Cortez, Colorado | |
|---|---|
 Cortez city hall, built in 2017. | |
 Logo | |
 Location of the City of Cortez inMontezuma County, Colorado | |
| Coordinates:37°22′05″N108°33′45″W / 37.36806°N 108.56250°W /37.36806; -108.56250[3] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Colorado |
| County | Montezuma County seat[2] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Home rule municipality[1] |
| • Mayor | Rachel Medina[4] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.274 sq mi (16.249 km2) |
| • Land | 6.230 sq mi (16.136 km2) |
| • Water | 0.044 sq mi (0.113 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,181 ft (1,884 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 8,766 |
| • Density | 1,407/sq mi (543/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| ZIP Code | 81321 |
| Area code | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-17375 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410236[6] |
| Website | cortezco.gov |
Cortez (/ˈkɔːrtɛz/ ⓘ) is ahome-rule municipality that is thecounty seat of and themost populous municipality inMontezuma County, Colorado, United States.[1] The city's population was 8,766 at the2020 United States census.[5]
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 theDolores River and intoMontezuma Valley.[7] The town was named forSpanish conquistadorHernán Cortés.[8] The Cortez, Colorado, post office opened on June 21, 1887.[9] It is a popular stop fortourists, who stay there because of its central location among surrounding attractions, such asMesa Verde National Park,Monument Valley, and theFour Corners.
Manyprehistoric sites in the Cortez area are listed on theColorado State Register of Historic Properties or both the state register and theNational Register of Historic Places. They include large parks or centers, such asCrow Canyon Archaeological Center,Canyon of the Ancients National Monument,Hovenweep National Monument, andMesa Verde National Park. Also, smaller or individuals sites, such asCowboy Wash,Hawkins Pueblo and cliff dwellings,Lowry Ruin,Mitchell Springs Archeological Site, also known as the Mitchell Springs Ruin Group,Mud Springs Pueblo, andYucca House National Monument. Within the McElmo Drainage Unit (AD 1075–1300) isCannonball Ruins, Maxwell Community,Roy's Ruin,Sand Canyon Archaeological District, andWallace Ruin are found there.[10][11]
Trails or byways through the Cortez area include:
ALockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft made an emergency nighttime forced landing August 3, 1959, at theCortez Municipal Airport.[12] Republic of China Air Force MajorHsi-Chun Mike Hua[13] was on a training flight originating atLaughlin AFB, Texas; the U-2 aircraft engine flamed out at 70,000 feet AMSL. Maj. Hua established best glide and was able to navigate through a valley to a lighted airport that was not on his map, of the existence of which he was unaware until he found it. The airport was the only one in the area with a lighted runway illuminated overnight.[12]
At the2020 United States census, the city had a total area of 4,015 acres (16.249 km2) including 28 acres (0.113 km2) covered by water.[5]
Cortez has a dry-summercontinental climate (KöppenDsb), though it borders on asemiarid climate (BSk) due to low precipitation. The city has hot summer days and cold winter nights, the latter a result of its elevation.
| Climate data for Cortez, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1911–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 63 (17) | 79 (26) | 80 (27) | 88 (31) | 95 (35) | 102 (39) | 102 (39) | 100 (38) | 99 (37) | 90 (32) | 75 (24) | 65 (18) | 102 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 54.3 (12.4) | 59.8 (15.4) | 69.8 (21.0) | 77.4 (25.2) | 86.3 (30.2) | 94.2 (34.6) | 98.0 (36.7) | 94.6 (34.8) | 90.0 (32.2) | 80.5 (26.9) | 67.6 (19.8) | 56.6 (13.7) | 98.3 (36.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42.9 (6.1) | 47.2 (8.4) | 56.0 (13.3) | 63.5 (17.5) | 73.4 (23.0) | 85.3 (29.6) | 90.5 (32.5) | 87.7 (30.9) | 80.1 (26.7) | 67.4 (19.7) | 54.1 (12.3) | 43.2 (6.2) | 65.9 (18.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 29.7 (−1.3) | 34.4 (1.3) | 41.8 (5.4) | 48.2 (9.0) | 57.3 (14.1) | 67.3 (19.6) | 73.8 (23.2) | 71.7 (22.1) | 63.8 (17.7) | 51.5 (10.8) | 39.9 (4.4) | 30.4 (−0.9) | 50.8 (10.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.6 (−8.6) | 21.5 (−5.8) | 27.6 (−2.4) | 32.9 (0.5) | 41.3 (5.2) | 49.4 (9.7) | 57.2 (14.0) | 55.8 (13.2) | 47.5 (8.6) | 35.5 (1.9) | 25.8 (−3.4) | 17.7 (−7.9) | 35.7 (2.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −1.0 (−18.3) | 4.0 (−15.6) | 13.9 (−10.1) | 20.5 (−6.4) | 27.9 (−2.3) | 37.3 (2.9) | 47.6 (8.7) | 47.2 (8.4) | 34.1 (1.2) | 21.3 (−5.9) | 10.5 (−11.9) | 0.3 (−17.6) | −4.3 (−20.