Fort Collins, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River
along the Colorado Front Range
, and is the county seat
and most populous city of Larimer County
, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located 57 miles (92 km) north of the Colorado State Capitol
in Denver. With a 2010 census population of 143,986, it is the fourth most populous city in Colorado. Fort Collins is a large college town, home to Colorado State University
. It was named Money magazine's Best Place to Live 2006, #2 in 2008, and #6 in 2010.
in 1864. It succeeded a previous encampment, known as Camp Collins
, on the Cache La Poudre River
, near what is known today as Laporte
. Camp Collins was erected during the Indian wars of the mid-1860s to protect the Overland mail route that had been recently relocated through the region. Travelers crossing the county on the Overland Trail
would camp there, but a flood destroyed the camp in June 1864. Afterward, the commander of the fort wrote to the commandant of Fort Laramie in southeast Wyoming, Colonel William O. Collins, suggesting that a site several miles farther down the Poudre would make a good location for the fort. The post was manned originally by two companies of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and never had walls.
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Settlers began arriving in the vicinity of the fort nearly immediately. The fort was decommissioned in 1867. The original fort site is now adjacent to the present historic "Old Town" portion of the city. The first school and church opened in 1866, and the town was plat
ted in 1867. The civilian population of Fort Collins, led by local businessman Joseph Mason, led an effort to relocate the county seat to Fort Collins from LaPorte, and they were successful in 1868.
The city's first population boom came in 1872, with the establishment of an agricultural colony. Hundreds of settlers arrived, developing lots just south of the original Old Town. Tension between new settlers and earlier inhabitants led to political divisions in the new town, which was incorporated in 1873. Although the Colorado Agricultural College was founded in 1870, the first classes were held in 1879.
The 1880s saw the construction of a number of elegant homes and commercial buildings and the growth of a distinctive identity for Fort Collins. Stone quarrying, sugar-beet farming, and the slaughter
of sheep were among the area's earliest industries. Beet tops, an industry supported by the College and its associated agricultural experiment station, proved to be an excellent and abundant food for local sheep, and by the early 1900s the area was being referred to as the "Lamb feeding capital of the world." In 1901 the Great Western sugar processing plant was built in the neighboring city of Loveland.
Although the city was affected by the Great Depression
and simultaneous drought, it nevertheless experienced slow and steady growth throughout the early part of the twentieth century. During the decade following World War II, the population doubled and an era of economic prosperity occurred. Old buildings were razed to make way for new, modern structures. Along with revitalization came many changes, including the closing of the Great Western sugar factory in 1955, and a new city charter, adopting a council-manager form of government in 1954. Similarly, Colorado State University's enrollment doubled during the 1960s, making it the city's primary economic force by the end of the century.
Fort Collins gained a reputation as a very conservative city in the twentieth century, with a prohibition of alcoholic beverages, a contentious political issue in the town's early decades, being retained from the late 1890s until student activism helped bring it to an end in 1969. During that same period, civil rights activism and anti-war disturbances heightened tensions in the city, including the burning of several buildings on the CSU campus.
During the late 20th century, Fort Collins expanded rapidly to the south, adding new development, including several regional malls. Management of city growth patterns became a political priority during the 1980s, as well as the revitalization of Fort Collins' Old Town with the creation of a Downtown Development Authority.
In 2006, Money ranked Fort Collins as the second best place to live in America, proclaiming that "great schools, low crime, good jobs in a high-tech economy and a fantastic outdoor life make Fort Collins No. 1." Fort Collins continues to grow in population at a measured pace, with competition from other development in northern Colorado, debate over future growth patterns and town and gown
relations emerging as dominant local issues in the early 21st century.
For more information on local history see the Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center
's local historical archives.
approximately 65 miles (104.6 km) north of Denver, Colorado and 45 miles (72.4 km) south of Cheyenne, Wyoming
. Elevation is 5003 ft (1,525 m) above sea level. Geographic landmarks include Horsetooth Reservoir
and Horsetooth Mountain
—so named because of a tooth-shaped granite rock that dominates the city's western skyline.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 47.1 square miles (122 km²), of which 46.5 square miles (120.4 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), or 1.27%, is water. The Cache La Poudre River
and Spring Creek run through Fort Collins.
Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen
BSk), with four distinct seasons and low annual precipitation. Summers range from mild to hot, with low humidity and occasional afternoon thunderstorm
s. Winters range from mild to cold.. The city experiences lots of sunshine, with 300 days of sunshine per year and 19 days with 90° + weather. The average temperature in July, the warmest month, is 71 °F (21.7 °C). The average temperature in January, the coldest month, is 29 °F (-1.7 °C). Annual snowfall averages 59 inches (1.5 m), and can occur from early September through the end of May. Average precipitation overall is 15.9 inches (403.9 mm).
and the 185th most populous city in the United States. The United States Census Bureau
estimates that in 2005 the population of the City of Fort Collins was 128,026, the population of the Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area
was 271,927 (163rd most populous MSA
), and the population of the Front Range Urban Corridor
was 4,013,055.
As of the census of 2000, there were 118,652 people, 45,882 households, and 25,785 families residing in the city. This was an increase from 108,905 in 1998, 87,491 in 1990, 64,092 in 1980, 43,337 in 1970, 14,937 in 1950, and 8,755 in 1920. The metropolitan statistical area (MSA) includes Loveland
. When this city is included, the population increases to 251,494 for 2000. The population density was 2,549.3 people per square mile (984.4/km²). There were 47,755 housing units at an average density of 1,026.0 per square mile (396.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.4% White
, 3.01% Black
or African American
, 0.60% Native American
, 2.48% Asian
, 0.12% Pacific Islander
, 3.61% from other races
, and 2.53% from two or more races. 10.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino
of any race.
In 2000, there were 45,882 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 22.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,459, and the median income for a family was $59,332. Males had a median income of $40,856 versus $28,385 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,133. About 5.5% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Fort Collins has a council-manager form of government. The mayor, who serves a two-year term and stands for election in municipal elections held in April of odd-numbered years, presides over a seven member City Council. The current mayor of Fort Collins is Karen Weitkunat, elected in April 2011. The six remaining council members are elected from districts for staggered four-year terms; even-numbered districts are up for election in April 2015 and odd-numbered districts in April 2013.
Fort Collins is the largest city in Colorado's predominantly rural 4th Congressional district, and is represented in Congress by Representative Cory Gardner
(Republican). On the state level, the city lies in the 14th district of the Colorado Senate, represented by Bob Bacon
and is split between the 52nd and 53rd districts of the Colorado House of Representatives, represented by John Kefalas
and Randy Fischer
, respectively. All three of Fort Collins' state legislators are Democrats. Fort Collins is additionally the county seat of Larimer County
, and houses county offices and courts.
Much of Fort Collins's culture is centered on the students of Colorado State University
. The city provides school year residences for its large college-age population, there is a local music circuit which is influenced by its college town atmosphere and is home to a number of well known microbreweries. The Downtown Business Association hosts a number of large festivals each year in the historic Downtown district, including the NewWestFest in late summer, which features local cuisine, music, and businesses. The Fort Collins Lincoln Center
is home to the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra and regularly attracts national touring companies of Broadway plays.
The city's thriving beer culture supports six microbreweries, the New Belgium Brewing Company
, the Odell Brewing Company
, the Fort Collins Brewery, and the newly created Equinox Brewing, Funkwerks, and the Pateros Creek Brewing Company. New Belgium is the largest of the local craft-breweries, with national distribution from California to states east of the Mississippi. The largest brewer in the world, Anheuser-Busch
, also has a brewery northeast of the city near I-25. There are several brewpubs, including the original C.B. & Potts Restaurant and its Big Horn Brewery and CooperSmith's Pub & Brewing, a local mainstay since 1989. The Colorado Brewer's Festival is held in late June annually in Fort Collins. The festival features beers from as many as 45 brewers from the state of Colorado and averages around 30,000 attendees.
The Colorado Marathon
is a yearly event running down the Poudre Valley and finishing in Downtown Fort Collins.
