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Colorado Regions
The State of Colorado is one of the most geographically diverse states in the country. Elevation varies from 3,315 feet where the Arikaree River flows into the northwest corner of Kansas to 14,433 feet at the peak of Colorado’s highest mountain - Mount Elbert.
The state is often divided into several geographical regions such as the “Eastern Plains”, the “Western Slope”, the "Front Range", and the "Palmer Divide". Geographical lingo like this is frequently used during weathercasts on 9NEWS.
Below are the definitions of Colorado’s geographical regions and features. Please note that the maps are not to scale.
Denver Metro Area | Foothills | Palmer Divide | Urban Corridor | Eastern Plains | Front Range | Mountains | Western Slope | Continental Divide
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| Denver Metro Area |
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| The Denver metropolitan area consists of eight counties including western Adams and Arapahoe counties, central and eastern Boulder county, all of Broomfield and Denver counties, central and northern Jefferson county, most of Douglas county, and the northwest corner of Elbert county. The Denver metro area stretches east to west from Watkins to Golden and north to south from Longmont to Castle Rock. |
| Foothills |
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| Generally the foothills are considered the higher terrain between 6,000 and 9,000 feet west of Denver that parallel the Front Range Mountains. The foothills stretch from Roxborough State Park north to the west side of Fort Collins. Evergreen, Morrison, Golden, western Boulder, and Jamestown are all examples of foothill locations. |
| Palmer Divide |
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| The Palmer Divide is a ridge of land that extends from the Front Range of the Rockies in central Colorado, eastward toward the city of Limon on the eastern plains. It separates the Arkansas and Missouri River basins. Cities along the Palmer Divide include Monument, Castle Rock, Parker, Kiowa, and Elbert. It is named after William Jackson Palmer who founded Colorado Springs. |
| Urban Corridor |
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| Colorado’s urban corridor is the area that straddles Interstate 25 from the Wyoming/Colorado state line south to Pueblo. Most of Colorado’s population lives along the urban corridor within the Fort Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo metropolitan areas. |
| Eastern Plains |
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| The Eastern Plains (or just “Plains”) is considered to be all areas of Colorado east of Interstate 25. Sterling, Limon, Burlington, Lamar, La Junta, and Springfield are examples of locations on the Eastern Plains. |
| Front Range |
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| Specifically the Front Range in Colorado is the eastern most mountain range of the Rocky Mountains stretching from Pikes Peak to the Colorado/Wyoming state line. However, the term “Front Range” is used to loosely describe any area from the urban corridor west to the Continental Divide. |
| Mountains |
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Any location above 9,000 feet in elevation is considered to be a mountain area. There are three mountain regions in Colorado.
Northern Mountains: Mountain areas along and north of Interstate 70. The Flat Tops, the Gore Range, and the northern Front Range are all considered “Northern Mountains”. Recreational areas include Rocky Mountain National Park, Steamboat Ski Resort, and Winter Park/Mary Jane Resort.
Central Mountains: Mountain areas south of Interstate 70 and north of US Highway 50 are considered the “Central Mountains”. The West Elk Mountains, the Sawatch Range (including the), the Kenosha Mountains, and the Rampart Range (including Pikes Peak) are part of the “Central Mountains”. Recreational areas include the Collegiate Peaks, Cripple Creek, and most of Colorado’s ski areas such as Vail Resort, Keystone, and Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
Southern Mountains: Mountain areas south of Highway 50. The San Juan Mountains and the Sangre De Cristo Mountains are considered southern mountains. Recreational areas include the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Royal Gorge, and ski areas near Telluride and Durango.
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| Western Slope |
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| Areas of western Colorado outside of the mountains with elevations below about 7,000 feet are considered to be on the Western Slope. Examples include Grand Junction, Craig, Montrose, Durango, and Cortez. |
| Continental Divide |
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| The Continental Divide is the name of the mountain ridge that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from the watershed that drain into the Atlantic Ocean. In Colorado, the Continental Divide extends from the Routt National Forest south through Rocky Mountain National Park and into the Arapaho National Forest where it crosses over Interstate 70 at the Eisenhower Tunnel. The Divide then swings through the Holy Cross Wilderness and into the San Isabel National Forest. Finally, the Divide snakes through the San Juan National Forest before dropping south into New Mexico. The following Colorado mountain passes cross or straddle the Continental Divde: Berthoud, Boreas, Fremont, Hagerman, Hoosier, Independence, La Poudre, Loveland, Monarch, Muddy, Rollins, Rabbit Ears Pass, Tennessee, Willow Creek, and Wolf Creek. |
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