Grand Junction CO Moving Companies

Grand Junction, Colorado

Grand Junction, Colorado, located in Mesa County, is the largest city in the west of Colorado. Grand Junction is the main city in the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geographically, the city is situated at the confluence of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers in the center of Grand Valley.

Those moving to Grand Junction will also discover a semi-arid climate, with dry and very cold winters with some snow; and hot, dry summers. Very little rain falls on the city, which boasts sunny days for 75 percent of the year.

Economy:
Statistics released by the United States Census Bureau show that grand Junction has a total land area of just under 31 square miles. Its population, counted in January 2011, stood at 58,444, a significant decreased of 39.2 percent since 2000. 1,897 residents live per square mile, thus the city is designated as being of low population density.

The nearest cities and town to Grand Junction are Orchard Mesa, Redlands, Fruitvale, Clifton, Palisade, Fruita, Whitewater-Kahnah Creek, and Glade Park-Gateway.
The Community Hospital, St Marys Hospital and Medical Center, Family Health West Hospital, Delta County Memorial Hospital and Grand River Hospital District provide medical services to the community. Grand Junction Regional Airport provides air connections and there is an Amtrak station in the city.

The Cost Of Living Index as at Jan. 2011 in Grand Junction was 94.5 points, substantially lower than the average for the United States of 100 points, Unemployment numbers released for December 2010 were 10.3 percent for Grand Junction and 8.6 percent for the average of the state of Colorado.

The traditional source of employment for Grand Junction was cattle ranching and agriculture - mainly fruit growing - and this is still true today, although several wineries and vineyards have recently been started, leading to a burgeoning wine industry.

Coal and uranium mining were a major economic force for many years, as were the gas, oil and oil shale sectors which, after a period of decline, have recently begun to be profitable again because of the rising cost of oil worldwide.
The other main employers of the residents of the city are the healthcare and education systems and tourism.

History:
The original inhabitants of the area now known as Grand Junction were the Ute Native Americans. European settlers came to the area in the 1880s and Grand Junction was officially incorporated in 1891.

Tourism:
The main draw cards bringing tourists to Grand Junction are the natural beauty of the area, the Powderhorn Ski Resort and the Kokopelli and Tabeguache single track mountain biking trails.

Colleges/Universities:

• Colorado Christian University- Grand Junction Center
• Mesa State College

Interesting Fact:

• Grand Junction is also known as River City and Colorado's Wine Country; and its motto is The Best Place to Live West of the Rockies.