7 min read

Fort Collins

Fort Collins is a city on the Front Range in northern Colorado, USA. It shows up in the reading through local cycling news and the city’s Transfort transit newsletters.

Changelog

  • #🗓️/2024/09/08 Added details about how Fort Collins is a Tree City while discussing it with my Dad

Resources

FAQ

🙋 Is Fort Collins a Tree City?

✨ Fort Collins is indeed recognized as a Tree City USA, having maintained this status for over 40 years. The Tree City USA program, initiated by the Arbor Day Foundation, acknowledges cities that demonstrate a commitment to urban forestry through specific criteria.

To qualify as a Tree City USA, a community must meet four standards:

  1. Tree Board or Department: The city must have a dedicated tree committee or urban forestry department responsible for managing its public trees.
  2. Tree Care Ordinance: There must be an established ordinance that governs the care and management of trees within the community.
  3. Expenditure on Tree Care: The city must spend at least $2 per person on urban forestry activities, which can include volunteer efforts and contracted services.
  4. Arbor Day Observance: The community must celebrate Arbor Day, promoting the importance of trees and tree care.

Fort Collins has actively engaged in these requirements, maintaining approximately 57,000 public trees and implementing various programs to enhance its urban forest. The city also recently initiated its first comprehensive tree management plan, aiming to further improve its tree canopy and community engagement regarding tree care.

Citations:

Source

Why is Fort Collins Called the Choice City

Fort Collins, CO has had many nicknames throughout the years: “The Lilac City,” the “Horn of Plenty,” “FoCo” and “Fortunate Fort Collins.” According to a 2018 article published by the Coloradoan, the name “Choice City” of Colorado has stuck because it is one of the best places to live, the city was called this name during the Cold War and because locals use this nickname in their advertising.

We think one of the reasons Fort Collins is a great place to live and visit is because of the variety of fun activities and attractions to try there. We made a list of our favorite things to do in the “Choice City” down below.

At a glance

SourceAuthorRoleIn one line
Foco Bike Mob News, 12/18/25Foco Bike MobsettingA bike club’s mission to make the city the most prominent cycling city in the US.
Transfort Optimization PlanOur CitysubjectThe City of Fort Collins launches the Transfort Optimization Plan to decide how to run its bus system within budget, with a survey open until July 14, 2025.
Bike to Wherever DayMostly Bikes x MesettingThe blogger rides on Fort Collins’ Bike to Wherever Day (2025, tagged Colorado/Strava), calling it the best day of the year, and rides out to Costco after a pancake-and-taco breakfast.
Fare-Free Continues and Ways to Stay InformedTransfortsubjectTransfort stays fare-free; MAX back to 10-minute peak service.
Safe Routes to Schoolsaferoutespartnership.orgsettingHost city of the 2024 Safe Routes to School National Conference, at the Fort Collins Hilton.
Coffeeneuring & Fall in Fort CollinsMostly Bikes x MesubjectBack in town: Rist Canyon one day, coffee by bike the next.

Sub-places

Foco Bike Mob News, 12/18/25 — Foco Bike Mob (2025)

Source: Readwise highlight

Our goal is to do our part in making Fort Collins the most prominent cycling city in the US by holding space for people have fun riding bikes with one another.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The Foco Bike Mob newsletter announces its 3rd Friday night ride from The Sound Bar, which it has used as a base since 2019, and looks back on its Bike the Lights holiday ride, about sixty riders with a hot-cocoa stop at Lightning Mini Golf. It frames the group as part of making Fort Collins a fun, inclusive cycling city.
  • Why it matters: The city is the setting of every ride; the named bar and mini-golf course are folded in here rather than pinned.

Transfort Optimization Plan — Our City (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

The City of Fort Collins has launched the Transfort Optimization Plan, aimed at working with the community to determine the most optimal way to deliver transit service to the community via our public transit system

  • Role: subject
  • In the article: The City of Fort Collins launches the Transfort Optimization Plan to decide how to run its bus system within budget, with a survey open until July 14, 2025. Funding gaps are $13 million a year beyond the new sales tax. Scenario maps are shown.
  • Why it matters: The article is about this city’s transit network; it is a civic document, not a narrative.

Bike to Wherever Day — Mostly Bikes x Me (2025)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

Kinda the best day of the year in Fort Collins.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The blogger rides on Fort Collins’ Bike to Wherever Day (2025, tagged Colorado/Strava), calling it the best day of the year, and rides out to Costco after a pancake-and-taco breakfast.
  • Why it matters: Minor short post but the city is the subject of the day’s celebration.

Fare-Free Continues and Ways to Stay Informed — Transfort

Source: Readwise highlight

Transfort has been fare-free for over four years, a decision initially made during the COVID-19 pandemic under Emergency Rules and Regulations 2020-03.

  • Role: subject
  • In the newsletter: The city’s transit newsletter announces that Transfort will remain fare-free, a policy begun under 2020 pandemic emergency rules, and that MAX frequency is back to every 10 minutes at peak. The city is named only in the footer.
  • Why it matters: It adds Fort Collins’ fare-free buses to the picture of a city working on transport.

Safe Routes to School — saferoutespartnership.org (2024)

Source: Original · Readwise highlight

The 2024 Safe Routes to School National Conference will be held in Fort Collins, Colorado at the Fort Collins Hilton from October 22-24, 2024.

  • Role: setting
  • In the article: The announcement names Fort Collins as host of the 2024 national conference, at the Fort Collins Hilton on October 22-24. It promotes the city as a vibrant place to explore and a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community.
  • Why it matters: The city is the conference location and a selling point; the page is an event announcement, so the role is modest. Held elsewhere, the page would be otherwise unchanged.

Coffeeneuring & Fall in Fort Collins — Mostly Bikes x Me (2026)

Source: Readwise highlight

Settling back into the FoCo rhythm: Rist Canyon yesterday, coffee outside today.

  • Role: subject
  • In the article: A short photo post from the Mostly Bikes x Me blog: back home in Fort Collins, the writer rode Rist Canyon the day before and is out for coffee by bike (coffeeneuring) on the day of writing. The rest of the post is five photos.
  • Why it matters: Fort Collins is the post’s whole subject, as its title says; the text is a single line, so this is a slight but direct reference.

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