country-club-grade facilities without the CDD assessment most nearby communities carry.

The Golf, the Amenities & the No-CDD Structure

Gated and manned

Cimarrone is gated on all sides and staffed by 24-hour security, making it the only manned gated golf neighborhood in the 210 area of northwest St. Johns County. For buyers who prioritize privacy and controlled access, that manned gate is a genuine differentiator from the many communities with only an automated gate or none at all, and it is part of what the HOA funds.

Semi-private golf

The 18-hole, par-72 course designed by David Postlethwait threads through the community, with golf, lake, and wooded views from many homes. Golf is offered through a separate, optional membership and a 10,000-square-foot clubhouse with a restaurant, lounge, and golf and banquet facilities, so a buyer pays for golf only if they intend to play, rather than having dues bundled into the HOA.

A recently upgraded amenity center

Cimarrone has invested heavily in its amenities in recent years: an expanded fitness center, a larger clubhouse kitchen and gathering space, two new ADA-compliant playgrounds, a regulation lighted basketball court, resurfaced lighted clay tennis courts, improved soccer and baseball fields, a covered picnic area, a dog park, and a jogging track. For an established community, that level of recent reinvestment is unusual and keeps the facilities current.

The Market & Pricing

As of 2026, Cimarrone homes generally run from the $400s into the $700s and above, depending on size, lot, and updates, with the larger homes on golf-course and lake lots at the top of the range. Homes span roughly 1,450 to 4,400 square feet across the community's sections, so a buyer has real variety in size and price within one gated community.

Because Cimarrone is fully built out, it is a resale market, and condition, lot, and updates drive price. A renovated home with newer systems on a golf or lake lot commands a premium over a dated home on an interior lot at similar square footage. The gated security, the amenities, and the no-CDD structure are priced into every listing, so the house and the lot are where a buyer wins or overpays.

When comparing Cimarrone to nearby communities, account for both the no-CDD advantage and the higher HOA. Cimarrone's roughly fifteen-hundred-dollar HOA funds country-club-grade amenities and a manned gate, and there is no CDD on top of it, whereas a nearby community might have a lower HOA but add a CDD assessment. Compare the all-in carrying cost, taxes plus HOA plus any CDD plus optional golf, rather than list prices alone, since the listing agent, who works for the seller, will not run that comparison for you.

Who Lives Here

Cimarrone draws buyers who want gated privacy, golf, and country-club amenities in a top school district, including established families, golfers, and move-up and move-down buyers attracted by the manned gate and the recently upgraded facilities. The community's quiet, away-from-it-all character and mature setting appeal to those who prefer an established neighborhood over a brand-new development.

The social life centers on the clubhouse, the golf course, and the amenity center, with the recently added gathering spaces giving residents reasons to connect. For buyers who value security, recreation, and a settled community with country-club-grade amenities and no CDD, Cimarrone fits; for those wanting new construction or resort-scale master-plan amenities, the age of the stock and the smaller scale are the trade-offs.

Schools

Cimarrone sits in the top-rated St. Johns County School District, consistently among the highest-rated in Florida, which is a major draw for families. Homes here are generally zoned for Timberlin Creek Elementary School, Switzerland Point Middle School, and Beachside High School, all well-regarded campuses serving the northwest part of the county.

Because St. Johns County adjusts attendance boundaries as it opens new schools, the specific schools assigned to a given Cimarrone home can change over time, and the area has seen new schools added as it has grown. Confirm the current zoning for the exact address directly with the St. Johns County School District before you buy, rather than assuming it from the community name, since school assignment is the first filter for most families and the detail most likely to shift.

Amenities & Lifestyle

Cimarrone offers a country-club-grade amenity package behind its manned gate. The 10,000-square-foot clubhouse, with a restaurant, lounge, and banquet and golf facilities, anchors the community, alongside the 18-hole semi-private golf course and a homeowner amenity set that includes a swimming pool, lighted clay tennis courts, and an expanded fitness center.

Recent investment has broadened the recreation considerably. The community added two ADA-compliant playgrounds, a regulation lighted basketball court, improved soccer and baseball fields, a covered picnic area, a dog park, and a jogging track in just the past few years, alongside the upgraded clubhouse kitchen and gathering spaces. That breadth, kept current through recent reinvestment, is a core part of the community's appeal.

These amenities are funded through the HOA, with golf as a separate, optional membership, and there is no CDD, covered next. The combination of country-club facilities, a manned gate, and no CDD assessment is what distinguishes Cimarrone's cost structure from both the no-frills no-CDD communities and the resort-scale CDD master plans nearby.

