Fruita, Colorado
Fruita is a city of 13,691 people in Mesa County, Colorado, founded in 1884.
Why visit Fruita
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 14 parks and trails, 35 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Fruita Museum, Saddlehorn Caretaker's House and Garage and Adobe Creek National Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 95°F; January lows average 15°F.
Weather in Fruita
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Fruita
Fruita () is a home rule municipality located in western Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 13,395 at the 2020 United States census. Fruita is a part of the Grand Junction, Colorado Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies within the Grand Valley. The geography is identified by the bordering Colorado River (historically known as the Grand River) on the southern edge of the town, the Uncompahgre Plateau known for its pinyon-juniper landscape, and the Book Cliffs range on the northern edge of the Grand Valley.
From the Wikipedia article Fruita, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks10
Fruita Museum
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Museum in Fruita, Colorado, United States
Saddlehorn Caretaker's House and Garage
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Historic house in Colorado, United States
Saddlehorn Comfort Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Comfort station in Mesa County, United States of America
Saddlehorn Utility Area Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Historic district in Colorado, United States
Colorado National Monument Visitor Center Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Dinosaur Journey Museum
Museum · 0.6 mi
Museum in Colorado, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds14
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2 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes35
Aspen Street Coffee Shop
Cafe
136 East Aspen Avenue, Fruita
Mo-Th 06:30-15:00; Fr,Sa 06:30-20:00; Su 07:00-14:00
Cattleman's Cafe and Catering
Restaurant · American, Breakfast
435 US Highway 6 and 50
Mo-Su 07:00-14:00
Munchies
Restaurant · American, Burger, Pizza · 0.5 mi
550 Kokopelli Boulevard, Fruita
Mo-Sa 10:00-21:30
Rib City
Restaurant · 0.4 mi
455 Kokopelli Boulevard, Fruita
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30
Reckless Brewing Company
Brewery and winery
127 East Aspen Avenue, Fruita
Mo-Fr 11:00-22:00; Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 11:00-19:00
23 more on the map.
History
The original town site was planned for 80 acres (32 ha) with a park in the middle. The first water reached the town from the Colorado River in 1907. By 1909, the town center was linked with electricity. In the 1930s, Fruita participated in several government projects, including the Grand Valley Resettlement Project (later Western Slope Farms). Settled in groups of two or three families per area, 34 families were relocated by 1937. Later, the Rural Electrification Project brought electricity to around 800 or 900 farms. Fruita also had a Civilian Conservation Corps, several Works Progress Administration projects including the town library (now the Chamber of Commerce), a federal loan for the new central school (now the Civic Center) and the construction of the Rim Rock Drive to the top of the Colorado National Monument, elevation 8,000 feet (2,400 m).
From approximately 1900 to 1930, Fruita was a sundown town. Cowboy Charlie Glass was prohibited by law from being buried in the town cemetery, but he was still interred there.
On April 6, 2010, Fruita became the first city in the world to enact a marijuana tax.
From the History section of Fruita, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship6
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 0.6 mi
417 North Maple Street, Fruita
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Monument View Montessori Charter School
School · 2.6 mi
1956 Hwy 6 And 50 Building A, Fruita
Healthcare1
Map of Fruita
97 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 15°F | 0.8 in |
| Feb | 47°F | 21°F | 0.8 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 29°F | 0.9 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 35°F | 0.9 in |
| May | 78°F | 45°F | 0.8 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 52°F | 0.6 in |
| Jul | 95°F | 60°F | 0.7 in |
| Aug | 92°F | 58°F | 0.8 in |
| Sep | 83°F | 48°F | 1.1 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 36°F | 1.2 in |
| Nov | 54°F | 25°F | 0.7 in |
| Dec | 40°F | 16°F | 0.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Fruita Hcn (1 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, 11 miles away.
- Loma 5 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Redlands 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Grand Junction 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Orchard Mesa 14 mi southeast, about 22 min by car
- Fruitvale 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Clifton 15 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Palisade 20 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Parachute 41 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Delta 44 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Battlement Mesa 44 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
- Fruita-Interstate70-signage, Librarian Hat, AG, Public domain
- Fruita Museum, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Desert Foliage in Fruita (Unsplash), Nathan Anderson nathananderson, CC0
- Fruita Bridge (8668055089), Jeffrey Beall from Colorado, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Fruita Bridge, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ten Commandments Fruita Entry, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sacred Heart Fruita, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saddlehorn Comfort Station, Clayton B. Fraser, HABS photographer, Public domain
- Saddlehorn Warehouse, Clayton B. Fraser, HABS photographer, Public domain
- Alone In The Desert, Nathan Anderson, CC BY 3.0
- Rocking It, Nathan Anderson, CC BY 3.0
- Yellow Crab Spider eating fly, Cwandrews, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cynomys leucurus 43169594, Colin Croft, CC BY 4.0
- Harry & Lilly Phillips House (8669144162), Jeffrey Beall from Colorado, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Harry and Lilly Phillips House, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Marmots on the river (15126206199), jimmy thomas from Seattle, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Colorado National Monument entrance, Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0
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