Fort Collins is located on the Cache La Poudre River about 65 miles outside of Denver.
Population Density and Metro Area
The Fort Collins-Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has a population estimated at 310,500. The Front Range Urban Corridor -- an area stretching from Pueblo, Colorado, and north to Cheyenne, Wyoming -- includes the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood MSA, the Colorado Springs MSA, the Fort Collins MSA, the Pueblo MSA, the Greeley MSA, the Canon City CSA, and the Cheyenne MSA. This corridor has a population of 4.49 million.
Fort Collins is the 4th largest city in Colorado behind Denver, Colorado Springs, and Aurora. This college city has been named as one of the top 10 places to live several times. In 2006, the city was ranked as the best place to live by Money magazine for its excellent school districts, high-tech job market, low crime rates, and outdoor life. It was also called "America's Safest Driving City" by Allstate Insurance as Fort Collins drivers go 14 years between collisions on average. It's also known as one of the cities that inspired the design of Disney's Main Street, USA entrances to its theme parks.
Fort Collins Age and Culture Statistics
The city also has an extensive beer culture with many microbreweries like Funkwerks, the Odell Brewing Company, the New Belgium Brewing Company, and the Fort Collins Brewery.
Fort Collins Population Growth
Fort Collins is growing rapidly at 2% per year and its growth rate is currently outpacing the state and county rate. According to the census bureau, Fort Collins and Greeley, CO were some of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States in 2014. The Fort Collins-Loveland metro area was the 12th fastest-growing metropolitan region in the country between 2013 and 2014. In one year, over 14,000 people moved to Northern Colorado due to the universities, a strong economy, and gas and oil jobs.