Loveland Colorado Relocation Guide

Loveland, Colorado

The City of Loveland was founded in 1877. It was built as a railroad city, right next to the newly-constructed line

of the Colorado Central Railroad, nearby where the tracks cross the Thompson River. Loveland is Fort Collins’

smaller neighbor to the south. These two cities have steadily been growing towards each other throughout the

past years. Loveland is located only 45 minutes from Denver and from Denver International Airport, making it

extremely accessible!

With so many activities within the city to choose from and such expansive access to the outdoors, Loveland is a

great place to raise a family. Loveland has a population of about 77,000, making it smaller than its neighbors,

Fort Collins and Greeley. With a growing economy and plenty of job opportunities, Loveland is an excellent

place to live.

ACTIVITIES

Like its neighbors in Northern Colorado, Loveland has expansive access to the outdoors. The Coloradan

outdoors are hard to match and if you live in Loveland, your backyard is basically the mountains. With countless

outdoor activities to choose from and a wide variety of activities in the city, you will never get bored in

Loveland. Below are just some of the activities you can occupy yourself with when in Loveland.

Benson Park Sculpture Garden

Art has long been an influence on life in Loveland. Benson Park Sculpture Garden is a great place to go with

your family to enjoy part of this beautiful influence. At the park, you can enjoy over 150 sculptures sprawled out

over 10 acres in Benson City Park. This is a great place to take your family for a quick activity on the weekends, a

beautiful spot to have a picnic, or a great place to take a stroll by yourself, enjoying your alone time beside some

beautiful artwork.

The park also features an annual Sculpture in the Park, a show that exhibits 3-dimensional art from all around

the United States and the world. Past years have showcased over 160 artists showing off over 2,000 pieces of

sculpture. Unlike the regular sculpture repertoire of the park which contains bronze sculptures, the annual show

has pieces created in a variety of styles with many different mediums.

Rialto Theater Center

Rialto Theater Center started way back in 1920 as a silent movie theater. Today, their mission is to serve as a

center for the cultural arts and enrich the community by offering opportunities for people of all ages. They are

proud to boast many opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds with affordable access to the

performing arts, films and educational activities.

At the Rialto, you can experience the beauty and talent of both local artists and artists from all over the world.

You can even rent the Rialto for a private event, be this a private concert, a company retreat, or really for

anything you’d like! Take a trip this summer to enjoy the Loveland Summer Concert Series, which runs from

late July to late August.

RECREATION

Aside from Loveland’s rich and deep artistic history and influence, there is a lot that drives the residents of

Loveland to enjoy a fulfilling and pleasant life. Recreation is an important part of life and there is no shortage of

options in Loveland.

Fairgrounds Park

Fairgrounds Park in Loveland is a large, spacious area suitable for many activities. Located in the park are two

large pavilions that each seat up to 200 people. These pavilions host outdoor concerts, auctions, and other

events. They can also be reserved for private parties. Around the seating area are standard chairs, picnic tables,

grills and skylights, so you can bring your party into the night.

Fairgrounds Park offers much more than just the pavilions. It is equipped with a fitness court, extensive park

areas for any activity, a dog park, basketball courts, a skate park and even a splash park. There are of course

playgrounds located on the facility and it even offers fishing access to the Big Thompson River. There is

something for everyone here at Fairgrounds Park!

Chilson Recreation Center

The Chilson Recreation Center is a great resource for Loveland residents to stay in shape and keep active. The

recreation center offers group exercise classes, standard gym equipment, and specialty amenities such as

volleyball, pickleball, and racquetball courts. The facility includes a pool that is available for leisure swim,

swimming laps, and even taking aqua fitness classes. For those on the go with little ones, the Chilson Recreation

Center offers childcare services.

Sports Leagues and Summer Activities

In addition to sports leagues through the high school, Loveland offers great adult and youth leagues for

numerous sports. These include softball, basketball, soccer and many more. You can get a team of your friends

or family together and enjoy some friendly competition in the community.

There are also plenty of options for summer camp activities for children. Youth can enjoy summer camps that

center around sport practice and games or traditional camps that let children enjoy arts and crafts. Given its

proximity to the outdoors, there are plenty of options to allow your children to get out and enjoy the great

Coloradan summer!

GEOGRAPHY

The City of Loveland has a total area of 25.5 square miles, making it a fairly small city. Loveland is located in

Northern Colorado, close to Greeley and Fort Collins. It is often mistaken for being near Loveland Pass and

Loveland Ski Area, which share a namesake but not a location. Loveland is located at the base of the Rocky

Mountains, just east of Estes Park.

