Cortez, Colorado, the seat of Montezuma County, is located in Southwest Colorado. Cortez serves as a retail, wholesale, distributing, educational, and social center for the outlying rural area. These relatively large areas reach into the 4-corners states and have an estimated population of 40,000. Cortez also serves as the focal and supply point for tourists and sports people who visit Mesa Verde National Park, which is Located 9 miles east of the city.  For those who hunt, backpack or ski in the San Juan National Forest, which is 20 miles to the North, the area offers incredible potential.
Montezuma County has a total land area of 2,097 square miles, or 1,343,080 acres. It is 50 miles wide from east to west and 38 miles long from north to south at the longest points. The Federal Government owns 69% of the land in the county, including Mesa Verde National Park, The San Juan National Forest, and the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation. The state of Colorado and municipalities own 3% of the county, and 28% is privately owned.

The topography of the county ranges from 13,000+ foot peaks to the east, to level desert at an elevation of 5,600 feet in the southwest. The northwestern portion of the county is rolling fields devoted to dryland agriculture and cleaved by numerous sandstone canyons. The southeast area of the county is composed of sandstone mesas, which encompass Mesa Verde National Park. The San Juan National Forest encompasses most of the mountain acres in the northeast.

McPhee Resevoir near Cortez, Colorado is the second largest body of water in the state of Colorado.The environmental features of the county, and the attractive climate and views, make the area an appealing place to live. These assets are drawing a growing number of people. The large amount of public land ownership and the characterizing geographic features confine development of the area and limit the tax base.

The long term economic outlook appears favorable. Continued population growth should increase the demand for both commercial and residential properties. Residents agree that the location, climate, and Cortez Colorado sunsets, as well as recreational opportunities, contribute to a desirable quality of life.

The climate of the area is characterized by low precipitation and abundant sunshine. The annual temperature mean is 48.8 and the average annual precipitation is 13.27 inches. Extreme temperatures range from 100 degrees F to minus 25 degrees F.