Colorado Geography

Colorado is one of the most beautiful and healthful states in the union. The Rocky Mountains run north and south, dividing the state into several distinct regions. Generally, the western half of the state receives most moisture because weather fronts moving from the Pacific must drop moisture in order to clear the Continental Divide. Colorado's famous ski areas are the fortunate beneficiaries of the phenomenon in winter. The eastern half of the state is usually the warmer, dryer and lower half.

The High Plains: To the east of the Front Range and running to Colorado's eastern border, the High Plains are the rolling grasslands that are home to ranching beef operations and grain crops that constitute the state's sizable agriculture output.

The Front Range: Located on the high plains just east of the mountains. The Front Range is the business center of the state and home to 80% of the state population of approximately 4 million. From Ft. Collins in the north and south to Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo, the Front Range remains free of snow cover for most of the winter due to the many sunny days and mild temperatures. Evergreen, just west of Denver, is considered part of this area.

The Continental Divide: Sometimes called the backbone of the continental US, the Continental Divide is the line that marks eastward-flowing waters from westward-flowing waters. Precipitation from the same clouds over the Continental Divide therefore winds up thousands of miles apart: westward to the Pacific Ocean or eastward to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. The Continental Divide rises to its highest elevation in Colorado.

The Western Slope: Essentially the western half of the state, the Western Slope is a diverse region where gold, silver and minerals are mined and world-renowned ski resorts like Vail, Aspen, Steamboat Springs, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain and Keystone draw millions of visitors from around the world. Colorado has 54 peaks over 14,000 feet in altitude, ranking the state the highest in elevation in the nation.

The San Luis Valley: Measuring approximately 80 miles by 50 miles, the San Luis Valley is the largest alpine valley in the world and home, due to unique topographical/weather combination, to the Great San Dunes National Monument. San Luis is the oldest town in Colorado; it was settled by early Spanish settlers migrating north from Mexico and preceded settlement from the east by over 100 years.