Crownpoint, New Mexico facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crownpoint, New Mexico
Census-designated place
Crownpoint Post Office
Location in McKinley County and the state of New Mexico
Crownpoint, New Mexico Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
County	McKinley
Area
• Total	67.059 sq mi (173.68 km2)
• Land	67.059 sq mi (173.68 km2)
• Water	0.003 sq mi (0.008 km2)
Elevation	6,851 ft (2,088 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,900
• Density	43.24/sq mi (16.70/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	87313
Area code(s)	505
FIPS code	35-18940
GNIS feature ID	2407689

Crownpoint (Navajo: Tʼiistsʼóóz Ńdeeshgizh) is a small community in McKinley County, New Mexico. It is part of the Navajo Nation. In 2020, about 2,900 people lived there.

Crownpoint is known as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's an area that the government counts for population, but it's not officially a city or town. It is located along the Trail of the Ancients Byway. This is a special road in New Mexico known for its history.

History of Crownpoint

Crownpoint was started in 1912 by Samuel F. Stacher. It was set up as an "Indian agency." This was a place to help and serve the Navajo people in the area. Buildings like a school and an office were built for the community.

Early Leaders

One of the first known leaders in the Crownpoint area was Chief Becenti. He was a local Navajo headman. He lived north of Crownpoint. Later, in the 1930s, a small community was named after him. It is called Becenti Lake.

Navajo Nation Government

In 1965, Crownpoint became a local chapter government sub-unit. This means it's a local part of the Navajo Nation government. There are 110 such chapters across the Navajo Nation. Crownpoint is an important center for the Eastern Navajo Agency. Many tribal offices are located in this community.

Geography of Crownpoint

Crownpoint is in the middle of McKinley County. It is located along New Mexico State Road 371. This road goes south about 23 miles (37 km) to Thoreau. It also connects to Interstate 40. To the north, the road goes about 83 miles (134 km) to Farmington.

Elevation and Water

The community sits high up, at about 6,851 feet (2,088 meters) above sea level. The land around Crownpoint drains towards the Chaco River. This river is about 30 miles (48 km) north of the community. Crownpoint covers an area of about 67.1 square miles (173.8 square kilometers). Only a tiny part of this area is water.

People of Crownpoint

In 2000, there were 2,630 people living in Crownpoint. By 2020, the population grew to 2,900 people.

Population Makeup

Most people in Crownpoint are Native American. In 2000, about 89% of the people were Native American. About 9% were White.

Age and Families

The population in Crownpoint is quite young. In 2000, almost 40% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age was 26 years. Many households had children living with them.

Many people in Crownpoint speak the Navajo language at home. In 2000, about 64% of people spoke Navajo. About 36% spoke English.

Education in Crownpoint

Crownpoint has several schools for students of all ages.

Public Schools

The local public schools are part of the Gallup-McKinley County Public Schools district. These include:

• Crownpoint Elementary School
• Crownpoint Middle School
• Crownpoint High School

Bureau of Indian Education Schools

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) also runs schools here. One BIE school in Crownpoint is T'iis Ts'ozi Bi'Olta', also known as Crownpoint Community School.

There are other BIE schools nearby that use a Crownpoint mailing address:

• Lake Valley Navajo School
• Mariano Lake Community School
• Tse'ii'ahi' Community School (about 18 miles or 29 km west of Crownpoint)

Higher Education

Crownpoint is also home to two universities:

• The main campus of Navajo Technical University is located in Crownpoint.
• Diné College also has a campus in Crownpoint.

See also

In Spanish: Crownpoint (Nuevo México) para niños