Colorado Western Slope

Colorado Western Slope
San Juan Mountains North of Telluride, Colorado, in the Western Slope
Colorado Western Slope
Coordinates: 38°28′41.16″N 107°52′33.96″W / 38.4781000°N 107.8761000°W / 38.4781000; -107.8761000
LocationWest of the Continental Divide in Colorado
RangeRocky Mountains

The Western Slope is a colloquial term generally understood to describe the part of the state of Colorado west of the Continental Divide. Bodies of water west of the Divide flow toward the Pacific Ocean; water that falls and flows east of the Divide heads east toward the Gulf of Mexico. The Western Slope encompasses about 33% of the state, but has just 10% of the state's residents. The eastern part of the state, including the San Luis Valley and the Front Range, is the more populous portion of the state.