HOA & CDD

Cimarrone's cost structure is distinctive and worth understanding precisely. The community has no CDD, which is rare in northwest St. Johns County, where most communities carry a CDD assessment on the tax bill. Instead, Cimarrone funds its country-club-grade amenities and 24-hour manned gate through an HOA of roughly fifteen hundred dollars a year, which is higher than a typical no-frills community's dues precisely because it buys more.

Golf is separate. The 18-hole course is a semi-private, optional membership, so a buyer pays golf dues only if they play, rather than having them bundled into the HOA. The right way to evaluate Cimarrone is to compare the all-in carrying cost, no CDD, the roughly fifteen-hundred-dollar HOA, and optional golf, against nearby communities that may have a lower HOA but add a CDD assessment, since the headline numbers can be misleading. Confirm the current HOA and any golf membership terms in writing for the specific situation before you buy.

Commute Analysis

Cimarrone's County Road 210 West location is prized for being quiet and away from it all while sitting only about three miles from I-95. That puts the Southside Jacksonville job centers roughly 25 to 35 minutes north, downtown Jacksonville a bit further, and St. Augustine a straightforward drive south, so the seclusion does not cost much in access.

Everyday shopping and dining are close along the growing CR-210 corridor, with a Publix-anchored center minutes away. The trade-off is the same as for the 210 communities generally: it is a drive to the beach and to a walkable town center. For buyers who want privacy and quiet with quick interstate access, Cimarrone's location is a strong fit. As always, test-drive your real commute at your real departure time before committing.

Shopping & Dining

Everyday shopping and dining have grown up along the County Road 210 corridor near Cimarrone, anchored by a Publix at Johns Creek Center about a mile and a half away, with additional retail, restaurants, and services continuing to expand as the 210 area develops. Daily errands are quick and close.

For larger trips, the St. Johns Town Center and the Southside's full range of shopping and dining are a drive north via I-95, and historic St. Augustine offers its dining and culture to the south. The 210 West corridor has matured enough that residents have strong everyday convenience close to home, with the metro's bigger destinations a manageable drive in either direction.

Pros and Cons

Cimarrone vs. Comparable Communities

The honest way to place Cimarrone is against the other northwest-St.-Johns communities a buyer is realistically weighing. Each trades something different.

Cimarrone's case against this field is the combination most communities cannot match: a manned gate, country-club-grade and recently upgraded amenities, semi-private golf, and top schools, all with no CDD. The case against it is the higher HOA and the established stock, where a buyer wanting new construction would look to The Landings and a buyer wanting resort-scale family amenities would look to Durbin Crossing or Shearwater and accept the CDD.

Hidden Things Buyers Should Know

First, understand the full cost picture: no CDD, but an HOA around fifteen hundred dollars a year that funds the manned gate and amenities, plus optional separate golf. Compare the all-in number against nearby communities rather than the HOA alone.

Second, in a resale community the listing agent works for the seller. Your own agent represents only you, at no cost to you in nearly every transaction, and runs the comparison the listing agent will not.

Third, golf is optional and separate, so do not assume it is bundled; price membership in only if you will play.

Fourth, the homes date to 1995 through 2007, so roof age, HVAC age, and updates drive both price and your near-term costs. A thorough inspection matters here.

Fifth, lot position drives value: golf-course and lake lots carry premiums and hold value, and St. Johns school zoning can shift, so confirm both the lot's standing and the current schools for the exact address.

Momentum Expert Insight

Cimarrone occupies a specific niche: a manned-gate country club with recently upgraded amenities and semi-private golf, in a top school district, with no CDD. That combination is rare, and the value turns on understanding the cost structure correctly, the higher HOA buys the gate and the amenities, golf is separate, and there is no CDD to layer on top. Our job, at no cost to you as a buyer, is to run that all-in comparison against the nearby alternatives, then read the specific home's condition, lot, and updates honestly so you pay the right number.

Our advice to Cimarrone buyers is to weigh the manned-gate-and-amenities premium against communities with a CDD but a lower HOA, and to prioritize the right lot and a renovated home given the age of the stock. Momentum Realty is Northeast Florida's number one independent brokerage, with 270-plus agents, 800-plus verified five-star reviews, and over $3.5 billion in closed sales, and we represent buyers and sellers across St. Johns County every week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Reading

If you are researching Cimarrone, you are likely also weighing these other northwest-St.-Johns communities. We have written guides on each.