Fort Collins, CO vs. Burlington, VT? (living, best, state, largest)

[Suelli5]

Has anyone lived in both Fort Collins,CO and Burlington, VT - or at least spent a lot of time in both places? If so, could you compare the two for me? some pros and cons of each?

I'm a middle-aged woman considering relocating from Seattle. Both places are near grad programs I'm interested in. I love the outdoors, but I am not into extreme sports. I love beautiful mountain and water views, easy access to hiking and skiing, progressive-minded politics, and reading. I prefer to live simply but want to be in a convenient location, preferably with a high "walkability score." I also might have a 65 pound dog in tow (It seems like having a dog can make it hard to find decent places to rent in a lot of places!)

Thanks!

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Suelli5

Has anyone lived in both Fort Collins,CO and Burlington, VT - or at least spent a lot of time in both places? If so, could you compare the two for me? some pros and cons of each?

I'm a middle-aged woman considering relocating from Seattle. Both places are near grad programs I'm interested in. I love the outdoors, but I am not into extreme sports. I love beautiful mountain and water views, easy access to hiking and skiing, progressive-minded politics, and reading. I prefer to live simply but want to be in a convenient location, preferably with a high "walkability score." I also might have a 65 pound dog in tow (It seems like having a dog can make it hard to find decent places to rent in a lot of places!)

Thanks!

Given your criteria they're pretty similar except for the convenience aspect with Burlington being relatively remote in terms of access to big cities. It's just shy of two hours to Montreal but the border crossing is something of a hassle and nearly four hours to Boston. The next closest "big city" is Albany NY which isn't large (population less than 100K) and still three hours away. Fort Collins is about equidistant to both Boulder and Denver, being just over an hour from both along with Denver International Airport. It's important to consider that Burlington is not a large city (just 42K residents) and could seem confined after a period of time while Fort Collins has a population of 160K yet still is very manageable on foot or bike largely speaking, while offering so much more to do in town or within a somewhat easy drive.

[unbeliever]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Given your criteria they're pretty similar except for the convenience aspect with Burlington being relatively remote in terms of access to big cities. It's just shy of two hours to Montreal but the border crossing is something of a hassle and nearly four hours to Boston. The next closest "big city" is Albany NY which isn't large (population less than 100K) and still three hours away. Fort Collins is about equidistant to both Boulder and Denver, being just over an hour from both along with Denver International Airport. It's important to consider that Burlington is not a large city (just 42K residents) and could seem confined after a period of time while Fort Collins has a population of 160K yet still is very manageable on foot or bike largely speaking, while offering so much more to do in town or within a somewhat easy drive.

I consider Fort Collins much more remote. The only decent sized city within driving distance is Denver. As you said, Burlington is within half a day's drive of Montreal and Boston, with the entire NYC/Philly/Washington area a few hours further down the road. No contest.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by unbeliever

I consider Fort Collins much more remote. The only decent sized city within driving distance is Denver. As you said, Burlington is within half a day's drive of Montreal and Boston, with the entire NYC/Philly/Washington area a few hours further down the road. No contest.

And how often/how likely is someone going to hop in the car and drive half a day to get to a big city? I would wager the vast majority would rather be within an hour of one major city, versus what amounts to taking an overnighter at the very least to get to two or more.

[ckhthankgod]

Montreal is about an hour and 45 minutes with the border crossing, as it is only 95 miles away.

OP, if you don’t mind me asking, what is the program?

[homesinseattle]

Burlington is wonderful, buts gets bitter cold in Jan and Feb. I lived there for 4 years, graduated from University of Vermont. I notice you live in Seattle, I do too . Interestingly, University of Vermont has a vibrant alumni chapter in Seattle, about 125 members.

[TCHP]

Physical environment between the two is extremely different.

Ft Collins is in the foothills and plains of the Front Range of CO, not actually in the mountains. While there are several rivers through the area, it is overall very dry with limited rainfall and subject to some extremes in weather with thunderstorms, hail, or blizzards. Dryness seems to impact people differently, but dry sinuses, nosebleeds, and cracked skin along with regular static are common. Overall temps will actually be somewhat moderate and the low humidity means the extreme temps won't feel as extreme. Sitting at over 4500' in elevation, the sun is extreme at altitude and sunscreen and/or protective clothing is always wise.

