Grand Junction, Colorado

Grand Junction is {{convert|247|mi|km|0|sp=us}} west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. The city has a council–manager form of government.{{cite web |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011}} It is a major commercial and transportation hub within the large area between the Green River and the Continental Divide, and the largest city in Colorado outside of the Front Range Corridor.

The city is along the Colorado River, at its confluence with the Gunnison River, which comes in from the south. "Grand" refers to the historical Grand River, renamed the Upper Colorado River in 1921. "Junction" refers to the confluence of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers. Grand Junction has been nicknamed "River City". It is near the midpoint of a {{convert|30|mi|km|adj=on}} arcing valley, known as the Grand Valley; since the late 19th century it has been a major fruit-growing region. The valley was long occupied by the Ute people and earlier indigenous cultures. It was not settled by European-American farmers until the 1880s. Since the late 20th century, several wineries have been established in the area.

The Colorado National Monument, a unique series of canyons and mesas, overlooks the city on the west. Most of the area is surrounded by federal public lands managed by the US Bureau of Land Management. Interstate 70 connects the city eastward to Glenwood Springs and Denver and westward to Green River, Utah; Salt Lake City is reached to the west via Interstate 70 and U.S Route 6; and Las Vegas (via Interstate 70 and Interstate 15).

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.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o8X5krq3fP8C&pg=PA474 |title=Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc. ... with a Supplementary Volume Devoted to Selected Personal History and Reminiscence |first=Frank Wilson |last=Blackmar |date=March 1, 1912 |publisher=Standard publishing Company |isbn=9780722249055 |via=Google Books}} 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).Beebe, Lucius and Clegg, Charles, Rio Grande, Mainline of the Rockies, Howell-North Books 1962. These greatly contributed to the expansion and settlement of the area.

At the 2020 United States census, the city had a total area of {{convert|103.799|km2|acre|order=flip}} (40.077 sq mi) including {{convert|1.147|km2|acre|order=flip}} (.443 sq mi) of water.

Grand Junction has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSk). It sits in a large area of high desert lands in Western Colorado. Winters are cold and dry, with a January mean temperature of {{convert|27.4|°F|1}}. Due to its location west of the Rockies, Grand Junction does not receive as much influence from the Chinook winds as locations in Colorado east of the Front Range, yet it does receive protection from the Arctic air masses that can settle to the east of the Rockies. This is illustrated by the fact that from December to February, highs reach {{convert|50|°F}} only 18 days. Lows drop to {{convert|0|°F|1}} or below on 2.9 nights per year. Snowfall is low compared to much of the rest of the state, averaging {{convert|17.6|in|cm|0}} per season; only once in the entire period of record dating to 1893, has observed {{convert|10|in|cm|0}} in a calendar day, though the median is {{convert|6.3|in|cm|1}}, and moreover, snow cover is intermittent. Snow is greatest in December and January. Spring warming is gradual but quickens when nearing June; the average last freeze date is April 25. Summer is hot and dry, with a July mean temperature of {{convert|78.2|°F|1}}. Grand Junction averages 68 days a year with temperatures at {{convert|90|°F|0}} or above, and an average 8 days attaining {{convert|100|°F|0}} or more. Autumn cooling is rapid, with the average first freeze date being October 11. The area receives little precipitation year-round, averaging {{convert|9.05|in|mm|1}}, with no real seasonal spike. Sunshine hours are abundant, even in winter, and total just over 3,200 hours per year, or 73% of the possible total.{{cite web |url=http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/n_america/us/Grand_Junction_e.htm |title=Climatological Normals of Grand Junction |access-date=May 18, 2010 |publisher=Hong Kong Observatory |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320071907/http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/climat/world/eng/n_america/us/grand_junction_e.htm |archive-date=March 20, 2012}}

