Known as one of the most livable places in the U.S., Fort Collins offers residents a peaceful lifestyle filled with outdoor recreation opportunities and sustainable transportation options. This mid-sized Front Range city places high value on quality of life for its locals.
A Top Peaceful City
In 2023, Fort Collins was named America’s most peaceful city by Insider Monkey The study looked noise levels and access/vicinity to outdoor activities. With a population around 170,000, Fort Collins provides accessibility to nature, amenities, and cultural experiences without the stress, traffic, pollution, and noise of bigger cities.
Residents enjoy plentiful parks and open spaces, craft breweries and farm-to-table dining, and music venues, Colorado State University happenings, and family-friendly neighborhoods. The laidback vibe, friendly people, and abundance of sunshine make it clear why Fort Collins keeps receiving accolades for peacefulness and overall high quality of life.
Biking Is a Way of Life
With 300 days of sunshine per year, residents embrace an active lifestyle spent outdoors as much as possible. Fort Collins stands out for its impressive bicycle infrastructure that enables non-motorized transport. Over 4% (4.9%) of Fort Collins commuters choose cycling as their main way of getting around.
There are more than 280+ miles of designated bike lanes, share routes, and trails to safely connect people to destinations citywide. Whether biking to work, running errands, meeting friends, or just exercising, the bikeable roads and paths accommodate people of all ages and skill levels.
Extensive bike parking exists outside shopping areas, schools, large employers, apartment complexes and curbside all over town. Fort Collins also operates a well-used bike library system where residents can borrow bicycles for free. Thanks to this cycling culture, the city has earned platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community status from the League of American Bicyclists.
Car-Free Living
In addition to biking, Fort Collins also encourages public transportation use. The bus system, called Transfort, includes over 20 routes offering reliable citywide service. Residents often utilize both bikes and buses to fully optimize car-free trips.
Based on public transportation access, walkable neighborhoods, and bike infrastructure metrics, a 2023 analysis named Fort Collins the 12th best mid-sized city in America for living comfortably without a car.
Between cycling, buses, pedestrian infrastructure like sidewalks and trails, car share programs, and ride shares, most daily needs are quickly reachable here without driving yourself. Ditching a privately owned car saves residents thousands annually and reduces environmental impact. Fort Collins empowers green choices by providing transportation alternatives that rival cities many times its size.
With accolades celebrating its peacefulness, environmental ethos and livability accumulating, Fort Collins offers an idyllic lifestyle that more people seek to emulate. This northern Front Range community manages to artfully blend small town charm with urban conveniences and modern amenities. From bike lanes to craft brews, conservation and innovation harmonize beautifully here in Fort Collins.
