De Beque | Mesa County

To the passive onlooker, De Beque might appear to be just a small town exit off Interstate 70 between Parachute and Palisade. But De Beque shouldn't be overlooked. The rural, blue-collar community has more than its share of history, scenery and community love. It is a fantastic place to live with a good selection of real estate for sale. De Beque real estate presents a wide range of choices, from smaller homes to larger residences, ranch properties and multi-acre lots for sale.

There are lots for sale around De Beque that are amazingly affordable. Many lots are more than 25 acres in size. In many instances, you can purchase more than 50 acres of rural, undeveloped property for less than $100,000 around De Beque. In-town lots are also quite affordable and allow you to build your dream home close to the town core.

Most of the real estate in De Beque is in the town core. De Beque has a population of about 500 people. Roan Creek Road is the eastern boundary of the town core and the Colorado River is the southern edge. The western boundary is Glenwood Avenue and the northern boundary is 45 Road. (Roan Creek Road turns into 45 Road as you head north through town.)

There are no homes in the rugged terrain north and west of town. One road heads west through the hills - V 2/10 Road - but there is no developed property to speak of. Same goes to the east, where residences along W 1/2 Road and Old Highway 6 are few and far between. South of the Colorado River, in a more fertile area near Bass Lake and along W Road, are a few rural residences with acreage.

Homes and estates in De Beque aren't far from the world-famous Colorado River. Yes - the river that carved the Grand Canyon flows just south of town. In addition to the river are several nearby lakes, creeks and other waterways that offer ideal fishing for most of the year. There's also wonderful spots for boating, water skiing, stand-up paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking and whitewater rafting.

Neighborhood Highlights

• The town core is a grid layout, with a traditional downtown featuring a town hall, a tavern, and multiple commercial businesses in historic buildings. The surrounding streets include single-family homes for sale, a few churches, and a school.

• In 2014, De Beque approved the sale and cultivation of marijuana.

• Historically a place where wild horses - historically prevalent in the surrounding lands - were gathered and sold, the town officially designated De Beque as the only Wild Horse Sanctuary City in the West in 2001.

• In 1884, Dr. W.A.E. De Beque, searching for a suitable place to establish a ranch, explored the hills around what is now De Beque. Others followed, and by 1890 there were more than 30 working ranches in the area.

• De Beque grew in the late 1800s as an agricultural and ranching community. Around 1890, De Beque became a central hub along the railroad for cattle transportation. Some of the original homestead families have been ranching the area for generations.