diff --git a/cf_xarray/accessor.py b/cf_xarray/accessor.py
index c89cc0bf..2d828963 100644
--- a/cf_xarray/accessor.py
+++ b/cf_xarray/accessor.py
@@ -556,6 +556,37 @@ def _parse_grid_mapping_attribute(
     return Frozen(result)
 
 
+def _hashable_attrs(attrs: Mapping[Any, Any]) -> tuple:
+    """Return a hashable, order-independent representation of an attrs mapping.
+
+    List- and array-valued attributes (e.g. ``standard_parallel``) are coerced
+    to tuples so the result can be used as an ``lru_cache`` key.
+    """
+    frozen = []
+    for key, value in attrs.items():
+        if hasattr(value, "tolist"):  # numpy scalars/arrays
+            value = value.tolist()
+        if isinstance(value, list | tuple):
+            value = tuple(value)
+        frozen.append((key, value))
+    frozen.sort(key=lambda kv: repr(kv[0]))
+    return tuple(frozen)
+
+
+@functools.lru_cache(maxsize=256)
+def _crs_from_cf_attrs(attrs_items: tuple) -> Any:
+    """Build a ``pyproj.CRS`` from frozen CF grid-mapping attrs (memoized).
+
+    ``pyproj.CRS.from_cf`` re-parses the datum/ellipsoid on every call, which is
+    expensive for grid mappings carrying explicit ellipsoid parameters (e.g.
+    geostationary). A dataset routinely references the same grid mapping from
+    many variables, so cache on the attribute items.
+    """
+    import pyproj
+
+    return pyproj.CRS.from_cf(dict(attrs_items))
+
+
 def _create_grid_mapping(
     var_name: str,
     ds: Dataset,
@@ -669,7 +700,7 @@ def _create_grid_mapping(
             }
         )
     else:
-        crs = pyproj.CRS.from_cf(var.attrs)
+        crs = _crs_from_cf_attrs(_hashable_attrs(var.attrs))
 
     # Get associated coordinate variables, fallback to dimension names
     coordinates: list[Hashable] = grid_mapping_dict.get(var_name, [])
diff --git a/cf_xarray/tests/test_accessor.py b/cf_xarray/tests/test_accessor.py
index d1a06bbd..ef7dee10 100644
--- a/cf_xarray/tests/test_accessor.py
+++ b/cf_xarray/tests/test_accessor.py
@@ -1254,6 +1254,44 @@ def test_grid_mappings_property():
             assert gm.coordinates == ("x", "y")
 
 
+@requires_pyproj
+def test_grid_mappings_crs_construction_is_cached(monkeypatch):
+    """``pyproj.CRS.from_cf`` is memoized per grid-mapping attrs.
+
+    Building the CRS re-parses the datum/ellipsoid on every call. A dataset
+    references the same grid mapping from many variables and the property may
+    be accessed repeatedly, so each distinct grid mapping should be built once.
+    """
+    import pyproj
+
+    from ..accessor import _crs_from_cf_attrs
+
+    _crs_from_cf_attrs.cache_clear()
+
+    from ..datasets import hrrrds
+
+    ds = hrrrds
+
+    calls = {"n": 0}
+    orig = pyproj.CRS.from_cf
+
+    def counting_from_cf(*args, **kwargs):
+        calls["n"] += 1
+        return orig(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pyproj.CRS, "from_cf", staticmethod(counting_from_cf))
+
+    # Repeated property accesses, including via a DataArray, must not rebuild
+    # the same CRS: hrrrds has 3 distinct grid mappings, each built once.
+    ds.cf.grid_mappings
+    ds.cf.grid_mappings
+    ds.foo.cf.grid_mappings
+
+    assert calls["n"] == 3
+
+    _crs_from_cf_attrs.cache_clear()
+
+
 @requires_pyproj
 def test_grid_mappings_coordinates_attribute():
     """Test that coordinates attribute is always populated correctly for DataArray grid mappings."""