Jemez Springs, New Mexico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jemez Springs, New Mexico
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Village
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House in Jemez Springs
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Location of Jemez Springs, New Mexico
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 Jemez Springs, New Mexico
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Sandoval |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.80 sq mi (12.43 km2) |
| • Land | 4.80 sq mi (12.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 6,237 ft (1,901 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 198 |
| • Density | 41.24/sq mi (15.92/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
87025
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| Area code(s) | 575 |
| FIPS code | 35-35320 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2413562 |
Jemez Springs (say it: HEH-mes) is a small village in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. In 2020, about 198 people lived there. The village gets its name from the nearby Pueblo of Jemez, which is a Native American community.
Jemez Springs is home to the Jemez State Monument, which protects ancient ruins. It's also where the Jemez Ranger District has its main office. The area is famous for its natural hot springs and peaceful retreat centers.
Contents
Where is Jemez Springs Located?
Jemez Springs is nestled in the Jemez Mountains. It is completely surrounded by the Santa Fe National Forest. The village sits along the Jemez River in a beautiful canyon with red rocks called San Diego Canyon.
State Highway 4 runs through the village. Hot springs in and around Jemez Springs feed into the Jemez River. The village covers about 12.43 square kilometers (4.8 square miles) of land.
A Look Back: The History of Jemez Springs
People have lived in the Jemez Valley for a very long time, possibly for 4,500 years! When Spanish explorers first arrived in 1540, they found many Native American pueblos, which are traditional villages, in the valley.
A Franciscan mission church, called San José de los Jemez, was built north of the current village in 1621. However, it was left empty around the 1640s. Today, you can visit these old church ruins at the Jemez State Monument. After the Pueblo Revolt, the Jemez people gathered at the modern-day Pueblo of Jemez. In the 1800s, the valley was mostly used for farming and raising animals.
The post office in Jemez Springs opened in 1907. The village was named after the Pueblo of Jemez, which is about 12 miles south. Before 1907, there was a post office named Archuleta that opened in 1884. The main bathhouse in the village today comes from that early period.
In 1942, Jemez Springs was considered as a possible location for the Los Alamos National Laboratory. This was a secret research lab for the Manhattan Project. However, Los Alamos was chosen instead.
Later, in 1947, two Roman Catholic retreat centers were started nearby. The village officially became a village on December 5, 1955. In 1972, the Bodhi Manda Zen Center was founded, supported by followers of Kyozan Joshu Sasaki.
Who Lives in Jemez Springs?
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1960 | 223 | — | |
| 1970 | 356 | 59.6% | |
| 1980 | 316 | −11.2% | |
| 1990 | 413 | 30.7% | |
| 2000 | 375 | −9.2% | |
| 2010 | 250 | −33.3% | |
| 2020 | 198 | −20.8% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 253 | 1.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Jemez Springs is part of the larger Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2000, there were 375 people living in the village. About 78% of the people were White, and about 13% were from other races. Around 27% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
The average age of people in the village was 44 years old. Since 1990, the population has generally decreased. It went from 413 people in 1990 to 198 in 2020. However, in 2022, the population was estimated to be around 253 people.
Learning in Jemez Springs
The Jemez Valley Public Schools system provides education for students in Jemez Springs and the surrounding Jemez Mountain area.
What is the Climate Like?
Jemez Springs has a humid subtropical climate. This means it usually has warm, humid summers and mild winters.
Famous People from Jemez Springs
Several well-known people have lived in or had homes in Jemez Springs:
- Rudolfo Anaya was a famous author who had a house here.
- Gerald Fitzgerald, a Roman Catholic priest and founder of a religious group, lived in Jemez Springs.
- N. Scott Momaday, another notable author, had a retirement home in the village until 2011.
- Actor John Diehl and singer Julie Christensen moved to Jemez Springs in 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Jémez Springs para niños
