Geography of Colorado

The geography of the U.S. State of Colorado is very diverse, with rugged mountains, wide plains, deserts, deep canyons, and flat areas called mesas. Colorado is a landlocked state, meaning it does not touch the ocean. In 1861, the United States Congress set the boundaries of the new Territory of Colorado using lines of latitude and longitude. These lines stretch from 37°N to 41°N latitude, and from 102°02'48"W to 109°02'48"W longitude. The borders are now defined by 697 boundary markers connected by straight boundary lines, making Colorado’s shape very unique.

The highest point in Colorado is the summit of Mount Elbert in Lake County, standing at 14,440 feet. This is also the highest point in the Rocky Mountains of North America. Colorado has about 550 mountain peaks that rise above 10,000 feet. The lowest point in the state is where the Arikaree River leaves Yuma County and enters the state of Kansas, at an elevation of 3,317 feet. This is the highest low point of any state, and Colorado, along with Wyoming, is one of only two states that lies entirely above 3,000 feet.

Because of the mountains, Colorado has many small areas with different weather patterns, called microclimates. Weather in the state is strongly affected by the shape of the land, known as orography. One special weather event is the Denver Convergence Vorticity Zone (DCVZ), which brings changes to the weather on the High Plains just east of Denver. The Rocky Mountains also influence weather far away, creating what is called the Colorado low.

Regions

To the east of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado are the Colorado Eastern Plains/High Plains, part of the Great Plains. These plains sit between 3,500 to 7,000 feet above sea level. The Midwest states of Kansas and Nebraska are next to Colorado on the east and northeast.

Not many people live on the plains, except near the South Platte and Arkansas rivers. Rain is scarce, with about 15 inches falling each year. Some farms use irrigation, while others grow crops without it or raise animals. Winter wheat is a common crop, and small towns often have both a water tower and a grain elevator.

Most of Colorado’s people live along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in the Front Range Urban Corridor. These mountains protect this area from many storms.

West of the plains is the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. Famous peaks here include Longs Peak, Mount Blue Sky, Pikes Peak, and the Spanish Peaks near Walsenburg. This area has forests and some towns. However, dry conditions and forests sometimes lead to big forest fires.

The Continental Divide runs along the top of the Rocky Mountains. West of this divide is the Western Slope. Water here flows west into the Pacific Ocean through the Colorado River. Western Colorado has more mountains, flat-topped hills called mesas, deep valleys called canyons, and dry lands called deserts.

Inside the Rocky Mountains are big open areas called parks or basins. In the north is North Park, drained by the North Platte River, which flows into Wyoming. South of that, on the other side of the divide, is Middle Park, drained by the Colorado River. Further south is South Park, where the South Platte River begins. Even farther south is the San Luis Valley, where the Rio Grande River starts and flows into New Mexico. Nearby is the Wet Mountain Valley. These areas are part of a big crack in the Earth’s surface called the Rio Grande Rift.

The Rocky Mountains in Colorado have 54 peaks that rise above 14,000 feet, called fourteeners. Trees like evergreens and aspen grow below about 12,000 feet in the south and 10,500 feet in the north. Above that, only small plants grow. Snow covers the mountains in winter but usually melts by August, except for a few tiny glaciers. Many old gold and silver mines are found in the Colorado Mineral Belt, which stretches from the San Juan Mountains in the southwest to Boulder and Central City near the front range.

The Western Slope is mostly drained by the Colorado River and its smaller rivers. To the south are the San Juan Mountains, a very rough range, and beyond them lies the Colorado Plateau, a high desert that reaches into other states. Grand Junction is the biggest city here and can be reached by Interstate Highway 70. Near Grand Junction is Grand Mesa, a large flat-topped desert mountain. Further east are popular ski resort towns like Aspen, Vail, Crested Butte, and Steamboat Springs. The northwest corner of Colorado, next to Utah and Wyoming, has mostly open land used for raising animals.

From west to east, Colorado changes from dry basins and canyons to plateaus, then tall mountains, and finally the grassy plains. Mount Elbert is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains in all of North America. The well-known Pikes Peak stands just west of Colorado Springs. On clear days, its peak can even be seen from close to the border with Kansas.

Climate statistics for selected cities