Fort Collins was founded as a military fort in 1864 and incorporated as a town in 1873.
Fort Collins is a home rule city with a Council/Manager form of government. The Council is made up of six district council members who are elected on a non-partisan basis for a four-year term and a Mayor who is elected at-large on a non-partisan basis for a two-year term.
This rapidly urbanizing community operates under a sophisticated and comprehensive development plan and is a full-service city.
Fort Collins continues to reinvest in community improvements. Recent voter-approved capital improvement initiatives have enabled the City to build Gateway Park, Edora Skate Park, the new City office building at 215 N. Mason, the Downtown Transit Center and the Civic Center Parking Structure. Funds were also used for numerous street improvements, to provide a second sheet of ice for Edora Pool and Ice Center and to construct a new Community Horticulture Center.
Location/Climate
Fort Collins is nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and alongside the banks of the Cache La Poudre River.
The city lies approximately 5,000 feet above sea level.
Residents enjoy a moderate, four season climate with an average of 300 days of sunshine and 14.5 inches of precipitation a year.
July is the average warmest month (Avg. High 86°F - Avg. Low 57°F)
January is the average coolest month (Avg. High 42°F - Avg. Low 14°F)
Finances (Updated March 2011)
Fort Collins' unemployment rate is 8.1 (December 2010, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
The City/State/County has a combined sales tax rate of 7.55 percent on general merchandise.
Fort Collins supports multiple transportation options including 18 bus routes and 200 miles of on-street and off-street trails for pedestrians and bicycles.
The Lincoln Center is the City's cultural arts center. Activities include professional theatre, dance, music, visual arts and children's programs.
The Fort Collins Senior Center includes a pool, spa, gymnasium, track, billiards, crafts and a community media center/library.
The community library system (http://poudrelibraries.org) includes the Main Public Library, Council Tree Library and the Harmony Library, a join-use facility shared with Front Range Community College. The public libraries provide youth programs, computer labs and resources and information for Spanish-speaking citizens.
The Fort Collins Museum displays the history of Fort Collins and Larimer County from prehistoric times to present day.
Fort Collins provides electric and water utilities to residents. It has the second largest electric system in Colorado, with electric rates ranking the sixth lowest in the state and among the lowest in the nation. Fort Collins Utilities was also first in Colorado and among the first in the country to offer green energy to its customers. Fort Collins continually meets or surpasses all state and federal water quality standards.
The Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport is jointly owned by the cities of Fort Collins and Loveland. With over 1,100 acres and roughly 300 aircraft, the airport serves the private a corporate aviation needs of the Northern Front Range, as well as charter flights and flights for area collegiate football teams.
Honors and Awards
Ranked 3rd on the Best Bicycle Cities list: League of American Bicyclists and TheStreet.com - August 2011
One of the top 15 Best Places for triathletes to live and train: Triathlete Magazine - August 2011
Ranked 5th Best Places for Business and Careers: Forbes - June 2011
Fort Collins, One of the Top 10 Cities Adopting Smart Grid Technology: U.S.News and World Report - May 2011
Top Colorado City for Job Growth, Fort Collins-Loveland: 2011 Best Cities for Job Growth, newgeography.com - May 2011
Third Happiest Metro Region, Fort Collins-Loveland, CO: Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index - 2011
One of the Top Ten Places to Retire in the Nation: Charles Schwab's On Investing - Spring 2011
2011 Governor's Arts Award: Colorado Creative Industries and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade - March 2011
One of the Top 10 Best American cities to invest your real estate dollars in 2011: Trulia.com - December 2010
Named 5th Most Educated City in the country based on education levels of our adult population: Portfolio.com - December 2010
Fourth Best State for Business, Colorado: Forbes magazine - October 2010
One the Top 25 Best Places to Retire: CNNMoney.com - September 2010
One of the Top 10 Best College Towns: Small-Sized Cities Category, USA Today - September 2010
One of the top six 'Smarter Cities' for Energy: Natural Resources Defense Council, (population 100,000-249,999) - August 2010
6th Best Place to Live in the Nation: Money Magazine - July 2010
One of the Most Underrated Cities in the West: Life.com - June 2010
One of the Greatest Places to Live in the West: American Cowboy magazine - April 2010
Ranked 4th Best Places for Business and Careers: Forbes - April 2010
One of a Dozen Distinctive Destinations: National Trust for Historic Preservation - February 2010
Ranked 3rd 'Smarter City' for sustainability: Natural Resources Defense Council - July 2009
Named one of 10 Great Places for Entrepreneurs to Retire: Forbes - June 2009
Ranked 1st Best Place to Live and Work for Young Professionals (pop. 100,000-200,000): Next Generation Consulting - March 2009
Named 2nd Best Metro for Business and Careers: Forbes magazine - March 2009
Ranked 7th Best Midsize Metro in the nation: bizjournals.com - March 2009
One of Top 20 Places to Thrive: Best Boomer Towns - February 2009
Ranked 10th Best-Educated City in America: Forbes magazine - November 2008
One of the Best Places to Raise Your Kids: Business Week - November 2008
LEED Gold designation for the Northside Aztlan Community Center; U.S. Green Build Council: October 2008 -
Gold level Bicycle Friendly Community: League of American Bicyclists - September 2008
2nd Best Place to Live: Money magazine - August 2008
One of 8 Enriching Towns for Art and Music Lovers: Where to Retire magazine - April 2008.
