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Fort Collins, Colorado

"Choice City"

A college town at the foot of the Rockies, Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University, a world-class craft beer scene, and the town that inspired Disneyland's Main Street USA.

Founded 1864 | Population 171,391 | Peak 171,391 (2024) | County Larimer County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Fort Collins, Colorado

1

1864 Military Post Established: Camp Collins was established to protect settlers and Overland Trail travelers; it moved to its present location after a flood.

2

1870 Agricultural Colony: The town developed as an agricultural colony with irrigation canals feeding the Cache la Poudre valley.

3

1879 Colorado Agricultural College: Colorado State University was founded as an agricultural college and grew into a major research university.

4

1995 New Belgium Brewing: New Belgium and other craft breweries put Fort Collins on the map as a craft beer destination.

5

2012 Best Places to Live: Fort Collins repeatedly topped national best-places-to-live rankings for quality of life, outdoor access, and economy.

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Latest News in Fort Collins

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Complete Historical Timeline

1864 Government

Military camp established

1870 Industry

Agricultural colony develops

1879 Culture

Colorado Agricultural College founded

1995 Business

Craft beer boom begins

2012 Government

Tops best-places-to-live lists

2020 Government

Population reaches 169,000

2023 Government

Exceeds 171,000

Did You Know?

1

Walt Disney reportedly modeled Main Street USA at Disneyland after Fort Collins' charming Old Town district.

2

Fort Collins has more craft breweries per capita than almost any city in America, including New Belgium (Fat Tire) and Odell.

3

The Cache la Poudre River through Fort Collins is the only nationally designated Wild and Scenic River in Colorado.

Famous People from Fort Collins, Colorado

JL

Jake Lloyd

Actor, Voice Actor · Born Mar 5, 1989 · Age 36

JH

Jon Heder

Actor, Voice Actor · Born Oct 26, 1977 · Age 48

RM

Ross Marquand

Stage Actor, Voice Actor · Born Aug 22, 1981 · Age 44

WA

Wayne Allard

Politician, Veterinarian · Born Dec 2, 1943 · Age 82

DT

Derek Theler

Screenwriter, Actor · Born Oct 29, 1986 · Age 39

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