Grand Junction is located in the Grand valley at the junction of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. With an elevation of 4,586 feet, Grand Junction is surrounded on the north, south, and east by mesas and mountains reaching heights of 9,000 to 10,500 feet.

The population of the Grand Junction metropolitan area is approximately 110,000. There are a number of light manufacturing and service industries, five area hospitals, a regional airport, world famous recreational opportunities, and Mesa State College.