The principal venue for the performing arts in Fort Collins is the Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St., at Meldrum Street. Built in 1978, the center includes the 1,180-seat Performance Hall and the 220-seat Mini-Theatre, as well as four exhibit galleries and an outdoor sculpture and performance garden. It is home to many local arts groups, including the Fort Collins Symphony, Opera Fort Collins, Canyon Concert Ballet, Larimer Chorale, Youth Orchestra of the Rockies, OpenStage Theatre and Company
, Foothills Pops Band and the Fort Collins Children's Theatre. Concert, dance, children's, and travel film series are presented annually. The center is wheelchair-accessible and has an infrared sound system for the hearing-impaired. Ticket prices vary considerably, but children's programs are often free or less than $10, and big name acts and Broadway shows are $18 to $36. The center hosts nearly 1,750 events each year.
The Fort Collins Museum
, established in 1941, is a regional center focusing on the culture and history of Fort Collins and the surrounding area. The Fort Collins Museum houses over 30,000 artifacts and features temporary and permanent exhibits, on-going educational programs and events, and is home to four historic structures located in the outdoor Heritage Courtyard.
The Arts are represented by both The Center for Fine Art Photography
, FSMOCA Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Bas Bleu Theatre Company.
, is published in the city. Several niche publications including the Fort Collins Courier and Fossil Creek Current are distributed for free at local businesses and by mail
. The Rocky Mountain Collegian is Colorado State University's student newspaper, and is published each weekday during the fall and spring semesters. The Collegian is the only daily student-run newspaper in the state, and includes a weekly entertainment tabloid called The Verve.
The Scene Magazine is a longtime entertainment monthly serving several regional cities. Swift Newspapers introduced NEXTnc, a Northern Colorado weekly entertainment and lifestyles newspaper, in March 2006. The Rocky Mountain Parent Magazine] and Parent Pages are niche publications serving northern Colorado families.
The City of Fort Collins publishes the "Recreator," a popular seasonal guide to recreational activities and facilities in Fort Collins. The "Recreator" has continually been published for over 30 years. It is distributed via direct mail, online and locally at libraries, recreation centers and businesses.
Northern Colorado Business Report is also housed in Fort Collins, and is the largest business-to-business newspaper in Northern Colorado. It covers Larimer and Weld Counties.
Colorado State University funds a student-run radio station that focuses on underground and local music, KCSU 90.5 FM; and KRFC 88.9 FM is the local Front Range Public Radio, a volunteer radio station.
One local television station provides coverage of Fort Collins and the surrounding area, NoCo Channel 5, a CBS affiliate. Fort Collins has Public, educational, and government access
(PEG) cable TV channels. City Cable 14 is the local Government-access television (GATV) cable channel, and broadcasts city and county meetings, as well as studio-produced local programming. Poudre School District and Colorado State University each have public access stations as well. There is also a Fort Collins Public Access Network (PAN) station, Channel 97 on Comcast
, which broadcast 24 hours a day.
K-12 public education is provided through Poudre School District
(PSD), the second-largest employer in Fort Collins after Colorado State University. Fort Collins is home to four major high schools and several charter schools with Junior High and High School grades. They include Fort Collins High School
, Rocky Mountain High School
, Poudre High School
, Fossil Ridge High School, Centennial High School, Polaris School for Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound, Ridgeview Classical Schools, and Liberty Common School.
The Poudre School District is also home to eleven middle schools. Among the list are Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School and Liberty Common School, which are the only middle schools in the district offering the core knowledge curriculum, Mountain View, a small alternative middle school, and Lesher IB World School, offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.
PSD is home to 32 elementary schools. The elementary schools range from neighborhood schools, specialized schools, core knowledge programs and the IB program. Among the schools housing the core knowledge program are Moore Core Knowledge, O'Dea Core Knowledge, Traut Core Knowledge and Zach Core Knowledge. Bennett IB World School, Dunn IB World School and McGraw IB World School house the IB program. In addition, PSD is home to a bilingual educational experience at Harris Bilingual. Other schools with an entrance selection include the Lab School and Traut Core Knowledge. The newest elementary school is Bethke, a Core Knowledge school in Timnath, that started in the fall of 2008.
The city has a number of private and charter schools. Ridgeview Classical Schools was rated by U.S. News & World Report (December 2008) among the top ten charter high schools in the nation. T.R. Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge is a charter school formerly known as Northern Colorado Academy of Arts and Knowledge. Heritage Christian Academy (formerly known as Heritage Christian School) is a private, preK-12 school with a Christian worldview.
Colorado State University
heads up the choices in higher education. Front Range Community College also maintains a campus in the city, and grants Associate's degree
s in arts, science, general studies, and applied science. The college offers 17 high school vocational programs and more than 90 continuing education classes. Additionally, the University of Phoenix and Regis also maintain satellite campuses here.
The Institute of Business & Medical Careers
provides professional training in the business and medical professions. The institute's first campus was established in the city in 1987.
The Fort Collins Public Library was established in 1900, the sixth public library in the state. The library formed a regional library district through a ballot measure in 2006. It has been renamed, Poudre River Public Library District. The Main Library is located in Old Town, with a second branch shared with Front Range Community College, the Harmony Library. A third branch, Council Tree Library, opened in March 2009 in the Front Range Village Shopping Center. The library also participates in innovative cooperative projects with the local school district and Colorado State University.
Fort Collins has a range of research institutes. Facilities are maintained by the Centers for Disease Control Division of Vector-Born Infectious Diseases, the Center for Advanced Technology and the Colorado Water Resource Research Institute. Other facilities include the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, the Institute for Scientific Computing, the U.S. Forest Service Experimental Station, the National Seed Storage Laboratory, and the U.S.D.A. Crops Research Laboratory.
and Anheuser-Busch
. Many high-tech companies have relocated to Fort Collins because of the resources of Colorado State University and its research facilities. Hewlett Packard, Intel, AMD
, Avago
, Beckman Coulter
, National Semiconductor
, LSI
, and Pelco all have offices in Fort Collins. Other industries include clean energy, bioscience, and agri-tech businesses.
The largest employers of Fort Collins residents at the turn of the century were the following:
Regional economic development partners include the City of Fort Collins Economic Health Office, Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation, Small Business Development Center, and Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative (RMI2).
The Rocky Mountain Innosphere, formerly the Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative (RMI2), helps northern Colorado entrepreneurs turn great ideas into great businesses. They connect startup businesses with the resources they need to turn their innovations into successful enterprises. Another small-business accelerator is located on the 2nd floor of the Research Innovation Center (RIC) on CSU's Judson M. Harper Research Complex. The RIC rents wet labs and office space for biotech start-ups while providing a slew of useful business resources. Clean Air Lawn Care started in Fort Collins, CO in 2006, which is the countries first carbon-neutral lawn care company. Founder and CEO, Kelly Giard, was recognized as "Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year" for 2009 by "Entrepreneur Magazine", and has since grown to almost 30 locations around the country.
The Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation supports existing employers and recruits new ones to the city and region. It assists local companies to grow and expand and, in partnership with Colorado State University, encourages technology transfer to nurture local start-up companies. Fort Collins can negotiate with individual taxpayers who have qualifying new business facilities an incentive payment equal to not more than the amount of the increase in property tax liability over pre-enterprise zone levels; and a refund of local sales taxes on purchases of equipment, machinery tools, or supplies used in the taxpayer's business in the Enterprise Zone.
FortZED is a set of active projects and initiatives, created by public-private partnerships, which utilize Smart Grid and renewable energy technologies to achieve local power generation and energy demand management. Federal, State, and local funding are making the project a reality. The U.S. Department of Energy has contributed $6.3 million, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs has contributed $778,000 while locally, private companies and foundations have contributed nearly $8 million.
Mason Corridor is a planned five mile (8 km) north-south byway with bus rapid transit within the city of Fort Collins which extends from Cherry Street on the north to south of Harmony Road. The corridor is centered along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway property, located a few hundred feet west of College Avenue (US 287).
