Growing southern Colorado city with farming roots and race car culture
Named after the creek that flows through it, Fountain is a modest city about 14 miles south of Colorado Springs. “It’s kind of a small town, family-oriented community with access to urban amenities,” says Nathaniel Shull, the city's economic development specialist. “It does appeal to people as being that next step for young couples who want to start a family.” The city was founded in 1859 by settlers in covered wagons, and it quickly developed into a major farming hub for beans, grain and corn. The U.S. Army’s Fort Carson was founded during World War II and is still a major employer in the area; Peterson Space Force and Schriever Air Force bases also employ many of Fountain’s 30,000 residents. Transportation, construction and logistics are other major industries. The city is growing with new housing projects, and plans to expand the downtown area to include more recreational and living space are underway. Shull says residents take advantage of the area’s parks and events. “Folks who’ve been here for generations and even those brand-new families that move here—they want to integrate and get involved,” Shull says.
Fountain Valley Ranch is a growing community South of Colorado Springs.
Olde Town Coffee Shop is a local favorite located in the heart of Downtown Fountain.
Beautiful Ponds and creeks make Fountain a scenic destination.
Checkout some books at the local library in the Downtown Fountain neighborhood.
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Mix of old and new builds
At the beginning of 2024, the average home sale price in Fountain was about $410,000, up 3% from the previous year. “Homes prices are a little less overall compared to the Springs, and that’s what drives people to the Fountain area,” says Alan Arata, Realtor for Keller Williams Clients Choice Realty, who’s sold several homes in the city. He says the community has a mix of older single-family homes from the mid-20th century and newer properties from the 1990s. Townhouses in new traditional styles with brick exteriors are scattered around the northern and central parts of the city, with a median price of $312,000. Split-level and ranch-style homes sit in clusters in northern neighborhoods like Widefield, and two-story Masonite-exterior properties are found along enclosed, sidewalk-lined streets in the north and south regions. Small subdivisions like Aspen Ranch have homes built in the 2020s; neighbors can walk from these properties to community playgrounds and pools.
Ranch homes in Downtown Fountain featuring amazing brick work.
Smaller craftsman homes are also available in Fountain.
The curb appeal of this Fountain Valley Ranch home is off the charts.
A split level home in Fountain Valley Ranch featuring a large front yard and a two car garage.
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Pikes Peak International Raceway and a handful of parks in Fountain
Fountain is known for its vibrant racing culture, and Pikes Peak International Raceway is a staple hangout spot in the area. The course is surrounded by open desert, and spectators fill the stands each month for drifting and drag races. The four-day Hot Rod Rock and Rumble event is a highly celebrated attraction in August at the Raceway, with a pre-1976 classic car showcase, five stages of live music and a burlesque show.
Besides the raceway, the city has hundreds of acres of parkland and tons of trails to explore. The 460-acre Fountain Creek Regional Park is set along the tree-dotted Fountain Creek. The park includes the Willow Springs Ponds for fishing and the 16-mile unpaved Fountain Creek Regional Trail, which runs north near Fort Carson. The 9-mile Clear Spring Ranch Trail further south is a go-to spot for mountain biking and horseback riding. In the northeast corner of Fountain, kids ride BMX bikes on the track in Cross Creek Regional Park and pop wheelies at Fountain Skate Park a few miles south. By the late 2020s, the city hopes to finish construction of the New Urban Greenway, planned a pedestrian walkway along the railroad tracks near Indiana Avenue.
Bluestem Prairie Open Space offers 646 acres of prairie grassland and bird watching.
Take your best friend out to Fountain Creek Park.
Sit back under the shade of the large trees in Pi-Ute Park.
Play Pickleball with your friends at Windmill Mesa Park.
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Plans to expand Fountain's downtown
Several stand-alone restaurant chains and local spots sit at the intersection of Mesa Ridge Parkway and Fountain Mesa Road, including Bird Dog BBQ. There’s also a Safeway nearby, and Walmart Supercenter is about 4 miles north. In June 2024, a new King Soopers broke ground near Syracuse Street. Shull says the supermarket is a much-needed asset in the community and is set to open around the spring of 2025. Santa Fe Avenue runs through Downtown Fountain—also referred to as “Olde Town”—and has a handful of family-run cafes and eateries. The Lorraine Education and Community Center is currently under renovation, and its almost 9 acres of land will eventually include office space and housing. For more retail shopping, locals can travel to First and Main Town Center in Colorado Springs 15 miles north.
