Why 2026? History of Cortez, Colorado
The City of Cortez will celebrate its 140th anniversary in 2026. The story goes that on Christmas day in 1886, Matt Hammond pulled into town with a wagon full of lumber for the constructions of the first buildings in the newly platted city. Since 1886, Cortez has grown from a rough frontier town to a small city that supports many of the surrounding rural communities. Learn more about the history of Cortez at this link.
Celebrations, Festivals, and Events in 2026
There are many celebrations throughout Colorado in 2026. For a list of events in and around Cortez celebrating US 250 - Colorado 150 - Cortez 140 please follow this link.
Cortez 140 Logo: A Commemorative Design for 2026
To mark the special occasions in 2026, the City of Cortez held a design contest for a new commemorative logo. Nicholas Arbogast designed the winning logo. The logo is available for use by businesses, events, and organizations to market 2026. You can download the logo, learn more about the design competition at the following link.
How Businesses, Nonprofits, and Others can be Involved
Organizations in Cortez are encouraged to get involved with the festivities! Check out this page to learn how to be involved!