Senior Living in Fort Collins, Colorado

Nestled along the Rocky Mountains and the Front Range of beautiful Colorado, the city of Fort Collins has become a popular place for retirement. Just an hour north of Denver, this vibrant town was once known simply as a college town, home of Colorado State University. These days, it is home to young families, growing industries and a long list of amenities.

Fort Collins, Colorado was recently named the Top Retirement Spot in by Where to Retire Magazine. Money Magazine named it the number one place to live for 2006. The list of awards goes on and on. So, why retire in Fort Collins?

Activities and Amenities

Fort Collins in the hub for entertainment, shopping and dining in Northern Colorado. Foothills Mall is centrally located in town, with all of your favorite stores including department stores like Macy's, JC Penney and Sears. Old Town is a great place to explore. In this historic area of Fort Collins you'll find restaurants, unique shops and free outdoor concerts. The Shops at Centerra recently opened in Loveland, just a 15 minute drive away. It is an outdoor center that offers shopping, dining and a movie theater. Across the highway from Centerra are the Outlets at Loveland, a prime spot for bargain shopping.

The Fort Collins Senior Center, a city facility, offers a lap pool and spa, jogging/walking, track and a gymnasium. A billiards room is available for a lively game of pool, while craft rooms and classrooms offer other activities. The City also publishes Pathways, a quarterly magazine with leisure activities for those over fifty years of age. Here you can find everything from book clubs to art and pottery classes, and from recreation clubs to dance classes. Fort Collins has plenty to keep seniors busy!

Need more outdoor activities? Fort Collins boasted 40 Parks within the City, 23.14 miles of trails that include paved and unpaved walking and bike trails and three city golf courses. The breathtaking Poudre Canyon is just 15minutes north of the city and is a prime place for fishing, camping and wildlife viewing.

The Lincoln Center is the City of Fort Collins' cultural arts center. It contains two indoor performing arts spaces (a Performance Hall of 1,180 seats and a Mini Theatre of 220 seats), three indoor galleries, conference facilities, and an outdoor sculpture and performance garden. The facility is accessible to patrons with disabilities and an infrared public address system is available for hearing impaired patrons.

There is no better place than Fort Collins for spectator sports. Colorado State University fans delight in watching the popular Ram football, basketball, and volleyball teams. A short drive to Denver puts you in the seats of a Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rockies, or Denver Nuggets game. The annual Greeley Independence Stampede and Rodeo in Greeley and the nationally acclaimed Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming are popular summer day trips.

Living in Fort Collins

While most people think that Colorado is all about snow, Fort Collins has an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, low humidity, moderate winters, and a mild climate year-round. The area receives approximately 18 inches of rain and 55 inches of snow per year. The average high temperature during the summer months is 85 degrees. In the winter months, it is 42 degrees. What snow falls doesn't stick around for more than a few days.

Residential housing prices in Fort Collins continue to be competitive, but you can still get a great value for your money. In 2005, the median price for a single-family home was $222,000, up just 4% from 2004. There are also many options for those seniors who don't want the responsibility of a single-family home. Fort Collins offers everything from apartments to retirement communities and assisted living facilities.

In 2005, the population was 137,177 (2005) and the average median family income was $44,459/year.

When it comes to medical care, Fort Collins has all you need. Fort Collins is home to thousands of general practitioners and specialists of every kind. Poudre Valley Heath System is Fort Collins' full-service medical center. With 37 specialties, the hospital is able to provide the quality of care often found only in larger cities. Patients get personalized care using the most up-to-date technologies and procedures. Fort Collins supports a variety of specialized clinics for all types of patient needs including the Orthopaedic Center of the Rockies and the Family Medicine Center.

Getting Around

When it comes to getting around Fort Collins, seniors who don't drive can use Transfort. Transfort, the City of Fort Collins' bus program offers safe, reliable transportation for seniors. Transfort also offers Dial-A-Ride, a door-to-door Para transit service for individuals who, because of a disability, are prevented from using Transfort, the City's fixed-route bus service.

Today's seniors want a comfortable community full of services and amenities. They need excellent medical care and transportation options. Fort Collins has all of that to offer and more!