Mason Corridor and the Mason Express or MAX, will provide the framework for future economic development and serve as the foundation to encourage community partnerships, private investment, active living, and attractive, urban lifestyles. The Mason Corridor is a fundamental connection between the City, Colorado State University, and local business and neighborhoods. Mason Corridor was recognized as a top "Small Starts" project in 2007 by the Federal Transit Authority. $11.18 million in Federal funding to support Mason Corridor development is in the President's FY2009 budget.
UniverCity Connections focuses on three of Fort Collins' community assets: Colorado State University, Downtown, and the Poudre River. UniverCity Connections is an initiative of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado and serves as a think tank for community vision and a neutral convener that creates community connections necessary for ideas to evolve
into positive change.
offers regular passenger airplane service into the nearby Fort Collins / Loveland Airport
. Denver International Airport
, which is 70 miles (112.7 km) to the south, is served by nearly twenty airlines. Fort Collins can be approached from Denver by car via Interstate 25 or by way of the RTD bus system and the FLEX regional bus line.
The city's former general aviation
airport known as Fort Collins Downtown Airport
(3V5) opened in 1966 and closed in 2006.
Fort Collins' downtown streets form a grid with Interstate 25 running north and south on the east side of the city. U.S. Highway 287 becomes College Avenue inside the city and is the busiest street; It runs north and south, effectively bisecting the city.
The city bus system
, known as Transfort
, operates more than a dozen routes throughout Fort Collins Monday through Saturday, except major holidays.
The Mason Corridor is a Bus Rapid Transit
that will began service parallel to College Avenue from Downtown Fort Collins to a new South Transit Center just south of Harmony Road. The trip will take approximately 15 minutes to travel from end to end with various stops between. The service is expected to begin in 2012.
Fort Collins is connected to Loveland
, Berthoud
, and Longmont via the FLEX regional bus route.
Taxi service is provided 24 hours a day by Shamrock Yellow Cab. However rates are higher than most urban areas because Shamrock Yellow Cab is allowed a monopoly within the area.
Bicycling is a popular and viable means of transportation in Fort Collins. There are more than 280 miles (450.6 km) of designated bikeways in Fort Collins, including on street designated bike lanes, and the Spring Creek and Poudre River Trails, both paved. There's also a dirt trail, the 5.8 miles (9.3 km) Foothills Trail, parallel to Horsetooth Reservoir from Dixon Reservoir north to Campeau Open Space and Michaud Lane.
The Fort Collins Bicycle Library lends bicycles to visitors, students, and residents looking to explore the City of Fort Collins. There are self guided tours from the "Bike the Sites" collection, including a Brewery Tour, Environmental Learning Tour, and the Historic Tour. The Bike Library is centrally located in the heart of downtown Fort Collins in Old Town Square.
Fort Collins also once had a municipally owned trolley
service with three branches from the intersection of Mountain and College Avenues. It was closed in 1951 after ceasing to be profitable. In 1983–84, a portion of the Mountain Avenue line and one of the original trolley cars were restored as a heritage trolley
service, under the same name used by the original system, the Fort Collins Municipal Railway
. This has been in operation since the end of 1984 on weekends and holidays in the spring and summer, as a tourist- and cultural/educational attraction.
, Airport Express
, DHL
, Burlington Air Express, UPS
, and Purolator
. Fort Collins has two-day rail freight access to the West Coast or the East Coast and has eight motor freight carriers. Many local industrial sites have rail freight spur service. The city is served by Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads.
Cache La Poudre River
The Cache la Poudre River is in the state of Colorado in the United States.Its headwaters are in the Front Range in Larimer County, in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park. The river descends eastward in the mountains through the Roosevelt National Forest in Poudre Canyon...
along the Colorado Front Range
Colorado Front Range
The Colorado Front Range is a colloquial geographic term for the most populous region of the state of Colorado in the United States. The area is located just east of the foothills of the Front Range, aligned in a north-south configuration on the western edge of the Great Plains, where they meet the...
, and is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and most populous city of Larimer County
Larimer County, Colorado
Larimer County is the seventh most populous and the ninth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is located at the northern end of the Front Range, at the edge of the Colorado Eastern Plains along the border with Wyoming...
, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located 57 miles (92 km) north of the Colorado State Capitol
Colorado State Capitol
The Colorado State Capitol Building, located at 200 East Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado, is the home of the Colorado General Assembly and the offices of the Governor of Colorado and Lieutenant Governor of Colorado. The building is intentionally reminiscent of the United States Capitol. Designed...
in Denver. With a 2010 census population of 143,986, it is the fourth most populous city in Colorado. Fort Collins is a large college town, home to Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
. It was named Money magazine's Best Place to Live 2006, #2 in 2008, and #6 in 2010.
History
Fort Collins was founded as a military outpost of the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1864. It succeeded a previous encampment, known as Camp Collins
Camp Collins
Camp Collins was a 19th century outpost of the United States Army in the Colorado Territory. The fort was commissioned in the summer of 1862 to protect the Overland Trail from attacks by Native Americans in a conflict that later became known as the Colorado War...
, on the Cache La Poudre River
Cache La Poudre River
The Cache la Poudre River is in the state of Colorado in the United States.Its headwaters are in the Front Range in Larimer County, in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park. The river descends eastward in the mountains through the Roosevelt National Forest in Poudre Canyon...
, near what is known today as Laporte
Laporte, Colorado
Laporte is a census-designated place in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,691 at the 2000 census...
. Camp Collins was erected during the Indian wars of the mid-1860s to protect the Overland mail route that had been recently relocated through the region. Travelers crossing the county on the Overland Trail
Overland Trail
The Overland Trail was a stagecoach and wagon trail in the American West during the 19th century. While portions of the route had been used by explorers and trappers since the 1820s, the Overland Trail was most heavily used in the 1860s as an alternative route to the Oregon, California and Mormon...
would camp there, but a flood destroyed the camp in June 1864. Afterward, the commander of the fort wrote to the commandant of Fort Laramie in southeast Wyoming, Colonel William O. Collins, suggesting that a site several miles farther down the Poudre would make a good location for the fort. The post was manned originally by two companies of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and never had walls.
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1867. The civilian population of Fort Collins, led by local businessman Joseph Mason, led an effort to relocate the county seat to Fort Collins from LaPorte, and they were successful in 1868.
The city's first population boom came in 1872, with the establishment of an agricultural colony. Hundreds of settlers arrived, developing lots just south of the original Old Town. Tension between new settlers and earlier inhabitants led to political divisions in the new town, which was incorporated in 1873. Although the Colorado Agricultural College was founded in 1870, the first classes were held in 1879.
The 1880s saw the construction of a number of elegant homes and commercial buildings and the growth of a distinctive identity for Fort Collins. Stone quarrying, sugar-beet farming, and the slaughter
Animal slaughter
Slaughter is the term used to describe the killing and butchering of animals, usually for food. Commonly it refers to killing and butchering of domestic livestock ....
of sheep were among the area's earliest industries. Beet tops, an industry supported by the College and its associated agricultural experiment station, proved to be an excellent and abundant food for local sheep, and by the early 1900s the area was being referred to as the "Lamb feeding capital of the world." In 1901 the Great Western sugar processing plant was built in the neighboring city of Loveland.
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and simultaneous drought, it nevertheless experienced slow and steady growth throughout the early part of the twentieth century. During the decade following World War II, the population doubled and an era of economic prosperity occurred. Old buildings were razed to make way for new, modern structures. Along with revitalization came many changes, including the closing of the Great Western sugar factory in 1955, and a new city charter, adopting a council-manager form of government in 1954. Similarly, Colorado State University's enrollment doubled during the 1960s, making it the city's primary economic force by the end of the century.
Fort Collins gained a reputation as a very conservative city in the twentieth century, with a prohibition of alcoholic beverages, a contentious political issue in the town's early decades, being retained from the late 1890s until student activism helped bring it to an end in 1969. During that same period, civil rights activism and anti-war disturbances heightened tensions in the city, including the burning of several buildings on the CSU campus.
