Mesa County, Colorado
Encyclopedia
Mesa County is the fourth most extensive and the eleventh most populous of the 64 counties
of the state of Colorado
in the United States
. The county was named for the many large mesa
s in the area, including Grand Mesa
. The county population was 146,723 at the 2010 United States Census. The county seat
is Grand Junction
. The Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area
comprises Mesa County.
of 2000, there were 116,255 people, 45,823 households, and 31,572 families residing in the county. The population density
was 35 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 48,427 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.34% White
, 0.46% Black
or African American
, 0.91% Native American
, 0.53% Asian
, 0.10% Pacific Islander
, 3.67% from other races
, and 1.99% from two or more races. 10.02% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 45,823 households out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were married couples
living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,864, and the median income for a family was $43,009. Males had a median income of $32,316 versus $22,374 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $18,715. About 7.00% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.50% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.
Colorado counties
The U.S state of Colorado is divided into 64 counties. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions, such as townships...
of the state of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The county was named for the many large mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
s in the area, including Grand Mesa
Grand Mesa
The Grand Mesa is a large mesa in western Colorado in the United States. It has an area of about and stretches for about east of Grand Junction between the Colorado River and the Gunnison River, its tributary to the south. The north side of the mesa is drained largely by Plateau Creek, a...
. The county population was 146,723 at the 2010 United States Census. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Grand Junction
Grand Junction, Colorado
The City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
. The Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area
Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area
thumb|300px|Map of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area located in the Grand Junction region of the State of Colorado. The Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical...
comprises Mesa County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3341.11 square miles (8,653.4 km²), of which 3327.75 square miles (8,618.8 km²) (or 99.60%) is land and 13.36 square miles (34.6 km²) (or 0.40%) is water.Adjacent counties
- Garfield CountyGarfield County, ColoradoGarfield County is the eighth most extensive and the twelfth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 43,791 at U.S. Census 2000. The county is named in honor of United States President James A. Garfield...
, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- north - Pitkin CountyPitkin County, ColoradoPitkin County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of the late Colorado Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin. The county population was 14,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Aspen...
, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- east - Gunnison CountyGunnison County, ColoradoGunnison County is the fifth most extensive of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county population was 15,324 at the 2010 census. The county was named for John W. Gunnison, a United States Army officer and captain in the Army Topographical Engineers, who surveyed...
, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- east - Delta CountyDelta County, ColoradoDelta County is the 17th most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 27,834 in the 2000 U.S. Census. The county seat is the City of Delta...
, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- southeast - Montrose CountyMontrose County, ColoradoMontrose County is the 17th most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 41,276 at U.S. Census 2010. The county was named for its county seat, the City of Montrose...
, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- south - Grand CountyGrand County, UtahGrand County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of 2000 the population was 8,485, and by 2005 had been estimated at 8,743. It was named for the Colorado River, which at the time of statehood was known as the Grand River. Its county seat and largest city is Moab.-Geography:According...
, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
- west
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 116,255 people, 45,823 households, and 31,572 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 35 people per square mile (13/km²). There were 48,427 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.34% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.46% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.91% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.53% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.10% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 3.67% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.99% from two or more races. 10.02% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 45,823 households out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.00% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,864, and the median income for a family was $43,009. Males had a median income of $32,316 versus $22,374 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $18,715. About 7.00% of families and 10.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.50% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
- CarpenterCarpenter, ColoradoCarpenter is a ghost town in Mesa County, Colorado, United States, twelve miles northeast of Grand Junction at the end of an extension to 27¼ Road. The settlement was established by William Thomas Carpenter early in 1890 to provide the miners who worked in his two Book Cliff mines with a place to...
- CliftonClifton, ColoradoClifton is a census-designated place in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 19,889 at the 2010 census...
- CollbranCollbran, ColoradoCollbran is a Statutory Town in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 708 at the 2010 census. The town is located east of Grand Junction along Plateau Creek, at the upper end of the small cattle ranching valley...
- De BequeDe Beque, ColoradoDe Beque is a Statutory Town in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 504 at the 2010 census. The town consists of a small grid, including a historic downtown featuring a town hall, a tavern, and several commercial...
- FruitaFruita, ColoradoThe City of Fruita is a Home Rule Municipality located in the western part of Mesa County, Colorado, in the United States. It is part of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area and within the Grand Valley...
- FruitvaleFruitvale, ColoradoFruitvale is a census-designated place in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The population was 7,675 at the 2010 census. The Grand Junction Post Office serves Fruitvale postal addresses.-Geography:...
- GatewayGateway, ColoradoGateway is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office located in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The Gateway Post Office has the ZIP Code 81522.-Tourism:...
- Grand JunctionGrand Junction, ColoradoThe City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
- LomaLoma, ColoradoLoma is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office located northwest of Grand Junction in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The Loma Post Office has the ZIP Code 81524.Loma is home to Loma Elementary School, whose mascot is the lion...
- MackMack, ColoradoMack is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office located about 10 miles east of the Colorado/Utah border in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The Mack Post Office has the ZIP Code 81525...
