Outside Magazine Names Fort Collins
One of Ten "New American Dream Towns"

Outside MagazineWhen a team from Outside Magazine went looking for the New American Dream Towns, they included on their checklist of desirable characteristics "a commitment to open space, smart solutions to sprawl and gridlock, can-do community spirit, and an active embrace of the adventurous life." And in Fort Collins, our hometown, they found just what they were looking for plus a little more.

Colorado State was recognized for being the town's largest employer and lauded for helping to "set the eco-conscious tone" in Fort Collins. Our students were credited with keeping things "young and happening" in town. Additionally, our fabulous Front Range location received rave reviews for having "a ridiculous bounty of backcountry options, including crags and trails in Rocky Mountain National Park (just 40 miles southwest), singletrack in Lory State Park, Summit County powder runs, and whitewater on the Poudre."

Read the whole story - Outside Magazine Online.

Other recent Fort Collins accolades include:

  • Forbes Magazine top 20 small metro areas to start a business or career (2005)
  • "Bicycle Friendly Community" national award by League of American Bicyclists (2005)
  • Runner's World Magazine 25 best running cities in America (2005)
  • Listed as a nature-friendly town in Nature-Friendly Communities, by Island Press (2005)
  • Selected by Men's Journal magazine as fourth best place to live in the United States (2005, 2003)
  • Officially designated as a "Take Pride In America Community," through a national partnership established by the U.S. Department of the Interior (2005)
  • Selected as "Top Retirement Spot" by Where to Retire magazine (2005)
  • Best Place to Reinvent Your Life, by AARP Magazine(2003)
  • Ranked among the top 50 places to live in the United States by Forbes Magazine (2002)
  • Second in the nation as a digital city, 2002 Digital Cities Survey conducted by The Center for Digital Government
  • ICLEI 5-Star Award for efforts to reduce global warming and pollution (2002)
  • 17th Best Place to Live and Work in America by Employment Review (2002)
  • Featured on A&E Television as one of America's 10 most livable cities (2000)