Fort Collins Facts#
Overview#
- Fort Collins was founded as a military fort in 1864 and referred to as "Camp Collins." The post was given the name in honor of Lt. Col. William 0. Collins, the popular commander of Ohio Cavalry troops whose headquarters were at Fort Laramie. Fort Collins was incorporated as a town in 1873.
- Fort Collins is a home rule city with a Council/Manager form of government. The Council is made up of six district council members who are elected on a non-partisan basis for a four-year term and a Mayor who is elected at-large on a non-partisan basis for a two-year term.
- This rapidly urbanizing community operates under a sophisticated and comprehensive development plan and is a full-service city.
- Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University This link opens in a new browser tab and an outstanding public school system This link opens in a new browser tab.
Location/Climate#
- Fort Collins is nestled against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and alongside the banks of the Cache la Poudre River.
- The city lies approximately 5,000 feet above sea level.
- Residents enjoy a moderate, four season climate with an average of 300 days of sunshine and 14.5 inches of precipitation a year.
- July is the average warmest month (Avg. High 86°F - Avg. Low 57°F)
- January is the average coolest month (Avg. High 42°F - Avg. Low 14°F)
Finances#
- Fort Collins’ unemployment rate is 2.0 percent (December 2019, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- The City/State/County has a combined sales tax rate of 7.55 percent on general merchandise.
- The City’s biennial budget was adopted in 2019-2020.
General Population Characteristics#
- Fort Collins encompasses 57.16 square miles (2017) of area and has a total of 1,922 street lane miles (2017).
- The current estimated number of housing units in Fort Collins is 70,429 (2020).
- Fort Collins has a population of 174,871 (2020).
- Median age is 29.1 years old (American Community Survey, 2014-2018).
- Median household income is $62,132 (American Community Survey, 2014-2018).
- Approximately 54.5% of the population has completed four or more years of college (American Community Survey, 2014-2018).
Services And Amenities#
- The City maintains more than 966 acres of parks, 37,607 acres of natural areas, 45 miles of off-street hike/ bike trails, three golf courses, a racquet center, four swimming pools, an ice rink and many community and recreation centers.
- Fort Collins supports multiple transportation options including MAX Bus Rapid Transit This link opens in a new browser tab, numerous bus routes This link opens in a new browser tab including CSU and FLEX, and 200 miles of on-street bike lanes and off-street trails for pedestrians and bicycles.
- The Lincoln Center is the City’s cultural arts center. Activities include professional theatre, dance, music, visual arts and children’s programs.
- The Fort Collins Senior Center includes a pool, spa, gymnasium, track, billiards, crafts and a community media center/library.
- The community library system (www.poudrelibraries.org This link opens in a new browser tab) includes the Old Town Library, Council Tree Library and the Harmony Library, a join-use facility shared with Front Range Community College This link opens in a new browser tab. The public libraries provide youth programs, computer labs and resources and information for Spanish-speaking citizens.
- The Gardens on Spring Creek is the City’s botanic garden, featuring 12 acres of curated beauty, a tropical Butterfly House, dozens of events and education programming.
- The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery This link opens in a new browser tabdisplays the history of Fort Collins and Larimer County from prehistoric times to present day.
- Fort Collins provides electric, water, wastewater and stormwater utilities to the community, with rates among the lowest in the state and nation. Utilities continually meets or surpasses all state and federal water quality standards and manages award-winning conservation programs. We are community-owned and able to align resources to local needs to provide educational opportunities and excellent, responsive 24/7 customer service.
- The City also provides municipal broadband service. Fort Collins Connexion offers gigabit-speed internet, phone and live TV to residents and businesses.
- The Northern Colorado Regional Airport is jointly owned by the cities of Fort Collins and Loveland. With over 1,100 acres and roughly 300 aircraft, the airport serves the private a corporate aviation needs of the Northern Front Range, as well as charter flights and flights for area collegiate football teams.