Loveland Colorado is known nation wide as the sweetheart city and is located 45 miles north of Denver on the I-25 corridor. In recent years Loveland has grown at a very rapid rate. the 2000 census had 50,600 living in Loveland Colorado. The population has been estimated at near 75,000 in 2015. Loveland is in Larimer County and combined with Weld County to the east it is estimated that over 500,500 people live in the Northern Colorado Metro District.
Lovelands location at the junction of highway 34 and I-25 has made it the fastest growing shopping and living area in all of Northern Colorado. This area is anchored by the Centerra shopping center but also has many new subdivisions and the largest hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies. This center is still expanding with 1,000,000 square feet or more of retail and entertainment venues. This area now draws shoppers and visitors from four states
Loveland is well known nationally as a center for the creation and manufacturing of bronze sculpture art. Also people call it the “Gateway to the Rockies”, because just west of the city is the Big Thompson Canyon which certainly qualifies as an entrance to the Rockies. This narrow canyon was formed by the Big Thompson River which is one of Colorado’s major water sheds. A short drive up the canyon is the small village of Estes Park Colorado and the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Loveland’s roots are in agriculture. With the railroad it quickly established itself as a shipping point for the cattle rancher,s lumber companies, and the sugar industry. In 1901 the Great Western Sugar company established it’s first sugar plant. This companies sugar mills can still be seen in most of the small towns of this area. It can still be seen just east of downtown Loveland. However, Great Western has few left in actual production.
