Sierra County, New Mexico

Sierra County Education, Geography, and History

Sierra County is a county located in the state of New Mexico. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 11,988. Its county seat is Truth or Consequences.

Etymology - Origin of Sierra County Name

Named for the Black Range mountains ("sierra" means "mountain range").

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Sierra County History

Sierra County was formed in 3 April 1884 out of portions of Socorro, Grant and Dona Ana Counties. Due to the location and population, Hillsboro became the first county seat. The Hillsboro Post Office was the hub for mail transportation to the surrounding offices in the southern part of the county. This county has many hills and mountains, especially attractive is the Sierra de los Caballos range. Hot Springs, an attractive designation, was the original county seat. It was changed in name to Truth or Consequences in 1950 after the famous TV show. It is commonly known today as T or C. Elephant Butte Lake draws fishermen and tourists from many areas.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,236 square miles (10,970 km²), of which 4,179 square miles (10,820 km²) is land and 57 square miles (150 km²) (1.4%) is water.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Catron County - northwest
• Socorro County - north
• Lincoln County - northeast
• Otero County - east
• Doña Ana County - south
• Luna County - south
• Grant County - west

Education

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