ZIP Code 80525

The city population was 169,810 at the 2020 census, an increase of 17.94% since 2010. 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. Stone quarrying, sugar-beet farming, and the slaughter of sheep were among the area's earliest industries. 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. Colorado State University's enrollment doubled during the 1960s, making it the city's primary economic force by the end of the century. In 1997, the city experienced a flash flood after a 31-hour period of 101-360 mm of rain fell south of the city. The heaviest rainfall was the heaviest rainfall south of Fort Collins' Old Town with the creation of a Downtown Development Authority. During the late 20th century, Fort Collins expanded rapidly to the north and east. The city is the fourth most populous city in Colorado. It is the principal city of the Fort Collins, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area and is a major city of. the Front Range Urban Corridor. It has 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 until late 1890s.

History

Fort Collins is the primary city name, but also Severance are acceptable city names or spellings, Ft Collins on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. 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. The post was manned originally by two companies of the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and never had walls. The city's first population boom came in 1872, with the establishment of an agricultural colony. Stone quarrying, sugar-beet farming, and the slaughter of sheep were among the area's earliest industries. 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. In late July 1997, the city experienced a flash flood after and during a 31-hour period when and in (250 mm) of rain fell. The rainfall was the heaviest on record for an area of Colorado. Five people were killed and $5 million in damages were dealt to the city. Colorado State University's enrollment doubled during the 1960s, making it the city's primary economic force by the end of the century. The prohibition of alcoholic beverages, a contentious political issue in the town's early decades, was retained from the late 1890s until student activism helped bring it to an end in 1969. During the decade following World War II, the population doubled and an era of economic prosperity occurred. Along with revitalization came many changes, including a new city charter, adopting a council-manager form of government.

Geography

Fort Collins has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk) Its climate is characterized by warm to hot summers and long and moderately cold winters. The average temperature in December, the coldest month, is 31.1 °F (0.5 °C) Annual snowfall averages 51.4 inches (1.31 m), and can occur from early September through the end of May. At the 2020 United States Census, the town had a total area of 37,423 acres (151.444 km²) including 807 acres (3.265km²) of water. The Cache La Poudre River and Spring Creek run through Fort Collins. The city is located at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills of the northern Front Range, approximately 60 miles (97 km) north of Denver, Colorado, and 45 miles (72 km) south of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Elevation is 4,982 ft (1,519 m) above sea level. Geographic landmarks include Horsetooth Reservoir and Hors Bluetooth Mountainso named because of a tooth-shaped granite rock that dominates the city's western skyline. Longs Peak can also clearly be seen on a clear day to the southwest of the city. The town is located on the Colorado-Wyoming border and is located in the Rocky Mountains foothills. It is located near the junction of the U.S. Turnpike and the Colorado River, which runs through the center of the town.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 118,652 people, 45,882 households, and 25,785 families residing in the city. The Census Bureau estimates that the city's population was 161,175 in 2015. The population of the Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area was 310,487 (151st most populous MSA) as of the 2010 census. The city is the fourth most populous city in Colorado and the 156th most populous in the United States. It is located in the Front Range Urban Corridor, which has a population of 4,495,181. The median income for a household in theCity was $64,459, and the median family income was $110,332. The per capita income for the city was $32,133. 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% ofThose age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01. The racial makeup of the city is 82.4% White, 3.1% Black or African American, 2.48% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander,3.61% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 10.79%. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there are 100.9 males.

Economy

Fort Collins' economy has a mix of manufacturing and service-related businesses. Many high-tech companies have relocated to Fort Collins because of Colorado State University and its research facilities. The city's major shopping mall is The Shops at Foothills. FortZED was a zero energy district encompassing the Downtown area of Fort Collins and the main campus of Colorado State University. The district's public-private partnerships employed smart grid and renewable energy technologies to manage the local use and supply of energy. Notable breweries in the city include Anheuser-Busch, New Belgium Brewing Company, and Odell Brewing Company. The local chamber of commerce estimates that in 2010, the industry generated $309.9 million in output, 2,488 jobs and $141.9million of local payrolls in Larimer County. The top employers are: Woodward Governor, Anheusers Busch, Walker Mowers, and Otterbox. Fort Collins is home to over 20 breweries, including New Belgium and Anhealer Busch. The largest employer in Fort Collins, Colorado, is Hewlett Packard, Intel, AMD, Broadcom, Beckman Coulter, Microsoft, Rubicon Water and Pelco. Other industries include clean energy, bioscience, and agri-tech businesses. In 2010, Fort Collins had over 2,500 jobs, according to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employer was Woodward Governor. The number of jobs created in 2010 was more than 2,400.