Named 3rd Best Place for Business and Career: Forbes magazine - March 2008
Ranked 39th Best Place to Live and Launch a Business: CNN/Money - March 2008
Top 10 Digital Cities; Center for Digital Government, September 2007: -
One of 30 Fast Cities, due to innovation and creativity of workforce: Fast Company magazine - July 2007
9th Best Place to Invest in Real Estate: Business 2.0 - May 2007
Top 10 College Towns for Grown-Ups: Kiplinger's magazine - March 2007
Named a Preserve America Community: First Lady Laura Bush - 2007
One of America's Most Walkable Small Cities: msn.com - 2007
One of the Best Places for Business and Careers: Forbes magazine - 2007
Fort Collins listed among the Top 10 College Towns for Grown-Ups: Kiplinger magazine - March 2007
Fort Collins Ranked 4th among College Towns With Great Golf : Business Week Online (Golf Digest) - November 2006
Fort Collins came in 9th on "Where to Buy Now": Business 2.0 magazine - November 2006
#1 Best Place to Live in the Nation: Money Magazine - August 2006
Listed as 23rd among 63 Hot Mid-Sized Cities for Entrepreneurs: Entrepreneur magazine - August 2006
Seated as the 6th Best Places for Business and Career: Forbes magazine - May 2006
Ranked 2nd (moved up from 9th place in 2005) for having the Safest Drivers: Allstate Insurance - May 2006
Fort Collins is one of the 50 Best Places to Live (ranked 34th): Kiplinger's magazine - June 2006
Rated as the 6th most Affordable Communities/Best Places to Raise Your Family: Frommer's - May 2006
Fort Collins received the Preserve America Grant: - March 2006
Fort Collins is one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People: America's Promise - September 2005
City of Fort Collins earns "Bicycle Friendly Community" national award: League of American Bicyclists - 2005
"American Dream Town." Fort Collins rated as one of the Best Towns in the U.S.: Outside Magazine - August 2005)
Fort Collins drivers are the ninth best in the nation: Allstate Insurance Company's ("America's Best Drivers Report.") -
Fort Collins & Larimer County Named Top Nature-Friendly Communities: - June, 2005
Selected as 4th best place to live in the United States: Men's Journal - April 2005
Officially designated as a "Take Pride In America Community": - March 2005
City of Fort Collins selected as "Top Retirement Spot": Where to Retire magazine - March/April 2005
Fort Collins was designated a Preserve America Community for its committment to historic preservation and celebration of our priceless cultural and natural heritage. : First Lady Laura Bush - 2004
Fort Collins ranks No. 29 on the list of best places for business and careers in America's small cities.: Forbes Magazine -
Fort Collins ranks #4 of the 50 best places to live in the United states (The criteria included the familiarity of a small town but with attractive amenities, good weather, location, all around livable and inviting.): Men's Journal - May 2003
Loveland/Fort Collins is the #1 Best Place to Reinvent Your Life: AARP Magazine - May & June 2003 edition)
Today show
Updated: 9:41 a.m. MT July 18, 2006
Check out these small cities that live large
‘Today’ financial editor Jean Chatzky shares a look at some of Money magazine's ‘90 Best, Small, Livable Cities’
Jean Chatzky
The 'Today' show Financial Editor
These days, most Americans want big city opportunity and culture — with more green space and less stress. If that's what you're looking for, you’ll want to check out the list of the 90 best, small, livable cities, found in the August issue of Money magazine 2006. “Today” financial editor Jean Chatzky was invited to appear on the show to share a look at some of the hot spots. Here’s more from the magazine:
When it comes to a place to raise a family and live, most Americans want two things: The ability for themselves and their children to prosper, and a quality of life that lets them enjoy the products of their work. For several generations, that meant moving from big cities to suburbs. But that wasn't perfect either. It came with a long commute and a certain lack of community and cultural life.
