Fort Collins, city (2020 pop.
169,810), seat of Larimer co., N Colo., on the Cache la Poudre River, at the
foot of the Rocky Mts., inc. as a city 1883. The area was settled in 1864
around a fortification built to protect a strategic trading post; the city
itself was named for the military commander there. Fort Collins is a
trading, shipping, and processing center of a rich agricultural area that
produces grain and sugar beets. Lamb and other livestock are also raised.
Diversified manufacturing adds to the economy, and tourism is important.
Colorado State Univ. is in Fort Collins. Nearby are the Roosevelt National
Forest, Rocky Mountain National Park, and several dams of the Colorado–Big Thompson
project.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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