Imagine a community where government and citizens support business vitality; where open space, trails, and parks are considered essential services, not amenities; where education, both in public schools and higher education, continually garners national attention for their success and leadership. Place all of this in the middle of a thriving and growing regional economy and you will find a community recognized across the nation as one of the best places to live and work. You’ll find Fort Collins, Colorado.

Location:

Situated at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Fort Collins is 65 miles from Denver, CO, 70 miles from Denver International Airport, and acts as the economic and cultural hub of the growing Northern Front Range of Colorado.

Community Amenities

Fort Collins is nationally recognized for providing our residents with exceptional services. Whether it’s recognition from Money Magazine as the nation’s best place to live, or specific recognition such as Frommer’s awarding us as one of the country’s best places to raise a family, Fort Collins seems to truly have it all:

• 36,000 acres of City-owned Natural Areas for conservation and recreation
• 44 park sites constituting more than 800 acres
• 3 golf courses, City-owned and operated, totaling 45 holes
• 25 miles off-road trails
• 25 miles of paved multi-use trails which are maintained year-round
• 280 miles of bike lanes and routes

Business Climate

All cities have personalities, and Fort Collins has the spirit of an entrepreneur. Whether your business is big or small, local or international, the City of Fort Collins offers multiple tools to help your business get started, relocated, or expand. The City of Fort Collins possesses unique qualities that make the community ideal for business development:

• A highly educated workforce
• Home to Colorado State University, a leading research university, providing access to cutting edge thought and technology
• Industrial, office and retail space
• Quality of life second to none (#1 Small City – Money Magazine)
• Established industry clusters in Biotechnology, Clean Energy, Technology, and Arts and Entertainment

Visit the City’s resource guide for a listing of resource.

Major Employers in Northern Colorado

• 6,948 Colorado State University, undergraduate and post-graduate university
• 3,182 Hewlitt-Packard, electronic data processing equipment
• 3,020 Poudre Valley Health System, full range health services
• 3,014 Poudre R-1 School District, public education
• 2,800 Agilent Technologies, test and measurement semiconductor products, health care solutions, chemical analysis
• 1,888 Thompson School District
• 1,864 City of Fort Collins, City government
• 1,700 Kodak Colorado, photographic materials
• 1,467 Larimer County, county government
• 950 McKee Medical Center
• 909 Wal-Mart
• 890 City of Loveland
• 825 Advanced Energy, semiconductor power sources
• 760 Anheuser-Busch, brewer of malt beverages
• 650 Woodward Governor, speed controls
• 585 Waterpik Technologies
• 550 Hach Chemical Company
• 481 Front Range Community College, postsecondary, continuing, and vocational education
• 412 US Postal Service
• 367 First National Bank, banking
• 341 LSI Logic Corporation

Information provided by the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation (08-16-2007).

Awards and Recognition

Education

Elementary and Secondary Education

As a two-time gold medal award winner for outstanding student test scores and graduation rates, Poudre School District (PSD) exists to support and inspire every child to think, to learn, to care, and to graduate prepared to be successful in a changing world. There currently are 45 schools and 24,000 students.

Colorado State University (CSU)

Fort Collins is proud to be home to Colorado State University. With 24,670 students representing all 50 states and over 50 foreign countries, CSU is an internationally recognized faculty and a top-ranked University. Offering 150 degree programs of study, CSU graduates contribute to the highly educated population. Ranked in the Top Tier of public and private doctoral universities in the U.S. News and World Report rankings of America's Best Colleges and Universities, CSU also adds to the vibrancy of the community with 16 NCAA Division I Sports (6 mens sports; 10 womens sports).

Front Range Community College

Housing

One bedroom apartments in Fort Collins currently rent for $643 to $776 per month. 50% of the city's rental units are located in structures regarded as a 4-plex or smaller. Single-family detached homes median sale price $237,000.

Transportation

Airports

Denver International Airport (DIA) is an easy 70-mile drive along major highways. 15 miles from downtown, the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport currently has commercial airline service and also serves corporate and general aviation needs.

Public Transportation

The City of Fort Collins is served by Transfort, which operates 18 fixed bus routes in the city. In addition, a regional route provides service between Fort Collins and Loveland. All of the City’s Transfort buses run on CNG, a compressed natural gas that burns cleaner than traditional gasoline, or bio-diesel.

Utilities

Fort Collins Utilities provides round-the-clock electric, water, stormwater and wastewater services to residents and businesses in our community. Our dedicated staff strive to offer these municipal utilities in a safe, environmentally responsible and cost-effective way. Monthly rates fund these services. Our electric rates remain among the lowest in the nation.

Reports

• Growth Management Area General Report
• Growth Management Area Comprehensive Profile
• Growth Management Area Retail Goods and Services Report
• Growth Management Area Market Profile
• Growth Management Area Demographic and Income Profile
• Growth Management Area Age by Sex Profile