Loveland (Colorado)

Loveland is a city in the region of Colorado. There is a large population of artists in Loveland, which has drawn three foundries, an art museum, and the annual sculpture shows in August.

The city lies on the Big Thompson River in Larimer County 26 miles (42 km) east of Rocky Mountain National Park and 46 miles (74 km) north of Denver. In 2020, the population of the City of Loveland was 78,000. The city is a popular retirement haven and a major business center.

Understand

The city is in the Colorado Front Range region at the base of the foothills just east of the mouth of Big Thompson River Canyon at the intersection of U.S. Highway 34 and U.S. Highway 287. Longs Peak and other mountains of the Front Range are visible from much of the city. Lake Loveland, an early agricultural reservoir in the irrigation system of the region, is located in the city limits and provides a recreational facility for the city residents.

Because of its location along U.S. 34, at one of the principal access routes to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, Loveland receives a significant amount of pass-through tourist traffic, especially in the summer months. In addition, the city serves as a "bedroom" community to commuters in many directions: to employment locations in Boulder, Westminster and other parts of the Denver Metropolitan area; and also to the college towns of Fort Collins (CSU), Greeley (UNC), and Boulder (CU).

History

The site that is now Namaqua Park was a hub for French fur trappers in the late 1700s. There, Mariano Medina built the first settlement in the area, Fort Namaqua, in 1858. It was a trading post and stage station.

Loveland was founded in 1877 along the Colorado Central Railroad, and named after the company's president, William A.H. Loveland. The city was founded one mile (1.6 km) upstream from the existing small settlement of St. Louis, the buildings of which were moved to the site of Loveland.

For the first half of the 20th century the town was dependent on agriculture. The primary crops in the area were sugar beets and sour cherries. In 1901 the Great Western Sugar Company built a factory in Loveland, which remained as a source of employment until its closure in 1977. During the late 1920s the Spring Glade Orchard was the largest cherry orchard west of the Mississippi River. At that time the cherry orchards produced more than $1 million worth of cherries per year. A series of droughts, attacks of blight and finally a killer freeze destroyed the industry. By 1960 cherries were no longer farmed.

In the late 20th century, the economy diversified with the arrival of manufacturing facilities by Hewlett-Packard, Teledyne, and Hach, a water quality analysis equipment manufacturer. A new medical center added a substantial amount of employment in that sector as well.

In 2013, a historic flood affected numerous areas in Colorado. It rained heavily for four consecutive days, causing most rivers and creeks to overfill their banks. Estes Park received 8 to 12 inches (200 to 300 mm) of rain, and Lake Estes overfilled its banks. This prompted a lot of water to be released out of the dam, causing the Big Thompson River to swell. The flooding river caused sections of U.S. Highway 34, the main highway from Loveland to Estes Park, to collapse. There was major flooding in Loveland

Climate
Loveland (Colorado)
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Check Loveland's 7 day forecast at NOAA
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Locsl information

Get in

By plane

By car

Coming from either the north (Fort Collins or Wyoming) or the south (Denver or New Mexico), I-25 is the highway of choice. U.S. Route 34 is the largest road from the east (Greeley) or the west (Estes Park).

Get around

See

Loveland has 475 pieces of art in its public arts collection. The arts collection consists primarily of sculpture; however, the collection also includes murals and other flat work. Over 150 pieces of the city's sculpture can be found in Loveland's Benson Sculpture Garden.

The Sculpture in the Park show, hosted by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council, takes place annually in August and exhibits artwork from artists from the United States and the world.

