Why visit Clifton
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 49 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Cross Orchards Historic Site, Long Family Memorial Park and Red Rock Archery.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 93°F; January lows average 19°F.
Weather in Clifton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Clifton
Clifton is an unincorporated community, a census-designated place (CDP), and a post office in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Grand Junction, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Clifton post office has the ZIP Code 81520. As of the 2020 census, the population of the Clifton CDP was 20,413.
From the Wikipedia article Clifton, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Cross Orchards Historic Site
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Place in Colorado listed on National Register of Historic Places
3073 Patterson Road, Grand Junction
Mo-Tu off; We 08:00-12:00; Th-Sa 09:00-15:00; Su off
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
Red Rock Archery
Sports field and stadium · 0.5 mi
3193 Hall Avenue, Grand Junction
Tu-Fr 12:00-21:00; Sa 10:00-18:00; Su-Mo off; Aug Su 12:00-18:00...
Restaurants and cafes49
357 Reloaded
Bar and pub · American · 1.1 mi
3235 I 70 Business Loop, Clifton
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-22:00; Sa 10:00-22:00; Su 10:00-21:00
Agavero's Mexican Experience
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.7 mi
569 32 Road, Grand Junction
Mo-Fr 10:00-22:00
Chin Chin
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.9 mi
3210 I 70 Business Loop, Clifton
Mo off; Tu-Sa 11:00-15:00,16:00-21:00; Su 11:30-15:00,16:00-20:00
China Jade
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.8 mi
569 32 Road, Grand Junction
Su-Mo 10:30-20:30; Tu off; We-Th 10:30-20:30; Fr-Sa 10:30-21:30
Dos Hombres
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.2 mi
3245 I 70 Business Loop, Clifton
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Monarca Taqueria & Cantina
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.9 mi
3210 I 70 Business Loop, Clifton
Mo-We 11:00-21:00; Th-Sa 11:00-24:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Smokin' Oak
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.1 mi
3225 I 70 Business Loop, Clifton
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
37 more on the map.
History
The Clifton, Colorado, post office opened on August 18, 1900 The community was named for cliffs near the town site.
From the History section of Clifton, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship21
Clifton Community Center and Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
353 2nd Street, Clifton
Shopping8
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries34
Healthcare5
Map of Clifton
143 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 19°F | 0.5 in | 3.4 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 25°F | 0.5 in | 2.1 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 34°F | 0.8 in | 1.1 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 40°F | 1.0 in | 0.6 in |
| May | 76°F | 50°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 59°F | 0.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 93°F | 65°F | 0.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 63°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 54°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 41°F | 0.9 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 52°F | 30°F | 0.7 in | 1.7 in |
| Dec | 40°F | 20°F | 0.5 in | 3.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Grand Junction 6Ese (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Mesa County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2020-08-19: Pine Gulch Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-28: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-05: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Coastal Storm)
- 2002-06-19: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2002-06-10: Co - Dierich Fire - 06/10/02 (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Fruitvale 2 mi northwest, about 2 min by car
- Orchard Mesa 4 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Grand Junction 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Palisade 6 mi east, about 10 min by car
- Redlands 10 mi west, about 17 min by car
- Fruita 15 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Delta 30 mi southeast, about 48 min by car
- Parachute 34 mi northeast, about 54 min by car
- Battlement Mesa 36 mi northeast, about 57 min by car
- Rifle 49 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Clifton, Colorado, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
- Cross Land and Fruit Company Orchards and Ranch, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Clifton Community Center and Church, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.