- MesaMesa, ColoradoMesa is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office located in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The Mesa Post Office has the ZIP Code 81643.-External links:* http://www.publicschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/13989...
- MolinaMolina, ColoradoMolina is an unincorporated town and a U.S. Post Office located in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The Molina Post Office has the ZIP Code 81646....
- Orchard MesaOrchard Mesa, ColoradoOrchard Mesa is a census-designated place in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The population was 6,836 at the 2010 census. Orchard Mesa is an unincorporated area adjacent to the city of Grand Junction.-Geography:Orchard Mesa is located at ....
- PalisadePalisade, ColoradoPalisade is a Statutory Town in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,692 at the 2010 census....
- Plateau City
- RedlandsRedlands, ColoradoRedlands is a census-designated place in Mesa County, Colorado, United States. The population was 8,685 at the 2010 census. It is an unincorporated community comprising the area between the cities of Grand Junction and Fruita.-Geography:...
- WhitewaterWhitewater, ColoradoWhitewater is an unincorporated community with a U.S. Post Office in Mesa County, Colorado, United States, just south of Grand Junction. The Whitewater Post Office has the ZIP Code 81527...
National forests and wilderness
- Grand Mesa National ForestGrand Mesa National ForestThe Grand Mesa National Forest is a U.S. National Forest in Mesa, Delta and Garfield Counties in Western Colorado. It borders the White River National Forest to the north and the Gunnison National Forest to the east. The forest covers most of Grand Mesa and the south part of Battlement Mesa. It...
- Uncompahgre National ForestUncompahgre National ForestUncompahgre National Forest is a U.S. National Forest covering 955,229 acres in parts of Montrose, Mesa, San Miguel, Ouray, Gunnison, San Juan, and Delta Counties in western Colorado...
- White River National ForestWhite River National ForestWhite River National Forest is a National Forest in northwest Colorado. It is named after the White River that passes through it. It also contains the Flat Tops Wilderness Area, largely considered the birthplace of the U.S...
- Black Ridge Canyons WildernessBlack Ridge Canyons WildernessThe Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness is located in western Colorado and eastern Utah, USA, within the arid Colorado Plateau region approximately west of Grand Junction, Colorado. The wilderness lies on the northwest flank of the Uncompahgre Plateau...
- Dominguez Canyon WildernessDominguez Canyon WildernessThe Dominguez Canyon Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located southeast of Grand Junction in western Colorado. The wilderness area established in 2009, the largest BLM roadless area in the state of Colorado, includes two major canyon systems that drain the northeastern corner of the...
State parks
- Highline Lake State ParkHighline Lake State ParkHighline Lake State Park is a Colorado state park. It is home to two lakes, the Highline Lake and the Mack Mesa Lake. It is well known for its birdwatching opportunities and has two wildlife migratory waterfowl overlook kiosks where it is possible to watch Great blue heron, white pelicans and...
- James M. Robb – Colorado River State Park
- Vega State ParkVega State ParkVega State Park is a Colorado state park in Mesa County, Colorado in the United States. Vega Reservoir is a fishing destination and is located at an elevation of . Year-round recreational activities at Vega State Park include boating, hiking, snow mobiling and camping...
Trails
- American Discovery TrailAmerican Discovery TrailThe American Discovery Trail is a coast-to-coast hiking and biking trail across the mid-tier of the United States. It starts on the Delmarva Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and ends on the northern California coast on the Pacific Ocean, and is signed on over of trail. This includes the doubled...
- Kokopelli TrailKokopelli TrailKokopelli's Trail is a 142 mile multi-use trail in the U.S. states of Colorado and Utah. The trail was named in honor of its mythic muse, Kokopelli...
- Old Spanish National Historic Trail
Scenic byways
- Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway National Scenic Byway
- Grand Mesa National Scenic and Historic BywayGrand Mesa Scenic and Historic BywayGrand Mesa Scenic and Historic Byway, also known at the Grand Mesa National Scenic and Historic Byway, runs North from Cedaredge along Highway 65, to the top of the Grand Mesa at more than 10,000 feet . It also includes Land's End Road to the Land's End Observatory from Highway 65...
- Unaweep/Tabeguache Scenic and Historic Byway
See also
- Colorado census statistical areas
- Colorado countiesColorado countiesThe U.S state of Colorado is divided into 64 counties. Counties are important units of government in Colorado since the state has no secondary civil subdivisions, such as townships...
- Colorado metropolitan areasColorado metropolitan areasThe metropolitan areas of the State of Colorado include the urban statistical areas defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget and regions of urban population defined by other organizations.-Census statistical areas:...
- Colorado municipalitiesColorado municipalitiesThe U.S. state of Colorado currently has 271 active incorporated municipalities, including 196 towns, 73 cities, and two consolidated city and county governments.-Municipal government:...
- Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical AreaGrand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Areathumb|300px|Map of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical AreaThe Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area is a United States Census Bureau defined Metropolitan Statistical Area located in the Grand Junction region of the State of Colorado. The Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Mesa County, ColoradoNational Register of Historic Places listings in Mesa County, ColoradoThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Mesa County, Colorado. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Mesa County, Colorado, United States...