During the late 20th century, Fort Collins expanded rapidly to the south, adding new development, including several regional malls. Management of city growth patterns became a political priority during the 1980s, as well as the revitalization of Fort Collins' Old Town with the creation of a Downtown Development Authority.
Town and gown
Town and gown are two distinct communities of a university town; "town" being the non-academic population and "gown" metonymically being the university community, especially in ancient seats of learning such as Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and St Andrews, although the term is also used to describe...
relations emerging as dominant local issues in the early 21st century.
For more information on local history see the Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center
Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center
The Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center is a partnership of two educational institutions that merged in 2008 to create a combined science and cultural resource for Fort Collins and northern Colorado.-Fort Collins Museum:...
's local historical archives.
Geography and climate
Fort Collins is located at 40°33′33"N 105°4′41"W (40.559238, −105.078302). The city is situated at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills of the northern Front RangeFront Range
The Front Range is a mountain range of the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America located in the north-central portion of the U.S. State of Colorado and southeastern portion of the U.S. State of Wyoming. It is the first mountain range encountered moving west along the 40th parallel north across...
approximately 65 miles (104.6 km) north of Denver, Colorado and 45 miles (72.4 km) south of Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
. Elevation is 5003 ft (1,525 m) above sea level. Geographic landmarks include Horsetooth Reservoir
Horsetooth Reservoir
Horsetooth Reservoir is a large reservoir in southern Larimer County, Colorado just west of the city of Fort Collins, Colorado. The reservoir sits in the foothills above the town on the western side of the Dakota Hogback, which contains the reservoir along its eastern side...
and Horsetooth Mountain
Horsetooth Mountain
Horsetooth Mountain is a mountain in the foothills of the Front Range west of the city of Fort Collins, Colorado, from which it is easily visible.The mountain is easily distinguishable by the large rock formation on its summit known as Horsetooth Rock...
—so named because of a tooth-shaped granite rock that dominates the city's western skyline.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 47.1 square miles (122 km²), of which 46.5 square miles (120.4 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), or 1.27%, is water. The Cache La Poudre River
Cache La Poudre River
The Cache la Poudre River is in the state of Colorado in the United States.Its headwaters are in the Front Range in Larimer County, in the northern part of Rocky Mountain National Park. The river descends eastward in the mountains through the Roosevelt National Forest in Poudre Canyon...
and Spring Creek run through Fort Collins.
Located along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk), with four distinct seasons and low annual precipitation. Summers range from mild to hot, with low humidity and occasional afternoon thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
s. Winters range from mild to cold.. The city experiences lots of sunshine, with 300 days of sunshine per year and 19 days with 90° + weather. The average temperature in July, the warmest month, is 71 °F (21.7 °C). The average temperature in January, the coldest month, is 29 °F (-1.7 °C). Annual snowfall averages 59 inches (1.5 m), and can occur from early September through the end of May. Average precipitation overall is 15.9 inches (403.9 mm).
Neighboring cities
Demographics
Fort Collins is the fourth most populous city in the State of ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and the 185th most populous city in the United States. The United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
estimates that in 2005 the population of the City of Fort Collins was 128,026, the population of the Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area
Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area
The Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area located in the Fort Collins and Loveland region of the U.S. state of Colorado. The Fort Collins-Loveland MSA is defined as Larimer County, Colorado. The Census Bureau...
was 271,927 (163rd most populous MSA
United States metropolitan area
In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...
), and the population of the Front Range Urban Corridor
Front Range Urban Corridor
The Front Range Urban Corridor is an oblong region of urban population located along the eastern face of the Southern Rocky Mountains in the U.S. states of Colorado and Wyoming. The corridor derives its name from the Front Range, the mountain range that defines the west central boundary of the...
was 4,013,055.
As of the census of 2000, there were 118,652 people, 45,882 households, and 25,785 families residing in the city. This was an increase from 108,905 in 1998, 87,491 in 1990, 64,092 in 1980, 43,337 in 1970, 14,937 in 1950, and 8,755 in 1920. The metropolitan statistical area (MSA) includes Loveland
Loveland, Colorado
Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the...
. When this city is included, the population increases to 251,494 for 2000. The population density was 2,549.3 people per square mile (984.4/km²). There were 47,755 housing units at an average density of 1,026.0 per square mile (396.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.4% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 3.01% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.60% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 2.48% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.12% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 3.61% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.53% from two or more races. 10.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
In 2000, there were 45,882 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 22.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 100.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,459, and the median income for a family was $59,332. Males had a median income of $40,856 versus $28,385 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,133. About 5.5% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Law and government
| Mayor | Karen Weitkunat |
| District 1 | Ben Manvel |
| District 2 | Lisa Poppaw |
| District 3 | Aislinn Kottwitz |
| District 4 | Wade Troxell |
| District 5 | Kelly Ohlson, Mayor Pro Tem |
| District 6 | Gerry Horak |
Fort Collins has a council-manager form of government. The mayor, who serves a two-year term and stands for election in municipal elections held in April of odd-numbered years, presides over a seven member City Council. The current mayor of Fort Collins is Karen Weitkunat, elected in April 2011. The six remaining council members are elected from districts for staggered four-year terms; even-numbered districts are up for election in April 2015 and odd-numbered districts in April 2013.
Fort Collins is the largest city in Colorado's predominantly rural 4th Congressional district, and is represented in Congress by Representative Cory Gardner
Cory Gardner
Cory Scott Gardner is the Republican U.S. Representative for Colorado's 4th congressional district. In 2010, he defeated incumbent Democrat Betsy Markey. He was formerly a member of the Colorado House of Representatives....
(Republican). On the state level, the city lies in the 14th district of the Colorado Senate, represented by Bob Bacon
Bob Bacon
Robert "Bob" Bacon is a Democratic member of the Colorado Senate, representing the 14th District since 2005. His district encompasses the city of Fort Collins, Colorado. Previously he was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1997 through 2004.Born in Galesburg, Illinois, Bacon...
and is split between the 52nd and 53rd districts of the Colorado House of Representatives, represented by John Kefalas
John Kefalas
John Michael Kefalas is a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. An educator and lobbyist before first running for the legislature in 2004, Kefalas defeated a Republican incumbent to win election to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2006. He represents House District 52,...
and Randy Fischer
Randy Fischer
In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Fischer sits on the House Agriculture, Livestock, and Natural Resources Committee and the House Education Committee.....
, respectively. All three of Fort Collins' state legislators are Democrats. Fort Collins is additionally the county seat of Larimer County
Larimer County, Colorado
Larimer County is the seventh most populous and the ninth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is located at the northern end of the Front Range, at the edge of the Colorado Eastern Plains along the border with Wyoming...
, and houses county offices and courts.
Culture
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
. The city provides school year residences for its large college-age population, there is a local music circuit which is influenced by its college town atmosphere and is home to a number of well known microbreweries. The Downtown Business Association hosts a number of large festivals each year in the historic Downtown district, including the NewWestFest in late summer, which features local cuisine, music, and businesses. The Fort Collins Lincoln Center
Fort Collins Lincoln Center
The Fort Collins Lincoln Center is the primary performing arts facility of the City of Fort Collins, Colorado. The Lincoln Center sits at 417 W. Magnolia Street in Downtown Fort Collins next door to Mulberry Pool...
is home to the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra and regularly attracts national touring companies of Broadway plays.
The city's thriving beer culture supports six microbreweries, the New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company is a regional brewery located in Fort Collins, Colorado. It opened in 1991 after Jeff Lebesch, the brewery's founder, took his home-brewing passion commercial. In 2009, it produced over 582,000 barrels of its various labels...
, the Odell Brewing Company
Odell Brewing Company
Odell Brewing Company was founded in 1989 by Doug, Wynne and Corkie Odell in a converted 1915 grain elevator located on the outskirts of downtown Fort Collins...
