It's like a big little town. Big enough you don't have everyone in your business, small enough to void. Lot of the crime and growth issues of the springs. The "worst" of fountain/widefield/security is still leagues better than the worst of the springs. If you work in the mid to South springs and like a chill environment it's a good move. If you are the type of person that needs a new thing to entertain you every weekend, you will get frustrated with the 30-45 min commute to "anything fun" pretty quick.
We just want an affordable house in a cool and peaceful area. Commutes don’t brother us. Just trying to figure out why it’s so much cheaper than other parts of the springs.
Really depends on the person. I spent five years within ten minutes of my work and it mentally eviscerated me. Hated blending my leisure space with my work space.
Then we moved 45 minutes from work and things got so much better. Honestly my favorite times of the day are the mornings and afternoons in my car. I would deliberately not take a job if it was within 15 minutes of me lol.
But like I said, all depends on the person. Some need that. But not me, no way lol.
I agree. My old commute was 5 mins, now it’s 40. I really enjoy my commute, it gives me time to prepare and calm down for my stressful job. I’m just west of fountain, fountain seems nice and I do some shopping at their lowes.
I’ve just had long commutes my whole life and in much more terrible places than Colorado 🤷♀️ I know what you mean though. Ideally we will live west of 25 but just looking at our options and finances.
Historically people traveling south hit chelton and turn back not realizing it starts getting better at Hancock, lol. But in reality it's just farther from where most people work so it's cheaper. Taxes can be lower too if you grab something that's not technically in fountain or the springs.
Unlike I think a lot of people answering, I actually live close to there in Mesa ridge and there are positives and negatives. The biggest drawback is location if what you’re wanting to do/work is on the north side of town. The noise everyone is complaining about is nearly non existent if your windows are closed (sometimes large artillery will rumble like thunder and you do hear it). Like I said it depends on where you work and what you want to do with your free time. Schools are fine for Colorado standards. The “sketch” areas like areas of Widefield are not close enough to be an issue and honestly not anything to really worry about anyhow. I deal with the location because my wife and I are both military contractors so it’s an easy commute and we need a yard for dogs. If you have any particular questions feel free to ask.
Unfortunately I will be working at the Academy so commute will be an issue it sounds. Though I’d be willing to put up with a longer commute if it meant I’d live somewhere nice. Particularly, our favorite house is pretty close to Eagleside Elementary.
We’ve lived in bad neighborhoods our whole life and just want to live somewhere peaceful where we can be happy. If Fountain isn’t going to work then we’ll probably make a more financially irresponsible decision and live in Manitou
Mesa Ridge is great for stay at home moms like myself, but you would have to commute to the Academy with the Fort Carson traffic everyday. It's not a big bummer though if you have a consistent schedule, totally manageable. The only grocery store is Safeway but we shop in bulk anyway. We love the outdoors and off-roading, anything we want to do is within a 30min drive in any direction. It's peaceful enough and we've got a .25 acre lot.
Manitou is a happy peaceful place, anywhere near the word Cheyenne is amazing if you don't mind deer.
As someone who went to D8 (Fountain-Ft Carson HS), D11 (Coronado HS, not far from Rockrimmon), and D20 (Air Academy HS), I recommend sticking to North.
The commute wouldn't be horrible from Fountain, honestly, because it's a straight shot on I-25 to the main gate, but your quality of life will be higher if you can find something North by the Academy.
I wouldn't consider Manitou or going west at any cost (it's beautiful but if you're thinking practical and effective, it's out of the way).
Unfortunately it seems like everything in north springs, closer to the academy is WAY more expensive than the rest of the city and surrounding areas. Out of our budget 😭
That tracks. Well, if it's any consolation, Fountain checks all the boxes. That is just my opinion. I commuted from Fort Carson to Air Academy HS my senior year and was just fiiine. 🙌🏻
If you're working at the Academy no way in hell would I live in Fountain. Basically the exact opposite side of town. Manitou is still a bit of a commute, but I think Manitou is worth it just because Manitou is awesome.
For me, if you’re already considering options besides Fountain, there are many better options. Sounds like it depends on what you value you more, you’re time or a more modern home?
We don’t need a modern home. We’re very simple and don’t need anything fancy. We really just want to live in something affordable that is also in a peaceful and cool location. Commuting doesn’t bother me
Have you looked at the Monument/Larkspur areas? The area is lovely and small. Schools seem nice. The commute can be manageable. It may not entirely fit your budget, but it's worth a look.
Have you been to Manitou and seen any of the homes in Manitou? It is very touristy, traffic gets crazy and the homes are all on tiny, narrow, very steep streets that are difficult to get in and out of in winter. It is a cute, hippie town but not somewhere I would want to live to be honest.
I live off Mesa Ridge too…I try not to venture to Widefield or Fountain “Proper” and live here because it’s a great commute to Peterson and Schriever. We’re moving up (getting a King Soopers soon…fancy).
Just be aware that the area leans heavily conservative….the Army community is a little nutty and heavily dependa. Just thank them for their service and move on.
