Pleasant Valley is the part of Happy Valley that is still happening. A master-planned area in the city's eastern hills, about 13 miles southeast of Portland on the north slopes of Mount Scott and Scouters Mountain, it is where most of the valley's new construction is concentrated, and where the next decade of growth is being planned. If you want a brand-new home, this is the corner of the map to know.
The master plan, community by community
The centerpiece is Pleasant Valley Villages, a master-planned community being built out by several builders at once. Holt Homes has been the lead builder, with Lennar and Ichijo USA also selling inside the plan, and Sekisui House PNW now adding energy-focused single-family homes of its own. The published range runs from townhomes around $460,000 to single-family homes approaching $790,000, across roughly 1,520 to 2,676 square feet with three to five bedrooms. The community pool, clubhouse, trails, playgrounds, and sports courts are the shared dividend of living in a plan that was designed as a whole rather than lot by lot. For the builder lineup and price bands in one place, our fall new-construction update is the place to start.
Schools: a feeder to know by name
Pleasant Valley Villages is zoned to Scouters Mountain Elementary, part of the North Clackamas School District, which serves most of the valley and feeds toward Adrienne C. Nelson High School. One common confusion worth clearing up: the separately named Pleasant Valley Elementary sits in Gresham and belongs to the Centennial School District, not this neighborhood, so the school a buyer actually gets is determined by the specific address. Our North Clackamas feeder guide explains how the boundaries work, and why they vary street by street.
Parks and outdoors, minutes from home
The neighborhood's setting is its best asset. Happy Valley Park, the city's anchor at 13770 SE Ridgecrest Road, is close by with a splash pad, a dog park, the wetlands boardwalk, an all-abilities playground, and sports fields. Scouters Mountain Nature Park rises right at the edge of the area, its forested summit visible from many streets, and Mount Talbert Nature Park adds Metro-managed trails a short drive away. Smaller neighborhood parks like Ashley Meadows Park and Village Green Park keep playgrounds and open space within walking distance of most homes. Our parks and trails guide covers the full list.
What is still being built
Pleasant Valley is not finished, and that is the point. The city's Pleasant Valley/North Carver Comprehensive Plan, updated in 2025, lays out decade-scale growth for housing, parks, schools, and services across a large part of this corner of the city, including an eventual Main Street. That means buyers here are buying into a neighborhood that will keep changing, with new neighbors, new streets, and new amenities arriving for years. Our where the valley is growing next post maps the larger picture, and the neighborhood comparison shows how Pleasant Valley stacks up against Rock Creek, Sunnyside, and Scouters Mountain.
The takeaway
Pleasant Valley is the answer to a specific question: where in Happy Valley can you still buy new, with community amenities and a school feeder already in place, while the neighborhood itself continues to grow around you? It is not for buyers who want a settled, mature street, but for anyone who wants to be part of a place being built, it is the neighborhood to tour first. Keep an eye on the community calendar for the events that bring the newer parts of the valley together, from the farmers market to the holiday tree lighting.