{{Weather box|collapsed =

|location = Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Junction Regional Airport), 1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010.}} extremes 1893–present{{efn|Official records for Grand Junction were kept at downtown from January 1893 to December 1899 and at Grand Junction Regional Airport since January 1900. For more information, see [http://threadex.rcc-acis.org/ ThreadEx].}}

|width = auto

|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 62

|Feb record high F = 70

|Mar record high F = 81

|Apr record high F = 89

|May record high F = 101

|Jun record high F = 105

|Jul record high F = 107

|Aug record high F = 103

|Sep record high F = 100

|Oct record high F = 88

|Nov record high F = 76

|Dec record high F = 66

|Jan avg record high F = 49.6

|Feb avg record high F = 60.0

|Mar avg record high F = 72.6

|Apr avg record high F = 81.3

|May avg record high F = 90.9

|Jun avg record high F = 99.4

|Jul avg record high F = 102.0

|Aug avg record high F = 98.6

|Sep avg record high F = 93.2

|Oct avg record high F = 82.1

|Nov avg record high F = 65.3

|Dec avg record high F = 51.9

|year avg record high F = 102.5

|Jan high F = 38.1

|Feb high F = 46.4

|Mar high F = 58.3

|Apr high F = 65.8

|May high F = 76.8

|Jun high F = 89.2

|Jul high F = 94.5

|Aug high F = 90.9

|Sep high F = 81.7

|Oct high F = 66.9

|Nov high F = 51.8

|Dec high F = 38.8

|year high F = 66.6

|Jan mean F = 27.7

|Feb mean F = 35.3

|Mar mean F = 45.0

|Apr mean F = 51.9

|May mean F = 62.0

|Jun mean F = 73.0

|Jul mean F = 79.2

|Aug mean F = 76.3

|Sep mean F = 67.1

|Oct mean F = 53.2

|Nov mean F = 39.6

|Dec mean F = 28.4

|year mean F = 53.2

|Jan low F = 17.3

|Feb low F = 24.1

|Mar low F = 31.7

|Apr low F = 38.1

|May low F = 47.1

|Jun low F = 56.8

|Jul low F = 63.9

|Aug low F = 61.6

|Sep low F = 52.5

|Oct low F = 39.5

|Nov low F = 27.5

|Dec low F = 18.0

|year low F = 39.8

|Jan avg record low F = 3.4

|Feb avg record low F = 10.3

|Mar avg record low F = 19.3

|Apr avg record low F = 25.4

|May avg record low F = 33.6

|Jun avg record low F = 44.3

|Jul avg record low F = 54.3

|Aug avg record low F = 53.5

|Sep avg record low F = 39.2

|Oct avg record low F = 25.4

|Nov avg record low F = 13.8

|Dec avg record low F = 2.8

|year avg record low F = -1.3

|Jan record low F = −23

|Feb record low F = −21

|Mar record low F = 5

|Apr record low F = 11

|May record low F = 24

|Jun record low F = 34

|Jul record low F = 44

|Aug record low F = 43

|Sep record low F = 28

|Oct record low F = 6

|Nov record low F = −4

|Dec record low F = −21

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.61

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.53

|Mar precipitation inch = 0.80

|Apr precipitation inch = 0.98

|May precipitation inch = 0.83

|Jun precipitation inch = 0.41

|Jul precipitation inch = 0.59

|Aug precipitation inch = 0.92

|Sep precipitation inch = 1.19

|Oct precipitation inch = 0.99

|Nov precipitation inch = 0.61

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.60

|year precipitation inch = 9.06

|Jan snow inch = 4.5

|Feb snow inch = 2.9

|Mar snow inch = 1.8

|Apr snow inch = 0.9

|May snow inch = 0.1

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.4

|Nov snow inch = 1.9

|Dec snow inch = 5.2

|year snow inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 6.3

|Feb precipitation days = 6.1

|Mar precipitation days = 6.7

|Apr precipitation days = 7.1

|May precipitation days = 6.4

|Jun precipitation days = 3.4

|Jul precipitation days = 4.8

|Aug precipitation days = 6.5

|Sep precipitation days = 6.5

|Oct precipitation days = 6.2

|Nov precipitation days = 5.4

|Dec precipitation days = 6.1

|year precipitation days = 71.6

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 4.6

|Feb snow days = 3.5

|Mar snow days = 1.7

|Apr snow days = 0.7

|May snow days = 0.1

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.5

|Nov snow days = 2.0

|Dec snow days = 5.0

|year snow days =

|Jan sun = 192.3 |Jan percentsun = 63

|Feb sun = 204.4 |Feb percentsun = 68

|Mar sun = 240.9 |Mar percentsun = 65

|Apr sun = 278.0 |Apr percentsun = 70

|May sun = 328.5 |May percentsun = 74

|Jun sun = 359.3 |Jun percentsun = 81

|Jul sun = 356.2 |Jul percentsun = 79

|Aug sun = 329.8 |Aug percentsun = 78

|Sep sun = 292.2 |Sep percentsun = 78

|Oct sun = 255.1 |Oct percentsun = 74

|Nov sun = 186.9 |Nov percentsun = 62

|Dec sun = 180.0 |Dec percentsun = 61

|year percentsun = 72

|Jan humidity = 69.7

|Feb humidity = 60.4

|Mar humidity = 50.1

|Apr humidity = 40.3

|May humidity = 36.3

|Jun humidity = 29.4

|Jul humidity = 33.5

|Aug humidity = 36.6

|Sep humidity = 38.8

|Oct humidity = 45.6

|Nov humidity = 58.5

|Dec humidity = 68.0

|year humidity = 47.3

|source 1 = NOAA (sun 1961–1990){{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=gjt |title=NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=July 11, 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USW00023066&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL |title=U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access |access-date=September 1, 2022 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}