, the Fort Collins Brewery, and the newly created Equinox Brewing, Funkwerks, and the Pateros Creek Brewing Company. New Belgium is the largest of the local craft-breweries, with national distribution from California to states east of the Mississippi. The largest brewer in the world, Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
, also has a brewery northeast of the city near I-25. There are several brewpubs, including the original C.B. & Potts Restaurant and its Big Horn Brewery and CooperSmith's Pub & Brewing, a local mainstay since 1989. The Colorado Brewer's Festival is held in late June annually in Fort Collins. The festival features beers from as many as 45 brewers from the state of Colorado and averages around 30,000 attendees.
The Colorado Marathon
Colorado Marathon
The Colorado Marathon is an annual marathon held in Fort Collins, Colorado. The majority of the course goes down the Poudre River Canyon in northern Colorado; the marathon advertises itself as "America's Most Scenic Course"...
is a yearly event running down the Poudre Valley and finishing in Downtown Fort Collins.
The principal venue for the performing arts in Fort Collins is the Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia St., at Meldrum Street. Built in 1978, the center includes the 1,180-seat Performance Hall and the 220-seat Mini-Theatre, as well as four exhibit galleries and an outdoor sculpture and performance garden. It is home to many local arts groups, including the Fort Collins Symphony, Opera Fort Collins, Canyon Concert Ballet, Larimer Chorale, Youth Orchestra of the Rockies, OpenStage Theatre and Company
OpenStage Theatre and Company
OpenStage Theatre & Company, Inc. is governed by a Board of Directors , administered by a professional staff, and composed of a community of artists dedicated to creating excellence in live theatre....
, Foothills Pops Band and the Fort Collins Children's Theatre. Concert, dance, children's, and travel film series are presented annually. The center is wheelchair-accessible and has an infrared sound system for the hearing-impaired. Ticket prices vary considerably, but children's programs are often free or less than $10, and big name acts and Broadway shows are $18 to $36. The center hosts nearly 1,750 events each year.
The Fort Collins Museum
Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center
The Fort Collins Museum and Discovery Science Center is a partnership of two educational institutions that merged in 2008 to create a combined science and cultural resource for Fort Collins and northern Colorado.-Fort Collins Museum:...
, established in 1941, is a regional center focusing on the culture and history of Fort Collins and the surrounding area. The Fort Collins Museum houses over 30,000 artifacts and features temporary and permanent exhibits, on-going educational programs and events, and is home to four historic structures located in the outdoor Heritage Courtyard.
The Arts are represented by both The Center for Fine Art Photography
The Center for Fine Art Photography
The Center for Fine Art Photography is a non-profit exhibition and education space located in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. The Center was founded in 2004.It features rotating juried exhibitions of fine art photography by artists from around the world....
, FSMOCA Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Bas Bleu Theatre Company.
Communications
One daily newspaper, the Fort Collins ColoradoanFort Collins Coloradoan
The Coloradoan is a daily newspaper in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Coloradoan's website is updated throughout the day with breaking news and video coverage of community news. A portion of the paper's newsroom serves as Northern Newsroom for 9News....
, is published in the city. Several niche publications including the Fort Collins Courier and Fossil Creek Current are distributed for free at local businesses and by mail
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
. The Rocky Mountain Collegian is Colorado State University's student newspaper, and is published each weekday during the fall and spring semesters. The Collegian is the only daily student-run newspaper in the state, and includes a weekly entertainment tabloid called The Verve.
The Scene Magazine is a longtime entertainment monthly serving several regional cities. Swift Newspapers introduced NEXTnc, a Northern Colorado weekly entertainment and lifestyles newspaper, in March 2006. The Rocky Mountain Parent Magazine] and Parent Pages are niche publications serving northern Colorado families.
The City of Fort Collins publishes the "Recreator," a popular seasonal guide to recreational activities and facilities in Fort Collins. The "Recreator" has continually been published for over 30 years. It is distributed via direct mail, online and locally at libraries, recreation centers and businesses.
Northern Colorado Business Report is also housed in Fort Collins, and is the largest business-to-business newspaper in Northern Colorado. It covers Larimer and Weld Counties.
Colorado State University funds a student-run radio station that focuses on underground and local music, KCSU 90.5 FM; and KRFC 88.9 FM is the local Front Range Public Radio, a volunteer radio station.
One local television station provides coverage of Fort Collins and the surrounding area, NoCo Channel 5, a CBS affiliate. Fort Collins has Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access television, refers to three different cable television specialty channels...
(PEG) cable TV channels. City Cable 14 is the local Government-access television (GATV) cable channel, and broadcasts city and county meetings, as well as studio-produced local programming. Poudre School District and Colorado State University each have public access stations as well. There is also a Fort Collins Public Access Network (PAN) station, Channel 97 on Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, which broadcast 24 hours a day.
Education
Poudre School District
The Poudre School District is K-12 public school district in Larimer County in northern Colorado. The district operates and manages the public schools in the city of Fort Collins, as well as in the towns of Wellington and Timnath, and unincorporated communities of Larimer County including Laporte...
(PSD), the second-largest employer in Fort Collins after Colorado State University. Fort Collins is home to four major high schools and several charter schools with Junior High and High School grades. They include Fort Collins High School
Fort Collins High School
Fort Collins High School, located at 3400 Lambkin Way, Fort Collins, Colorado, is one of four public senior high schools in the Poudre School District. Its school colors are purple and gold and the mascot is a lambkin. The school serves approximately 1,800 students and has a staff of about 130...
, Rocky Mountain High School
Rocky Mountain High School (Fort Collins, Colorado)
Rocky Mountain High School is one of four high schools in Fort Collins, Colorado. Its colors are cardinal red and gold and its mascot is the lobo, or wolf. The school serves roughly 2000 students, mostly from central Fort Collins...
, Poudre High School
Poudre High School
Poudre High School, located at 201 Impala Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado, is one of four public senior high schools in the Poudre School District. The school serves approximately 1,900 students, and has a staff of about 135 faculty...
, Fossil Ridge High School, Centennial High School, Polaris School for Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound, Ridgeview Classical Schools, and Liberty Common School.
The Poudre School District is also home to eleven middle schools. Among the list are Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School and Liberty Common School, which are the only middle schools in the district offering the core knowledge curriculum, Mountain View, a small alternative middle school, and Lesher IB World School, offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.
PSD is home to 32 elementary schools. The elementary schools range from neighborhood schools, specialized schools, core knowledge programs and the IB program. Among the schools housing the core knowledge program are Moore Core Knowledge, O'Dea Core Knowledge, Traut Core Knowledge and Zach Core Knowledge. Bennett IB World School, Dunn IB World School and McGraw IB World School house the IB program. In addition, PSD is home to a bilingual educational experience at Harris Bilingual. Other schools with an entrance selection include the Lab School and Traut Core Knowledge. The newest elementary school is Bethke, a Core Knowledge school in Timnath, that started in the fall of 2008.
The city has a number of private and charter schools. Ridgeview Classical Schools was rated by U.S. News & World Report (December 2008) among the top ten charter high schools in the nation. T.R. Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge is a charter school formerly known as Northern Colorado Academy of Arts and Knowledge. Heritage Christian Academy (formerly known as Heritage Christian School) is a private, preK-12 school with a Christian worldview.
Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
heads up the choices in higher education. Front Range Community College also maintains a campus in the city, and grants Associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
s in arts, science, general studies, and applied science. The college offers 17 high school vocational programs and more than 90 continuing education classes. Additionally, the University of Phoenix and Regis also maintain satellite campuses here.
The Institute of Business & Medical Careers
Institute of Business & Medical Careers
The Institute of Business & Medical Careers is a College located in Fort Collins, Colorado, with further campuses in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Longmont and Greeley, Colorado...
provides professional training in the business and medical professions. The institute's first campus was established in the city in 1987.
The Fort Collins Public Library was established in 1900, the sixth public library in the state. The library formed a regional library district through a ballot measure in 2006. It has been renamed, Poudre River Public Library District. The Main Library is located in Old Town, with a second branch shared with Front Range Community College, the Harmony Library. A third branch, Council Tree Library, opened in March 2009 in the Front Range Village Shopping Center. The library also participates in innovative cooperative projects with the local school district and Colorado State University.
