Mesa County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofColorado. As of the2020 census, the population was 155,703, making it the most populous county in western Colorado, and 11th most populous in the state.[2] Thecounty seat and most populous municipality isGrand Junction.[3] The county was named for the many largemesas in the area, including theGrand Mesa, which is the largest flat-topped mountain in the world.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,341 square miles (8,650 km2), of which 3,329 square miles (8,620 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (0.4%) is water.[6] It is the fourth-largest county by area in Colorado.
U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790-1960[9] 1900-1990[10] 1990-2000[11] 2010-2020[2]
As of thecensus[12] of 2010, there were 146,723 people, 58,095 households, and 38,593 families living in the county. Thepopulation density was 44.1 people per square mile (17.0 people/km2). There were 62,644 housing units. According to the 2000 American Factfinder data, the racial makeup of the county was 92.34%White, 0.46%Black orAfrican American, 0.91%Native American, 0.53%Asian, 0.10%Pacific Islander, 3.67% fromother races, and 1.99% from two or more races. 10.02% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 45,823 households, out of which 31.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% weremarried couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 25.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the county, 25.00% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.40% was from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,864, and the median income for a family was $43,009. Males had a median income of $32,316 versus $22,374 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $18,715. About 7.00% of families and 10.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 11.50% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.
Much of Mesa County, namely the communities of Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade, and De Beque, is served by Mesa County Valley School District 51. This district serves nearly 21,000 students across 47 schools, making it by far the largest school district in western Colorado. The Plateau Valley School District serves the more remote eastern portion of the county, serving students in the communities of Collbran, Mesa, and Molina.[13]
Colorado Mesa University, a public liberal arts university serving roughly 9,000 students annually, is located in Grand Junction. CMU is western Colorado's largest university, making Mesa County an epicenter of the region's higher education. Grand Junction is also home toIntelliTec College, which offers professional certificates.
Unlike most urban counties, Mesa County is strongly Republican. It has voted Democratic only once since 1952, duringLyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide, andHubert Humphrey in the following 1968 election is the last Democrat to tally forty percent of the county's vote.
It was reported in August 2021 that the MesaCounty ClerkTina Peters in May 2021 allowed an unauthorized person into a secure facility during an annualupgrade to the county'selection equipmentsoftware, compromising the equipment. Thesecurity breach meant Mesa County would not be able to use the equipment for its fall 2021 election.[14]
This was not the first time Peters had been a source of election controversy. In February 2020, it was discovered that Peters' office neglected to count 574 ballots cast in a dropbox outside her office. These uncounted ballots were cast in the November 2019 election and remained uncounted in the dropbox for 3 months. They were found only because Peters' office checked the dropbox for ballots cast in the next election - the 2020 presidential primary. This prompted an attempt to recall Peters as county clerk. The effort was unsuccessful.[15]
In March 2022, Peters was indicted by a Mesa County grand jury on seven felony and three misdemeanor counts of election tampering and misconduct related to the alleged May 2021 security breach. Her deputy, Belinda Knisley, was charged on six counts. At the time of indictment, Peters was a candidate forColorado Secretary of State, a position that would involve supervising the state's elections.[16] In May 2022, a Colorado district judge prohibited Peters and Knisley from overseeing November 2022 Mesa County elections, the second year of such a prohibition.[17]
On August 12, 2024, Peters was convicted on seven of the ten charges against her, including four felonies. A Mesa County jury found Peters guilty on three counts of attempting to influence a public servant, and one count each of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation, official misconduct, violation of duty, and failure to comply with the Secretary of State. She was acquitted on the remaining three charges against her, which included identity theft and criminal impersonation.[18]
On October 3, 2024, Peters was sentenced to a total of 9 years in prison, with the first 6 months of her sentence to be served in the Mesa County Detention Facility, and the remaining 8.5 years to be served in theColorado Department of Corrections. Peters was also fined a total of $3,000.[19]
United States presidential election results for Mesa County, Colorado[20]
SH 340 runs east–west, starting at First Street in downtown Grand Junction, traversing the Redlands and ending atU.S. Highway 6 andU.S. Highway 50 in Fruita.
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