}}

{{US Census population

|align=right

|1890= 2030

|1900= 3503

|1910= 7754

|1920= 8665

|1930= 10247

|1940= 12479

|1950= 14504

|1960= 18694

|1970= 20170

|1980= 27956

|1990= 29034

|2000= 41986

|2010= 58566

|2020= 65560

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census

}}

Grand Junction is the principal city of the Grand Junction, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area.

As of the census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 41,986 people, 17,865 households, and 10,540 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,362.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 18,784 housing units at an average density of {{convert|609.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 91.78% White, 0.60% African American, 0.94% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 3.81% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 10.86% of the population.

There were 17,865 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. Of all households 33.2% were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had one living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city, 21.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 11.9% was from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The population figures are for Grand Junction only; the city abuts smaller towns and unincorporated county areas which contribute to area commerce.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,152, and the median income for a family was $43,851. Males had a median income of $31,685 versus $22,804 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,692. About 7.5% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

From the time settlers arrived in the 1880s until the 1960s, three of the main economic activities in the region were farming, fruit growing, and cattle raising. Fruit orchards, particularly between Grand Junction and Palisade to the east, remain important to the region's reputation and economy to the present day. Fruits most often grown are peaches, pears, apricots, plums, cherries, and, particularly since the 1980s, grapes for wine. In this semi-arid environment, these orchards thrive from a combination of abundant sunshine and irrigation from a system of canals that divert water from the Colorado River.

Attempts were made to establish sugar beet farming and beet sugar production. The Grand Valley Sugar Company established a campaign in 1893, sending three train carloads to the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company. Several tariffs and subsidies to domestic sugar were established in the 1890s, which led to uncertainty in the market. After the 1897 Dingley Act, the company was revived in 1898 and rallied to build a sugar factory. They failed to fundraise to build the plant. At the same time, Charles N. Cox was able to organize an effort to establish a factory in 1898 as well. John F. Campion and others including James Joseph Brown, Eben Smith, Charles E. Mitchell, George Trimble, James R. McKinnie, and Charles Boettcher invested, creating the Colorado Sugar Manufacturing Company in 1899 and contracting E. H. Dyer to build a factory. The failed to succeed, so they sold the plant to local investors, who were able to make it a success. The Campion-Boettcher group then created the Great Western Sugar Company.{{Cite web |title=Silver Wedge: The Sugar Beet Industry in Fort Collins |author=Eric Twitty |work=SWCA Environmental Consultants |date=August 2003 |access-date=August 9, 2020 |url=https://www.fcgov.com/parkplanning/files/silver-wedge_the-sugar-beet-industry-in-fort-collins_a-historical-context.pdf}}

Retail sales have been important to the economy for decades (e.g., gasoline, and hunting- and fishing-related sales).[https://web.archive.org/web/20090123111955/http://www.museumofwesternco.com/learn/grand-valley-history/history-timeline/ History Timeline]. Museum of Western Colorado

Grand Junction was home to the Climax Uranium Mill, a now decommissioned mill that provided uranium ore to the US Atomic Energy Commission. It produced 2.2 million tons of uranium tailings a by product of uranium mining which can be unsafe. For decades, Grand Junction residents were able to collect as much of the fine gray sand as they wanted for free. It was used as construction material all over town.{{cite news |last1=Lofholm |first1=Nancy |title=Grand Junction keeps its grave for radioactive, Cold War dirt thanks to new coronavirus-aid package |url=https://coloradosun.com/2020/12/29/grand-junction-cold-war-nuclear-waste-dump/ |access-date=11 February 2025 |work=The Colorado Sun |date=29 December 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Riffel |first1=Molly |title=AEC Playground in the Rockies Is in Colorado |work=Colorado Springs Gazette |date=April 23, 1970 |page=77}}

Education and healthcare have been important to the economy of the area, especially since the 1950s, with the rise of Colorado Mesa University and St. Mary's Hospital as leading employers in these fields.

