Explore Windsor, Colorado
Once a little town with a small population and one main street, Windsor, Colorado, has become a thriving community, offering steep competition to homes for sale in Fort Collins. A population boom in the 2000s enlivened the once-sleepy area, bringing with it new industries, increased employment options and sought-after dining and entertainment experiences. Windsor may be brimming with opportunity, but it’s also maintained the charm of a small, close-knit community, championing local business and cultivating its long-standing agricultural roots.
Nestled minutes from some of Colorado’s most popular areas—Loveland, Fort Collins and Greeley—Windsor is also only about an hour from Denver, Estes Park and the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. It’s not only located at the heart of Northern Colorado, but also of the “new energy” economy, helping the area transition from an emphasis on agriculture to more modern industries.
Windsor has seen a whopping 79% increase in population since 2010 (approx. 18,644 to 33,495 residents), and continues to grow at a rate of 4.72% annually. Windsor is home to numerous major employers for the Northern Colorado area, including Danish wind turbine company, Vestas, Tenneco Packaging, CareStream, Universal Forest Products, Front Range Energy, Owens-Illinois and Metal Container Corporation.
In 2019, 2020 and 2021, Windsor was named one of the “10 Best Places to Live in Colorado” by Homesnacks. Boasting a crime rate that’s an incredible 74% below the national average and an unemployment rate that’s less than half the national average (3.2% and 6.9%, respectively), it’s easy to see why! It’s also been ranked in the top 10 Best Places to Raise a Family in Colorado by Wallethub, which used “21 key indicators of family-friendliness,” including education, quality of the school system, health, safety and family attractions to rank contenders.
Staying active
Windsor boasts an array of outdoor attractions, including 20 town parks. Kodak Watchable Wildlife Area is a lush, 65-acre open space for residents to enjoy, and the popular Boardwalk Community Park at Windsor Lake is home to a swim beach, a turf amphitheater, the Town of Windsor Museum, a large playground and the two-mile Windsor Trail around the perimeter of the lake. Visitors can rent kayaks, canoes and paddle boats, and fishing enthusiasts will find waters stocked with yellow perch fingerling, blue gill, channel catfish and trout. The Cache la Poudre River and Boyd Lake State Park are also nearby, and present opportunities for hiking, fishing, camping and bird-watching, as well as breathtaking views of Longs Peak and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. To learn more about parks and programs, check out the Town of Windsor Department of Parks, Recreation & Culture.
In town, residents can choose from a wealth of exciting recreational options, from three championship golf courses to an indoor ice rink and soccer complex. Windsor’s amenity-filled 80,000 square-foot Community Recreation Center provides multiple fitness rooms, two gymnasiums, an indoor track and an impressive aquatic facility, with a pristine lap pool, a 20-person hot tub, a lazy river, a water slide and a zero-depth entry pool with play structures for little ones.
Foodie heaven
Whether you worked up an appetite hiking or simply want to indulge in an incredible meal, Windsor has a menu to match. It may be small, but this town showcases some of the top-ranked restaurants in the state, starting with Chimney Park Bistro. Not only locally beloved, this upscale eatery has been ranked by OpenTable as one of Colorado top 10 restaurants and also listed as a Distinguished Restaurant of North America. Owner and chef Jason Shaeffer keeps diners guessing with a creative, ever-changing menu inspired by seasonal ingredients, with offerings ranging from bison tartare and charred Spanish octopus to truffle stuffed pheasant and glazed Duroc pork tenderloin.
The Chimney Park team also operates Hearth Restaurant and Pub across the street, where foodies will find delectable takes on classic American pub fare, like the “Maui Wowie Mahi” fish taco and roasted chicken with bacon grits and maple–bourbon jus. Other palette-pleasing, top-rated stops include Sol de Jalisco, which serves up authentic, flavor-packed, Mexican fare, and Sala Thai, which boasts an expansive menu of classic curries, delicious noodle dishes and rave-worthy specials like crab fried rice, salmon panang and spicy basil duck. Craft breweries abound, including High Hops Brewery, Mash Lab Brewing and Mighty River Brewing Company.
Community connection
Those in search of a friendly place to call home will adore Windsor’s active community calendar, which is packed with events no matter the season. Warm weather brings Movies in the Park and a Summer Concert Series, while fall ushers in local favorites like Oktoberfest and the annual Harvest Festival—complete with dozens of local vendors, an eye-popping parade and even hot air balloons. Residents can also enjoy a snowy stroll through Windsor Wonderland each year, when Boardwalk Park comes to life with games, rides, Santa and his elves and all kinds of holiday magic.