Loveland has the ideal landscape and geography for farming. A large part of the economy in this area of

Colorado revolves around processing and shipping local farm products including alfalfa, vegetables and

livestock. The geography in Loveland is perfect for this kind of work. Most of the area Loveland occupies is dry,

arid land. The dry geography enjoys a welcomed break with various rivers, reservoirs, and mountainous bodies

of water.

TRANSPORTATION

There are plenty of transportation options in the City of Loveland. The public bus transportation is called COLT

and it services the Loveland area very thoroughly with 5 different routes that will take you anywhere you need

to go.

FLEX Service is the regional bus service that provides riders with transportation between Loveland and Boulder,

Berthoud and Longmont. This service accepts annual COLT passes as payment, but not single ride tickets.

Bustang is a bus service that takes riders from Loveland to Denver and Fort Collins, and back. This service

makes it easy for riders to get to work in the cities of Denver or Fort Collins, and even to the airport to catch a

flight.

AMENITIES

Loveland offers all the amenities you could expect to find in a big city. There are plenty of grocery store

options, extensive options for shopping, and various highly experienced hospitals and other specialty care

facilities. Specialty health services in Loveland include eye doctors, dentists, and child care facilities.

In true Colorado fashion, you can find plenty of breweries and delicious restaurants in Loveland. There is no

shortage of delicious and nearby options for eating out on a date night or a family dinner out on the town. There

are fun bars where you can get a drink and catch up with friends, or have a fun night out.

AVERAGE HOME SALES

The median home cost in Loveland, Colorado is $349,600, lower than the Colorado average of $384,000 but

higher than the United States average of $231,000. Loveland is more affordable than their neighbor to the north,

Fort Collins. It is a fairly small city with mostly affordable homes. With a growing economy, this place is a great

choice to make an investment on a home.

COST OF LIVING

Best Places is a website that does an analysis on the cost of living of places around the United States. To show

their analysis, they qualitate each location on a scale of 100. The average for each category in the United States is

100. Overall, Loveland lands a score of 114.4, meaning it is higher in cost of living than the United States, but

lower than Colorado who lies at 121.1. The cost of groceries, housing, utilities, and transportation all compare in a

similar way: lower than the Colorado average and the United States average.

All in all, Loveland is a fairly affordable place to live. Compared to other spots in Colorado, you will really get

the most for your money here. You have gorgeous access to the outdoors, affordable amenities and living costs,

and you are just a short drive from the bigger cities of Denver and Fort Collins, should you need anything in

either.

WEATHER

Like most of Northern Colorado, Loveland enjoys a semi-arid climate. It is a typically dry location, comparable

to many other Colorado cities, but it does get a significant amount of snow. The annual average of snowfall in

Loveland is 54 inches.

The coldest temperatures in the winter come between December and February, usually around 20 degrees. The

average temperature in the winter months lies around 40 meaning you won’t have a terribly cold winter. The

summer highs can get up to the upper 80’s in July and August, averaging around 80 for the whole summer

months. Though this seems like a hot summer, Colorado enjoys very little humidity. Meaning this dry heat

won’t feel as hot as it would be in other, more humid locations.

SHOPPING

Though it is a smaller city, there are plenty of shopping options for Loveland residents and visitors. In the

historic downtown, you can find a wide array of shops that will give you a glimpse of the western heritage and

art that has deeply influenced and shaped the area. Other stores downtown include plenty of art galleries and

stores that feature antiques and specialty stores. In downtown Loveland, you can find anything you are looking

for.

Aside from the small, locally owned and operated shops located in the downtown, Loveland has various options

for more modern, traditional mall shopping. The Outlets at Loveland boast over 40 name brand outlet stores

including Coach, Ann Taylor, Nike, and many more. You are always able to find something you’re looking for

here! The best part about an outlet mall is that everything is priced 30-70% below retail price!

The Promenade Shops at Centerra is another excellent stop for shoppers. Here, you can find over 75 shops and

restaurants. This Promenade has the appeal of an outdoor mall where you can experience the beautiful Colorado

weather between shops. The Promenade also features a Main Plaza that features fun events like outdoor movies,

a seasonal ice skating rink and walking paths to Chapungu Sculpture Park. Other options for shopping include

various other marketplace locations, as well as plenty of locally owned stores scattered throughout the city.

SCHOOLS

Loveland occupies the Thompson School District. In the district, there are plenty of both public and private

options for your children. The school district teaches around 16,000 students in 35 different schools. The

average student per classroom is 18, around the state-wide average of 17.

Thompson School District contains many different options for students of all ages. There are many options for

your pre-K needs. The Loveland school district includes 20 elementary schools, 7 middle schools and 5 high

schools.

The District also includes several support programs for students who need extra help with school or

employment after the completion of high school. The Thompson School District is full of qualified teachers and

experts in child development, so you can relax knowing your children are in great hands.

There are several charter and private school options in the area as well, plenty of options for your child’s unique

needs!