Vast oil shale reserves were known to exist near Parachute, Colorado in the Piceance Basin. The oil embargoes of the 1970s and high gas prices resulted in major financial interest in the region. Exxon purchased rights and used Grand Junction as its seat of operations. The city and the surrounding Grand Valley became prosperous in the 1970s and early 1980s largely because of the effects of oil shale development. The United States, western Colorado in particular, has the largest-known concentration of oil shale in the world (according to the Bureau of Land Management) and holds an estimated 800 gigabarrels of recoverable oil, enough to meet U.S. demand for oil at current levels for 110 years. Known as the "Rock That Burns", the shale can be mined and processed to produce oil. In the past it was significantly more expensive than conventional oil. Sustained prices above $95 per barrel, however, may make extraction economically attractive in the coming years (see Oil shale economics). ExxonMobil pulled out of the region because of lower oil prices, which led to economic hardship in the region.

The economic bust, known as "Black Sunday" (May 2, 1982) to the locals, started with a phone call from the president of Exxon to Governor Richard Douglas Lamm, stating that Exxon would cut its losses while retaining mining rights to the (then and currently) uneconomic oil. The economic bust was felt statewide, as Exxon had invested more than {{US$}}5 billion in the state. Colorado historian Tom Noel observed, "I think that was a definite turning point, and it was a reminder that we were a boom-and-bust state ... There were parallels to the silver crash of 1893."{{cite web |url=http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/millennium/1005mile.shtml |title=Oil shale collapse preserved scenic vistas |author=Richard Williamson |work=Denver Rocky Mountain News |date=October 5, 1999 |access-date=June 3, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627030617/http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/millennium/1005mile.shtml |archive-date=June 27, 2009}}

By 2008, the economy of Grand Junction appeared to be more diverse and stable than it had been in previous decades. Major contributors to the economy were health care, tourism, agriculture, livestock, and energy mining (gas and oil). Major energy companies had once again invested large amounts of money due to increases in oil and natural gas prices (such as in the years 2005–2008). However, a major drop (in the summer of 2008) of market natural gas prices led to reduced gas well drilling and related capital expenditures in the area, significantly slowing the Grand Junction economy in 2009. Reports given in 2009 suggested that Grand Junction had once again been hard-hit economically, with one report by April 2010 listing the area as having had the largest percentage drop in employment of any "small city" in the entire United States.The Adams Group, [http://www.coloradoeconomy.com/news.html Coloradoeconomy.com, "Today's Economy"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511203842/http://www.coloradoeconomy.com/news.html |date=May 11, 2008 }}. April 23, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2010

By 2008, Grand Junction was being discovered by the "nation's elite business and leisure travelers" as a destination for private jet travel, with nearby Powderhorn Resort and other ski resorts a major attraction.[http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2008/01/07/daily57.html "Colo. gets two spots on luxury-travel list"]. Denver Business Journal. January 11, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2008

According to the city's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,{{cite web |url=https://co-grandjunction.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/1705/2023-ACFR-PDF?bidId= |title=City of Grand Junction CAFR |access-date=September 6, 2024}} Grand Junction's top employers are:

Grand Junction's Colorado National Monument was home to a stage in the Coors Classic bicycle race known as "The Tour of the Moon" due to the Monument's unique landscape.

Since 1958, the JUCO World Series{{Cite web |url=https://jucogj.org/ |title=Alpine Bank NJCAA Division I JUCO World Series |website=Alpine Bank NJCAA Division I JUCO World Series}} has been played at Suplizio Field. The city also has a professional Minor League Baseball team, the Grand Junction Jackalopes, who play in the Pioneer Baseball League. The Jackalopes were formerly known as the Grand Junction Rockies and were a minor league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, but became independent in 2020.

Both Suplizio Field and Stocker Stadium also host Colorado Mesa University as well as School District 51 sporting events.

