Palmer Divide

The Palmer Divide is a ridge in central Colorado that separates the Arkansas River basin from the Missouri River (via the Platte River) basin. It extends from the Front Range of the Rockies in central Colorado, eastward toward the town of Limon.

It is named after William Jackson Palmer, the founder of Colorado Springs. It staggers along the county line between Douglas County and El Paso County. This divide separates the Denver metropolitan area from the Pikes Peak area. The elevation varies between 6,000 and 7,500 feet, with the divide's highest point at Monument Hill.

This uplifted area causes a slight increase in precipitation from the rest of eastern Colorado, resulting in it containing the Black Forest, a peninsula of trees surrounded by dryer grassland plains.

This terrain feature is the cause of several small scale, or microscale weather patterns, and can make a great difference in the weather between Denver and Colorado Springs. Although this elevation technically qualifies it for the foothills category, it does not parallel a mountain chain as foothills do. The Palmer Divide is perpendicular to the mountains. Due to the orientation of the Palmer Divide with respect to the eastern plains, the weather can be similar to the foothills during active weather with enhanced precipitation, especially during snowstorms. Cities and towns within the Palmer Divide include Castle Rock, Franktown, Elizabeth, Kiowa, Monument, Black Forest, Sedalia, Palmer Lake, and northern parts of Colorado Springs such as Gleneagle and Briargate.