The heart of Southwest Colorado

When you drive into Cortez, Colorado, you have reached the "Heart of Southwest Colorado" and have entered into Mesa Verde Country. The setting for Cortez features the La Plata Mountains to the east, the Great Sage Plain, and the Sleeping Ute Mountain on the western vista.

Cortez dates from 1886, but the area's occupied history goes back to prehistoric times, as evidenced by the cliff dwelling in the national park and the multitude of other archaeological sites on the valley floor. Long after the ancestral Puebloans abandoned their homes around 1300 A.D., members of the Ute Tribe entered the area. Ute Territory changed dramatically at the end of the 19th century, when a mining rush brought European settlers to the area. The mines were soon followed by loggers, farmers and ranchers.

Cortez Chamber of Commerce: (970)565-3414

Cortez at a glance:

• Founded in 1886
• Population: 8,181 roughly

• Elevation: 6,200 ft
• Navajos called Cortez Tsayatoh meaning "rock water."
• Named for Hernando Cortez a Spanish conquistador.
• Farming and ranching are economic mainstays.
• Occupied by the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation.
• Cortez is in Montezuma County.