Now the tide has turned in the other direction. The best places to live these days offer big city opportunity and amenities — with a lot more green space and a lot less stress. In conducting our search this year, we set out to find the best small livable cities that had the best possible blend of good jobs, low crime, quality schools, plenty of open space, rational home prices and lots to do. We started with a list of hundreds, and winnowed the list to 90. Here's more on the #1:
Fort Collins, Colorado: #1 The Best Place To Live in America Population: 128,000 Home price: $215,000 Prop taxes: $1,700 Pros: Outdoor lover's paradise, good schools, very little stress Cons: Tech dependent economy
Founded as a military outpost 60 miles north of Denver in 1864, the city is now home to a thriving tech industry (HP, Eastman Kodak and Agilent Technologies have a big presence here) and the main campus of Colorado State University. It is situated 5,000 feet above sea level in the Rocky Mountains, with restaurants (particularly in the Old Town section), nightlife (including four microbreweries) and culture and natural attractions like the Horsetooth Reservoir for boating and swimming. There are 60 miles of hiking and biking trails and most major roads have bike lanes. Although the tech crunch hit the city hard, the city is forging ahead with two new schools in the southern part of town. It already boasts the highest ranked high school in the state, and students in the district beat the state averages in all subjects at all grade levels.
LUXURY REAL ESTATE can be a $250,000 lakefront lot on a waterski lake, or a $2,900,000 six bedroom, seven bath, 10,000 square foot home at HIDDEN VALLEY ESTATES in Loveland Colorado! Luxury real estate can be a fabulous 2,200 square foot patio home on the 18th fairway of a championship golf course in Fort Collins or a secluded family retreat in Estes Park. Luxury Real Estate can even be a hip downtown Fort Collins Loft! Whatever your idea of Luxury Real Estate is, REALTY EXECUTIVES Real Estate agent Mitch Weiner and his web site, COLORADO LUXURY REAL ESTATE.COM can help you find the Northern Colorado dream home or lot that you have been looking for.
This region of Colorado is booming in every way, including in the luxury home market. More million-dollar homes have been sold in the past ten years than at any other time in Northern Colorado history. And why not! With over 300 days of sunshine per year, stunning natural beauty, a healthy active lifestyle, 3 major Universities, world class health care and thriving cities like Fort Collins, Loveland and Boulder, it’s no wonder that Northern Colorado is considered one the very best places to live in the country. Fort Collins was voted in 2004, 2006 as one of the best places to relocate to in the USA! REALTY EXECUTIVES Real Estate agent Mitch Weiner has extensive knowledge of the Northern Colorado Real Estate market. He has assisted clients in buying and selling property throughout the region since 1985 and he is recognized as one of the consistently top-producing realtors in the state of Colorado. Mitch is a marketing specialist and industry trendsetter who always demonstrates the highest level of professionalism in the listing and selling of high-end properties. .
For more detailed information on Mitch Weiner, the area he serves in Northern Colorado, and why you should consider him as your Colorado point of contact for real estate service, please call him at 970.218.8300.
Colorado has earned a worldwide reputation as an area that that offers an unparalleled lifestyle. Fort Collins, Loveland and Boulder represent the very best of Colorado. Exciting recreation and sports activities, festivals, cultural activities, high-quality healthcare and great senior accommodations make Fort Collins a choice place to call home. Recently named Best Small Town in the West by Money Magazine, the community truly has something for everyone. To read more about Northern Colorado communities, please click the links below:
Fort Collins Community Information
Located in northern Colorado, Fort Collins offers a unique blend of recreational and cultural opportunities, natural beauty, diverse employment opportunities and a strong economic base. Fort Collins lies alongside the banks of the Cache La Poudre River next to the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains. With over 300 days of sunshine, pleasant year-round temperatures, plenty of shopping and excellent healthcare facilities, both old and young alike are drawn to the community. The city was even ranked 10 th on A&E Network’s 1999 “Best Cities to Have it All”. Though the median age is 28, Fort Collins was voted the best place to “reinvent your life” (or retire) by AARP The Magazine in 2003 and by Retirement Places Rated in 1999.
Loveland, Colorado is a beautiful town nestled in a valley at the base of the Rocky Mountains, making it truly the “Gateway to the Rockies”. Loveland offers something for everyone, from the avid golfer to the art aficionado to the outdoorsman. While the town is renowned for it magnificent outdoor art collection, it also boasts 27 public parks, three excellent golf courses, extensive biking and hiking trails, camping, boating, fishing, horseback riding and numerous tennis courts that offer recreation choices aplenty.
Fort Collins Community Information
