Located in the Mountain States Region of the United States, Colorado has a latitude of 39.5501° N and a longitude of 105.7821° W. Its total area is approximately 104,094 square miles. About 103,642 square miles of the total mileage are land, leaving only 452 square miles of water. Colorado’s water sources make up only 0.4% of the entire region, which is not too surprising when you consider that the Centennial State is both landlocked and relatively central in the United States.
Colorado is quite unique in terms of climate. There are eight states that are considered part of the Mountain Region:
Of these states, Colorado is the only one with a climate that does not become warmer the further south you travel. As with many other states and territories in the Northern Hemisphere, temperatures are warmer and the geography resembles more of a desert area in the southernmost parts of these states. This is because you are nearing the equator, which is one of the warmest parts on Earth.
Despite the commonality among every other Mountain state, Colorado does not have that drastic change in temperature or climate. Rather, Colorado has so many valleys and mountains that its geography alters the overall climate.
Colorado’s northernmost point coincides with the location of 41st parallel. This is the demarcation of the circle of latitude that rests 41 degrees above the equator. The 41st parallel circles the globe at the same position, crossing through many other cities. To the east, Colorado’s most extreme point is the border Colorado shares with Nebraska and Kansas. The westernmost tip is the border separating Colorado from Utah, and to in the south, Colorado’s most extreme point is a point along the U.S.-Mexican border, with a latitude of 36.99250° N.
On average, Colorado has an elevation level of 6,800 feet. Part of the Rocky Mountain Range, Mount Elbert claims the title of highest point of elevation in Colorado, standing at an altitude of 14,440 feet above sea level. The Arikaree River in Yuma County, northeastern Colorado, has the lowest point of elevation, which comes to 3,315 feet above sea level.
The thirty-eighth state to join the United States, Colorado is the destination of many skiing and snowboarding trips. A state with more than its fair share of mountainous landscape and annual snowfall, Colorado is the place for adventurous souls.