Monte Vista is located in South Central Colorado near the center of the San Luis Valley, which is the first in a series of basins along the Rio Grande del Norte (Great River of the North). Monte Vista is the largest city in Rio Grande County and is at the crossroads of U.S. Highways 160 and 285.

Mountain ranges to the east reach altitudes of over 14,000 feet, while those west are between 13,000 and 14,000 feet. The Valley floor ranges in altitude from 7,500 to almost 8,000 feet and has a remarkably flat surface. The altitude in Monte Vista is 7,666 feet.

The climate in Monte Vista is marked by much sunshine, light precipitation (about 5 to 7 inches), cold winters, and moderate summers. Approximately 80 percent of the annual precipitation occurs between April and October, mostly in the form of light showers that develop over the mountains and move into the Valley in the afternoon.

Winter snows, which mainly occur in frequent light falls, average 25 to 35 inches per year in Monte Vista. Summer is mostly characterized by days with maximum temperatures in the mid-eighties and lows in the forties.