The Hills is currently MTV's top-rated show. The show has also been top ten in ratings for all programs in adults 18-24 teens.

MTV.com has delivered nearly 18 million show-related streams, including nearly 1 million live "After Show" streams, while "Virtual Hills," introduced shortly after Season 2 began, and its sister site "Virtual Laguna Beach" have more than 600,000 registered users.

On April 5, 2007 MTV announced the show would return for a third season in the Summer of 2007 with 10 new episodes.

Lauren Conrad has reported that she will be retiring from reality TV in order to focus on her fashion career, suggesting that the third season of The Hills may possibly be its last.

• US Premiere Date: Wednesday, May 31, 2006
• DVD Release Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2007
• Number of Episodes: 10

Lauren's road to independence was documented shortly after leaving Laguna Beach and moving to Los Angeles with her then best friend, Heidi Montag. During her time in LA, Lauren spent her days balancing school at FIDM and working at Teen Vogue. Audrina Patridge, a young and beautiful 'mactress' became the girls' first close friend in LA, and always seemed to offer much advice to Heidi. After a hard day of work, Lauren received a shocking phone call from Jason Wahler. After much consideration, Lauren decided to give Jason a second chance. Meanwhile, Heidi confessed that school was not for her; she unofficially withdrew and began working for an event-planning firm, Bolthouse Productions. Heidi was also seen dating Jordan Eubanks, a relationship that grew strong but eventually ended, and Audrina struggled to find love, briefly dating Jason and Jordan's friend Brian Drolet. In the season finale, Lauren was offered a summer internship in Paris that she ultimately turned down so that she could spend the summer with Jason. Fellow intern, Whitney Port, was offered an internship in New York, but when the one in Paris opened up, Whitney immediately took the offer. Heidi confided to Audrina that she was completely over Jordan, and the two began spending their summer nights as single socialites.

• US Premiere Date: Monday, January 15, 2007
• DVD Release Date: Tuesday, August 7, 2007
• Number of Episodes: 12

Lauren and Jason breakup. Lauren focuses on her internship where she must compete against visiting New York intern Emily Weiss, whose vocabulary includes the word "chinoiserie." Whitney interviews in New York for a higher position within Teen Vogue - a position for which Emily has also interviewed. Meanwhile, Heidi is seen dating Spencer Pratt, which worries Lauren. Spencer tries to date Audrina and causes Heidi to believe that Audrina tried to hook up with him. At Heidi's birthday party, Audrina shows up and tries to set Heidi straight, only to be ignored in a manner most cruel. She leaves the party in a huff. However, the two ex-friends make up, but Heidi continues seeing Spencer until she catches him being unfaithful and declares an end to their relationship. Lauren and Audrina too advice Heidi that she should not continue her relationship with Spencer, because he manipulates people (especially Heidi) and draws her away from her friends. Nevertheless, they eventually reconcile and their relationship continues. Spencer's hatred towards Lauren grows to the level that he forces Heidi to choose between him and Lauren, and he spreads a false rumor of Lauren making a sex video with Jason. Spencer even stops talking to his best friend Brody because he sees Spencer's "enemy", Lauren. Heidi tries to both make things right with Lauren and to stay with Spencer, but Lauren says she can't be friends with a person who's getting married with Spencer. Lauren subsequently turns to Audrina for friendship. In the season finale, Spencer and Heidi move in together, signaling the end to Lauren and Heidi's friendship. Audrina then accepts an invitation from Lauren to occupy Heidi's former room in the apartment.

• US Premiere Date: Monday, August 13, 2007
• DVD Release Date: Tuesday, July 29, 2008[5]
• Number of Episodes: 28

Lauren's feud versus the newly engaged Heidi took a turn for the worse after Lauren alleged that she spread a rumor and cut all ties with her former best friend. At Teen Vogue, Whitney struggled with her new position as the Direct Supervisor to the interns after a break-up with a longtime boyfriend, and Lauren got a second chance with Lisa Love by being sent to Paris to assist with the Bal des Débutantes with Whitney by her side. After realizing that staying behind the scenes at Teen Vogue wasn't for her, Whitney got a new job working for the fashion PR firm, People's Revolution, and brought Lauren along with her. Lauren continued to stay close with her childhood friend, Lo Bosworth, and the two decided to buy a house together in Hollywood and invited Audrina to live with them even though Lo felt uneasy about their decision. Additionally, Audrina spent more time with former flame, Justin, which made the situation in the house ever more uneasy. The two had a dramatic break-up but eventually reunited. Meanwhile, Heidi continued to climb the corporate ladder at Bolthouse Productions and struggled with her engagement to Spencer. The two went on a "relationship vacation", and Spencer consequently moved in with his sister, Stephanie, who managed to put herself in the midst of the 'Lauren vs. Heidi' feud after befriending Lauren while taking a class at FIDM together. In the season finale, Heidi put her job at Bolthouse in jeopardy after going home with Spencer, who surprised her during a business trip to Las Vegas, and Audrina argued to Lauren that it was Lo who was pulling their friendship apart.

• US Premiere Date: Monday, August 18, 2008
• UK Premiere Date: Sunday, October 5th, 2008
• Number of Episodes: 13

Lauren is adjusting to life in her new home with her two best friends, Lo and Audrina. Audrina is concerned that Lo is putting a strain on her relationship with Lauren, and the two tearfully make amends. Also, after her hardship with Brody, Lauren finds that she is ready to start dating again and briefly rekindles her relationship with her former flame, Doug. Audrina, too, continues to struggle with her relationship with Justin and tries to make things work by inviting him to live with her in her new house. Additionally, Whitney travels to New York as part of her job at People's Revolution where she meets Alex, a model working for Kelly Cutrone. Meanwhile, at the Montag/Pratt residence, Heidi's sister, Holly, moves in, which upsets Spencer. With Holly's only other friend in LA being Lauren, she tries to reach out to both parties and bring the two former best friends back together. Heidi also gets a second chance at Bolthouse while assisting at a major event, but ends up getting fired after being openly drunk while working.