Grand

Formed March 13, 1890 (25^th county)

Grand County (9,669), Moab (5,358)                

The tan brick Art Deco courthouse was constructed in 1937.  The facility is on Center Street at 100 East Street.  United States Highway 191 passes one block to the west.  Scott and Welch are the architects.  Grand County was organized on March 13, 1890 from Emery County as the 25^th county and Moab has always been the county seat.  The county is named for the Grand River which was renamed to the Colorado River.  The county seat is reportedly a Native American word meaning “mosquito.” 

Grand County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge and Two Juvenile Court Judges serve Grand, Carbon, Emery, and San Juan counties.  Grand County is located on the eastern border with Colorado.  Salt Lake City, Utah is northwest and Grand Junction, Colorado is east of the county.  The Colorado River flows through the county.  The county center is 47.8 miles North of Moab nearer Cisco.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Uintah County and Colorado and San Juan, Wayne, Emery, and Carbon counties. 

The area of the county is 3672 square miles.  It is 9 out of 29 in the state.  It ranks 22 out of 29 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.6 persons per square mile making it 20 out of 29 in the state.  Grand County has 59.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 70 crosses the county from east to west from Colorado to Emery County.  United States Highways 6/50 are joined with Interstate Highway 70 from Colorado to Emery County.  United States Highway 191 enters from the south, San Juan County, and joins Interstate Highway 70 into Emery County.  The county is a rectangle with a bulging western border.  Moab is located near the southern border of the county.  Moab is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 55.4% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced MOE-AB.