Colorado Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Grand Junction, Colorado

Population: 41,986

Located in Mesa County

Nestled between towering rock formations and beautiful, lush mountain ranges, Grand Junction, Colorado has a wonderful mild climate with warm, dry summers and mild winters. The unique landscape and climate in Grand Junction provide for unlimited outdoor recreation activities. From winter skiing to mountain biking, fishing, rock climbing, and camping, you will find Grand Junction to be a place of enjoyment year-round.

Grand Junction is a regional hub for health care, education and goods and
services within about a 200-mile radius. With energy development, tourism,
and a small manufacturing base, the economy here continues to grow with
strong diversity.
 
The housing market in the Grand Junction Area is predominantly composed of
single-family detached dwellings. However, a recently completed Valley Wide
Housing Strategy is aimed at diversifying that stock in the future to
include more diversity in our overall housing stock.
 
Grand Junction is served by one K-12 school district with an enrollment of
about 22,000 students. There are also several charter schools including a
new dual immersion academy that includes instruction in English and Spanish.
The community is also a magnet for higher educational opportunities. Mesa
State College serves more than 6,000 students and has been in a campus-wide
expansion effort for three years with new classroom buildings, dorms and a
student services center that is under construction. They have also added
curriculum in the areas of engineering and land management. Western Colorado
Community College and an assortment of private providers also offer post
secondary education. In the case of the School District and the College
there is a great deal of collaboration and partnership that allows for the
sharing of facilities for students and the community at large that promotes
community involvement and support of education.
 
The vast amount of federal public lands including the 23,000 square acres of
the Colorado National Monument creates opportunities for tourism and eco
tourism. It also is a major draw for hiking, biking and exploring. The
Forestry Division maintains over 75,000 trees and shrubs, and thousands of
perennial and annual flowers throughout the community.
 
The City of Grand Junction maintains 35 developed parks providing a wide
range of activities, playgrounds, and aesthetically pleasing landscaping.
Over 19 miles of riverfront trail meanders along the Colorado River and
connects to the urban trail system.
 
Stocker Football Stadium offers a synthetic field turf for local high
schools and Mesa State College. Suplizio baseball stadium has been the host
site for the Junior College World Series since 1959 and offers seating
capacity of over 10,000.
 
Two municipal courses play host to the longest running golf tournament in
Colorado – the Rocky Mountain Open. Lincoln Park Golf Course is
consistently rated as one of the top two 9-hole courses in Colorado. Tiara
Rado Golf Course is located at the base of the Colorado National Monument
and features two holes that play through a functioning apricot orchard.
 
The Colorado Riverfront project has created over 50 miles of trail along the
banks of the river. In addition the City has begun some major energy
conservation and greening measures including the conversion of methane from
the sewer plant to power city vehicles.
 
The Recreation Department provides leisure programming with over 1,000
annual recreation programs serving 265,000 participants, including the
Senior Recreation Center, Bookcliff Activity Center, and two other
recreation sites developed through school/city partnerships. Year round
swimming opportunities are provided at one indoor and one outdoor aquatic
center. Bother facilities are magnets for local schools, swim clubs, and
Mesa State College.
 
The Grand Junction Police Department has earned broad based support through
years of trustworthy policing. This trust has resulted in a number of
programs and initiatives, including: the Mesa County Meth Task Force with
Enforcement, Prevention and Treatment subcommittees – Grand Junction is the
first jurisdiction in Colorado to have its own publically-funded treatment
facility; the Underage Drinking Coalition; the Early Childhood Protection
Coalition; the Mesa County Criminal Justice Advisory Board; and the Mesa
County Juvenile Justice and Services Advisory Board. In addition, a
partnership with Mesa State College, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office and
the GJPD has resulted in one of Colorado’s finest police academies, Western
Colorado Peace Officers Academy - fully accredited and degree orientated.
 
Grand Junction also hosts several community and cultural events throughout
the year. Whether you prefer to take in a baseball game at the Junior
College Baseball World Series, to enjoy the beautiful sounds of the Grand
Junction Symphony, or sample wine at any of the several vineyards in the
valley, Grand Junction is sure to have an event for everyone to enjoy.
Grand Junction’s largest event is the four-day Country Jam featuring Grammy
winning country and western stars.  This event draws a crowd of more than
40,000 people. JUCO, the Junior College World Series, has been held in the
community for over fifty years and features future professional baseball
players now playing at the community college level, drawing thousands of
spectators annually.