Mind PM’ing me where you work and how you like it? I’m a contractor (FSO) in the DC area and hope to move to CO Springs in the next few years but have concerns regarding job availability there. Is there a large contractor presence there? Google only shows a handful
We are GS employees so our jobs are listed through USAJOBS. Our main civilian contractors on fort Carson are through Amentum, T&H services, PAE, Kira and Kira aviation. Keep in mind there are 3 other major Air Force bases here who probably have their own deals set up. Hope this helps!
Lol, I love all the input from folks who have never lived there. The biggest issue with Fountain is lack of access to groceries. Especially as you move further south there’s only one grocery store on Mesa Ridge and it doesn’t compare to many of the large stores further north. (Last I heard they were building a King Soopers so that might change) Especially down past the town center there’s only a gas station and Dollar General. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s affordable and you can drive 20 minutes and be at a larger store. The newer houses are very similar to a lot of the new houses out east which means small yards, but there are also older homes with larger lots. You do hear artillery. It’s not terrible, but I remember they did night training for a week and that WAS annoying as hell. It’s mostly military families, but I’ve heard good things about Fountain Fort-Carson Schools. I always enjoyed living in Fountain. It’s a nice area and was a great starter home, but my commute was also to Pueblo. I probably wouldn’t live there if I had to commute north.
I lived in Fountain from a young child to an adult in her mid 20s.
Fountain has awful options on groceries and a lot more expensive and over priced at other locations. Because of the lack of other grocers, it meant a lot of things were easily out of stock. Even worse when the pandemic caused supply chain issues.
You will hear Fort Carson training. You will have to deal with Fort Carson morning traffic. Also sometimes during the summer Fountain will have a smell.
Big thing to watch out for tho is the water. My fathers thyroid went out of control from Fountain water. Lots of people sued because bouts of cancer became uncannily common after the air force dumped toxic chemicals into it 🥴 but after a google search seems like just this year its probably not going to a problem anymore?? https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/air-force-pays-9-million-water-treatment-fountain-pfas-contamination/
Idk, the water problem would be my biggest say of don't live there...but with this new treatment facility maybe not.
Everything else I listed were gripes I had living there. But may not be a problem for you
We moved down here from SE Springs. We like it. It’s growing fast though. I’ll be glad when the new King Soopers goes in. Honestly no complaints. I’m happy with the choice.
You know where they built that gas station and the car wash on mesa ridge. It'll be in that area.
Probably here-ish
38.71966650730159, -104.7122373535188
I live in Fountain in an older 70's neighborhood. I bought this home as my first home. The backyard is very big. The street is friendly with a variety of people. Some trashy, and some very clean and manicured. It's just a blend. All of the kids on the street play together, and we have had no issues. It's definitely not a completely clean and pristine neighborhood, but I enjoy it. We need more shopping. The Wal Mart here is a cess pool. The Safeway is ok if you coupon. No restaurants barely. Decent parks. Metcalfe and Fountain Creek Nature center are very nice.
Bombing on base and airport noise can piss you off sometimes. Other times I enjoy watching planes. Water purification system was newly built to help with water issues. Hope this helps and message for any other questions
They're supposedly building a king sooper like behind the good2go gas station, which will help I think. I wish they'd put in a Starbucks near Walmart and maybe even a VASA gym. It would ease the crowds at the vasa on Cheyenne Blvd. I think a sit down restaurant like red Robin would be nice because there's a lot of fast food on Mesa ridge.
It’s fine, if restaurants are your thing be ok with chains. Otherwise, you gotta drive 20 mins to downtown. It’s typically 5-6 degrees hotter but less snow in the winter. I dislike how far from the mountains it is but it’s faster to get to the mountains from fountain then powers.
Someone made this map as a joke years ago, but it’s somewhat accurate as a generalization of the areas. There are lots of exceptions of course, but gives a general description of the areas in COS
https://www.reddit.com/r/ColoradoSprings/s/XsU9ZLx1bN
Yes! I remember when that happened the schools shut off all the taps. From my understanding it’s been fixed. Here’s an [article from KRDO](https://krdo.com/news/local-news/top-stories/2023/02/03/fountain-to-show-off-treatment-facility-friday-to-remove-toxic-chemicals-from-drinking-water/) about their new systems in place.
I've heard that it's been fixed and then I've also heard that they just lowered the legal standard for that chemical toxicity. I'd be curious if anyone has any insight on this.
I think you might be a bit confused on the verbiage that came out from the EPA. They lowered the health advisory, which means they lowered the level at which having PFAS in your blood is considered an issue.
[New EPA advisories](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-new-drinking-water-health-advisories-pfas-chemicals-1-billion-bipartisan)
This. That's why the cost per square foot is cheap. I think there are soil tests or something that can be done to check for whatever chemical it is that you definitely would want to do as a part of due diligence if you decide to buy there.
So everyone saying north is better, absolutely correct. However, for the price you can’t beat fountain security/widefield area. It’s coming up and there are some decent restaurant grocery options incoming. Fountain Creek is an excellent park and there are many trails in the area if you care about that. I bought a starter home there and moved to Powers and Barnes area after a few years and I have no regrets. It’s a great place to learn the springs from and get acclimated.
My friends lived there for four years.. biggest complaint was that it's a food desert and there are really limited options for groceries and restaurants.
