Grand Junction, Colorado
Grand Junction, Colorado | |
|---|---|
Grand Junction skyline | |
| Nicknames: Colorado Wine Country, River City | |
Location of Grand Junction in Mesa County, Colorado | |
Location of Grand Junction in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 39°05′16″N 108°34′05″W / 39.08778°N 108.56806°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Mesa |
| Incorporated | July 22, 1882 |
| Named after | Confluence of Grand River and Gunnison River |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| • Mayor | Abe Herman |
| • City Manager | Mike Bennett |
| Area | |
• Total | 40.077 sq mi (103.799 km2) |
| • Land | 39.634 sq mi (102.652 km2) |
| • Water | 0.443 sq mi (1.147 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,646 ft (1,416 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 65,560 |
| • Rank | 17th in Colorado |
| • Density | 1,654/sq mi (639/km2) |
| • Metro | 155,703 |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 81501–81507 |
| Area code | 970 |
| FIPS code | 08-31660 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2410631 |
| Highways | I-70, U.S. Highway 6, U.S. Highway 50, CO SH 340, CO SH 141, CO SH 139 |
| Website | www |
Grand Junction is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and largest city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction's population was 65,560 at the 2020 United States census, making it the most populous city in western Colorado and the 17th most populous Colorado municipality overall.
As western Colorado's largest city, Grand Junction is the economic and cultural center of the Western Slope region. The city is a transportation hub, as it is situated at the convergence of Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 50, and is the largest city between Denver and Salt Lake City. Grand Junction is also home to Colorado Mesa University, enrolling nearly 10,000 students.
The city is the anchor of the Grand Junction metropolitan area, home to over 150,000 residents as of 2020. It is located in the heart of the Grand Valley, a large Colorado River valley stretching over 30 miles east-to-west and 5 miles north-to-south. This valley comprises the most densely populated area and the only metropolitan area in Colorado outside of the Front Range Urban Corridor.