Arts and culture

Much of Fort Collins's culture is centered around 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 the college town atmosphere and is home to a number of well known microbreweries. The Fort Collins Museum houses over 30,000 artifacts and features temporary and permanent exhibits, on-going educational programs and events. The Colorado Marathon is a yearly event running down the Poudre Canyon and finishing in downtown Fort Collins. The FORTitude 10K run, a partner running event of the Bolder Boulder, is held on Labor Day each year. The Horsetooth Half Marathon has been a fixture of the local running scene since 1973. New Belgium Brewing Company hosts the Tour de Fat which draws over 20,000 people riding bikes and dressing in costume. The Arts Incubator of the Rockies (AIR), founded in Fort Collins in 2012, was acquired in 2016 by Berea College in Kentucky, where it became part of the College Crafts Program. The arts are represented by The Center for Fine Art Photography, University Center for the Arts, and the Bas Bleu Theatre Company. The Downtown Business Association hosts small and large festivals each year in the historic Downtown district, including Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest in late summer, which features local cuisine, music, and businesses. It is also home to the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, which regularly attracts national touring companies of Broadway plays. The City of FortCollins is the home of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Parks and recreation

The Gardens on Spring Creek is an 18-acre (7.3 ha) botanical garden. There are also many parks in Fort Collins including community parks and neighborhood parks, totaling 875 acres (354 ha) of developed park areas. The city purchased the Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, a park and conservation area north of the city. Within the park is the Lindenmeier site, a stratified multi- component archaeological site most famous for its Folsom component. Fort Collins is home to a whitewater park alongside the Poudre River. It is also home to several smaller neighborhood parks which often host events such as marathons, community activities and holiday celebrations. It also has a number of dog parks, baseball diamonds, basketball courts and picnic shelters. There is also a golf course, tennis courts, frisbee golf courses, dog parks and basketball courts in the Fort Collins area. It has a large number of community parks, including City Park, Edora Park, Fossil Creek Park, Lee Martinez Park, Rolland Moore Park, and Spring Canyon Park. In total, there are 6 community parks. These include City Park, Edora. Park, Fossil creek Park, Lee. Martinez Park, Rolland. Moore Park, Spring Canyon. Park, which is located on the banks of the Colorado River, is one of the largest parks in the state. It contains a number. of smaller neighborhood. parks, such as City Park and Edora, as well as many smaller. neighborhood parks such as Spring Canyon, which are located near the city center.

Government

Fort Collins has a council-manager form of government. The mayor serves a two-year term and stands for election in municipal elections held in April of odd-numbered years. The current mayor of Fort Collins is Jeni Arndt, who was elected to a first term in April 2021. The city lies in Colorado's 2nd Congressional district, and is represented in Congress by Representative Joe Neguse (Democrat) On the state level, Fort Collins lies in the 14th district of the Colorado Senate, represented by Joann Ginal, and the 52nd and 53rd districts of theColorado House of Representatives. All three of FortCollins' state legislators are Democrats. Fort Collins also is the county seat of Larimer County, and houses county offices and courts. It is the largest city in the state of Colorado, and has a population of about 3,000. It was the site of the U.S. Civil War, and was home to the Battle of the Bulge, which took place between 1864 and 1875. It has been home to a number of military installations, including Fort Collins Air Force Base and Fort Collins National Guard Base, as well as the Colorado Army National Guard, which was based in Fort Collins until the 1950s and 1960s. The Fort Collins Airport, which opened in 1961, is located on the city's eastern edge, and serves as a gateway to the rest of the state. The town is home to several military bases, including the Colorado Air National Guard and the Colorado National Guard.

Education

Poudre School District operates and manages the public schools in the city of Fort Collins, as well as in the surrounding towns of Wellington, Timnath, Windsor, Laporte and Livermore. The district is one of the fastest growing in Northern Colorado, adding 400-500 students about the size of an elementary school each year. The Fort Collins Public Library was officially established in 1900, the sixth public library in the state. The library as an institution in Fort Collins dates back to the late 19th century, where reading rooms were established in churches or other rented locations. The Poudre River Public Library District was established in 2006 by voter approval, and aims to serve the more than 207,000 people in northern Larimer County, Colorado. The District is governed by a Board of volunteer Trustees, jointly appointed by the city and Larimer county. The Library District is committed to enriching the cultural, educational, and economic life of the surrounding communities that it serves. It is also home to ten middle schools (Lesher Middle IB World School, Blevins Middle School, Boltz Middle School) and 32 elementary schools (Lincoln IB World Middle School and Wellington Middle School). The district also operates four alternative high schools: Centennial High School, Polaris School for Expeditionary Learning, Poudrre Community Academy and Poud re School District Global Academy, a dual in-person/online school. In addition to PSD schools, several state charter schools serve Fort Collins. Private schools include Heritage Christian Academy, Rivendell School, and St. Joseph's Catholic School.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Fort Collins, Jefferson County, Colorado = 67.6. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 100. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 98. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Fort Collins = 4.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 169,810 individuals with a median age of 31.6 age the population grows by 12.10% in Fort Collins, Jefferson County, Colorado population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,968 residents per square mile of area (1,146/km²). There are average 2.43 people per household in the 52,161 households with an average household income of $49,879 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is of the available work force and has dropped -3.62% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 26.46%. The number of physicians in Fort Collins per 100,000 population = 224.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Fort Collins = 15.1 inches and the annual snowfall = 47.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 81. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 237. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 13.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 62, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Fort Collins, Jefferson County, Colorado which are owned by the occupant = 55.57%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 23 years with median home cost = $209,580 and home appreciation of -1.80%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $7.20 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,476 per student. There are 19.1 students for each teacher in the school, 303 students for each Librarian and 282 students for each Counselor. 6.53% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 30.50% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 18.35% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).