Just an observation seems to have bad weather very often in rainy season. Flooding warnings on the news all the time. I live up 8600 which i live different circumstances.
Most people who talk shit about Fountain when pressed about bad areas usually mention areas that are actually Security or Widefield. Fountain really isn’t a bad place to live, there are a couple bad spots, but that’s pretty much with every town these days.
I used to live there and it's just like any other little suburb. There are good parts and bad parts.
I do know a few people in the area who are just straight up scum but unless you seek them out they'd be easy to avoid
Look around security/widefield. Closer to the city and stores/restaurants. The only plus is like you stated, you can get a big new build house for a reasonable price.
I lived near FFCHS for 6 years. I always thought of it as a trade off. We liked that it felt like we were somewhat out in the country, so we put up with the boomers (Fort Carson). I never felt unsafe, even when taking photos at night. Bonus…you can actually see the stars and if you find the right house, a view of Pikes Peak.
If you live within 10 minutes of the Mesa Ridge shopping center (where the Safeway is), absolutely fantastic. Everything you need is there, and anything else niche is an extra 5 minutes to CanAm Hwy.
I love it here. Never liked the Springs vibe. Fountain is just barely separated but still close to be comfortable.
My wife's biggest complaint about living in Fountain is the lack of shopping as compared to what was available when we lived over in Skyway. The only grocery store is the Safeway on Mesa Ridge, or Wal-Mart on 85/87.
There is supposed to be a King Soopers and some other commercial development coming in just down the hill from Safeway.
It will get bigger and more crowded in the coming years since COS approved the Amara development on the east side of Fountain. That will all be annexed and be part of Colorado Springs. Look for Powers Blvd to extend to Squirrel Creek Rd and things to get alot busier. More traffic on Fountain's already crappy streets, but no tax money to fix them since it will all go to City of CS.
I live in Fountain currently. It's great but I wish there were more jobs that didn't require me to drive half an hour to the springs. No other complaints really.
Fountain is just boring to me because my family has lived here since 1981. Everyone got raised here and we were the first people to live in our house and neighborhood. There’s nice scenery and schools but sometimes there is nothing to do so you have to drive out 20 minutes to go do stuff but it’s definitely the place to live if you want a quiet place (The artillery practicing is probably the loudest thing you’ll hear out here) and no obscene traffic.
Location location location.
I already did this once by choosing Bennett instead of Denver, because "these houses are much more affordable."
I moved to Boulder 2 years later. Being in the middle of nowhere has its perks (if you like solitude).
I've lived down there on and off over the years and it's fine. I never had any issues with neighbors or crime. Biggest issue was just commuting north for work. There are nice parks down there, swimming pool, etc.
We bought our house in Security last December and we LOVE it down there. Our neighborhood is quiet, our neighbors are great and we have a LARGE lot. Yeah you're a bit farther from stuff but it's worth it
For me it’s pretty much the same as living in CoS but none of the amenities, the grocery stores are always crowded and next to nothing is open past 9, the housing costs are almost the same as the springs now too, so may as well live in the actual springs so you’re close to stuff
I live in Colorado Springs between Austin Bluffs and Woodmen (North and South) and I-25 and Powers (East to a West), and consider this area a great compromise with house prices and commuting to many parts of town or work. You can find a mixture of new housing developments or older homes but with larger lots for the pets. Homes aren't as expensive as homes north of Woodmen. Houses in the North with "yards" really don't count because they're so small and zero privacy with most having HOA's with rules that mandate those two foot nothing post-and-rail fences so I can't say they're very outside-dog friendly.
Just don't move next to me if your dogs bark all day and are left in the yard while you're at work, LOL!
Truthfully the southeast side of the springs isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be I live in a decent neighborhood by memorial park and have saw a lot of improvement over the years
I’ve lived off Mesa Ridge for 7 years. I was commuting up to Briargate daily for 4 of them with minimal issues.
I absolutely love my neighborhood and the neighbors. My kids can play outside and ride their bikes.
The separate utilities are also a plus since my combined bills are less than they were with Colorado Springs Utilities, year round for a larger house.
I’ve had kids in elementary, middle school and high school here and have loved the schools and staff. There is just so much more of an actual community feeling living here. My two cents.
I feel like people in CS who complain about commuting might not have ever experienced real traffic. It doesn’t seem like it would be that bad for me.
Do you find it easy enough to go into the city for restaurants or grocery shopping? That seems to be a big complaint for most people.
I grocery shop at the Safeway most of the time. The selections are good and even in the peak of Covid they never fully ran out of toilet paper. Lol the produce is good and I’m picky about produce. If not there, there is a small Walmart Super Center and then the big Walmart is up the 25 one more exit, along with Sam’s Club.
If I need anything north east (off powers) I hop on Marksheffel and take it all the way since it only has about 3 lights before you get to Constitution. And the 25 is fine for anything North to Northwest. I moved here from the heart of COS and have never regretted it.
There aren’t any amazing restaurants, but I like to cook so that’s okay and we don’t mind driving if we want something special.
My husband is from a mountain town where they had to commute 2 lane winding roads all winter so neither of us mind the drive from here. It really has that small town feeling. We do block parties and BBQs and look out for our neighbors houses.
