city, Larimer county, northern Colorado, U.S., on the Big Thompson River, east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, 45 miles (72 km) north of Denver. Founded in 1877 during construction of the Colorado Central Railroad, it was soon populated by unlucky gold miners who turned to farming and named in honour of W.A.H. Loveland, president of the railroad. Loveland is a processing and shipping centre for local farm products (sugar beets, alfalfa, vegetables, small grains, cherries, and livestock); manufactures include toys, electronic instruments, and mobile homes. The city is a tourist base for nearby Estes Park, Roosevelt National Forest, and Rocky Mountain National Park. Inc. 1881. Pop. (1990) city, 37,352; Fort Collins–Loveland MSA, 186,136; (2000) city, 50,608; Fort Collins–Loveland MSA, 251,494.