Moving to Fort Collins, Colorado:

Why We Left the Chicago Suburbs and Never Looked Back

Ten years ago, my wife Carrie and I made a decision that quietly reshaped every part of our lives: we moved from the Chicago suburbs to Fort Collins, Colorado.

At the time, we weren’t chasing a hot real estate market or trying to time a trend. We were a young family asking a simple but important question: Where do we actually want to live our lives?

If you’re researching moving to Fort Collins, Colorado, wondering what it’s really like to live here, or trying to decide whether relocating to Northern Colorado makes sense for your family, this is our story—and why we’re still here a decade later.

Life Before the Move: Suburban Chicago Living

We were living in Libertyville, a well-known suburb north of Chicago. It was a great place to grow up, raise kids, and stay close to family. The schools were solid. The neighborhoods were established. Everything was familiar.

But Midwest winters have a way of wearing you down slowly.

Long stretches of gray skies. Cold that limits outdoor time for months. Life increasingly happened indoors, and without realizing it, our routines started to shrink around the weather.

Over time, we began asking ourselves bigger questions:

• Were we wasting our lives away, sitting in the house for 8 months of the year waiting for the weather to change?
• Could we find a place where being active outdoors wasn’t seasonal?
• What kind of environment did we want our kids growing up in?

Those questions pushed us to start exploring options beyond the Midwest.

Why We Looked West

Like many families in Illinois, our first thought was California. I had a work conference in Newport Beach, and we turned it into a short family trip. The weather was incredible. The ocean was beautiful. The lifestyle looked appealing—until we started looking at housing costs, taxes, and overall affordability. Southern California simply didn’t align with the long-term lifestyle we wanted. We weren’t looking to stretch financially just to live somewhere warm.

That’s when Colorado entered the conversation.

Exploring Colorado: Denver, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins

Around that time, I was offered a job opportunity that included a relocation package, giving us the chance to explore several Colorado cities firsthand.

Denver

Denver had energy, job opportunities, and a growing economy. But for what we wanted—space, neighborhoods, and long-term livability—the housing felt tight for families who didn’t want to compromise.

Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs offered affordability and dramatic mountain views. But culturally and lifestyle-wise, it didn’t quite fit what we were looking for.

Then we drove north to Fort Collins.

Discovering Fort Collins: The City That Felt Right

Our first stop was Old Town Fort Collins.

Almost immediately, it felt different.

Old Town had character without feeling dated, energy without chaos, and a strong local identity. The presence of Colorado State University gave the city life, but it didn’t feel like a college town that shut down when school wasn’t in session.

There were families, professionals, students, and retirees all sharing the same spaces—restaurants, patios, parks, and trails.

The next day confirmed it.

Neighborhoods, Trails, and an Outdoor-Centered Lifestyle

We spent time touring Fort Collins neighborhoods, driving through areas with parks, sidewalks, and kids riding bikes. We learned about the extensive trail system that connects large parts of the city.

Then we visited Horsetooth Reservoir.

Families paddleboarding. People hiking before dinner. Outdoor recreation wasn’t something people planned for—it was built into daily life.

Coming from the Midwest, that was eye-opening.

By the end of that visit, we knew Fort Collins wasn’t just a place we liked. It was a place we could see ourselves building a life.

Making the Move: The Hardest Part

The hardest part of moving to Fort Collins had nothing to do with logistics.

We were leaving behind family—parents, siblings, and the support system that makes early parenthood easier. There’s no sugarcoating that part.

But we also knew something important: if we didn’t make the move then, we probably never would.

So we committed fully, packed up our lives, and started over in Northern Colorado.

What Living in Fort Collins Is Really Like

Ten years later, we can say this without hesitation: moving to Fort Collins was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

A City That Grows With You

Fort Collins has a rare ability to support people through multiple stages of life.

• Young professionals love the social scene, breweries, trails, and walkability.
• Families appreciate the neighborhoods, schools, parks, and sense of safety.
• Empty nesters value the culture, outdoor access, and manageable pace of life.

It’s not a city you outgrow.

Outdoor Living Is Everyday Life

In Fort Collins, outdoor access isn’t a perk—it’s part of the infrastructure. Trails, open space, foothills, and water are woven into the city itself.

That changes how you spend your time.

Strong Community Feel

Despite steady growth, Fort Collins still feels personal. Local businesses matter. Community events are well-supported. Neighborhoods feel like neighborhoods, not just collections of houses.

That balance is increasingly rare.

Why So Many People Are Moving to Fort Collins, Colorado

Over the years, we’ve met countless people relocating to Fort Collins from:

• Chicago and the Midwest
• Texas
• California
• The East Coast

Most share similar motivations:

• Better quality of life
• Four distinct seasons without extreme winters
• Easy access to nature without sacrificing city amenities
• A welcoming, down-to-earth culture

Fort Collins doesn’t try to be a massive metro or a quiet mountain town. It sits comfortably in between—and that’s exactly why it works.

What Surprised Us After Moving to Fort Collins

A few things stood out after living here for several years:

• The city punches above its weight in food, breweries, and culture
• Traffic is manageable compared to larger metros
• The trail system genuinely replaces a lot of car trips
• Community involvement is real, not performative

Fort Collins feels intentional in a way that’s hard to explain until you live here.

Is Fort Collins Right for You?

If you’re researching living in Fort Collins, comparing neighborhoods, or weighing a move from out of state, the best advice we can give is simple:

Visit.

Walk Old Town. Drive the neighborhoods. Explore the trails. Spend time here beyond a weekend highlight reel.

Fort Collins is a place you feel—not just analyze on paper.

For our family, moving here didn’t just change our address. It reshaped how we live, work, and raise our kids.

And ten years later, we still wouldn’t choose anywhere else.

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