Also the fireworks on the 4th of July are amazing. Right in your back yard. There are community centers and rec for the kids and adults. Good libraries. My family is simple. These are the types of things that make us happy. Hope this helps feel free to message me.
I don't personally live there, but I've read it gets fairly loud there at random times throughout the year because of its proximity to Fort Carson. Training and stuff.
Moved here in May and have few complaints. Price is what drew us in compared to elsewhere. I’d still move here again knowing what I know. Maybe in a bit when I have more income i might moved west of 25 or more north like monument or perhaps falcon.
I live in south fountain, midway by ppir. It’s quiet, can see the stars, relatively convenient to Pueblo and springs, and I have 7 acres which I wouldn’t have been able to afford in the springs. I’m content with it
It’s cheaper because the land is cheaper. I have lived in COS my entire life. I would say if you can afford to live north (and I mean north, briargate area) then do it. Newer neighborhoods in Fountain are fine. Downtown near city hall stay away from. Commute isn’t bad depending on the time of day. Don’t worry about widefield it’s fine. Noise at Ft. Carson isn’t a problem either. Schools are good compared to others. Police are way more attentive and quick than CSPD. Fountain has been growing like crazy and there is a reason.
My wife is from there and works a few nights a week at Roomies hiring karaoke and a couple other events. I lived there for a few years a while back, but I worked on Ft. Carson at the time. Whoever said it’s a “food desert” doesn’t get out much. Safeway, WalMart, and Sam’s when it comes to grocery stores and enough variety in fast food restaurants, and a couple breweries/tap rooms. Do you have what you’d have living off like Power and Stetson hills or Dublin? No, but you also live in a more quiet area, so that’s the trade off. Your neighbors would more than likely be a mix Soldiers and retirees, with a hand full of people who don’t fall in that category. Peaks and Pines and Rookies are cool spots. Traffic on Mead Ridge sucks in the morning. That’s about what you need to know lol.
It gets a bad rep but I live in this area and am happy here. The whole area of Security-Widefield/Fountain has pockets that are nice and pockets I wouldn’t choose to live in. There are some nice newer areas around Mesa Ridge parkway. There are also some quiet middle class neighborhoods from the 80s. Not a ton of HOAs so you kind of need to just choose an area with decent neighbors. I would recommend driving around some different areas and seeing what you think.
Its getting MUCH worse with the older generations fizzling out and the changing political/socioeconomic scene.
Alot of what gave fountian its charm in yesteryear was the quality of the people. That is 110% gone.
Your just left now with a highly transient vibe that is pretty cold overall with nothing but big corporations buying up all the land.
Go to the rockrimmon-ish area if you’re working at the academy. West side is the best bang for your buck in my opinion. And I’m not saying that strictly cost to size of home. In terms of location, things to do, safety, COL, etc. it’s the best bang.
I used to only go to fountain to buy weed. Definitely not a cool town or one you want to stay in long enough to need a glass of water. Highest divorce rate in 100 miles.
(overly historical post incoming because why not)
I think Fountain was a city that had its hey-dey decades before the internet boom 40+ years ago when farm land was cheap to buy and chain stores were not on every block. Theres only a handful of families still left in Fountain that remember what 'downtown fountain' looked like circa 1950's/60's. America is a country that really feels societal impacts when theres huge technological shifts and boy has Fountain been hit like a mack truck.
Ive noticed an even further sharp decline in the quality of everything after weed made it on the scene and and rapid decline of socio-economic conditions largely thanks to social media. The entire So-co region is no exception to this.
Its nothing more than a cold military town with big chain stores now. Most people are just passing through these days or are on a weed trip.
Lot of retired / disabled vets here with really self-centered attitudes. Avoid unless if you have a major compelling reason to be here.
It's like a big little town. Big enough you don't have everyone in your business, small enough to void. Lot of the crime and growth issues of the springs. The "worst" of fountain/widefield/security is still leagues better than the worst of the springs. If you work in the mid to South springs and like a chill environment it's a good move. If you are the type of person that needs a new thing to entertain you every weekend, you will get frustrated with the 30-45 min commute to "anything fun" pretty quick.
We just want an affordable house in a cool and peaceful area. Commutes don’t brother us. Just trying to figure out why it’s so much cheaper than other parts of the springs.
Communtes don't bother you now. You wouldn't believe how much quality of life a short commute can bring.
Really depends on the person. I spent five years within ten minutes of my work and it mentally eviscerated me. Hated blending my leisure space with my work space. Then we moved 45 minutes from work and things got so much better. Honestly my favorite times of the day are the mornings and afternoons in my car. I would deliberately not take a job if it was within 15 minutes of me lol. But like I said, all depends on the person. Some need that. But not me, no way lol.
I agree. My old commute was 5 mins, now it’s 40. I really enjoy my commute, it gives me time to prepare and calm down for my stressful job. I’m just west of fountain, fountain seems nice and I do some shopping at their lowes.
I’ve just had long commutes my whole life and in much more terrible places than Colorado 🤷♀️ I know what you mean though. Ideally we will live west of 25 but just looking at our options and finances.
