Located less than an hour away from Colorado's capital city of Denver, Fort Collins is the fourth-largest city in Colorado. It’s home to Colorado State University, many businesses, and much to see and do, including a lively music and theater scene. It was also once named as one of the best places to live in the country by Money magazine – and those who call it home can easily understand why. It’s a diverse and welcoming city with a thriving LGBTQ community, that has a great deal to offer visitors and residents alike. If you’re thinking of making a move to Colorado, Fort Collins would make a wonderful place to call home.
A Look at Fort Collins's History
In 1862, the Kansas Volunteer Calvary established Camp Collins to protect both travelers and settlers along the Colorado branch of the Overland Trail. Although the fort was temporarily abandoned a few years later, by 1872, the former site had been revitalized with a hotel, general store, post office, school, and a few other businesses. From that time, and particularly after the arrival of the railroad in 1877, the area began to grow rapidly. It eventually grew into a diverse, friendly, and fun town, where all who lived and visited could find much to see, do, and enjoy. It remains so to this day.
A Few Fun Facts About Fort Collins
Read more fun facts about Fort Collins here.
Fort Collins’s LGBTQ Community
Fort Collins is a city that loves and supports its LGBTQ community with a variety of resources, including:
PFLAG Fort Collins/Northern Colorado
PFLAG Fort Collins/Northern Colorado is the Fort Collins area’s local chapter of the national PFLAG organization, which is the largest grassroots organization of its kind in the country. PFLAG is well-known for its mission of supporting LGBTQ people, friends, family, and allies across the country in a wide variety of ways. With 500 chapters and more than 200,000 members in the United States, PFLAG plays a critical role in providing advocacy, support, and resources to the LGBTQ community.
Northern Colorado Equality is a LGBTQ community-based group dedicated to supporting, encouraging, and celebrating the LGBTQ population in Fort Collins and the greater Northern Colorado area. The group works to help the community it serves by providing resources, planning events, offering support groups and community involvement opportunities, and more.
What's the Weather Like in Fort Collins?
Those who live in Fort Collins can expect to experience all four distinct seasons each year. Temperatures typically range from a high of around 87ºF in July, to a low of around 15ºF in January each year. Spring and fall are often mild and pleasant, and wonderful times to enjoy all of the area’s natural beauty. Fort Collins receives an average of 16 inches of rain and 48 inches of snow per year.
Can’t-Miss Events in Fort Collins
The NoCo Pride March is one of Fort Collins’s most popular annual LGBTQ pride celebrations, and it’s one celebration you’ll definitely want to put on your calendar. This annual event includes family-friendly entertainment, plenty of vendors, speakers, excellent performances, delicious food, and plenty of opportunities to meet friends and have fun!
Colorado is a state known for its great breweries and fine beers, and the Colorado Brewer’s Festival is a very popular yearly event planned to celebrate, enjoy, and learn about all that Colorado’s breweries have to offer.
The Best Neighborhoods in Fort Collins
The LGBTQ community in Fort Collins is sprinkled throughout the city, which means that there are many wonderful places to call home, and choosing the right neighborhood will largely be a matter of budget and personal preference. Fort Collins is known for being very welcoming and diverse, especially near the university. The entire city is very safe, and all neighborhoods offer plenty of amenities to residents, and much to see and do. The median list price of homes currently for sale in Fort Collins is around $503,000.
Arts and Entertainment
The Lincoln Center is widely considered to be one of the best performing arts spaces in Colorado, offering both indoor and outdoor theaters, and a wide variety of performances and concerts each year. Don't miss the chance to get tickets for a show (or several!) yourself.
MoA, short for Museum of Art Fort Collins, is an art museum located in a beautiful Renaissance-revival building. The collection includes an excellent selection of contemporary art exhibits, hands-on kids’ activities, and more. It’s a wonderful place to spend the day learning, feeling inspired, and having fun.
Parks and Recreation
The Cache la Poudre River flows through the middle of Fort Collins, and it is Colorado’s only officially designated “Wild & Scenic” River. The river received its unique name when French-Canadian trappers had to hide their gunpowder (cache la poudre) during the midst of an extreme blizzard in the first part of the 1800s. Today, it is a prime fly-fishing destination, and a great place to have fun, relax and enjoy a beautiful day in Fort Collins.
The Horsetooth Reservoir is a large nature reserve in the Fort Collins area that’s popular for fishing, hiking, camping, cycling, water recreation, or just kicking back and enjoying all of nature’s beauty.
Fort Collins Nightlife
The R Bar and Lounge is one of the most popular LGBTQ bars in the area. With strong drinks, friendly crowds, and a lively dance floor, as well as frequent karaoke nights and drag shows, it’s a must-stop spot during a night out in Fort Collins.
Fort Collins is very well known for is its microbreweries. The beer culture has thrived in the city for some time now, and there are many excellent local breweries to choose from. These breweries make great spots for kicking back, relaxing, and having fun with friends.
Contact a Fort Collins Gay Realtor Today
If you're ready to make a move to Fort Collins, at www.gayrealestate.com, we're here to help you take the first step toward finding an agent who knows and loves the community, and who can help you find a home and a neighborhood you'll love. We're proud to have a network of excellent realtors in Fort Collins, and we would love to help connect you with the right one. Contact a Fort Collins gay realtor today for a free, no-obligation consultation!
