Cortez is located in the southwestern corner of Colorado, 44 miles west of Durango, Colorado, on US-160. It is the largest town near the "Four Corners" where Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah come together. Cortez is 106 miles east of the natural rock formations of Monument Valley located in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona.
Cortez offers a wide choice of moderately priced lodging and dining options as well as bed and breakfast facilities in nearby Mancos. The city has an 18 hole golf course, antique and gift shops featuring an array of interesting items from the region and automotive services.
Mesa Verde National Park is 10 miles from Cortez and offers a unique opportunity to explore the 700-year-old cliff dwellings of the Anasazi people. The park offers guided tours that go into great detail about the facts and mysteries of this fascinating ancient discovery and the people who lived there.
The Four Corners Monument is located 35 miles southwest of Cortez, off US-160 on Four-Corners Monument Rd. The monument marks where Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah come together and offers a unique photo opportunity to show yourself in four states at once.
The city was founded in 1866 and was named after either Hernan Cortes or Fernando Cortez, both Spanish conquistadors. The population of the city is around 8,000.
Other attractions and activities near Cortez include guided hiking tours, the Cortez Cultural Center, Yucca House National Monument, rafting near Durango, Mancos State Park and Mcphee Lake. The Durango & Silverton Train in nearby Durango offers scenic excursions on a coal fired narrow gauge steam train through the San Juan National Forest.
