A common species but similar to several other Melanoplus species such as the Migratory Grasshoper, M. sanguinipes. To be sure of ID, get a picture of the male terminalia (the structures at the end of the abdomen) that shows the U-shaped subgenital plate and cerci. See pictures for examples of these structures. Usually has a yellow underside with bright red hind tibia and usually greenish on the sides of the face and pronotum, but these colors are not always diagnostic.
A good source to learn about grasshopper morphology like the subgenital plate and cerci is the Morphology page at Grasshoppers of the Western U.S.: http://idtools.org/id/grasshoppers/about_morphology.php
Grasshoppers of the Western U.S.: http://idtools.org/id/grasshoppers/factsheet.php?name=13191
Capinera, J.L., R.D. Scott, and T.J. Walker. 2004. Field Guide to Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Crickets of the United States. Cornell University Press.
Common statewide. This species occurs throughout most of North America.
Can be found in almost any thick vegetation in the sun, such as roadsides, fields, prairie, grassland, etc.