A PLANNED CHICAGO COLONY THAT BECAME A TECH TOWN
Longmont
Founded in 1871 by Chicago investors as a planned agricultural colony, named for Longs Peak, and grown from 8,000 people in 1950 to a diverse, tech-anchored city with its own municipal fiber network.
Longmont started in 1871 as a planned town, laid out by a group of Chicago investors who called their venture the Chicago-Colorado Colony. They platted the original square mile and named the settlement after nearby Longs Peak. The Denver Pacific Railroad had reached the area the year before, which is what made the whole plan viable in the first place.
From sugar factory to server farm
Water access built Longmont’s early economy. Flour mills opened in 1872, a vegetable cannery in 1889, and the Great Western Sugar Factory in 1903 became the town’s central industry, supported by irrigation and an immigrant workforce from Scandinavia, Russia, Germany, Japan and Latin America. That multicultural foundation is still part of Longmont’s identity today.
Agriculture declined through the 1970s as major employers closed, but Longmont had already started its pivot: the FAA opened an air traffic control center here in 1962, and IBM built a major facility in 1965. High-tech industry took over as the dominant employer, and the population grew from about 8,000 in 1950 to over 71,000 by 2000. Longmont keeps investing in that identity: the city launched NextLight, a municipal fiber-optic network, between 2014 and 2016, giving residents some of the fastest municipal internet in the country.
Downtown Longmont has a real historic district, anchored by the Dickens Opera House, plus a growing Creative District with galleries and an active arts walk. Prices here run below Boulder, Louisville and Lafayette, which is the main reason buyers end up looking at Longmont after getting priced out closer in.
Longmont highlights
- A planned 1871 colony
Founded by Chicago investors and named for nearby Longs Peak - A real tech economy
Home to an FAA facility since 1962 and a former IBM plant since 1965 - NextLight municipal fiber
City-run gigabit internet, launched 2014-2016 - Historic downtown
Anchored by the Dickens Opera House and a growing Creative District - More affordable than its neighbors
Consistently lower prices than Boulder, Louisville or Lafayette
“Longmont was planned on paper in Chicago before a single building went up. A century and a half later, it’s still the practical choice in a county that isn’t known for practical prices.”
North Suburbs
Discover Longmont
Local spots worth knowing
Dickens Opera House
A historic downtown venue anchoring the arts scene.
The Creative District
Galleries and studios downtown, with a regular art walk.
NextLight fiber internet
City-owned gigabit internet available to residents.
The old sugar factory site
A marker of the agricultural industry that built the town.
A working tech sector
Employers rooted in the town since the FAA and IBM arrived decades ago.
US 287 and CO-119 access
Direct routes toward Boulder, Loveland and I-25.
Who buys in Longmont
Longmont draws buyers who want Boulder County without a Boulder County price tag.
Buyers priced out of Boulder, Louisville or Lafayette who want the county without the premium.
Buyers who want fast municipal internet and don’t need a daily downtown Denver commute.
Buyers who want a genuine historic downtown and an active creative community.
New construction in Longmont
Longmont has meaningfully more room to grow than Louisville or Lafayette, with active new-construction neighborhoods on the town’s east and southeast sides. It’s a strong option for buyers who want new construction with a more affordable Boulder County price point.
Interested in Longmont?
Let’s talk about what’s available near downtown or in the newer neighborhoods, and whether Longmont fits your budget better than its pricier Boulder County neighbors.