Fort Collins has a range of research institutes. Facilities are maintained by the Centers for Disease Control Division of Vector-Born Infectious Diseases, the Center for Advanced Technology and the Colorado Water Resource Research Institute. Other facilities include the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, the Institute for Scientific Computing, the U.S. Forest Service Experimental Station, the National Seed Storage Laboratory, and the U.S.D.A. Crops Research Laboratory.
Major industries and commercial activity
Fort Collins' economy has a mix of manufacturing and service-related businesses. Fort Collins manufacturing includes Woodward GovernorWoodward Governor Company
Woodward Inc. is the world's oldest and largest independent designer, manufacturer, and service provider of energy control solutions for aircraft engines, industrial engines and turbines, power generation and mobile industrial equipment....
and Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
. Many high-tech companies have relocated to Fort Collins because of the resources of Colorado State University and its research facilities. Hewlett Packard, Intel, AMD
Advanced Micro Devices
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. or AMD is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for commercial and consumer markets...
, Avago
Avago Technologies
Avago Technologies is an American company which was earlier the semiconductor products division of HP and later Agilent Technologies, before being spun off into a distinct legal entity. It holds more than 5,000 patents.- Products:...
, Beckman Coulter
Beckman Coulter
Beckman Coulter Inc., is a company that makes biomedical laboratory instruments. Founded by Caltech professor Arnold O. Beckman in 1935 as National Technical Laboratories to commercialize a pH meter that he had invented, the company eventually grew to employ over 10,000 people, with $2.4 billion in...
, National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor was an American semiconductor manufacturer, that specialized in analog devices and subsystems,formerly headquartered in Santa Clara, California, USA. The products of National Semiconductor included power management circuits, display drivers, audio and operational amplifiers,...
, LSI
LSI Corporation
LSI Corporation is an electronics company based in Milpitas, California that designs semiconductors and software that accelerate storage and networking in datacenters and mobile networks.-History:...
, and Pelco all have offices in Fort Collins. Other industries include clean energy, bioscience, and agri-tech businesses.
The largest employers of Fort Collins residents at the turn of the century were the following:
- Colorado State UniversityColorado State UniversityColorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
(6,948 employees) - Hewlett Packard (3,182)
- Poudre Valley Health System (3,020)
- Poudre School DistrictPoudre School DistrictThe Poudre School District is K-12 public school district in Larimer County in northern Colorado. The district operates and manages the public schools in the city of Fort Collins, as well as in the towns of Wellington and Timnath, and unincorporated communities of Larimer County including Laporte...
(3,014) - Agilent (2,800)
- City of Fort Collins, CO (1,864)
- Eastman KodakEastman KodakEastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
(1,700) - Larimer County (1,467)
- Avago TechnologiesAvago TechnologiesAvago Technologies is an American company which was earlier the semiconductor products division of HP and later Agilent Technologies, before being spun off into a distinct legal entity. It holds more than 5,000 patents.- Products:...
(1,200) - McKee Medical Center (950)
- Walmart (909)
- City of Loveland, CO (890)
- Advanced EnergyAdvanced EnergyAdvanced Energy is an American company that develops power and control technologies for the manufacture of semiconductors, flat panel displays, data storage products, solar cells and architectural glass.-General:...
(825) - Anheuser-BuschAnheuser-BuschAnheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
(760) - Center Partners (700)
- Woodward Governor CompanyWoodward Governor CompanyWoodward Inc. is the world's oldest and largest independent designer, manufacturer, and service provider of energy control solutions for aircraft engines, industrial engines and turbines, power generation and mobile industrial equipment....
(650) - Water Pik, Inc. (585)
- LSI CorporationLSI CorporationLSI Corporation is an electronics company based in Milpitas, California that designs semiconductors and software that accelerate storage and networking in datacenters and mobile networks.-History:...
(341) - AMDAdvanced Micro DevicesAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc. or AMD is an American multinational semiconductor company based in Sunnyvale, California, that develops computer processors and related technologies for commercial and consumer markets...
(200)
Regional economic development partners include the City of Fort Collins Economic Health Office, Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation, Small Business Development Center, and Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative (RMI2).
Small businesses, entrepreneurship
Fort Collins is also home to many small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. The Fort Collins/Larimer Small Business Development Center helps small businesses in the area get started and become profitable. Another factor in the entrepreneurial climate of Fort Collins is Colorado State University's College of Business and its Entrepreneurship Center, which has spawned such ventures as Optibrand, a unique method of tracking livestock with retinal scans, and Revolution Donuts, a donut/pastry shop with a new approach – late night hours in addition to the usual morning hours.The Rocky Mountain Innosphere, formerly the Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative (RMI2), helps northern Colorado entrepreneurs turn great ideas into great businesses. They connect startup businesses with the resources they need to turn their innovations into successful enterprises. Another small-business accelerator is located on the 2nd floor of the Research Innovation Center (RIC) on CSU's Judson M. Harper Research Complex. The RIC rents wet labs and office space for biotech start-ups while providing a slew of useful business resources. Clean Air Lawn Care started in Fort Collins, CO in 2006, which is the countries first carbon-neutral lawn care company. Founder and CEO, Kelly Giard, was recognized as "Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year" for 2009 by "Entrepreneur Magazine", and has since grown to almost 30 locations around the country.
Items and goods produced
Pharmaceuticals, electronic components and accessories, aircraft and parts, scientific instruments, measuring and controlling instruments, radio and TV equipment, industrial chemicals, engines, turbines, machinery, and communications equipment. Clean energy technology is also produced in Fort Collins, including Smart Grid technology, biofuels, and solar technology.Local incentive programs
The City of Fort Collins has established an economic development policy that allows the rebate of use taxes paid by qualifying firms on qualifying equipment. On a case-by-case basis, the county will consider negotiating financial incentives, giving up to a 50 percent credit towards a company's personal property tax liability for up to four years.The Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation supports existing employers and recruits new ones to the city and region. It assists local companies to grow and expand and, in partnership with Colorado State University, encourages technology transfer to nurture local start-up companies. Fort Collins can negotiate with individual taxpayers who have qualifying new business facilities an incentive payment equal to not more than the amount of the increase in property tax liability over pre-enterprise zone levels; and a refund of local sales taxes on purchases of equipment, machinery tools, or supplies used in the taxpayer's business in the Enterprise Zone.
Innovative Programs
FortZED is growing to be the world's largest zero energy district. The FortZED area encompasses the Downtown area of Fort Collins and the main campus of Colorado State University.FortZED is a set of active projects and initiatives, created by public-private partnerships, which utilize Smart Grid and renewable energy technologies to achieve local power generation and energy demand management. Federal, State, and local funding are making the project a reality. The U.S. Department of Energy has contributed $6.3 million, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs has contributed $778,000 while locally, private companies and foundations have contributed nearly $8 million.
Mason Corridor is a planned five mile (8 km) north-south byway with bus rapid transit within the city of Fort Collins which extends from Cherry Street on the north to south of Harmony Road. The corridor is centered along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway property, located a few hundred feet west of College Avenue (US 287).
Mason Corridor and the Mason Express or MAX, will provide the framework for future economic development and serve as the foundation to encourage community partnerships, private investment, active living, and attractive, urban lifestyles. The Mason Corridor is a fundamental connection between the City, Colorado State University, and local business and neighborhoods. Mason Corridor was recognized as a top "Small Starts" project in 2007 by the Federal Transit Authority. $11.18 million in Federal funding to support Mason Corridor development is in the President's FY2009 budget.
UniverCity Connections focuses on three of Fort Collins' community assets: Colorado State University, Downtown, and the Poudre River. UniverCity Connections is an initiative of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado and serves as a think tank for community vision and a neutral convener that creates community connections necessary for ideas to evolve
into positive change.
