Ivan Gillis

200 Best Fishing in Retirement Locations

Location Number  44:

Grand Junction, CO

The City of Grand Junction is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States.  Grand Junction is situated 197 miles (317 km) west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 45,299.  Grand Junction is the 15th most populous city in the State of Colorado and the most populous city on the Colorado Western Slope. The population of Grand Junction is a bit misleading because the population is only measured for the zip codes 81501 and 81502 exclusively. The true population of Grand Junction is in the early 100,000's.  Grand Junction serves as a major commercial and transportation hub within the large area between the Green River and the Continental Divide. It is the principal city of the Grand Junction Metropolitan Statistical Area which had a population of 139,137 in 2007.

The city is located along the north side of the Colorado River, where it receives the Gunnison River from south. The name "Grand" refers to the historical name of the upper Colorado River until renamed in 1921, and the word 'junction' is from the joining of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers. The city sits near the mid-point of a 30-mile (48 km) arcing valley, known as the Grand Valley, a major fruit-growing region, historically home to the Ute people and settled by white farmers in the 1880s. In recent years, several wineries have been established in the area as well. The Colorado National Monument, a series of canyons and mesas similar to the Grand Canyon overlook the city, while most of the area is surrounded by public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Interstate 70 connects the city eastward to Glenwood Springs and Denver.

Today the economy of Grand Junction is more diverse and stable than it has been in the last 40 years. Currently, major contributors are health care, tourism, agriculture, livestock, and service. Major oil companies have once again invested large amounts of money recently (within the last two years), though more conservatively than in the 1960s. This has been a major boom to the area though only recently, and it can see its cause directly linked to the recent increase in oil prices.

State Fish:

Greenback cutthroat trout  Click this link for pictures and more information.

Types of Fish:

http://wildlife.state.co.us/Fishing/SpeciesID/

State Fish & Game Website:  (Licensing requirements & Etc)

http://wildlife.state.co.us/

Fishing Information Links:

http://www.aa-fishing.com/co/Colorado-fishing.html

http://www.coloradodirectory.com/Fun/fishing.html

http://www.worldwidefishing.com/colorado/b2637/index.html?page_type=fresh&state_page=colorado&company=The+High+Lonesome+Ranch

Income & Housing Costs Numbers:

Estimated median household income in 2005: $36,500 (it was $33,152 in 2000)

Grand Junction	$36,500
Colorado:	$50,652

Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $167,200 (it was $121,500 in 2000)

Grand Junction	$167,200
Colorado:	$223,300

Geographic:

Elevation: 4597 feet

Land area: 30.8 square miles.

Population density: 1490 people per square mile

(low).

In-Depth Facts and Figures as listed below, plus other information:

·        Climate Charts

1.      Average Temperature

2.      Precipitation (Rain)

3.      Humidity

4.      Wind Speed (MPH)

5.      Snowfall

6.      Sunshine

7.      Cloudy Days

·        Tornado Activity History

·        Hospitals & Medical

·        Airports

·        Colleges/Universities

·        High Schools

·        Locations of Interest

·        Shopping Centers

·        Churches

·        Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Creeks/Parks

·        Tourist Attractions

·        Banks

·        Housing Costs Information

·        Crime Statistics

·        Radio Stations AM/FM

·        TV Broadcast Stations

·        Discussion Forums

For the above information and photos, click this link:

http://www.city-data.com/city/Grand-Junction-Colorado.html

Total Tax Burden--Data for Calculation

http://www.retirementliving.com/RLstate1.html#COLORADO

Cost of Living Calculators Links:

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html?step=form&x=36&y=3

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/movecalc.asp

http://cityrating.com/costofliving.asp

http://www.relocationessentials.com/aff/www/tools/salary/col.aspx

http://swz.salary.com/CostofLivingWizard/layoutscripts/coll_start.asp