Townapedia
Fort Collins Historic District
Fort Collins Historic District · Wusel007, CC BY-SA 3.0
Juniperus scopulorum Fort Collins
Juniperus scopulorum Fort Collins · Chet Thomas from Fort Collins, CO, CC BY 2.0
Welcome to Fort Collins, Colorado - panoramio
Welcome to Fort Collins, Colorado - panoramio · Walter Powers, CC BY 3.0
Hilton Fort Collins, south side
Hilton Fort Collins, south side · Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
Marcasite with Calcite (47911668501)
Marcasite with Calcite (47911668501) · Pacific Museum of Earth from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Arcade game at the mall (224123437)
Arcade game at the mall (224123437) · Paul L Dineen, CC BY 2.0

Fort Collins, Colorado

Fort Collins is a city of 170,229 people in Larimer County, Colorado, founded in 1864.

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Population170,229 +2.8% since 2019
CountyLarimer County
Elevation5,003 ft 1,525 m
Founded1864
Land area57.3 sq mi
ZIP codes80521, 80524, 80525, 80526 +1
Nearest airportNorthern Colorado Regional Airport (FNL) 7 mi

Why visit Fort Collins

Townapedia lists 30 museums and landmarks, 46 parks and trails, 296 places to eat, 13 places to stay and 8 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include Cinema Saver 6, Lincoln Center, Avery House and Botanical and Horticultural Laboratory.

About Fort Collins

Fort Collins is a home rule city in Larimer County, Colorado, United States, and serves as the county seat and most populous municipality of the county. It is the fourth-most populous city in Colorado with a population of 169,810 in the 2020 census, while the Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area has an estimated 375,000 residents.

From the Wikipedia article Fort Collins, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do8

Cinema Saver 6

Cinema and theater · 1.6 mi

2525 Worthington Circle, Fort Collins

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-482-6625

Lincoln Center

Cinema and theater · 2.5 mi

417 West Magnolia Street, Fort Collins

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-221-6730

Midtown Arts Center

Cinema and theater · 1.2 mi

3750 South Mason Street, Fort Collins

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-225-2555

AMC CLASSIC Fort Collins 10

Cinema and theater · 1.2 mi

3636 Manhattan Avenue, Fort Collins

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Debut Theatre

Cinema and theater · 2.2 mi

827 Riverside Avenue, Fort Collins

Mo-Fr 10:00-13:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-224-5774

Colorado State University

School · 2.0 mi

Public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Cinemark

Cinema and theater · 2.2 mi

4721 South Timberline Road, Fort Collins

Open in Google Maps

Cinemark Movie Bistro and XD

Cinema and theater · 0.6 mi

335 East Foothills Parkway, Fort Collins

Open in Google Maps

Museums and landmarks30

Avery House

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi

Historic house in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Botanical and Horticultural Laboratory

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi

Historic build in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Fort Collins Armory

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi

Armory in Fort Collins, United States of America

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Laurel School Historic District

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi

Historic district in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

McHugh–Andrews House

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi

Historic house in Colorado, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Montezuma Fuller House

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi

Historic house in Colorado, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Mosman House

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi

Historic house in Colorado, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Old Town Fort Collins

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi

Historic district in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Peter Anderson House

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi

United States historic place

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Fort Collins Municipal Railway Birney Safety Streetcar No. 21

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Kissock Block Building

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Avenir Museum

Museum · 1.5 mi

1574 Campus Dr, Fort Collins

Tu-Fr 12:00-16:00

Open in Google Maps

18 more on the map.

Parks, trails and playgrounds46

Fort Fun

Sports field and stadium · 2.3 mi

1513 East Mulberry Street

Su-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-24:00

Open in Google Maps

Canvas Stadium

Sports field and stadium · 1.9 mi

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

English Ranch Park

Park · 2.1 mi

3825 Kingsley Drive

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Community Garden

Park · 1.4 mi

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Fossil Creek Meadows Park

Park · 2.5 mi

05:00-23:00

Open in Google Maps

Skylark Indoor Golf Club

Golf course · 1.8 mi

Open in Google Maps

The Pond

Sports field and stadium · 0.6 mi

Open in Google Maps

English Ranch Playground

Playground · 2.1 mi

Children meet and play with purity and spontaneity

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Power Trail

Park · 1.5 mi

Power Trail from Golden Meadows Park to Horsetooth Road

Open in Google Maps

Beattie Park

Park · 1.0 mi

Open in Google Maps

Cattail Chorus

Hiking and trails · 2.4 mi

Open in Google Maps

Collindale Golf Course

Golf course · 1.3 mi

Open in Google Maps

34 more on the map.

