39 of 100
BACK NEXT
39. Fort Collins, Colo.
Population: 127,443
Pros: Mountain and river views, friendly business climate
Con: Heavy traffic

Fort Collins continues to grow quickly, but still offers one of the most affordable locations in the Rockies. Many residents work for light manufacturers such as Eastman Kodak and Hewlett-Packard, or brewery Anheuser-Busch. But the educated workforce - Colorado State is based here - is ripe for hiring.

Growth industries include biotech, clean energy, and wireless technology. All benefit from the Rocky Mountain Innovation Initiative, a nonprofit incubator for science and technology startups. The results have been encouraging: in recent years, Fort Collins has generated four times more patents than the average U.S. city. Residents enjoy skiing at the nearby Eldora resort and white water rafting in the Cache la Poudre Canyon. The city is also home to five craft breweries, including the colorful New Belgium Brewing Company. -Mina Kimes

Interactive map: Fort Collins, Colo.
Homes for sale Find homes for sale in Fort Collins, Colo.


NEXT: 40. Olympia, Wash.

Last updated July 02 2008: 11:16 AM ET
More Galleries
5 innovators fight childhood obesity
5 innovators fight childhood obesity
One in six children in the United States is obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control. These small businesses have found creative -- and lucrative -- ways to fight the obesity epidemic. More
Successful baby-boomer entrepreneurs
Successful baby-boomer entrepreneurs
See how 10 baby-boomer entrepreneurs reignited their careers by going into business for themselves. More
David vs. Goliath: 3 small firms take on the big boys
Business cards, popcorn, and hyperlocal listings: How three small owners created successful businesses from scratch More

Special Offer
Market indexes are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer LIBOR Warning: Neither BBA Enterprises Limited, nor the BBA LIBOR Contributor Banks, nor Reuters, can be held liable for any irregularity or inaccuracy of BBA LIBOR. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2012 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer The Dow Jones IndexesSM are proprietary to and distributed by Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for use. All content of the Dow Jones IndexesSM © 2012 is proprietary to Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Chicago Mercantile Association. The market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2012. All rights reserved. Most stock quote data provided by BATS.
© 2012 Cable News Network. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Privacy Policy. Ad choices .