Facts about Ft. Collins, Colorado
Climate
- Altitude about 1500 m (5000 ft)
- Nearby Rocky Mountains ranging to 4300
m (14 110 ft)
- 300+ days of sunshine, little
rainfall, very low humidity, moderate climate
- Pleasant summers, warm days, cool
nights
- Typical summer high temperatures would
be 24 to 30 deg.C (75 to 86 deg.F)
- Pleasant winters, lots of sunshine,
snow rarely stays on the ground long
- Typical winter high temperatures would
range from 2 to 21 (!) deg.C (35 to 70 deg.F)
People
- The population of Fort Collins is 126
848 (2002 city estimate, an increase of over 8000 since the 2000 US
Census). The city projects population growth of 2.2% per year for the
foreseeable future.
- Fort Collins is officially classified
as a metropolitan area by the Census, and is the fifth largest city in
Colorado. Outside of the Denver metro area, only Colorado Springs is
larger than Fort Collins.
- The population includes over 22 000
students at Colorado State University.
- 49% of Fort Collins adults over age 25
have a college degree, and 16% have a post-graduate degree.
- The population of Larimer County is
about 260 000 (2002).
- Most people have immigrated from other
states.
- The town has been growing rapidly for
the last 25 years, and continues to be one of the fastest growing
cities in the US.
- Fort Collins is known for friendliness
of people and low crime rate.
- Facilities and activities for seniors
are excellent, and Fort Collins has become a popular retirement
center.
- Primary downside is the transportation
system. Although the city has an excellent and attractive bike trail
system, public transportation is almost non-existent (a
taxpayer-funded bus system services primarily the students at Colorado
State University), and there are some limited transportation options
for seniors who don't drive. The city experiences significant
pollution from automobile exhaust, and the city's road system is not
keeping up with growth. Constantly increasing traffic delays are a
continual source of frustration (and more than a few of our friendly
people abandon their courtesy and consideration when they drive).
- Population is 89.6% White, 8.8%
Hispanic, 2.6% Asian or Pacific Islander, and 1.0% Black (2000 US
Census—adds to more than 100% because the Census now allows people
to indicate more than one race).
- Fort Collins is the county seat of
government for Larimer County (also the largest town in the county).
- It is located about 105 km (65 miles)
north of Denver, and about 72 km (45 miles) south of Cheyenne,
Wyoming.
- Other towns in county are Loveland
(2000 population 50 608), Estes Park, Wellington, Laporte, Timnath,
Red Feather Lakes, Berthoud.
- Nearby towns (in Weld county) are
Greeley, Windsor.
- Primary employment is white collar.
Cost of Living
- Property values are high, housing is
expensive, cost of living is moderate. According to a 1998 survey
published in our local newspaper (the ACCRA index for the first
quarter of 1998), Fort Collins is 6.7% more expensive to live in than
the average US city. According to the survey:
- Utilities cost 25% BELOW the national
average.
- Medical care costs over 15% ABOVE the
national average.
- Housing costs over 20% ABOVE the
national average.
- Groceries cost almost 13% ABOVE the
national average.
- In Colorado, Boulder, Greeley, and
Gunnison all have a higher cost of living than Fort Collins.
The survey ranked Colorado cities:
- Boulder, +19.7% above the national
average
- Greeley, +7.1%
- Gunnison, +6.8%
- Fort Collins, +6.7%
- Denver, +6.5%
- Colorado Springs, +2.1%
- Grand Junction, +1.0%
- Loveland, -2.7% below the national
average
- Pueblo, -7.9%
For comparison, some other western US
cities were ranked:
- Los Angeles, CA, +17.6% above the
national average
- Eugene, OR, +8.7%
- Albuquerque, NM, +3.1%
- Spokane, WA, +2.5%
- Salt Lake City, UT, -0.5 below the
national average
- And let's not forget New York City
(+137.7% above the national average).
Schools
- 3 public school districts in county
Poudre R1 (Fort Collins, Wellington, Laporte, Timnath, mountain areas)
Thompson R2J (Loveland)
Park R3 (Estes Park)
- A number of private and parochial
schools
- 2 colleges/universities
Colorado State University
Front Range Community College
Local Attractions
- Rocky Mountain National Park (1 hour)
- Estes Park (1 hour)
- Poudre River Canyon (30 minutes)
- Fort Collins Municipal Railway
historic city streetcar (trolley rides in summer)
- Clydesdale horses at Anheuser-Busch
brewery (20 minutes)
Outdoor Activities
- Hiking/backpacking in the Roosevelt
National Forest and Arapahoe National Forest
- Climbing "14ers" (Colorado's
54 peaks over 4267 m/14 000 ft are all climbable, mostly without
technical gear; the nearest 14er to Fort Collins is Longs Peak at 4301
m/14 110 ft; about a 2-hour drive to the base, 8 hours to climb,
non-technical, primarily in August)
- White water rafting (some canoeing) on
the Cache la Poudre River
- Bicycling (extensive
bicycle/pedestrian trail system) in town, particularly along the
Poudre River
- 7 golf courses in Fort Collins, 12
more in immediate area
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