Horsetooth Reservoir is just west of Ft Collins and a popular place for water sports, but it can get windy there and it is fairly deep and cold water. There are a couple of ski hills nearby as well, but you will be travelling a couple hours for larger resorts. Hiking and other outdoor activities are a hallmark of the area. Walking and biking trails run throughout the city and surrounding areas. Most places in CO tend to be pretty dog friendly but there are some breed restrictions in some municipalities, so certainly check into that aspect of bringing your furry friend. A lot of activities around the town tend to lean towards CSU students since they make up around 20% of the population there. The area also has a fair amount of technology in start ups and manufacturing and healthcare are other primary industries.

I've only ever visited Burlington so some locals will have to chime in on pros/cons of living there. I loved my visit. The tree canopy, extensive water, and coolness was a stark contrast to CO. Heading out into the mountains there was a different experience than CO as there was abundant topsoil and growth everywhere.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Given your criteria they're pretty similar except for the convenience aspect with Burlington being relatively remote in terms of access to big cities. It's just shy of two hours to Montreal but the border crossing is something of a hassle and nearly four hours to Boston. The next closest "big city" is Albany NY which isn't large (population less than 100K) and still three hours away. Fort Collins is about equidistant to both Boulder and Denver, being just over an hour from both along with Denver International Airport. It's important to consider that Burlington is not a large city (just 42K residents) and could seem confined after a period of time while Fort Collins has a population of 160K yet still is very manageable on foot or bike largely speaking, while offering so much more to do in town or within a somewhat easy drive.

Really surprised to see that both Denver and Boulder are about 65 miles from Ft. Fun, aka Ft. Collins (per Google). However, Boulder is hardly a major city, though it collectively thinks it is. In fact, Boulder is smaller than Ft. Fun (104,000). Ft. Fun is the nickname that has been given Ft. Collins, BTW. Even Denver is isolated; it's about 500 miles to the nearest big cities; Omaha, NE, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque.

[murksiderock]

Burlington definitely feels isolated, and it has horribly long and harsh winters. I spent nearly a full month there across January/February this year. Brutally small, boring...

It is rather beautiful, though, and it has some very charming neighborhoods and downtown. I can't even bear the thought of living there, but I wouldn't know how it stacks up to Fort Collins. I'll also add that Burlington people are fairly nice. There's an edge there, as the largest city in a small state and isolated area. I was also racially profiled at a damn Barnes & Noble of all places. I'd love to visit in the summer...

I went to Albany, Boston, Springfield, and Hartford during my stay. You can't convince me to spend a full weekend in Burlington!

[Muinteoir]

In re: Both are isolated in their own way. In my opinion, the Intermountain West and Great Plains as regions have the most isolated feel in the country. Even in Fort Collins, with Denver within a days trip distance, there are not all too many other towns of decent size nearby.

Burlington will feel isolated in a different way. It is a far smaller town and is in rural New England. You have Montreal 2 hours away and Boston 4: probably the only two cities that will really feel within a day trip distance (even Boston is pushing that). For me, the big difference is that the Northeast has small towns in much closer proximity to one another, giving a more close knit communal feel compared to the West. Further, the rolling terrain and dense forests limit distant vision, which gives you a more intimate sense of your immediate surroundings. This may sound weird, and I know my perception of this is colored having been raised in the rural Northeast and having worked out West. But for me personally, Burlington would feel less isolated.

On to your criteria: honestly, both cities can provide what you are looking for. Both are progressive (Vermont as a whole is even more progressive than Colorado), have mountain views and hiking, and amazing skiing. Colorado has some of the best skiing and skiing conditions in the country. Burlington has a fantastic water view right on Lake Champlain. Fort Collins is lacking in this area, save for some small rivers.

The climate will be a big change for you either way: Fort Collins has a relatively mild climate, but in a different way than Seattle. Sunny and mostly dry year round, Front Range winters go through snaps of cold with heavy snow back to sunny and mild temps of 50s-70s. You will probably appreciate the sunshine but miss the lushness of Seattle. Burlington has fabulous green summers and beautiful fall colors, but winter will be much harsher than Seattle. Expect bitter cold and dense, wet snow December through February. Springtime is mostly a joke until May.

If visiting Seattle is a priority, it will be much easier in Fort Collins where you can easily fly out of Denver to Seattle for quite cheap.

Best of luck!