Downton Windsor has a charming main street with modern boutiques and cozy cafes like Toast Coffee & Wine Bar, Coffee House 29 and Windsor Lake Coffee, which offers classic caffeinated beverages, pastries and even an ice cream parlor. Residents can also tour the Boardwalk Park Museum, which showcases a number of 20th-century historic buildings, including a train depot, a freight car, a schoolhouse, a beet shack and a chapel.
Windsor is located within the Weld RE-4 Windsor/Severance School District, which was ranked among the top 10 percent of all school districts in Colorado by Niche. (Niche uses comprehensive public data on U.S. schools and in-depth research and analysis to determine their ratings.) Five elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school make up the current district, and there are ample higher education opportunities nearby at University of Northern Colorado, Colorado State University and Front Range Community College.
Discover Timnath, Colorado
Ongoing growth
Situated between Fort Collins, Loveland and Greeley at the base of the Rocky Mountains, the beautiful town of Timnath offers all the comforts of the city with none of the hectic pace. Founded in 1882, Timnath began as an agricultural community, attracting farmers with its fertile land and proximity to the Cache la Poudre River. As new communities built up around it, Timnath also expanded, and is projected to grow by 27 square miles and 20,000 new residents in the next 20 years. Major area employers currently include Hewlett Packard, Banner Health, Colorado State University, Woodward Inc., Intel, Wolf Robotics, Advanced Energy Industries and Anheuser-Busch.
Now home to a mix of big-box stores and unique local shops, Timnath boasts “182 acres of prime real estate zoned, available, and ready, for primary employer and retail development.” This open, flexible-use land is a tremendous advantage when it comes to attracting increased retail, business and recreational opportunities to town.
One such development is Timnath’s planned “Artisan Village,” designed to be a vibrant, bustling hub of creativity, and home to galleries, an amphitheater, farm-to-table restaurants, an indoor music stage and much more.
Surprising attractions
The historical Colorado Feed & Grain (CF&G) is one of Timnath’s most treasured landmarks Originally built in 1920 to serve the Great Western Railroad, CF&G housed the Moody-Warren Grain Elevator, where area farmers would bring their onions, potatoes, sugar beets and other crops for storage and transportation on the next train. As it modernized over the past century, CF&G has become a new style of commerce hub, where residents will discover everything from rotating art exhibitions and art classes to pop-up markets and Public Market Coffeehouse, which tempts passerby with a delectable mix of lattes, affogatos, malted milkshakes and an assortment sweet and savory bites. Visitors can also browse specialty foods, authentic local products, custom gift baskets and much more in the General Store next door. But CF&G’s offerings don’t end there: Timnath Beerwerks serves local craft beers in a cozy setting inside the expansive building.
Timnath may be growing, but it maintains the ambiance of a tight-knit small town. Residents come together throughout the year for community-wide events, such as the Taste in Timnath Fall Festival & 5K, firework-packed 4th of July Celebration, the Summer All Town BBQ and multiple free summer series and markets.
In addition to the many Northern Colorado attractions nearby, Timnath offers its own lovely parks, including Weitzel Park, with peaceful lake views and walking trails, and Timnath Community Park, which showcases 10 acres of land filled with playgrounds, swings, a climbing structure, picnic tables and an amphitheater. More amenities are being planned for the park, including tennis courts, a splash pad water feature, multi-use sports fields for baseball, softball and soccer, a dog park and more. Timnath Reservoir is another popular destination for nature lovers, boaters and anglers.
The town of Timnath is located within the top-rated Poudre School District, which was ranked by Niche as seventh-best out of all 180 Colorado districts.
Ready for a move?
Now that you know how amazing life in Windsor and Timnath can be, take a look at our area communities! They’re near homes for sale in Fort Collins, and close to major employers and commuter routes, but offer the relaxing lifestyle and welcoming community of small towns.
The Ridge at Harmony Road
Boasting proximity to Fossil Creek Reservoir, the Outlets at Loveland, the Budweiser Events Center and local parks and open spaces, this peaceful community offers homes from the upper $300s.
- 2 to 6 bedrooms & approx. 1,400 to 2,450 sq. ft.
Windsor Villages at Ptarmigan
Showcasing our signature Seasons™ Collection, this welcoming community offers 13 popular floor plans from the mid $300s, including ranch and two-story options. Residents will appreciate easy access to golf, shopping and dining, as well as a short drive to Loveland and Fort Collins.
- 3 to 6 bedrooms & approx. 1,400 to 2,930 sq. ft.
Saratoga Falls
This exceptional Timnath neighborhood offers four versatile floor plans with standard 3-car garages. Parks, trails and playgrounds add to the appeal of this community, which is priced from the mid $500s. The notable Poudre School District serves the area, and residents enjoy easy access to Colorado State University and employment hubs in nearby Fort Collins.
- 2 to 7 bedrooms & approx. 2,340 to 3,480 sq. ft.
