How high is Fort Collins?

Fort Collins sits at 5,010 ft (1,527 m) above sea level, measured from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data. That sits below Colorado’s average of 6,867 ft (2,093 m) — on the lower side for the state, with about 73% of Colorado higher.

Interactive 3D elevation map of the Fort Collins, Colorado area, from the Copernicus GLO-30 model

A live 3D slice of the terrain around Fort Collins, from our satellite elevation model. Fort Collins is marked at 5,010 ft (1,527 m); the highest ground in view reaches 14,213 ft (4,332 m). Drag to spin it (tap to start on mobile).

Fort Collins in Colorado

Here’s the useful context: Fort Collins, at 5,010 ft (1,527 m), sits roughly 1,857 ft (566 m) below Colorado’s average elevation of 6,867 ft (2,093 m). Despite its reputation it’s on the lower side for its state — our model puts about 73% of Colorado’s land higher than the city.

3,333 ft — Colorado low▲ Fort Collins 5,010 ft · avg 6,867 ft ┈14,416 ft — Colorado high

The terrain around Fort Collins

Across this view the land rises toward the west. The eastern third of the frame averages about 5,016 ft (1,529 m); the western third about 8,632 ft (2,631 m) — a climb of roughly 3,615 ft (1,102 m), topping out near 14,213 ft (4,332 m) at the edge of the frame. That is the mountain front Fort Collins sits against.

You can read the whole story in the map above — the flatter ground where the city sits, and the way the land gathers into peaks nearby. It’s the difference between where you stand and what you can see from it.

What Fort Collins’s altitude means

High-altitude medicine marks about ~8,000 ft (2,400 m) as the line where thin air starts to cause real trouble, and Fort Collins, at 5,010 ft (1,527 m), sits comfortably below it. You won’t get altitude sickness just by arriving. But this is high enough that many people notice something on the first day.

The air is meaningfully thinner than at the coast, so expect a quicker pulse, a little breathlessness on stairs, and faster dehydration in dry air — and alcohol tends to hit harder. None of it is dangerous at this elevation; it just rewards drinking more water and taking the first evening easy.

How Fort Collins compares

Among Colorado’s larger cities, Fort Collins is ranked #7 of 10 by elevation. For a familiar yardstick, that puts it right around Denver’s mile-high 5,280 ft (1,609 m).

Montrose — 5,814 ft (1,772 m)
Cañon City — 5,361 ft (1,634 m)
Denver — 5,285 ft (1,611 m)
Fort Collins — 5,010 ft (1,527 m)
Pueblo — 4,678 ft (1,426 m)
Grand Junction — 4,587 ft (1,398 m)
Sterling — 3,940 ft (1,201 m)

Fort Collins elevation FAQ

How high is Fort Collins?: Fort Collins’s elevation is about 5,010 ft (1,527 m) above sea level at the city center, measured from Copernicus GLO-30 satellite data.
Is Fort Collins high or low for Colorado?: On the low side. At 5,010 ft (1,527 m) it sits below Colorado’s average of 6,867 ft (2,093 m), with about 73% of the state higher.
Does Fort Collins’s altitude affect visitors?: Mildly. At 5,010 ft (1,527 m) it’s below the ~8,000 ft (2,400 m) line where altitude sickness usually begins, but the thinner, drier air can still bring a faster pulse and quicker dehydration on the first day.

Explore more

↑ Colorado’s full elevation map — the whole state in interactive 3D, with its high and low points and average elevation.
· Blog: Average Elevation by State — where Colorado’s 6,867 ft (2,093 m) mean ranks.
· Blog: Elevation vs Altitude — what a city’s elevation figure actually measures.

Fort Collins’s elevation is a native ~30 m windowed-median sample from Copernicus GLO-30 (ESA); the Colorado figures are computed across the state from the same model. The 3D view is a fine windowed sample at roughly 211 m resolution, sharp enough to resolve the surrounding ridgelines. Data as of 2026-08-19.