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Restaurants and cafes296

The Thai Pepper

Restaurant · Thai · 2.1 mi

Bangorn Authentic Thai Food

109 East Laurel Street, Fort Collins

Mo-Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa 12:00-21:00; Su 17:00-21:00

Open in Google Maps · +1 970-221-3260

Asian Grill Express

Restaurant · Asian · 1.1 mi

3663 South College Avenue, Fort Collins

Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-21:30; Sa 11:00-21:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-223-3388

Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar

Restaurant · Burger · 0.6 mi

347 East Foothills Parkway, Fort Collins

Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00

Open in Google Maps · +1- 970-229-6060

Bawarchi Biryanis

Restaurant · Indian · 1.4 mi

1611 South College Avenue, Fort Collins

Mo-Th 11:00-21:30; Fr, Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:30

Open in Google Maps · +1 970-682-1521

Bindle Coffee

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.7 mi

1933 Jessup Drive, Fort Collins

Mo-Fr 06:00-18:00; Sa 08:00-18:00; Su 08:00-15:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-999-4201

Buffalo Wild Wings

Restaurant · Wings · 1.8 mi

150 East Harmony Road, Fort Collins

Mo-Sa 11:00-01:00, Su 11:00-00:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-266-9464

Cafe Rio

Restaurant · Mexican · 1.7 mi

4414 South College Avenue, Fort Collins

Mo-Th 10:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-23:00; Su 11:00-21:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-530-2700

Charco Broiler

Restaurant · Steak House · 2.5 mi

1716 East Mulberry Street, Fort Collins

Mo-We 06:00-21:00; Th-Sa 06:00+; Su 08:30-21:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-482-1472

Chili House

Restaurant · Asian · 1.4 mi

4200 South College Avenue, Fort Collins

Mo-Fr 11:00-21:30; Sa-Su 12:00-21:30

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-204-9889

Chili's

Restaurant · Tex-Mex · 0.9 mi

3524 South College Avenue, Fort Collins

Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 11:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-223-2307

College Cafe

Restaurant · Asian · 2.2 mi

647 South College Avenue, Fort Collins

Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30; Su 11:00-21:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-221-2696

Domenic's Bistro & Wine Bar

Restaurant · Italian · 1.8 mi

921 East Harmony Road, Fort Collins

Su 16:00-21:00; Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-970-207-0411

284 more on the map.

History

The Northern Arapaho were centered in the Cache la Poudre River Valley near present-day Fort Collins. Friday, who attended school in St. Louis, Missouri in his youth, was a leader of the band of Arapahos as well as an interpreter, negotiator, and peacemaker. He made friends of white settlers who moved into the area, but was pushed out of Colorado in the 1860s.

Fort Collins was founded as a military outpost of the United States Army 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 river 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. The Fort Collins, Colorado Territory, post office opened on June 27, 1865.

From the History section of Fort Collins, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay13

Churches and places of worship47

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Shopping62

Gas and EV charging29

Schools, colleges and libraries71

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Healthcare26

Map of Fort Collins

250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

People and cost of living

$85,070median household income
$577,900median home value
$1,690median monthly rent
30.9median age
60.7%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
51.6%of homes are owner-occupied
19.5 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1816%18 to 3439%35 to 6431%65 and over13%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

Larimer County has had 23 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.

  • 2024-07-31: Stone Mountain Fire (Fire)
  • 2024-07-31: Alexander Mountain Fire (Fire)
  • 2021-01-15: Wildfires (Fire)
  • 2020-09-06: Cameron Peak Fire (Fire)
  • 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
  • 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

Northern Colorado Regional Airport (FNL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.

  • Timnath 5 mi east, about 9 min by car
  • Laporte 7 mi northwest, about 12 min by car
  • Loveland 9 mi south, about 15 min by car
  • Windsor 9 mi southeast, about 15 min by car
  • Wellington 11 mi north, about 17 min by car
  • Severance 11 mi east, about 18 min by car
  • Ault 17 mi east, about 28 min by car
  • Greeley 18 mi southeast, about 29 min by car
  • Johnstown 19 mi southeast, about 30 min by car
  • Berthoud 19 mi south, about 30 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.