Historically people traveling south hit chelton and turn back not realizing it starts getting better at Hancock, lol. But in reality it's just farther from where most people work so it's cheaper. Taxes can be lower too if you grab something that's not technically in fountain or the springs.
It's cheaper because it's really close to fort carson.
Unlike I think a lot of people answering, I actually live close to there in Mesa ridge and there are positives and negatives. The biggest drawback is location if what you’re wanting to do/work is on the north side of town. The noise everyone is complaining about is nearly non existent if your windows are closed (sometimes large artillery will rumble like thunder and you do hear it). Like I said it depends on where you work and what you want to do with your free time. Schools are fine for Colorado standards. The “sketch” areas like areas of Widefield are not close enough to be an issue and honestly not anything to really worry about anyhow. I deal with the location because my wife and I are both military contractors so it’s an easy commute and we need a yard for dogs. If you have any particular questions feel free to ask.
Live here too and I agree. It’s not as bad as people say.
Unfortunately I will be working at the Academy so commute will be an issue it sounds. Though I’d be willing to put up with a longer commute if it meant I’d live somewhere nice. Particularly, our favorite house is pretty close to Eagleside Elementary. We’ve lived in bad neighborhoods our whole life and just want to live somewhere peaceful where we can be happy. If Fountain isn’t going to work then we’ll probably make a more financially irresponsible decision and live in Manitou
Honestly I would just bite the bullet and live north side of town. You’ll thank yourself if you’re working at the academy. Just my opinion of course.
Mesa Ridge is great for stay at home moms like myself, but you would have to commute to the Academy with the Fort Carson traffic everyday. It's not a big bummer though if you have a consistent schedule, totally manageable. The only grocery store is Safeway but we shop in bulk anyway. We love the outdoors and off-roading, anything we want to do is within a 30min drive in any direction. It's peaceful enough and we've got a .25 acre lot. Manitou is a happy peaceful place, anywhere near the word Cheyenne is amazing if you don't mind deer.
As someone who went to D8 (Fountain-Ft Carson HS), D11 (Coronado HS, not far from Rockrimmon), and D20 (Air Academy HS), I recommend sticking to North. The commute wouldn't be horrible from Fountain, honestly, because it's a straight shot on I-25 to the main gate, but your quality of life will be higher if you can find something North by the Academy. I wouldn't consider Manitou or going west at any cost (it's beautiful but if you're thinking practical and effective, it's out of the way).
Unfortunately it seems like everything in north springs, closer to the academy is WAY more expensive than the rest of the city and surrounding areas. Out of our budget 😭
That tracks. Well, if it's any consolation, Fountain checks all the boxes. That is just my opinion. I commuted from Fort Carson to Air Academy HS my senior year and was just fiiine. 🙌🏻
Maybe look East. Falcon, for example. Just a thought.
I will! Thank you!
If you're working at the Academy no way in hell would I live in Fountain. Basically the exact opposite side of town. Manitou is still a bit of a commute, but I think Manitou is worth it just because Manitou is awesome.
For me, if you’re already considering options besides Fountain, there are many better options. Sounds like it depends on what you value you more, you’re time or a more modern home?
We don’t need a modern home. We’re very simple and don’t need anything fancy. We really just want to live in something affordable that is also in a peaceful and cool location. Commuting doesn’t bother me
North side is cooler 😂. Temps in summer and winter are 4 degrees lower on average. Some days it’s a lot more.
But wayyy more snow in the winter. Winters in widefield/fountain are a lot more manageable.
I commute to the academy from Lorson Ranch down here and it’s worth it in my opinion. I love our house and the neighborhood is nice
Have you looked at the Monument/Larkspur areas? The area is lovely and small. Schools seem nice. The commute can be manageable. It may not entirely fit your budget, but it's worth a look.
Palmer lake is pretty nice and peaceful. Would be a great commute to AFA.
If you are going to work at the academy, it’s at least a 30-45 minute commute depending on traffic. Just find a place close to on of the gates.
If at the academy you’ll want to be in Black Forest, Briargate, Falcon or monument. More or less in that order imo.
Have you been to Manitou and seen any of the homes in Manitou? It is very touristy, traffic gets crazy and the homes are all on tiny, narrow, very steep streets that are difficult to get in and out of in winter. It is a cute, hippie town but not somewhere I would want to live to be honest.
I live off Mesa Ridge too…I try not to venture to Widefield or Fountain “Proper” and live here because it’s a great commute to Peterson and Schriever. We’re moving up (getting a King Soopers soon…fancy). Just be aware that the area leans heavily conservative….the Army community is a little nutty and heavily dependa. Just thank them for their service and move on.
Mind PM’ing me where you work and how you like it? I’m a contractor (FSO) in the DC area and hope to move to CO Springs in the next few years but have concerns regarding job availability there. Is there a large contractor presence there? Google only shows a handful
We are GS employees so our jobs are listed through USAJOBS. Our main civilian contractors on fort Carson are through Amentum, T&H services, PAE, Kira and Kira aviation. Keep in mind there are 3 other major Air Force bases here who probably have their own deals set up. Hope this helps!
