Laporte, Colorado
| Laporte | |
|---|---|
| CDP | |
Laporte, looking westward along the main highway
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 Location of Laporte shown within Colorado |
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| Coordinates: 40°38′2″N 105°8′56″W / 40.63389°N 105.14889°WCoordinates: 40°38′2″N 105°8′56″W / 40.63389°N 105.14889°W | |
| Country |
 United States
|
| State |
 Colorado
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| County | Larimer |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.1 sq mi (15.9 km2) |
| • Land | 6.1 sq mi (15.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km2) (0.49% |
| Elevation | 5,020 ft (1,530 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 2,691 |
| • Density | 440.6/sq mi (170.1/km2) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP Code | 80535 |
| Area code(s) | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-43220 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0204672 |
Laporte (also spelled LaPorte) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,691 at the 2000 census. The Laporte Post Office has the ZIP Code 80535.
The community is located on the Cache La Poudre River northwest of Fort Collins, close to where the river emerges from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
The town was first settled by French-Canadian fur trappers and mountain men. It was the gateway to all the mountainous region lying north of the South Platte River and extending from the Plains to the Continental Divide. The trappers built cabins here along the Cache la Poudre River as early as 1828, making it the first white settlement in Larimer County, Colorado. According to legend, a group of fur traders had earlier stashed supplies (including gunpowder) in a cache along the river near Laporte, and that is how the river got its name. It became the home of Antoine Janis in 1844, who is often noted as the first permanent white settler north of the Arkansas River. A band of intrepid mountaineers, hunters and trappers made LaPorte their headquarters for fur catching and trading operations. The settlement increased in numbers, including one hundred fifty lodges of Arapahoe Indians who settled peacefully along the river, and in the valley. The town was named by the fur trappers, many with Native American wives, who settled in the area in the mid-19th century. The name la porte means "the door" in French.
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