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Grand Junction, Colorado
Grand Junction is a city of 68,142 people in Mesa County, Colorado, founded in July 22, 1882.
Why visit Grand Junction
Townapedia lists 26 museums and landmarks, 51 parks and trails, 231 places to eat, 34 places to stay and 12 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Picture Show, Regal Cinemas 14, Cross Orchards Historic Site and Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Depot.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 94°F; January lows average 19°F.
Weather in Grand Junction
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Grand Junction
Grand Junction is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the largest city in 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.
From the Wikipedia article Grand Junction, Colorado (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do12
Museums and landmarks26
Cross Orchards Historic Site
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Place in Colorado listed on National Register of Historic Places
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Disused train station in Grand Junction, Colorado
Devils Kitchen Picnic Shelter
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.3 mi
Picnic shelter in Mesa County, United States of America
North Seventh Street Historic Residential District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic district in Colorado, United States
Serpents Trail
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Hiking trail in Colorado National Monument, United States
Eureka! McConnell Science Museum
Museum · 0.7 mi
1400 North 7th Street, Grand Junction
Mo-Sa 10:00-17:00; Su 12:00-16:00
Colorado National Monument
Monument and historic site · 7.1 mi
National monument in the United States
Museum of the West
Museum · 1.6 mi
462 Ute Avenue, Grand Junction
May-Sep Mo-Sa 09:00-17:00; Oct-Apr Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00
North Seventh Street National Historic District
Monument and historic site · 1.2 mi
Western Colorado Center for the Arts
Museum · 0.5 mi
Arts center in Grand Junction, Colorado
14 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds51
Bananas Fun Park
Sports field and stadium · 1.6 mi
2469 Riverside Parkway, Grand Junction
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-22:00; Sa 10:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Duck Pond Park (Orchard Mesa)
Park · 2.7 mi
Acerage: 4.4 park owned by the City of Grand Junction. Amenities: Open Space Picnic Tables Playground Restrooms Shelter Trails
415 Santa Clara Avenue, Grand Junction
05:00-22:30
Lincoln Park
Park · 1.5 mi
12th Street & Gunnison Avenue, Grand Junction
Mo-Su 17:00-24:00
39 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes231
Have Cooker Will Travel
Restaurant · Barbecue · 2.8 mi
Permanent location of BBQ catering/food truck while not traveling. Serves Mesa, Garfield, Rio Blanco, Delta, and Montrose counties.
606 29 Road, Grand Junction
Tu-Fr 11:00-18:00
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.2 mi
They have wifi but you must have access to CMU campus wifi to use it.
1350 North Avenue, Grand Junction
Mo-Su 04:30-21:00
Taste of Chang'An
Restaurant · Chinese · 2.4 mi
Chinese hot pot buffet
757 Horizon Drive, Grand Junction
Mo 11:00-22:00; Tu off; We-Su 11:00-22:00
Thai Number 9
Restaurant · Thai · 1.2 mi
Takeout only during last 15 minutes before closing time
539 North 1st Street, Grand Junction
Tu-Sa 11:00-15:00,16:00-20:00; Su-Mo off
Applebee's
Diner · American · 1.8 mi
711 Horizon Drive, Grand Junction
Su-Th 11:00-00:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-01:00
Bamboo City
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.5 mi
2472 Patterson Road, Grand Junction
Mo off; Tu-Su 11:00-20:30
Be Sweet Cafe & Bakeshop
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Bakery · 1.5 mi
150 West Main Street, Grand Junction
Mo-Fr 07:00-16:00; Sa 08:00-15:00
Berna B's Restaurant
Diner · American · 2.9 mi
2913 Patterson Road, Grand Junction
Mo off; Tu-Su 07:00-14:00
Bistro 317
Restaurant · French · 1.5 mi
317 Main Street, Grand Junction
Tu-Th 09:00-20:00; Sa 08:00-21:00; Fr 09:00-21:00
Blade & Bone
Restaurant · Steak House · 2.4 mi
753 Horizon Court, Grand Junction
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 11:00-22:00
Buffalo Wild Wings
Restaurant · Wings · 2.1 mi
2412 Highway 6 and 50, Grand Junction
Mo-Th 11:00-01:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-02:00; Su 11:00-00:00
219 more on the map.