The Grand Junction area has developed as a mountain biking destination, with many bikers coming from the Front Range of Colorado, the Salt Lake City area, and as far away as California to enjoy the area's abundant single-track trails. Two prominent trails are the Tabeguache and Kokopelli trails, the latter running from near Loma to Moab, Utah. Fruita, Colorado, with its 18-Road trail system, is within 10 miles of the city and has become a major mountain biking destination.

Image:ST Smith Educational Tower.jpg

The Mesa Valley School District No. 51 provides comprehensive K–12 public education to the Grand Junction area.{{cite web |url=http://www.mesa.k12.co.us/ |title=Home |publisher=Mesa County Valley School District 51 |access-date=July 21, 2022}} School District 51 operates five high schools:

• Fruita Monument High School
• Grand Junction High School
• Central High School
• Palisade High School
• R-5 High School

In addition, the district operates numerous middle, elementary, and other types of schools, including East Middle School, Redlands Middle School, and West Middle School. District 51 partners with CMU Tech to operate a vocational school, owned and operated by Colorado Mesa University. CMU Tech was formerly named Western Colorado Community College.

Colorado Mesa University, a public university, serves as the primary provider of higher education on the Western Slope from its campus in central Grand Junction. This campus has an average enrollment of just under 10,000 students and offers a variety of degrees, including a Masters in Business Administration, Educational Leadership, and ESOL. The university also operates CMU Tech, a community college offering associates degrees and professional certificates. Also located in Grand Junction is IntelliTec College, a private for-profit technical college offering professional certificates.

{{main|Media in Grand Junction, Colorado}}

The Grand Junction radio market includes all of Mesa County, Colorado.{{cite web |title=2012 Arbitron Radio Metro Map |publisher=Arbitron |url=http://www.arbitron.com/downloads/Arb_US_Metro_Map_12.pdf |access-date=August 25, 2014}} Six AM radio stations and more than 25 FM stations are licensed to broadcast from the city.{{cite web |title=AMQ AM Radio Database Query |publisher=Federal Communications Commission |url=http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/amq.html |access-date=August 25, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825063614/http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/amq.html |archive-date=August 25, 2009}}{{cite web |title=Radio Stations in Grand Junction, Colorado |publisher=Radio-Locator |url=http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=Grand+Junction&state=CO&x=0&y=0 |access-date=August 25, 2014}}

Grand Junction is serviced by one local newspaper, the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. The Grand Junction area also receives newspaper influence from sources in the greater Denver front range area.

Grand Junction has ABC, NBC, and CBS television station affiliates under the call signs of KJCT-TV (Channel 8), KKCO-TV (Channel 11), and KREX-TV (Channel 5), respectively. Also, Grand Junction has a Fox (Channel 4) affiliate station under the call sign of KFQX that receives news from the Denver FOX affiliate, KDVR (Channel 31) at 9 pm. KLML (Channel 20) broadcasts Cozi TV programming. KRMJ (Channel 18) is the local PBS affiliate, part of the statewide Rocky Mountain PBS network.

File:Amtrak station in Grand Junction, CO.JPG

Grand Junction Regional Airport (formerly Walker Field Airport) serves as the major airport in the area. It is the largest airport in western Colorado, and the third-largest in the state, behind Denver International Airport and the Colorado Springs Airport. As of 2025, the Grand Junction Regional Airport offers direct flights to Denver, Dallas–Fort Worth, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Santa Ana, as well as one-stop flights to Provo, Utah. In January 2025, the airport began offering one-stop direct flights to Hartford, Connecticut, with a stop in Las Vegas.{{Cite web |title=Airlines Serving GJT |url=https://gjairport.com/Airlines_Serving_GJT |website=Grand Junction Regional Airport |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=STAFF |first=SENTINEL |date=2024-07-10 |title=Breeze Airways announces new flight from Grand Junction to Las Vegas |url=https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/breeze-airways-announces-new-flight-from-grand-junction-to-las-vegas/article_327f2b02-3ef6-11ef-970e-ab066661964e.html |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2025-01-07 |title=Breeze Airways' inaugural flight to Vegas starts Thursday |url=https://www.westernslopenow.com/news/local-news/breeze-airways-inaugural-flight-to-vegas-starts-thursday/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250110005225/https://www.westernslopenow.com/news/local-news/breeze-airways-inaugural-flight-to-vegas-starts-thursday/ |archive-date=2025-01-10 |access-date=2025-03-16 |work=WesternSlopeNow.com |language=en-US}}

Railroad freight service is provided by Union Pacific, with BNSF trackage rights. Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Grand Junction Station, operating its California Zephyr daily on the UP trackage in both directions between Chicago and Emeryville, California, across the bay from San Francisco.

