Greeley, Colorado

GREELEY, COLORADO
The County Seat of Weld County in Northeast Colorado

From the annual festivals to historic sites and museums, outdoor attractions and activities, and farm-to-table dining and local breweries, Amy Dugan, the Visit Greeley Director of the Greeley Chamber of Commerce, provides an overview of beautiful Greeley, the county seat of Weld County in northeastern Colorado on Big Blend Radio.

Perfectly situated on the high plains with panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains, Greeley is the seat of Weld County in northeast Colorado. Downtown Greeley is mid-way between Denver and Cheyenne, WY at the confluence of Cache la Poudre and South Platte Rivers.

Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, popularized the phrase, “Go West young man, go West,” but it was his visionary agricultural editor, Nathan C. Meeker, who spearheaded one of the most successful colonization experiments ever attempted in the “Great American Desert.” When the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, a spur from Cheyenne to Denver was built, opening this part of the country for settlement. Meeker was inspired to create an agricultural utopia. Where the railroad crossed the confluence of the Platte and Cache la Poudre rivers, the city of Greeley was born – an ideal location where both natural resources and transportation were abundant. Early in the settlement’s development, an irrigation canal became priority construction, turning the high desert into an agricultural oasis. Throughout its history, this area has been known for growing sugar beets, corn, and onion, among many other crops – all made possible on irrigated farmland.

While offering a small town atmosphere, Greeley bustles with big city amenities and is home to the University of Northern Colorado. The city offers all kinds of outdoor activities that range from hiking and bird watching to golf and swimming, as well historic sites and cultural attractions, craft breweries and distilleries, all kinds of restaurant and lodging establishments, and a full calendar of annual festivals and live entertainment. In fact, The first Go-Cup District in Colorado exists in downtown Greeley! Local attractions and activities include historic walking tours, Centennial Village, Colorado Model Railroad Museum, Meeker Home Museum and Greeley History Museum. Regional parks and public lands include St. Vrain State Park, Pawnee National Grassland, Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, and Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area.

Learn more at www.VisitGreeley.org.

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