El Morro Valley, New Mexico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
El Morro Valley, New Mexico
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 El Morro Valley, New Mexico
Location in New Mexico
El Morro Valley, New Mexico
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Cibola |
| Area | |
| • Total | 9.93 sq mi (25.73 km2) |
| • Land | 9.93 sq mi (25.73 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 7,471 ft (2,277 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 30 |
| • Density | 3.02/sq mi (1.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP Code |
87321 (Ramah)
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| Area code(s) | 505 |
| FIPS code | 35-23497 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2813404 |
El Morro Valley is a special kind of community in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. It's called a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's an area that the government counts as a community for population studies, even though it's not officially a city or town. The valley is home to the famous El Morro National Monument and a small community also called El Morro. It was first recognized as a CDP before the 2020 census.
Contents
Exploring El Morro Valley
El Morro Valley is located in the northwestern part of Cibola County. You can find it along New Mexico State Road 53. It's about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Ramah. It's also about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Interstate 40 near Grants. This area is quite remote, offering a peaceful escape.
The Name and Its History
The name "El Morro" comes from a nearby sandstone promontory. A promontory is a high point of land or rock that sticks out. At the base of this rock, there's a natural pool of water. This pool was a vital desert oasis for travelers long ago. Spanish explorers called it El Morro, which means "The Headland."
The Zuni people, who are Native Americans, have their own name for it: A'ts'ina. This means "Place of Writings on the Rock." Later, Anglo-Americans called it "Inscription Rock." This is because many people carved their names and messages into the soft sandstone over hundreds of years.
El Morro National Monument
The famous El Morro National Monument is just 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the community. It sits along Highway 53, which was once part of the old Zuni-Acoma Trail. This trail was an ancient trade route used by Pueblo people. Today, it's also known as the Ancient Way. The monument protects the historic inscriptions and the natural beauty of the area.
Life in the Valley
El Morro is known as a community where many artists live. It's home to the El Morro Area Arts Council. You can find an art gallery, a trading post with a coffee shop, and a cafe. There's also an RV park and campgrounds for visitors. Local businesses include a feed and seed store and a consignment store. The valley is a social hub for artists, homesteaders, and unique individuals. These people live in a large area that stretches from El Malpais National Monument to the east. It goes to Ramah in the west. To the north are the Zuni Mountains, and to the south is Candy Kitchen.
Population of El Morro Valley
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 30 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
According to the 2020 census, the population of El Morro Valley was 30 people. This makes it a very small and quiet community.
Climate and Weather
The climate in El Morro Valley is affected by the North American monsoon. This monsoon brings most of the rain during the summer months. The rest of the year is usually very dry. Like many high-altitude places in the western United States, El Morro Valley has a wide average diurnal temperature variation. This means the temperature can change a lot between day and night, sometimes by more than 30-40°F (17-22°C).
The highest temperature ever recorded here was 100°F (38°C) on June 28, 1953. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -38°F (-39°C) on January 13, 1963.
| Climate data for El Morro National Monument, New Mexico (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1938–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
72 (22) |
77 (25) |
87 (31) |
93 (34) |
100 (38) |
98 (37) |
98 (37) |
94 (34) |
87 (31) |
78 (26) |
69 (21) |
100 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 55 (13) |
60 (16) |
68 (20) |
75 (24) |
84 (29) |
91 (33) |
92 (33) |
89 (32) |
85 (29) |
77 (25) |
67 (19) |
58 (14) |
93 (34) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 43.5 (6.4) |
47.2 (8.4) |
55.4 (13.0) |
63.4 (17.4) |
72.1 (22.3) |
83.2 (28.4) |
84.5 (29.2) |
81.6 (27.6) |
76.6 (24.8) |
66.1 (18.9) |
53.2 (11.8) |
44.3 (6.8) |
64.3 (17.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 28.8 (−1.8) |
33.1 (0.6) |
39.5 (4.2) |
45.6 (7.6) |
53.6 (12.0) |
63.3 (17.4) |
68.2 (20.1) |
66.2 (19.0) |
60.0 (15.6) |
48.9 (9.4) |
37.2 (2.9) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
47.8 (8.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 14.1 (−9.9) |
19.1 (−7.2) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
35.0 (1.7) |
43.3 (6.3) |
51.8 (11.0) |
50.7 (10.4) |
43.4 (6.3) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
21.4 (−5.9) |
14.8 (−9.6) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −6 (−21) |
2 (−17) |
10 (−12) |
16 (−9) |
23 (−5) |
33 (1) |
43 (6) |
42 (6) |
30 (−1) |
17 (−8) |
2 (−17) |
−6 (−21) |
−12 (−24) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −38 (−39) |
−23 (−31) |
−15 (−26) |
3 (−16) |
12 (−11) |
23 (−5) |
34 (1) |
33 (1) |
21 (−6) |
−5 (−21) |
−23 (−31) |
−31 (−35) |
−38 (−39) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.02 (26) |
0.85 (22) |
0.98 (25) |
0.69 (18) |
0.70 (18) |
0.51 (13) |
2.21 (56) |
2.68 (68) |
1.41 (36) |
1.02 (26) |
0.89 (23) |
0.94 (24) |
14.24 (362) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 11.1 (28) |
7.1 (18) |
5.4 (14) |
2.2 (5.6) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.5 (3.8) |
4.3 (11) |
8.8 (22) |
48.9 (124) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 5 (13) |
4 (10) |
2 (5.1) |
1 (2.5) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (2.5) |
2 (5.1) |
4 (10) |
7 (18) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 80 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 26 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
