Grand Valley (Colorado-Utah)
| Grand Valley | |
 A portion of the Grand Valley at dusk
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| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| States |
 Colorado,  Utah
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| County | Mesa County, CO, Grand County, UT |
| Coordinates | 39°11′N 108°43′W / 39.183°N 108.717°WCoordinates: 39°11′N 108°43′W / 39.183°N 108.717°W |
| Lowest point | |
| - location | Colorado River |
| Population | 147,083 (2011) |
The Grand Valley is an extended populated valley, approximately 30 miles (48 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide, located along the Colorado River in Mesa County, Colorado and Grand County, Utah in the United States. The valley contains the city of Grand Junction, as well as other smaller communities such as Fruita, and Palisade. The valley is noted as a major fruit growing region, with a large number of orchards. It takes its name from the "Grand River", the historical name of the Colorado River upstream from its confluence with the Green River that was used by locals in the late 19th and early 20th century. The valley is the most densely populated area on the Colorado Western Slope, with Grand Junction serving as an unofficial capital of the region, as a counterpoint to Denver on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains in the Colorado Front Range. Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 6 run through the valley from west-to-east. The Grand Valley is part of the larger Colorado Plateau desert lands.
The valley begins where the Colorado River widens at the mouth of De Beque Canyon to the east of Palisade, then follows a wide arc bending to the west/southwest. The Colorado receives the Gunnison River, one of its major tributaries, just south of Grand Junction near the midpoint of the valley. The valley is surrounded by large plateau formations, including the Bookcliffs along the north side, the Grand Mesa along the southeast side, and the Uncompahgre Plateau to the southwest. Colorado National Monument sits on a ridge on the southwest side of the valley west of Grand Junction. Much of the surrounding table land areas rimming the valley are public lands controlled by the Bureau of Land Management.
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Wikipedia