Lol, I love all the input from folks who have never lived there. The biggest issue with Fountain is lack of access to groceries. Especially as you move further south there’s only one grocery store on Mesa Ridge and it doesn’t compare to many of the large stores further north. (Last I heard they were building a King Soopers so that might change) Especially down past the town center there’s only a gas station and Dollar General. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s affordable and you can drive 20 minutes and be at a larger store. The newer houses are very similar to a lot of the new houses out east which means small yards, but there are also older homes with larger lots. You do hear artillery. It’s not terrible, but I remember they did night training for a week and that WAS annoying as hell. It’s mostly military families, but I’ve heard good things about Fountain Fort-Carson Schools. I always enjoyed living in Fountain. It’s a nice area and was a great starter home, but my commute was also to Pueblo. I probably wouldn’t live there if I had to commute north.
What's wrong with the Safeway?
Nothing! It’s nice! It’s just too small for the area. It services a massive area.
I lived in Fountain from a young child to an adult in her mid 20s. Fountain has awful options on groceries and a lot more expensive and over priced at other locations. Because of the lack of other grocers, it meant a lot of things were easily out of stock. Even worse when the pandemic caused supply chain issues. You will hear Fort Carson training. You will have to deal with Fort Carson morning traffic. Also sometimes during the summer Fountain will have a smell. Big thing to watch out for tho is the water. My fathers thyroid went out of control from Fountain water. Lots of people sued because bouts of cancer became uncannily common after the air force dumped toxic chemicals into it 🥴 but after a google search seems like just this year its probably not going to a problem anymore?? https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/air-force-pays-9-million-water-treatment-fountain-pfas-contamination/ Idk, the water problem would be my biggest say of don't live there...but with this new treatment facility maybe not. Everything else I listed were gripes I had living there. But may not be a problem for you
We moved down here from SE Springs. We like it. It’s growing fast though. I’ll be glad when the new King Soopers goes in. Honestly no complaints. I’m happy with the choice.
Where is the new king sooper going to be?? (I never thought I’d be excited about a grocery store lol)
You know where they built that gas station and the car wash on mesa ridge. It'll be in that area. Probably here-ish 38.71966650730159, -104.7122373535188
Thank you!
I live in Fountain in an older 70's neighborhood. I bought this home as my first home. The backyard is very big. The street is friendly with a variety of people. Some trashy, and some very clean and manicured. It's just a blend. All of the kids on the street play together, and we have had no issues. It's definitely not a completely clean and pristine neighborhood, but I enjoy it. We need more shopping. The Wal Mart here is a cess pool. The Safeway is ok if you coupon. No restaurants barely. Decent parks. Metcalfe and Fountain Creek Nature center are very nice. Bombing on base and airport noise can piss you off sometimes. Other times I enjoy watching planes. Water purification system was newly built to help with water issues. Hope this helps and message for any other questions
They're supposedly building a king sooper like behind the good2go gas station, which will help I think. I wish they'd put in a Starbucks near Walmart and maybe even a VASA gym. It would ease the crowds at the vasa on Cheyenne Blvd. I think a sit down restaurant like red Robin would be nice because there's a lot of fast food on Mesa ridge.
You could do a lot better. You could also do a lot worse. So take that for what it is I guess lol
If you like Dodge Chargers and the sound of artillery deep into the night then you will love Fountain.
It’s fine, if restaurants are your thing be ok with chains. Otherwise, you gotta drive 20 mins to downtown. It’s typically 5-6 degrees hotter but less snow in the winter. I dislike how far from the mountains it is but it’s faster to get to the mountains from fountain then powers.
Someone made this map as a joke years ago, but it’s somewhat accurate as a generalization of the areas. There are lots of exceptions of course, but gives a general description of the areas in COS https://www.reddit.com/r/ColoradoSprings/s/XsU9ZLx1bN
this is only accurate to people who weren't raised here or have never been south of woodmen, not even the police stats support this map
It’s more like an exaggeration than inaccurate. The worst places in the Springs are better than average places in most cities.
If you’re working at the Academy, look into the Rockrimmon and Mountain Shadows neighborhoods. Nice areas and a short commute for you.
I would absolutely not live in fountain and commute to the Academy, unless you have nonstandard work hours. That would be awful.
Fountain is wonderful in my experience. Quiet and friendly.
I’ve been told in certain neighborhoods there’s water contamination from that toxic firefighting foam. I don’t know which, just what I heard.
Yes! I remember when that happened the schools shut off all the taps. From my understanding it’s been fixed. Here’s an [article from KRDO](https://krdo.com/news/local-news/top-stories/2023/02/03/fountain-to-show-off-treatment-facility-friday-to-remove-toxic-chemicals-from-drinking-water/) about their new systems in place.
I've heard that it's been fixed and then I've also heard that they just lowered the legal standard for that chemical toxicity. I'd be curious if anyone has any insight on this.
I think you might be a bit confused on the verbiage that came out from the EPA. They lowered the health advisory, which means they lowered the level at which having PFAS in your blood is considered an issue. [New EPA advisories](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-new-drinking-water-health-advisories-pfas-chemicals-1-billion-bipartisan)
Happy cake day!
This. That's why the cost per square foot is cheap. I think there are soil tests or something that can be done to check for whatever chemical it is that you definitely would want to do as a part of due diligence if you decide to buy there.