Transportation
Allegiant AirAllegiant Air
Allegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co. that operates scheduled and charter flights. Allegiant Travel Company is a publicly traded company with 1,300 employees and one billion USD market capitalization...
offers regular passenger airplane service into the nearby Fort Collins / Loveland Airport
Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport
Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport is a public airport located nine miles southeast of Fort Collins and northeast of Loveland, both cities in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The airport covers and has two runways...
. Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel...
, which is 70 miles (112.7 km) to the south, is served by nearly twenty airlines. Fort Collins can be approached from Denver by car via Interstate 25 or by way of the RTD bus system and the FLEX regional bus line.
The city's former general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airport known as Fort Collins Downtown Airport
Fort Collins Downtown Airport
Fort Collins Downtown Airport was a public use airport located east of the central business district of Fort Collins, a city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The airport closed on November 1, 2006.- History :...
(3V5) opened in 1966 and closed in 2006.
Fort Collins' downtown streets form a grid with Interstate 25 running north and south on the east side of the city. U.S. Highway 287 becomes College Avenue inside the city and is the busiest street; It runs north and south, effectively bisecting the city.
The city bus system
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
, known as Transfort
Transfort
Transfort is the public transportation operator for the metro area of Fort Collins, Colorado. All year round, thirteen regular routes are provided, with 12 providing all day service Monday through Saturday and one running during the weekday peak. Six day intercity service is also provided by the...
, operates more than a dozen routes throughout Fort Collins Monday through Saturday, except major holidays.
The Mason Corridor is a Bus Rapid Transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
that will began service parallel to College Avenue from Downtown Fort Collins to a new South Transit Center just south of Harmony Road. The trip will take approximately 15 minutes to travel from end to end with various stops between. The service is expected to begin in 2012.
Fort Collins is connected to Loveland
Loveland, Colorado
Loveland is a Home Rule Municipality that is the second most populous city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Loveland is situated north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Loveland is the 14th most populous city in Colorado. The United States Census Bureau that in 2010 the...
, Berthoud
Berthoud, Colorado
Berthoud is a Statutory Town in Larimer and Weld counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Berthoud is situated north of the Little Thompson River, approximately halfway between the cities of Fort Collins, Colorado and Denver, Colorado along the Front Range Urban Corridor...
, and Longmont via the FLEX regional bus route.
Taxi service is provided 24 hours a day by Shamrock Yellow Cab. However rates are higher than most urban areas because Shamrock Yellow Cab is allowed a monopoly within the area.
Bicycling is a popular and viable means of transportation in Fort Collins. There are more than 280 miles (450.6 km) of designated bikeways in Fort Collins, including on street designated bike lanes, and the Spring Creek and Poudre River Trails, both paved. There's also a dirt trail, the 5.8 miles (9.3 km) Foothills Trail, parallel to Horsetooth Reservoir from Dixon Reservoir north to Campeau Open Space and Michaud Lane.
The Fort Collins Bicycle Library lends bicycles to visitors, students, and residents looking to explore the City of Fort Collins. There are self guided tours from the "Bike the Sites" collection, including a Brewery Tour, Environmental Learning Tour, and the Historic Tour. The Bike Library is centrally located in the heart of downtown Fort Collins in Old Town Square.
Fort Collins also once had a municipally owned trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
service with three branches from the intersection of Mountain and College Avenues. It was closed in 1951 after ceasing to be profitable. In 1983–84, a portion of the Mountain Avenue line and one of the original trolley cars were restored as a heritage trolley
Heritage streetcar
Heritage streetcars or heritage trams are a development of the heritage railways that are becoming popular across the world. As with modern streetcar systems, the vehicles are referred to as trams or tramcars in the United Kingdom, Australasia and certain other places , but as streetcars or...
service, under the same name used by the original system, the Fort Collins Municipal Railway
Fort Collins Municipal Railway
The Fort Collins Municipal Railway operated streetcars in Fort Collins, Colorado, from 1919 until 1951. Since 1984, a section of one of the former routes has been in operation as a seasonal heritage streetcar service, under the same name, running mainly on spring and summer weekends...
. This has been in operation since the end of 1984 on weekends and holidays in the spring and summer, as a tourist- and cultural/educational attraction.
Commercial shipping
Parcel service for Fort Collins is provided by FedExFedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
, Airport Express
Airport Express
Airport Express can refer to the following:*AirPort Express, a wireless product by Apple Inc.*Several airport rail links are named Airport Express:**Airport Express , the airport transit service in Beijing, China...
, DHL
DHL
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
, Burlington Air Express, UPS
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
, and Purolator
Purolator Courier
Purolator Courier Ltd. is a Canadian courier that is 91% owned by Canada Post Corporation, 7% owned by Barry Lapointe Holdings Ltd. and 2% by others....
. Fort Collins has two-day rail freight access to the West Coast or the East Coast and has eight motor freight carriers. Many local industrial sites have rail freight spur service. The city is served by Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads.
Facilities
- NIST time signalTime signalA time signal is a visible, audible, mechanical, or electronic signal used as a reference to determine the time of day.-Audible and visible time signals:...
transmitters WWV and WWVBWWVBWWVB is a NIST time signal radio station near Fort Collins, Colorado, co-located with WWV. WWVB is the station that radio-controlled clocks in most of North America use to synchronize themselves. The signal transmitted from WWVB is a continuous 60 kHz carrier wave, derived from a set of atomic...
. - Poudre Valley HospitalPoudre Valley HospitalPoudre Valley Hospital , located in Fort Collins, Colorado, is part of and serves northern Colorado, southern Wyoming, and western Nebraska. The hospital has 241 beds, and is a level III trauma center. It also houses 11 surgical suites, five intensive care unit beds, and a level III neonatal...
has helped make Fort Collins into a regional health care center. - The National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (NCGRP)(Human Genome Project)
- The city is the headquarters of Roosevelt National ForestRoosevelt National ForestThe Roosevelt National Forest is a National Forest located in north central Colorado. It is contiguous with the Colorado State Forest as well as the Arapaho National Forest...
. - Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Laboratory
- Center For Disease Control: Vectorbourne Illness Laboratory
- USDA Seed Lab Storage
- Headquarters for SCUBA Schools International (SSI)
- National Wildlife Research Center
- USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection ServiceAnimal and Plant Health Inspection ServiceAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture responsible for protecting animal health, animal welfare, and plant health. APHIS is the lead agency for collaboration with other agencies to protect U.S. agriculture from invasive pests and...
Western Regional Headquarters - On 2 April 2011 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (MormonsMormonsThe Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
) announced plans to build a Temple in Fort Collins
Notable natives and residents
- Isaac AdamsonIsaac AdamsonIsaac Adamson, born in Fort Collins, Colorado in 1971, is the American author of a series of mystery novels set in Japan and featuring journalist and amateur detective Billy Chaka. Adamson currently lives in Chicago, Illinois...
, author. - Wayne AllardWayne AllardAlan Wayne Allard is a member of the Republican Party, and was a United States Senator from Colorado. He did not seek re-election in 2008.-Early life:...
, former U.S. Senator from ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... - John AshtonJohn Ashton (actor)John David Ashton is an American actor born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and graduate of the University of Southern California School of Theatre.John Ashton attended Enfield High School in Enfield, Connecticut....
, actor - Carol BergCarol BergCarol Berg is the author of several fantasy novels, including the books from the Rai-Kirah series, Song of the Beast, the books from The Bridge of D'Arnath series, and the Lighthouse novels...
, fantasy author - Frank CaetiFrank CaetiFranklin "Frank" Caeti is an American actor and comedian known for his time as a cast member on the FOX sketch-series MADtv from 2005 to 2007. Caeti is also an alumnus of The Second City and Comedysportz in Chicago.- Education :...
, former repertory cast member on the late night sketch comedy series, MADtvMADtvMADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first... - Jon CooperJon CooperJon Cooper is an American football center who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Oklahoma.-Early years:...
, center for the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
of the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing... - Rick Dennison, former NFL linebackerLinebackerA linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
- Jeff DonaldsonJeff DonaldsonJeffery Michael Donaldson is a former defensive back for the Houston Oilers , the Kansas City Chiefs and the Atlanta Falcons ....
