About the County

Location
Grand County is located in southeastern Utah and was originally named for the Colorado River, which at the time was known as the Grande River. Its county seat and largest city is Moab. As of 2000 the population was 8,485, and by 2005 it was estimated to be 8,743.

Area
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 9,568 km² (3,694 mi²). 9,535 km² (3,682 mi²) of it is land and 32 km² (13 mi²) of it (0.34%) is water. The Green River forms the western boundary and Colorado lies on the eastern boundary. The Colorado River flows through the southeastern corner.
Grand County
Geographic Data
Grand County is situated on a geological province called the Colorado Plateau. The plateau is drained almost entirely by the Colorado River and its tributaries, which include the Little Colorado, Green, San Juan, and Dirty Devil rivers. Geographically, the Colorado Plateau is located almost entirely in Utah, with small sections extending into the adjacent states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Composed mostly of sandstone and limestone, the plateau has been eroded by large rivers and other water and wind sources into huge canyons and other complex erosional forms that make it a rugged, but scenically spectacular, region. Arches National Park, a red rock wonderland containing the world’s largest concentration of sandstone arches, is located entirely within the boundaries of Grand County.