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Begin your virtual tour of Mesa County by clicking on any of the above entry points,
and follow roads or trails through a network of linked images.
Mesa County, laying on the western border of Colorado, occupies a widely varied terrain which includes deserts, mountains, mesas, cliffs and the Colorado River. It covers 3,341 square miles. Grand Valley lies at the center of the county, a large, arid region bounded by cliffs and mountains on the north and the south. The Colorado River flows through Grand Valley, entering at its eastern end, crossing to the southern edge, and then leaving the valley through a canyon to the southwest. Areas along the river are under irrigation, while areas further out, especially the northwest corner, are barren and dry. Grand Junction, one of the larger cities of Colorado is in Grand Valley, as well as a number of smaller towns.
Many interesting features surround Grand Valley. The Book Cliffs rim it on the north. The cliffs and rock formations of Colorado National Monument are on the south. Grand Mesa lies to the east, touted as the largest mesa in the world in area (500 square miles), and 5000 feet above Grand Valley. The flat top of the mesa is an alpine paradise with elevations above 10,000 feet. It is dotte by lakes, covered in forests, and bounded by steep cliffs.
Mesa County was organized on February 14, 1883 and has a population of 116,255, as of the 2000 census. Grand Junction is the county seat.Interstate 70 crosses it following the Colorado River. U.S. Highway 6 either joins or parallels the freeway through the county, and U.S. Highway 50 enters from the southeast and joins them at Grand Junction. State Highway 141 traverses the remote southwest corner of the county, and State Highwya 65 crosses Grand Mesa. State Highway 139 crosses the northwest corner of the county, connecting through a mountainous area to Rangely to the north.
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