Learn more about Fort Collins, Colorado — Home of Colorado State University.
The Town: Fort Collins, Colorado
Rated as Money magazine’s best place to live in 2006, Fort Collins was originally founded as a military base at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. With a population of 144,000, it’s one of the larger communities in the state, and only a 57-mile drive from Denver.
A scenic city with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains, Fort Collins enjoys four separate seasons highlighted by snowy winters, making it the perfect destination for skiers and snowboarders.
Colorado State University boasts a healthy and active student body, with more than 60 percent of undergraduate students involved in intramural sports.
The School: Colorado State University
The Colorado State campus is built around the oval, a grassy expanse outlined by more than 50 American elm trees. Originally founded as an agriculture school, Colorado State has some of the best programs in the country in engineering, agricultural sciences, business, natural sciences and applied human sciences.
What to Do
Colorado State University boasts a healthy and active student body, with more than 60 percent of undergraduate students involved in intramural sports. If organized sports aren’t your thing, you can go for a dip or a fishing excursion in the Horsetooth Reservoir.
Although Fort Collins has more than 4,000 acres devoted to Colorado State research centers and forests, Rocky Mountain National Park is only a 45-minute drive away. Colorado’s major ski resorts are less than two hours away.
Where to Eat and Drink
If you love beer, you’ll love Fort Collins. Big Horn Brewing Co., New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins Brewery, Coopersmith’s Brewery and Odell Brewing Co. are all headquartered in the city, so take a tour of a brewery and then hit up downtown for some live music and nightlife.
Did You Know?
The first students at Colorado State had to perform farm labor in order to earn their degree.