Bustang, Colorado's state-run bus system, provides intercity bus service to the city. There are two bus lines that include Grand Junction. The West line connects to Denver, while the Outrider line connects to Durango. Both of these have multiple stops between the final destinations, and the West line has options to transfer to alternative lines.

Grand Valley Transit (GVT) is a regional transit system serving the Grand Valley. It operates 11 bus routes in the area as well as a "dial-a-ride" service.

The city also offers a shared micromobility program that was launched in May 2023. The city has allowed the companies Bird and Lime to rent out the e-scooters via their respective mobile apps.{{Cite web |title=Shared Micromobility Pilot |url=https://engagegj.org/micromobility |access-date=May 6, 2023 |website=Engage GJ |language=en-US}}

• 25px Interstate 70 runs from Interstate 15 in Cove Fort, Utah to Baltimore, Maryland, connecting Grand Junction to Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Columbus. Via Interstate 15, it connects Grand Junction with Las Vegas, Nevada, and southern California.
• 25px U.S. Highway 6 serves 14 states, running east–west from Provincetown, Massachusetts, to Bishop, California. In Colorado, it generally runs parallel to Interstate 76 and Interstate 70.
• 25px U.S. Highway 50 crosses 12 states, linking Ocean City, Maryland, with Sacramento, California. In Colorado, U.S. 50 connects Grand Junction with Montrose, Gunnison, and Pueblo, and to the west, it travels into the state of Utah.
• 25px SH 340 runs east–west, starting at First Street in downtown Grand Junction, traversing the Redlands and ending at 'U.S. Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 50 in Fruita.

• Owen Aspinall, former governor of American Samoa
• Sabré Cook, racing driver
• Ross Davis, racing driver
• Charles L. Fletcher, architect and interior designer
• Ben Garland, NFL player
• Chuck Hull, inventor
• Vance Johnson, former NFL wide receiver
• Aryn Kyle, author{{Cite web |url=http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2010/01/22 |title=Public Radio |access-date=July 22, 2017 |archive-date=April 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427023823/http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2010/01/22 |url-status=dead }}
• Kathryn Mientka, pianist, director of the Western Slope Chamber Music Series
• Tyme Mientka, cellist, director of the Western Slope Chamber Music Series
• Annabelle Craft Moss, aviator who received Congressional Gold Medal; served in World War II with Women Airforce Service Pilots
• Bill Musgrave, former NFL player and coach
• Rick Schroder, actor and film director
• Elmo Smith, former governor of Oregon
• Michael Strobl, U.S. Marine, subject of a 2009 film, Taking Chance
• Dalton Trumbo, screenwriter
• Walter Walker, political leader and publisher

{{See also|List of sister cities in Colorado}}

Grand Junction has a sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:

• {{flagicon|El Salvador}} El Espino (Jucuarán), Usulután Department, El Salvador{{cite web |title=Grand Junction, Colorado Wins Sister Cities International's Innovation Award for Professional and Technical Assistance |url=https://sistercities.org/2019-annual-awards-program-cities-mean-business/grand-junction-colorado-wins-sister-cities-internationals-innovation-award-for-professional-and-technical-assistance/ |website=Sister Cities International |date=July 8, 2019}}{{cite web |title=Anna Stout |url=https://www.gjcity.org/330/Anna-Stout |website=City of Grand Junction, Colorado}}

{{portal|Colorado }}

• List of municipalities in Colorado

{{Notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{sister project links|auto=yes}}

• {{official website|https://www.gjcity.org}}
• [http://dtdapps.coloradodot.info/staticdata/Downloads/CityMaps/Grand%20Junction.pdf CDOT map of the City of Grand Junction]

{{Geographic location

| Centre =Grand Junction

| North =

| Northeast =Clifton, Colorado

| East =

| Southeast =Delta, Colorado

| South =

| Southwest =Gateway, Colorado

| West =Glade Park, Colorado

| Northwest =Fruita, Colorado

}}

{{Mesa County, Colorado}}

{{Colorado county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Colorado

Category:Cities in Mesa County, Colorado

Category:Colorado populated places on the Colorado River

Category:Colorado Western Slope

Category:County seats in Colorado