Cortez, County seat in Montezuma County, Colorado.
Cortez serves as the county seat of Montezuma County in southwestern Colorado and sits at 1887 meters (6191 feet) elevation near Mesa Verde National Park. The town spreads along broad streets lined with low buildings, surrounded by dry plateaus and distant mountains on the horizon.
The Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company founded the settlement in 1886 to house workers building water channels from the Dolores River. This infrastructure allowed farming in the arid region and led to permanent occupation of the valley.
The name Cortez comes from Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, though the town sits far from his historical routes. Visitors use this gateway to explore Ancestral Puebloan sites, whose traces remain visible across the surrounding landscape and shape the regional identity.
The recreation center offers swimming pools, fitness rooms, and community programs year-round for locals and visitors. Most facilities sit along the main street and are easy to reach by car.
A Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft made an emergency landing at the municipal airport on August 3, 1959, during training. This event briefly brought international attention to the small runway in the middle of the desert.
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