History
In September 1881, the former Ute Indian Territory was abolished and the Utes were forced into a reservation so that the U.S. government could open the area to settlers. Clinton County, Pennsylvania-born George Addison Crawford (1827–91) soon purchased a plot of land. On July 22, 1882, he incorporated the town of Grand Junction and planted Colorado's first vineyard near Palisade, Colorado, causing the area to become known as the Colorado Wine Country.
Grand Junction also has a storied past with gunfighters, miners, and early settlers of the American Southwest. Prior to its incorporation as the city of Grand Junction, the community was known as Ute, and was also briefly called West Denver.
The narrow gauge Denver and Rio Grande Railroad reached Grand Junction from the southeast, from Pueblo via Gunnison in 1882, followed in 1890 by the standard gauge Rio Grande Junction Railway from the northeast, from New Castle (jointly owned by the D&RG and the Colorado Midland). These greatly contributed to the expansion and settlement of the area.
From the History section of Grand Junction, Colorado on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay34
Churches and places of worship55
Clifton Community Center and Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 6.3 mi
Patterson Road Church of Christ
Church · Church Of Christ · 2.7 mi
2893 Patterson Road, Grand Junction
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 2.7 mi
2881 Orchard Avenue, Grand Junction
Shopping81
Gas and EV charging36
Schools, colleges and libraries57
Lutheran Church and School of Messiah
School · Evangelical Lutheran · 1.2 mi
840 North 11th Street, Grand Junction
Healthcare30
Grand Valley Occupational Medicine
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.9 mi
2020 North 12th Street, Grand Junction
Map of Grand Junction
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 19°F | 0.8 in |
| Feb | 47°F | 26°F | 0.7 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 34°F | 0.9 in |
| Apr | 67°F | 41°F | 1.1 in |
| May | 77°F | 50°F | 1.3 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 59°F | 0.6 in |
| Jul | 94°F | 66°F | 0.9 in |
| Aug | 91°F | 64°F | 1.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 55°F | 1.5 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 42°F | 1.3 in |
| Nov | 52°F | 30°F | 0.8 in |
| Dec | 39°F | 21°F | 0.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Grand Junction Wfo (3 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, 3 miles away.
- Orchard Mesa 4 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Redlands 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
- Fruitvale 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Clifton 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Fruita 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Palisade 11 mi east, about 18 min by car
- Loma 15 mi northwest, about 24 min by car
- De Beque 25 mi northeast, about 40 min by car
- Delta 34 mi southeast, about 56 min by car
- Rifle 53 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 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
- Grand-junction-skyline, Eleaf, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St. Mary's Medical Center (Grand Junction, Colorado), Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Grand Junction High School, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Horizon Towers, Grand Junction, CO, NE corner 2024-09-01, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grand Junction Colorado Temple 2024-09-01, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Witsken Memorial at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Grand Junction Colorado, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Statue of the Virgin Mary and Jesus at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Grand Junction Colorado, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Grand Junction Colorado, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sherwood Park 2, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- KEXOtower, Milonica, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Garfield Hall CMU, Carlangasbal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- University Center CMU, Carlangasbal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Pe'a accepts the prestigious distinguished alumni award from Colorado Mesa University in 2019, Allanbcool, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Blood moon over Colorado (13916075192), jimmy thomas, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tomlinson Library, Carlangasbal, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urban forest solar eclipse (15635253761), jimmy thomas, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Urban forest solar eclipse (15451272109), jimmy thomas, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Urban forest solar eclipse (15638773532), jimmy thomas, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Urban forest solar eclipse (15614209496), jimmy thomas, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Urban forest solar eclipse (15635240651), jimmy thomas, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Urban forest solar eclipse (15635246121), jimmy thomas, CC BY-SA 2.0
- North Seventh Street Historic Residential District, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0
- North 7th Street Historic Residential District (8668082021), Jeffrey Beall from Colorado, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Colorado Mesa University, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ralph Stocker Stadium, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- Mesa County Public Library District 2, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mesa County Public Library District, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Urban forest solar eclipse (15017756873), jimmy thomas, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Handy Chapel (8669161088), Jeffrey Beall from Colorado, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Handy Chapel, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
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