Art
  • Benson Sculpture Garden, 29th and Beech Dr. Over 100 permanent sculptures are on display. Free. (updated Aug 2023)
  • Loveland Museum and Gallery, 503 N. Lincoln Ave. Offers art classes and contains art and history exhibits. Don't miss the exhibit containing all of stamps from each year of the Loveland Valentine Re-Mailing Program. General admission free, Main Gallery $7 ages 13+. (updated Aug 2023)

Do
  • Rialto Theater, 228 E. Fourth St, ☏ +1 970 962-2120, . 450-seat theater. Presents movies, plays by local theater groups, concerts, etc. (updated Aug 2023)
  • Posh Salon & Spa, 4116 N. Garfield Ave. (North Loveland, right on HW 287), ☏ +1 970 667-2646. M 9AM-3PM, Tu-Th 9AM-7PM, F Sa 9AM-4PM. Day spa packages, including massage therapy, facials, manicure/pedicure, paraffin dips, waxes, hair cuts and color. $40-50. 

Festivals and holidays
  • Sculpture in the Park show. Annually, in August, the Loveland High Plains Arts Council hosts the Sculpture in the Park show in Benson Park. The show features artist in a variety of mediums from all over the world. 
  • 4th of July Celebration, 2750 N Taft, ☏ +1 970 962-2000. Starting at 11AM, North Lake Park becomes the site of city-wide Independence Day celebrations. Local dance and music groups perform and children can ride the Miniature Train which circuits the park during summer months. The night is capped off with a professional firework display over Lake Loveland. 

Buy

Eat
  • The 4th Street Chophouse, 4th St (just west of Garfield). Not the best steak you'll ever have, but the best in northern Colorado, by far. All beef is aged at least three weeks- order it rare if you like beef. About $20/person. 
  • Adelita's Mexican Restaurant, 414 E. 6th St, ☏ +1 970-669-9577. Great margaritas. Basic, tasty Mexican fare: Burritos, Enchiladas, Fajitas as well as weekend specials. Cozy atmosphere. Below $10. 
  • Cippoletti's, 124 E 4th St, ☏ +1 970 669-1699. 
  • Henry's Pub, 234 E 4th St, ☏ +1 970 611-1896. 
  • The Inglenook Restaurant, 530 North Cleveland Ave, ☏ +1 970 461-1283. Continental style dining. Good food and atmosphere at a reasonable price. Typically quiet. 
  • Little Tokyo, Lincoln (just north of 29th street). A nice fast-food Japanese restaurant. $5-7/person. 
  • Lorenzo's (On College/287 and 29th in the King Soopers parking lot by the health club). Come here for the world's best slice of New York style pizza. Introduce yourself to Larry Lorenzo, the big guy who owns the place. Truly everything is good, but you may have a hard time not getting the pizza. Try a Hippie Roll if you need lunch on the cheap! 
  • Ristorante Damosso, 1120 N Lincoln Ave, ☏ +1 970 667-3678. Excellent food, nice atmosphere, reasonable prices. Quite possibly the best Italian restaurant in Loveland. 
  • Teraza's Not Just Gyros Greek Diner, 141 E 4th St, ☏ +1 970 663-9594. 
  • Trinity's, 337 E 4th St. 

Drink

Sleep

Connect

The following locations provide free WiFi Internet Access:

  • Coffee Tree: Where Good Things Grow, 422 E 4th St, ☏ +1 970 663-1885. 
  • Circle Moon Coffee House - 843 North Cleveland Avenue - +1 970 663-2774
  • Loveland Coffee Company - 620 E 29th St - +1 970-278-1221
  • Daz Bog Coffee - 1427 N. Denver - +1 970-622-0031
  • Daddy O's Green Onion - 2279 W. Eisenhower - +1 970-635-0001
  • City News and Coffee House - 601 Cleveland Ave
  • Paciugo Italian Gelato - The Promenade Shops at Centerra, 5971 Sky Pond Drive Ste C124 - +1 970-663-2323
  • Perkins Family Restaurant - 2222 West Eisenhower Blvd. - +1 970-663-1944
  • Johnson's Corner – 2842 SE Frontage Rd., I-25 exit 254 – +1970 667-2069

Go next
Routes through Loveland
Cheyenne ← Fort Collins ←  N  S  → Berthoud → Denver
Granby ← Estes Park ←  W  E  → Greeley → Fort Morgan
Laramie ← Fort Collins ←  N  S  → Berthoud → Denver


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