Mesa

Formed February 14, 1883 (38^th county)

Mesa County (155,710), Grand Junction (65,574)

A governmental masonry structure sits on Rood and 6^th streets.  Interstate Highway 70 Business is three blocks south of the location.  The courthouse was built in 1924 in Neo-Classical Revival style.  Eugene C. Groves is the courthouse architect.  It features faux columns.  An addition was added in 1964.  A Justice Center has been added in 2000.  Grand Junction has been the only county seat.  Mesa County was established on February 14, 1883 from Gunnison County as the 38^th county.  The Colorado River and Gunnison River cross through the county.  Grand Junction gets its name from the “Grand Colorado River” being joined by the Gunnison River.  The county’s name comes from the numerous mesas, “flat mountains,” in the area.  The center of the county is 11.4 miles East-Southeast of Grand Junction nearer Clifton. 

Mesa County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, manager, coroner, and treasurer (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Five District Court Judges and Two Trial Court Judges, clerk, and county attorney serve Mesa County (judicial.)  The county is in far west Colorado on the border with Utah.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Garfield, Pitkin, Gunnison, Delta, and Montrose counties and Utah.   

The area of the county is 3345.7 square miles.  The county is 4 out of 64 in the state. It ranks 11 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 46.5 persons per square mile making it 13 out of 64 in the state.  Mesa County has 52.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.   Interstate Highway 70 enters from the north, Garfield County, and exits to the west, Utah.  United States Highway 6 is joined with Interstate Highway 70 from Garfield County to Utah.  United States Highway 50 comes from the east, Delta County, joins Interstate Highway 70 at Grand Junction, and goes west into Utah.  The county is shaped like a small letter r.  Grand Junction is located in the northern half of the county.  Grand Junction is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 42.1% of the county population.  The county is pronounced MAE-SAH.  The county is in the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area.