There are several places to eat in and around the Downtown Fountain neighborhood.
Get a great cup of coffee from the Olde Town Coffee Shop in Downtown Fountain
Have some lunch at Bird Dog BBQ, they are just a few miles from Downtown Fountain.
Pickup your groceries at Safeway, it's near the Downtown Fountain neighborhood.
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STEM classes and Native American studies in Fountain-Fort Carson School District
The Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 serves the area and earns an overall B rating from Niche. Comprised of 12 schools, the district has more than 8,000 students, many of whom are military-connected. Because five of its schools are set on Fort Carson, the district works to support military families new to the area. The B-rated Fountain-Fort Carson High is known for its DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America), which prepares students for careers in marketing, finance and hospitality. In 2023, the school’s team won 23 medals at the DECA State Career Development Conference.
Aragon Elementary in Downtown Fountain proudly serves students in kindergarten to fifth grade.
Fountain Middle School in Downtown Fountain serves grades six through eight.
King Elementary School is a public elementary school in Fountain.
Fountain-Fort Carson High School provides quality education to students in grades 9-12.
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Annual events at Metcalfe Park
Metcalfe Park is a major hub for Fountain city events. Since 1970, residents have gathered on Labor Day weekend for the annual Fountain Valley Chamber Fall Festival and Parade. Each year’s festival has a different theme, and parade-goers cheer on sidewalks as the Fountain-Fort Carson High School Band, flag-decorated motorcycles and racing cars travel down Main Street toward. Visitors can play lawn games or check out food vendors in the park’s open, grassy space. In the summer, local organization Thunder in the Valley hosts the two-day Thunder in the Valley Car Show, where car enthusiasts meander around hundreds of shiny, classic vehicles at Metcalfe Park. The Fountain Community Metcalf Park Market is a popular Saturday event from late May through September. Local farmers and artisans set up tents under the shade, selling fresh produce, handmade crafts and treats. In the fall, Shull says folks like supporting the Fountain-Fort Carson Trojan Football Team on Friday nights.
Neighborhood Watch programs and mild weather
According to FBI data from December 2023, the Fountain Police Department reported a violent crime rate of 56 incidents per 100,000 residents, lower than the statewide rate of 94 and the national rate of 121. The department reported 162 incidents of property-related crimes, still lower than the national rate of 180. To encourage public safety, the department has put in place a Neighborhood Watch program and a Business Watch program, and Shull says with the growth of the city, there’s been a larger police presence on city roads, which has helped combat criminal activity. Residents can also sign up for the Home Safe Program where police can more easily track down loved ones with disabilities who have ran away from home.
The weather in Fountain is warmer than Colorado Springs since it’s about 700 feet lower in elevation, and it doesn’t snow nearly as much. Because of its dry, grassy plains, Fountain is more prone to wildfires in the summer and sometimes into cooler months. The city urges folks to follow the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) guidelines on preparing homes for wildfires, including cleaning gutters of dead leaves, repairing any loose shingles on roofs and keeping trees and shrubs at least 5 feet from the home. The Fountain Creek is known to flash flood from April to September during Colorado’s flood season. This may impact houses along the creek bed.
Travelling along Interstate 25
People mostly drive to get around Fountain, and Interstate 25 runs along the western edge. The highway links the city to Denver, 85 miles north and Pueblo 31 miles south. Fountain Municipal Transit buses stop at major city locations like Metcalf Park, The Villas at Mesa Ridge and Pikes Peak Library District-Fountain Library. Colorado Springs Airport is a 10-mile drive north via South Santa Fe Avenue and has non-stop flights to major cities like Las Vegas and Baltimore.
Shelley has been involved in real estate her whole life. Her father practiced real estate and after she graduated college, she decided to follow in his footsteps. Shelley is licensed in multiple states and has worked in many types of markets. She used to type HUD contracts on a typewriter with carbon copy contracts (no mistakes allowed!). Shelley and her husband used to run a new construction company. They have bought and sold many homes and she has helped numerous families buy and sell homes.
To Shelley, real estate is a lifestyle, not a job. She loves the daily challenges that come with the job and the joy that comes with working with so many wonderful people at a pivotal point in their lives. In the real estate business, she gets to help her clients make their dreams come true. Her dream came true when her family of four moved to Florence, Colorado. They live on 40 acres in the hills of Florence with their own little circus of animals, which includes two school-aged children, three horses, two goats, two dogs, six chickens, and a three-legged bunny. They break waters and feed all these animals every morning just as the sun comes up.
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