Editing Grants, New Mexico (section)

==Geography==
Grants is located in north-central Cibola County. Santa Fe Avenue (former [[U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico|Route 66]]) is the main road through the city, while [[Interstate 40 in New Mexico|Interstate 40]] passes through the south side of the city, with access from exits 81 and 85. I-40 leads {{convert|78|mi|km}} east to Albuquerque and west {{convert|61|mi}} to [[Gallup, New Mexico|Gallup]]. The town of [[Milan, New Mexico|Milan]] borders the northwest end of Grants.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|38.5|km2|order=flip}}, all land. Grants is on the north end of the large and recent (youngest flows around 3,000 years old) lava field known as ''El Malpais'' ("the badlands"), part of which is preserved as [[El Malpais National Monument]]. To the northeast of town are the San Mateo Mountains and [[Mount Taylor (New Mexico)|Mount Taylor]], at {{convert|11301|ft}} the highest peak in the region. West of the city is the [[Continental Divide]] and the [[Zuni Mountains]], an eroded [[anticline]] with 2-billion-year-old [[Precambrian]] granites and metamorphic rocks at its core. The region is primarily high desert country, dominated by sandstones and lava flows.