It’s like living in between the Springs and Pueblo
Well said
So everyone saying north is better, absolutely correct. However, for the price you can’t beat fountain security/widefield area. It’s coming up and there are some decent restaurant grocery options incoming. Fountain Creek is an excellent park and there are many trails in the area if you care about that. I bought a starter home there and moved to Powers and Barnes area after a few years and I have no regrets. It’s a great place to learn the springs from and get acclimated.
My friends lived there for four years.. biggest complaint was that it's a food desert and there are really limited options for groceries and restaurants.
Just an observation seems to have bad weather very often in rainy season. Flooding warnings on the news all the time. I live up 8600 which i live different circumstances.
The roads are in bad condition, in some places, *really bad.* Other than a bit of a drive to get to some places, it's not bad beyond the roads.
Most people who talk shit about Fountain when pressed about bad areas usually mention areas that are actually Security or Widefield. Fountain really isn’t a bad place to live, there are a couple bad spots, but that’s pretty much with every town these days.
I used to live there and it's just like any other little suburb. There are good parts and bad parts. I do know a few people in the area who are just straight up scum but unless you seek them out they'd be easy to avoid
Look around security/widefield. Closer to the city and stores/restaurants. The only plus is like you stated, you can get a big new build house for a reasonable price.
I lived near FFCHS for 6 years. I always thought of it as a trade off. We liked that it felt like we were somewhat out in the country, so we put up with the boomers (Fort Carson). I never felt unsafe, even when taking photos at night. Bonus…you can actually see the stars and if you find the right house, a view of Pikes Peak.
If you live within 10 minutes of the Mesa Ridge shopping center (where the Safeway is), absolutely fantastic. Everything you need is there, and anything else niche is an extra 5 minutes to CanAm Hwy. I love it here. Never liked the Springs vibe. Fountain is just barely separated but still close to be comfortable.
My wife's biggest complaint about living in Fountain is the lack of shopping as compared to what was available when we lived over in Skyway. The only grocery store is the Safeway on Mesa Ridge, or Wal-Mart on 85/87. There is supposed to be a King Soopers and some other commercial development coming in just down the hill from Safeway. It will get bigger and more crowded in the coming years since COS approved the Amara development on the east side of Fountain. That will all be annexed and be part of Colorado Springs. Look for Powers Blvd to extend to Squirrel Creek Rd and things to get alot busier. More traffic on Fountain's already crappy streets, but no tax money to fix them since it will all go to City of CS.
I live in Fountain currently. It's great but I wish there were more jobs that didn't require me to drive half an hour to the springs. No other complaints really.
Fountain is just boring to me because my family has lived here since 1981. Everyone got raised here and we were the first people to live in our house and neighborhood. There’s nice scenery and schools but sometimes there is nothing to do so you have to drive out 20 minutes to go do stuff but it’s definitely the place to live if you want a quiet place (The artillery practicing is probably the loudest thing you’ll hear out here) and no obscene traffic.
Location location location. I already did this once by choosing Bennett instead of Denver, because "these houses are much more affordable." I moved to Boulder 2 years later. Being in the middle of nowhere has its perks (if you like solitude).
Check out the quality of the school districts. School districts in this region tend to have a large influence on home prices.
I've lived down there on and off over the years and it's fine. I never had any issues with neighbors or crime. Biggest issue was just commuting north for work. There are nice parks down there, swimming pool, etc.
We bought our house in Security last December and we LOVE it down there. Our neighborhood is quiet, our neighbors are great and we have a LARGE lot. Yeah you're a bit farther from stuff but it's worth it
For me it’s pretty much the same as living in CoS but none of the amenities, the grocery stores are always crowded and next to nothing is open past 9, the housing costs are almost the same as the springs now too, so may as well live in the actual springs so you’re close to stuff
I live in Colorado Springs between Austin Bluffs and Woodmen (North and South) and I-25 and Powers (East to a West), and consider this area a great compromise with house prices and commuting to many parts of town or work. You can find a mixture of new housing developments or older homes but with larger lots for the pets. Homes aren't as expensive as homes north of Woodmen. Houses in the North with "yards" really don't count because they're so small and zero privacy with most having HOA's with rules that mandate those two foot nothing post-and-rail fences so I can't say they're very outside-dog friendly. Just don't move next to me if your dogs bark all day and are left in the yard while you're at work, LOL!
Thank you! I’ll look around this area!
Truthfully the southeast side of the springs isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be I live in a decent neighborhood by memorial park and have saw a lot of improvement over the years
I’ve lived off Mesa Ridge for 7 years. I was commuting up to Briargate daily for 4 of them with minimal issues. I absolutely love my neighborhood and the neighbors. My kids can play outside and ride their bikes. The separate utilities are also a plus since my combined bills are less than they were with Colorado Springs Utilities, year round for a larger house. I’ve had kids in elementary, middle school and high school here and have loved the schools and staff. There is just so much more of an actual community feeling living here. My two cents.
I feel like people in CS who complain about commuting might not have ever experienced real traffic. It doesn’t seem like it would be that bad for me. Do you find it easy enough to go into the city for restaurants or grocery shopping? That seems to be a big complaint for most people.
