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==Geography== {{More citations needed section|date=October 2021}} [[File:Mancos Colorado Webber Mountain Aerial (49806539351).jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Mancos and surrounding areas]] Mancos is located in eastern Montezuma County. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Mancos has a total area of {{convert|0.6|sqmi|km2}}, all of it recorded as land.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2022"/> The town is located in the Mancos River valley at an elevation of approximately {{convert|7000|ft}}. The [[Mancos River]] was named by Spanish explorers (''Rio de los Mancos'' - "River of the Sleeve") perhaps for the way the river, which rises in the [[La Plata Mountains]] northeast of Mancos, drains the valley and then flows into the narrow confines of Weber Canyon and Mancos Canyon, southwest of Mesa Verde, where it joins the [[San Juan River (Colorado River tributary)|San Juan River]]. The town's skyline is dominated by the mass of Mesa Verde {{convert|7|mi|0}} to the west, [[Menefee Mountain]] {{convert|2|mi|0}} to the southeast, and the La Plata Mountains, a range to the east and northeast, in which the headwaters of the Mancos River originate. Originally laid out as a railroad town, Mancos stretches for approximately a mile along the river and on both sides of it, while newer areas lie north of the old railroad alignment (now [[U.S. Route 160]], part of the [[San Juan Skyway]] and the [[Old Spanish Trail (auto trail)|Old Spanish Trail]]). The small main business district lies along Business Route 160 (Grand Avenue), while newer business areas are located along the main highway. The highly publicized death of a schoolchild in 2003 led to a major reconstruction of US 160 through the town in following years, creating a street pattern which somewhat hampers development. US 160 leads west {{convert|18|mi}} to [[Cortez, Colorado|Cortez]], the Montezuma [[county seat]], and east {{convert|27|mi}} to [[Durango, Colorado|Durango]]. [[Colorado State Highway 184]] leads northwest from Mancos {{convert|18|mi}} to [[Dolores, Colorado|Dolores]]. The Mancos River flows from east to west through the town, and then flows to the south into Mancos Canyon, on the west and south toe of Mesa Verde. Much of the townsite is located in a [[Special Flood Hazard Area]] (the [[100-year flood]]plain)), including most bridges connecting the two parts of the town. {{convert|5|mi|0}} northeast of town is [[Mancos State Park]] located on [[Jackson Gulch Reservoir]], built by the Mancos Irrigation Project. Echo Basin, a winter ([[Nordic skiing|Nordic]]) skiing area and various vacation resorts and dude ranches, as well as an elk ranch and other tourist-, sports-, and hunting-related activities are located in and around the town. As is common in Colorado, many government services are provided by special districts, both inside the corporate limits of the town of Mancos and outside in the county. Among these are the Mancos Library District, Mancos Water Conservancy District and Mancos Fire Protection District (which also provides emergency medical services). The nearest hospitals are [[Southwest Memorial Hospital (Colorado)|Southwest Memorial Hospital]] in Cortez (approximately {{convert|18|mi|km|disp=or|abbr=on}} west) and [[Mercy Regional Medical Center]] in Durango, approximately {{convert|34|mi|km|disp=or|abbr=on}} east. The town does have a medical clinic, funded through a variety of private and public sources. The nearest general aviation and commercial airport is located southwest of Cortez, approximately {{convert|22|mi}} west of Mancos. There are a few private airstrips in the vicinity of Mancos, but these are not open to the public; a former town airfield near Jackson Gulch Reservoir is sometimes still marked on maps.
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