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −27 (−33) | −31 (−35) | −7 (−22) | 6 (−14) | 15 (−9) | 27 (−3) | 31 (−1) | 30 (−1) | 23 (−5) | 7 (−14) | −14 (−26) | −22 (−30) | −31 (−35) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 1.06 (27) | 0.96 (24) | 0.86 (22) | 0.72 (18) | 0.93 (24) | 0.37 (9.4) | 1.25 (32) | 1.34 (34) | 1.48 (38) | 1.08 (27) | 0.85 (22) | 0.89 (23) | 11.79 (300.4) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.0 (20) | 7.2 (18) | 5.0 (13) | 2.2 (5.6) | 0.3 (0.76) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.6 (1.5) | 2.7 (6.9) | 7.4 (19) | 33.4 (84.76) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 5.1 (13) | 4.1 (10) | 1.6 (4.1) | 0.7 (1.8) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.3 (0.76) | 1.3 (3.3) | 3.8 (9.7) | 6.6 (17) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 6.7 | 7.0 | 6.1 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 2.8 | 7.4 | 8.4 | 6.9 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 7.2 | 74.4 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 5.8 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 5.1 | 23.8 |
| Source 1: NOAA[14] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[15] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 332 | — | |
| 1900 | 125 | −62.3% | |
| 1910 | 565 | 352.0% | |
| 1920 | 541 | −4.2% | |
| 1930 | 921 | 70.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,778 | 93.1% | |
| 1950 | 2,680 | 50.7% | |
| 1960 | 6,764 | 152.4% | |
| 1970 | 6,032 | −10.8% | |
| 1980 | 7,095 | 17.6% | |
| 1990 | 7,284 | 2.7% | |
| 2000 | 7,977 | 9.5% | |
| 2010 | 8,482 | 6.3% | |
| 2020 | 8,766 | 3.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
As of the 2010census,[16] 8,482 people, 3,590 households, and 2,234 families were residing in the city. The population density was 1,449.9 inhabitants per square mile (559.8/km2). The 3,885 housing units had an average density of 637.6 per square mile (246.2/km2). The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male (4,083) and 51.9% female (4,399). Theracial makeup of the city was 79.2% White, 0.4% African American, 11.8% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 6.04% from other races, and 2.44% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 13.3% of the population.
Of the 3,590 households, 30.8% had children under 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were not families. About 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the city, the age distribution was 26.7% under 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in thecity was $28,776, and for a family was $35,533. Males had a median income of $30,755 versus $20,280 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $18,040. About 14.8% of families and 18.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 27.3% of those under 18 and 17.3% of those 65 or over.
Cortez is a local commercial center, competing withDurango in the east, andFarmington, New Mexico, in the south, and draws trade from southeasternUtah, the extreme northeastern corner ofArizona, theShiprock area of northwesternNew Mexico, and San Miguel, Dolores, Montezuma, and parts of La Plata County in Colorado. Its economy is based very heavily on tourism, both to nearbyMesa Verde National Park andSan Juan National Forest,Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in the area (includingCanyons of the Ancients National Monument, as well as theUte Mountain Ute Tribe andNavajo Indian Reservations).
Mesa Verde National Park, featuringAncestral Pueblo cliff dwellings, is situated southeast of Cortez.
Cortez is home to the headquarters ofOsprey Packs, which employs over 100 people in Cortez.[17]
Cortez Public Schools are part of theMontezuma-Cortez School District RE-1. The district has one preschool, five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The educational system is currently suffering a loss of 1.6% according to theTransitional Colorado Assessment Program.[citation needed]
Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 Preschool, Kemper Elementary School, Lewis-Arriola Elementary School, Manaugh Elementary School, Mesa Elementary School, Pleasant View Elementary School, Cortez Middle School, andMontezuma-Cortez High School are located in Cortez. The high school mascot is the Panther.
The city council of Cortez is composed of seven members, including the mayor and mayorpro tempore. The current mayor of Cortez is Rachel Medina and the mayorpro tem is Lydia DeHaven.[18]
Cortez Municipal Airport serves Cortez, which is part of Colorado'sBustang network and is on the Durango-Grand Junction Outrider line.[19]
Municipalities and communities ofMontezuma County, Colorado,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
