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Mesa Verde National Park Cliff Palace
Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park. Photo: J. Stephen Conn

Montezuma County, Colorado

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Montezuma County lies in the southwestern corner of Colorado, a large county with 25,535 inhabitants in 2010. It was created by the Colorado Legislature in 1889 and named for Moctezuma II, a revered Mexican chief of the Aztec Indians.

The county seat is Cortez, and the county is rich with Native American archeological sites and structures. Mesa Verde National Park and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument house the cliff dwellings and other historical artifacts.

Yucca House National Monument Colorado Panorama
Panorama of Yucca House NM, Colorado. Photo: Wayne Hsieh

Approximately one-third of Montezuma County is tribal land, one-third is federally managed, and the remaining third is privately owned or belongs to the state or county. The elevations range from 6,000 to 14,000 feet, and Colorado’s second largest reservoir, McPhee Reservoir, is found here.

Visit the Montezuma County Government website.

Montezuma County Colorado Map
Montezuma County map.

County Towns

  • Cortez
  • Dolores
  • Mancos
  • Pleasant View
  • Towaoc
  • Yellow Jacket

Adjacent Counties

  • Apache, AZ – southwest
  • Dolores – north
  • La Plata – east
  • San Juan – northeast
  • San Juan, NM – south
  • San Juan, UT – west
Montezuma County Courthouse Cortez Colorado
Montezuma County Courthouse in Cortez.

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