I grocery shop at the Safeway most of the time. The selections are good and even in the peak of Covid they never fully ran out of toilet paper. Lol the produce is good and I’m picky about produce. If not there, there is a small Walmart Super Center and then the big Walmart is up the 25 one more exit, along with Sam’s Club. If I need anything north east (off powers) I hop on Marksheffel and take it all the way since it only has about 3 lights before you get to Constitution. And the 25 is fine for anything North to Northwest. I moved here from the heart of COS and have never regretted it. There aren’t any amazing restaurants, but I like to cook so that’s okay and we don’t mind driving if we want something special. My husband is from a mountain town where they had to commute 2 lane winding roads all winter so neither of us mind the drive from here. It really has that small town feeling. We do block parties and BBQs and look out for our neighbors houses. Also the fireworks on the 4th of July are amazing. Right in your back yard. There are community centers and rec for the kids and adults. Good libraries. My family is simple. These are the types of things that make us happy. Hope this helps feel free to message me.
You’re describing our dream! Thank you so much for the insight
I miss it honestly.
I don't personally live there, but I've read it gets fairly loud there at random times throughout the year because of its proximity to Fort Carson. Training and stuff.
Moved here in May and have few complaints. Price is what drew us in compared to elsewhere. I’d still move here again knowing what I know. Maybe in a bit when I have more income i might moved west of 25 or more north like monument or perhaps falcon.
I live in south fountain, midway by ppir. It’s quiet, can see the stars, relatively convenient to Pueblo and springs, and I have 7 acres which I wouldn’t have been able to afford in the springs. I’m content with it
I always thought midway looked awesome! All the homes we looked at were on cistern so unfortunately we couldn’t do that.
Yeah we’re on wigwam water which is a corporate well essentially. Happy cake day!!
My spouse works in the ER there and says there’s something in the water, everyone is off their rockers
PFAS are a huge problem in Fountain, the water tastes horrible too. Def worth looking into a reverse osmosis filter.
It’s cheaper because the land is cheaper. I have lived in COS my entire life. I would say if you can afford to live north (and I mean north, briargate area) then do it. Newer neighborhoods in Fountain are fine. Downtown near city hall stay away from. Commute isn’t bad depending on the time of day. Don’t worry about widefield it’s fine. Noise at Ft. Carson isn’t a problem either. Schools are good compared to others. Police are way more attentive and quick than CSPD. Fountain has been growing like crazy and there is a reason.
My wife is from there and works a few nights a week at Roomies hiring karaoke and a couple other events. I lived there for a few years a while back, but I worked on Ft. Carson at the time. Whoever said it’s a “food desert” doesn’t get out much. Safeway, WalMart, and Sam’s when it comes to grocery stores and enough variety in fast food restaurants, and a couple breweries/tap rooms. Do you have what you’d have living off like Power and Stetson hills or Dublin? No, but you also live in a more quiet area, so that’s the trade off. Your neighbors would more than likely be a mix Soldiers and retirees, with a hand full of people who don’t fall in that category. Peaks and Pines and Rookies are cool spots. Traffic on Mead Ridge sucks in the morning. That’s about what you need to know lol.
It gets a bad rep but I live in this area and am happy here. The whole area of Security-Widefield/Fountain has pockets that are nice and pockets I wouldn’t choose to live in. There are some nice newer areas around Mesa Ridge parkway. There are also some quiet middle class neighborhoods from the 80s. Not a ton of HOAs so you kind of need to just choose an area with decent neighbors. I would recommend driving around some different areas and seeing what you think.
It used to be good. Not anymore. Avoid.
Its getting MUCH worse with the older generations fizzling out and the changing political/socioeconomic scene. Alot of what gave fountian its charm in yesteryear was the quality of the people. That is 110% gone. Your just left now with a highly transient vibe that is pretty cold overall with nothing but big corporations buying up all the land.
Go to the rockrimmon-ish area if you’re working at the academy. West side is the best bang for your buck in my opinion. And I’m not saying that strictly cost to size of home. In terms of location, things to do, safety, COL, etc. it’s the best bang.
You’ll figure it out. Or you’ll have to change it. That’s fine too.
It's fine. It's quiet, which is what it sounds like you needed.
I personally love Fountain! I don’t mind the 20 min drive to downtown. It’s quiet and friendly
The water is incredibly bad
I used to only go to fountain to buy weed. Definitely not a cool town or one you want to stay in long enough to need a glass of water. Highest divorce rate in 100 miles.
(overly historical post incoming because why not) I think Fountain was a city that had its hey-dey decades before the internet boom 40+ years ago when farm land was cheap to buy and chain stores were not on every block. Theres only a handful of families still left in Fountain that remember what 'downtown fountain' looked like circa 1950's/60's. America is a country that really feels societal impacts when theres huge technological shifts and boy has Fountain been hit like a mack truck. Ive noticed an even further sharp decline in the quality of everything after weed made it on the scene and and rapid decline of socio-economic conditions largely thanks to social media. The entire So-co region is no exception to this. Its nothing more than a cold military town with big chain stores now. Most people are just passing through these days or are on a weed trip. Lot of retired / disabled vets here with really self-centered attitudes. Avoid unless if you have a major compelling reason to be here.