Town guide

Fruita, Colorado

Fruita is a city in Mesa County, Colorado, home to about 13,691 people across 7.9 square miles. Its ZIP code is 81521.

Homes sold for a median of $294 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population13,6911,735 per sq mi
Median home value$398,200Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$294Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking13%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Fruita

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Fruita. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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We’re writing up Fruita’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Fruita

Distances

Nearest major airportSalt Lake City International Airport (SLC)206 miles away
Closer regional airportGrand Junction Regional Airport (GJT)11 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Denver, CO209 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Phoenix, AZ429 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Fruita; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Fruita

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Fruita had 13,395 residents in the 2020 census, up 107% since 2000.

It’s the 54th largest of 472 towns in Colorado by population.

Mesa County grew from 9,267 residents in 1900 to 155,703 in 2020.

Fruita population by census2000: 6,478, 2010: 12,646, 2020: 13,3956,478200012,646201013,3952020

Mesa County, 1900–2020

Mesa County population, 1900 to 20201900: 9,267, 1910: 22,197, 1920: 22,281, 1930: 25,908, 1940: 33,791, 1950: 38,974, 1960: 50,715, 1970: 54,374, 1980: 81,530, 1990: 93,145, 2000: 116,255, 2010: 146,723, 2020: 155,7039K’00’1022K’20’3034K’40’5051K’60’7082K’80’90116K’00’10156K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 95°F in summer, and winter lows average 15°F. About 10.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near FruitaJan: high 39°F, low 15°F, 0.8 in; Feb: high 47°F, low 21°F, 0.8 in; Mar: high 59°F, low 29°F, 0.9 in; Apr: high 67°F, low 35°F, 0.9 in; May: high 78°F, low 45°F, 0.9 in; Jun: high 89°F, low 53°F, 0.6 in; Jul: high 95°F, low 60°F, 0.7 in; Aug: high 92°F, low 58°F, 0.8 in; Sep: high 83°F, low 48°F, 1.1 in; Oct: high 69°F, low 36°F, 1.2 in; Nov: high 54°F, low 25°F, 0.7 in; Dec: high 40°F, low 16°F, 0.7 in39°15°Jan0.847°21°Feb0.859°29°Mar0.967°35°Apr0.978°45°May0.989°53°Jun0.695°60°Jul0.792°58°Aug0.883°48°Sep1.169°36°Oct1.254°25°Nov0.740°16°Dec0.7Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Fruita, CO weather station (about a mile away).

Jobs in Mesa County

56,737 jobs at 4,827 businesses in Mesa County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Mesa CountyHealth care and social assistance: 13,141 jobs; Retail trade: 8,957 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 7,061 jobs; Construction: 5,324 jobs; Manufacturing: 3,080 jobs; Wholesale trade: 2,522 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 2,485 jobs; Other services: 2,481 jobsHealth care and social assistance 23% Retail trade 16% Hotels and restaurants 12% Construction 9% Manufacturing 5% Wholesale trade 4% Transportation and warehousing 4% Other services 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

144 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Fruita.

Nearest hospitals

  • Family Health West HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · FruitaUnder a mile
  • Community HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Grand Junction7.0 miles
  • Intermountain Health St.. Mary's Regional HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Grand Junction10.0 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors24
Specialist doctors29
Dentists6
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants30
Mental health providers18
Physical and occupational therapists28
Optometrists3
Chiropractors6
Pharmacies3

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Fruita

Parks (7 nearby)

  • Little Salt Wash Park · 26 acres0.3 mi
  • Heritage Park · 4 acres0.9 mi
  • Reed Park · 3 acres0.7 mi
  • Windsor Park · 2 acres0.5 mi
  • Circle Park · 1 acres0.7 mi
  • Triangle Park · 1 acres1.0 mi

Grocery stores (1 nearby)

  • City Market0.8 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Mesa County Libraries - Fruita Branch Library0.8 mi

Museums (1 nearby)

  • Dinosaur Journey1.3 mi

Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)

  • Cavalcade0.6 mi

Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1884.

Notable people born here

  • Maggie Baird (1959) · American actress (born 1959)

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Fruita

Public schools here are run by Mesa County Valley School District No. 51, State Charter School Institute. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (6)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Monument Ridge Elementary SchoolFruitaPre-K–5300Public0.8 mi
Monument View Montessori Charter SchoolFruitaPre-K–338Charter2.7 mi
Rim Rock Elementary SchoolFruitaPre-K–5292Public0.6 mi
Shelledy Elementary SchoolFruitaPre-K–5371Public0.7 mi
Fruita Middle SchoolFruita6–8690Public1.2 mi
Fruita Monument High SchoolFruita9–121,427Public1.1 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Towns near Fruita

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.