Cortez, Colorado
Cortez is a city of 8,976 people in Montezuma County, Colorado, founded in 1886.
Why visit Cortez
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 29 places to eat, 16 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Fiesta Twin Cinema, Ertel Funeral Home, Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company Flume No. 6 and Conquistador Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 17°F, and about 33 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Cortez
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Cortez
Cortez is a home-rule municipality that is the county seat of and the most populous municipality in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. The city's population was 8,766 at the 2020 United States census.
From the Wikipedia article Cortez, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks5
Ertel Funeral Home
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Funeral home in Cortez, Colorado
Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company Flume No. 6
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Flume in Montezuma County, Colorado
Montezuma Valley National Bank and Store Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Cortez, CO, listed on the NRHP in Colorado
Old Cortez High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
School building in Cortez, Colorado
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
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Restaurants and cafes29
Burger Boy's Drive In
Restaurant · American, Burger, Mexican
400 East Main Street
Mo-Fr 07:00-19:00; Sa 10:30-18:00
Tequila's Family Mexican Restaurant and Cocktails
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.7 mi
1740 East Main Street, Cortez
Mo-Th,Su 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
17 more on the map.
History
In 1886, the town was built to provide housing for the men working on the tunnels and irrigation ditches required to divert water out of the Dolores River and into Montezuma Valley. The town was named for Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. The Cortez, Colorado post office opened on June 21, 1887.
From the History section of Cortez, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay16
Baymont Inn & Suites Cortez;Comfort Inn
Motel and hotel · 1.1 mi
2279 East Hawkins Street;Hawkins, Cortez
Churches and places of worship11
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.5 mi
28 East Montezuma Avenue, Cortez
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries18
Healthcare1
Map of Cortez
102 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 17°F | 1.1 in | 8.0 in |
| Feb | 47°F | 22°F | 1.0 in | 7.2 in |
| Mar | 56°F | 28°F | 0.9 in | 5.0 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 33°F | 0.7 in | 2.2 in |
| May | 73°F | 41°F | 0.9 in | 0.3 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 49°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 57°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 56°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 48°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 36°F | 1.1 in | 0.6 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 26°F | 0.8 in | 2.7 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 18°F | 0.9 in | 7.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Cortez (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Montezuma County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2012-06-24: Weber Fire (Fire)
- 2005-09-05: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Coastal Storm)
- 2002-06-19: Wildfires (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Cortez Municipal Airport (CEZ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Mancos 16 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Durango 39 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Shiprock 39 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Flora Vista 46 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Upper Fruitland 46 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Spencerville 46 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Farmington 47 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Center Point 48 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Aztec 50 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Crouch Mesa 50 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Main Street in Cortez, CO, J. Pinta ( Redline2200 ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cortez CO, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Site Plan and Statement of Significance - Serpents Quarters Pueblo, Approximately 2 miles north of County Road G, Cortez, Montezuma County, CO, Related names: Keohan, Thomas G., project manager College of Architecture and Planning, University of Colorado at Denver Summers, Luis H., project manager Sullivan, Mark, delineator Bendele, Adam..., Public domain
- Downtown Cortez, Colorado (4856075550), Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Montezuma County Courthouse, Cortez, Colorado (4856074628), Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1 offices 1, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1 offices 2, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Classic Navajo Taco in Cortez, Alan Levine, CC BY 2.0
- Montezuma Valley National Bank and Store Building, Doug Kerr ( Dougtone ), CC BY-SA 2.0
- Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company Flume No. 6 1, Nancymaness, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cortez High School, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Montezuma Valley National Bank 2, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Montezuma Valley National Bank 1, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Typical Window, Interior Wall Paint Sequence, Wall Section, and Foundation Sections - Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp NP-5-C, Barracks No. 5, CCC Camp Historic District at Chapin Mesa, Cortez..., Corbeil, Donald W., creator, Public domain
- The Journal office, Mx. Granger, CC0
- Oxalis corniculata 159069370, Patty Mitchum, CC BY 4.0
- Orobanche fasciculata - Flickr - aspidoscelis (6), Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0
- Packera multilobata - Flickr - aspidoscelis (2), Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0
- Delphinium scaposum - Flickr - aspidoscelis, Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0
- Delphinium scaposum - Flickr - aspidoscelis (2), Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0
- Packera multilobata - Flickr - aspidoscelis (3), Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0
- Packera multilobata - Flickr - aspidoscelis (1), Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0
- Delphinium scaposum - Flickr - aspidoscelis (1), Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0
- Packera multilobata - Flickr - aspidoscelis, Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0
- Mesa Verde National Park - panoramio, MARELBU, CC BY 3.0
- McElmo Creek 2025, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Hawkins Preserve 1, Mx. Granger, CC0
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