, former NFL defensive backDefensive backIn American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of... - Harper GoffHarper GoffHarper Goff , born Ralph Harper Goff, was an American artist, musician, and actor. For many years, he was associated with the Walt Disney Company, in the process of which he contributed to various major films, as well as to the planning of the Disney theme parks. During World War II, he was also an...
, artist, musician, and actor - Georgia GouldGeorgia GouldGeorgia Gould is an American professional mountain bike and cyclocross competitor. She has earned three career national championships – two in cross-country mountain bike in 2006 and 2010, and one in short track mountain bike in 2009. Since 2006 Gould has been employed by the LUNA Chix Pro...
, professional Mountain Bike and Cyclo-cross racer - Temple GrandinTemple GrandinTemple Grandin is an American doctor of animal science and professor at Colorado State University, bestselling author, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior...
, author - Jon HederJon HederJonathan Joseph "Jon" Heder is an American screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. His feature film debut came in 2004 as the title character of the comedy film Napoleon Dynamite...
, title character in 2004's Napoleon DynamiteNapoleon DynamiteNapoleon Dynamite is a 2004 comedy film co-written and directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess and stars Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite. The film was Jared Hess' first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca.... - Jake LloydJake LloydJake Lloyd is a former American actor , who gained worldwide fame when he was chosen by George Lucas to play the young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the first film in the Star Wars prequel trilogy and currently resides in Chicago. He reprised this role in five...
, young Anakin Skywalker in 1999's Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom MenaceStar Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms... - David Mattingly, science fiction illustrator
- Darnell McDonaldDarnell McDonaldDarnell Tyrone McDonald is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.-Professional career:...
, Major League Baseball player - Donzell McDonaldDonzell McDonaldDonzell McDonald is a professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball in 2001-02. Donzell is the older brother of Darnell McDonald, who currently plays for the Boston Red Sox.- Early life :McDonald grew up in Fort Collins,...
, former Major League Baseball player - Hattie McDanielHattie McDanielHattie McDaniel was the first African-American actress to win an Academy Award. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind ....
, first African-American to win an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actress 1939) - Mark D. MillerMark D. MillerMark D. Miller was an American photographer.Mark was born in Scranton, Kansas, the son of Amos B. Miller and Mary Martindale Miller. In 1905 his family moved to the Fort Collins, Colorado area, possibly to alleviate his mother’s asthmatic condition.In 1911 Miller apprenticed himself as a...
, photographer - Pretty LightsPretty LightsPretty Lights, real name Derek Vincent Smith, is an American electronic music artist from Fort Collins, Colorado.-History:...
, music - Pete MontyPete MontyPeter Charles Monty is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at the University of Wisconsin where his team won the 1994 Rose Bowl, and was then drafted in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL...
, former NFL linebacker - Blake Neubert, artist
- Holmes Rolston IIIHolmes Rolston IIIHolmes Rolston III is University Distinguished Professor of philosophy at Colorado State University. He is best known for his contributions to environmental ethics and science and religion. Among other honors, Rolston won the 2003 Templeton Prize, awarded by Prince Philip in Buckingham Palace...
, 2003 Templeton PrizeTempleton PrizeThe Templeton Prize is an annual award presented by the Templeton Foundation. Established in 1972, it is awarded to a living person who, in the estimation of the judges, "has made an exceptional contribution to affirming life's spiritual dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical...
winner - L. Neil SmithL. Neil SmithL. Neil Smith , also known to readers and fans as El Neil, is a libertarian science fiction author and political activist. He was born on May 12, 1946 in Denver...
, libertarianLibertarianismLibertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
science fiction author - Pat StrykerPat StrykerPatricia A. Stryker is the granddaughter of Homer Stryker, surgeon and founder of Stryker Corporation, a medical technology company....
, Billionaire heiress and philanthropist - Thomas Sutherland, Colorado State UniversityColorado State UniversityColorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
professor and former BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
hostage - Ryan SutterRyan SutterRyan Allen Sutter was the "winner" chosen by Trista Rehn on the TV show The Bachelorette. Sutter, a Colorado firefighter, and Rehn were married in a televised wedding on ABC on December 6, 2003...
, bachelor chosen as a groom by Trista RehnTrista RehnTrista Nicole Sutter was the runner-up on season 1 of the ABC reality television show The Bachelor, before becoming the star of the first season of its companion show The Bachelorette....
in 2003's "The BacheloretteThe BacheloretteThe Bachelorette is a spin-off of the American competitive reality dating game show The Bachelor. In its January 2003 debut on ABC, the first season featured Trista Rehn, the runner-up date from the first season of The Bachelor, offering the opportunity for Rehn to choose a husband among 25 bachelors...
" - Tickle Me PinkTickle me PinkTickle Me Pink is an American rock band from Fort Collins, Colorado currently signed to Wind-Up Records. The band is composed of Sean Kennedy , Stefan Runstrom , Joey Barba and Steven Beck...
, pop-punk band - Byron Raymond WhiteByron WhiteByron Raymond "Whizzer" White won fame both as a football halfback and as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Appointed to the court by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, he served until his retirement in 1993...
, former Associate Justice of the Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases... - Jason WingateJason Wright WingateJason Wright Wingate is an American composer, cellist and poet based in New York City. Notable works include the chamber work Landscapes of Consciousness, and the Symphony No...
, composer - Immortal dominionImmortal dominionImmortal Dominion is a metal band from Fort Collins, Colorado who have been around since 1992.-History:They have played in Colorado, California, Wyoming, Utah, Indiana, Missouri and Kansas opening for national acts such as: Macabre, Fear Factory, Vader, Cephalic Carnage, Adema, Darkest Hour, Trust...
, Known for Soundtrack to TeethTeeth (film)Teeth is a 2007 comedy horror film written and directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein, about a teenage girl who has teeth in her vagina. It premiered January 19, 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival in the independent drama category... - AllALL (band)All is an American punk band originally from Los Angeles, currently residing in Fort Collins, Colorado, formed by Descendents members Bill Stevenson, Karl Alvarez, and Stephen Egerton.-Formation and Cruz Records Years:...
, a punk rockPunk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band that resides in the city. - Haeley Vaughn, top 25 finalist of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
See also
- State of Colorado
- Colorado cities and towns
- Colorado municipalitiesColorado municipalitiesThe U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
- Colorado municipalities
- Colorado countiesColorado countiesThe U.S state of Colorado is divided into 64 counties. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions, such as townships...
- Boulder County, ColoradoBoulder County, ColoradoBoulder County is the sixth most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county seat is Boulder. The most populous municipality in the county and the county seat is the City of Boulder...
- Boulder County, Colorado
- Colorado metropolitan areasColorado metropolitan areasThe metropolitan areas of the State of Colorado include the urban statistical areas defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget and regions of urban population defined by other organizations.-Census statistical areas:...
- Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical AreaFort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area located in the Fort Collins and Loveland region of the U.S. state of Colorado. The Fort Collins-Loveland MSA is defined as Larimer County, Colorado. The Census Bureau...
- North Central Colorado Urban AreaNorth Central Colorado Urban Areathumb|240px|An enlargeable map of the 13-county North Central Colorado Urban AreaThe North Central Colorado Urban Area comprises the four contiguous metropolitan statistical areas in the north central region of the State of Colorado: the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Boulder...
- Front Range Urban CorridorFront Range Urban CorridorThe Front Range Urban Corridor is an oblong region of urban population located along the eastern face of the Southern Rocky Mountains in the U.S. states of Colorado and Wyoming. The corridor derives its name from the Front Range, the mountain range that defines the west central boundary of the...
- Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area
- Colorado cities and towns
- United States Forest ServiceUnited States Forest ServiceThe United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
- Roosevelt National ForestRoosevelt National ForestThe Roosevelt National Forest is a National Forest located in north central Colorado. It is contiguous with the Colorado State Forest as well as the Arapaho National Forest...
- Roosevelt National Forest