The community of LaPorte is located west of Fort Collins near the foothills, alongside the Cache La Poudre River. As its name implies, LaPorte is considered the gateway to the mountains. The town was named by French-Canadian fur trappers, many with Native American wives, who settled in the area in the mid-1800s.

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.

In November 1861, when the first Territorial Legislature was created, LaPorte was chosen as a county seat. The year 1862 was significant for the small community. That year, the first post office opened, a stage stop was built, and Camp Collins was established by the U.S. Army along the river to protect the stage line from Indian attack. That same year, the LaPorte Townsite Company claimed 1,280 acres of land for the town. When the army camp flooded in 1864, soldiers packed their gear and moved downstream to a location near present-day Fort Collins.

In 1881, a state election was held to determine the location of the state capital. Denver won over LaPorte by one vote.

Much of LaPorte's early history can be appreciated by a stroll through the Bingham Hill Cemetery just outside town.

Still an unincorporated community, LaPorte is now home to about 1,700 families.