What is the terrain like in the city of Fort Collins? (Loveland: house, neighborhood)

[SirLancelot911]

I'm contemplating a move from Seattle to the Fort Collins area with my family. I've learned a lot by reading past threads, but I'm curious what the terrain in the municipality itself is like? Obviously it butts up against the Rockies, but is the city itself extremely hilly as well, or is it primarily level? When it snows do many roads get impassable or do they get cleared quickly?

[Mike Weber]

The city is mostly flat. After a snow, the main streets are cleaned pretty quickly. After a rare large snowstorm, some neighborhood streets are difficult to travel for a day or two. The city streets are set up on a grid system, with main streets on 1 mile intervals. If one is difficult to travel, another 1 mile to either side should be easier.

[davemess10]

compared to Seattle, it is pancake flat. There are a few ridges, but not real hills in the town proper. There are many hills and climbs to the West, though, many of them are parks around town.

[Dalek11ak]

I was surprised how flat it was when I moved here in October . Really nice for riding your bike which every one does here. If you need foothills just travel west about 15 mins, mountains a little further. Some people think the traffic is bad here but they have obviously never been to a town with bad traffic before. I'm from Ohio and I thought the traffic was worse there. It might be the fact that you don't have to go far for anything in fort Collins.

[countryway]

Geologically, it is flat. Sitting up against the foothills which are not that gradual. Topographically, there are alot of parks and open spaces with trails and hiking with plenty of water in the form of a river, some lakes and many ponds. Fort Collins is an outdoors community. I am not familiar with Seattle very much, but I hope that this helps.

[davemess10]

Originally Posted by Peculiar John

The foothills and mountains are not Fort Collins. Fort Collins is flat as Kansas with bonus farm animal smells.

I think most in FoCo would count the Res, and surrounding hills as part of Fort Collins.

[Wurzig]

Originally Posted by davemess10

I think most in FoCo would count the Res, and surrounding hills as part of Fort Collins.

I agree......CSU's stadium is getting up there towards the hills and CSU is definitely part of Fort Collins!

Riverside is practically the only 'curvy' street in town that messes me up (we moved here last May).....once you learn a few streets, it's easy to find stuff......thank gawd for grids!

The posters are right with their comments.......snow gets removed fairly quickly off of the main streets......there are a lot of good-sized businesses in town and CSU is right in the middle, so the streets are busy.....

I am in the Windsor/Severance area..(the views from the back of my house are spectacular!!!!! We see the lights of Loveland and Fort Collins at night and the Rockies are RIGHT THERE!! You will not get these views in Fort Collins but we get more wind)......my area is right across from FoCo, right on the other side of I-25......but we are more open out here, (farming area), and snow melts faster..... FoCO is right up against the higher elevation and the wind kinda sweeps over the town and hits us harder out here...... I think Fort Collins is probably about 300 feet higher in elevation than Windsor.....

This area is about a mile high, (not quite, but almost), but it doesn't seem that way because it is pretty flat.......you only notice this in the beginning because the air is 'thinner'....you adjust.

[krh6609]

Very similar to Spokane here, but without the crevaces and buttes. Same dry snow in the winter, Very little elevation changes until you get to the foothills which immediately rise quickly. Like other posters said, it is flat. Without the nearby mountains, I don't think Fort collins would even be on the map. Honestly keep that in mind because, unless you are going to venture into the Rockies a lot, you would be better off seeking places like Bend OR for a town with geographical diversity/beauty. If you want flat, you will find it here, but could save a lot of $ looking east of here.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by krh6609

Very similar to Spokane here, but without the crevaces and buttes. Same dry snow in the winter, Very little elevation changes until you get to the foothills which immediately rise quickly. ... you would be better off seeking places like Bend OR for a town with geographical diversity/beauty. If you want flat, you will find it here, but could save a lot of $ looking east of here.

there are no / few hilly slick spots in FoCo. There are a few north facing slopes to be careful of, but wind / drifts (usually small...12-18") are more of an issue than hills. Snow is crunchy (good traction), seldom heavy and slushy (PNW). Driving is EZ, and good place for E-car (economy / whimpy power, or Electric)

FoCo has more winter sun than Spokane, (thus snow clears faster) and is significantly 'flatter' than Wenatchee (More like Ellensburg), but about as close to foothills as Wenatchee. I often commuted between FoCo and Loveland via bike. The shoulders are wide (Much more than We_tSide WA), And it is much brighter for visibility, and bikes much more expected and seen.

As a work group we cycled Horsetooth and or Carter Lake loop before work in summertime. It gave plenty of elevation change for good workout @ 6,000 ft. Actually the climb to Estes Park is excellent bike route, but I warn about taking rte 7 to Allenspark, as it has many miles of climbing after it leaves Estes. Up HWY 34 to Estes Park in the early morn and down 36 to Lyons, and back north over Carter Lake and Horsetooth make a nice ride.

There are zillions of great, relatively flat rides with good visibility. Not the hills of PNW, but the wind in CO will be your friend and foe.

Biking quality is great in NoCo; good weather, knowledgeable drivers, good terrain, many off-road spots, many on-road opportunities.

[davemess10]

Good Post Stealth, I completely agree with everything you said. I really miss the ride up to Estes from the Fort. Those hour(s) long climbs are great, and harder to find in OR. I also really miss the Rawhide Powerplant loop. Frankly I miss all the back country roads around the Fort. It really is a phenomenal place to bike ride, so many options.

I don't really understand someone complaining about the Fort being too flat, and then saying the hills only start at the foothills? Fort Collins is the boundary of the foothills. Perhaps it's people living the east side of town (I always forget there are actually people in the Fort who live east of I-25).