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Lake Arthur, New Mexico facts for kids

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Lake Arthur, New Mexico
Location of Lake Arthur, New Mexico
Location of Lake Arthur, New Mexico
Lake Arthur, New Mexico is located in the United States
Lake Arthur, New Mexico
Lake Arthur, New Mexico
Location in the United States
Country United States
State New Mexico
County Chaves
Area
 • Total 0.53 sq mi (1.38 km2)
 • Land 0.53 sq mi (1.38 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
3,383 ft (1,031 m)
Population
 • Total 378
 • Density 710.53/sq mi (274.25/km2)
Time zone UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code
88253
Area code(s) 575
FIPS code 35-37840
GNIS feature ID 2412862

Lake Arthur is a small town in Chaves County, New Mexico, in the United States. In 2010, about 436 people lived there. By 2020, the population was 378.

About Lake Arthur's Location

Lake Arthur is located in the southern part of Chaves County. It is about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the Pecos River.

New Mexico State Road 2 goes through the town. This road leads north about 9 miles (14 km) to Hagerman. It also goes south about 11 miles (18 km) to Artesia.

The town covers a total area of about 0.53 square miles (1.4 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Population Changes Over Time

Lake Arthur's population has changed quite a bit over the years. Here's a look at how many people have lived there during different census counts:

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 344
1920 141 −59.0%
1930 215 52.5%
1940 279 29.8%
1950 380 36.2%
1960 387 1.8%
1970 306 −20.9%
1980 327 6.9%
1990 336 2.8%
2000 432 28.6%
2010 436 0.9%
2020 378 −13.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 432 people living in Lake Arthur. These people lived in 134 households, and 107 of these were families. The town had about 789 people per square mile (305 people per square kilometer). There were 149 homes in total.

Most of the people in Lake Arthur in 2000 were White (about 63%). A smaller number were Native American or Asian. About 34% of the people were from other racial backgrounds. Also, about 70% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Many households (47%) had children under 18 living with them. About 57% were married couples. Some households (17%) had a female head of household with no husband present.

The average age of people in Lake Arthur in 2000 was 29 years old. About 38% of the population was under 18. About 11% were 65 years old or older.

Police Department Issues

In 2004, a law called the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act was passed. This law allows qualified police officers to carry a hidden firearm in any state in the United States. This is true even if state or local laws usually do not allow it.

In 2018, it was found that a wealthy businessman had been a volunteer police officer with the Lake Arthur Police Department since 2011. This role allowed him to carry a hidden firearm in all 50 states. He also got police badges for people who worked as bodyguards for others.

News reports called this situation "badges-for-cash." Because of these reports, the Lake Arthur Police Department was closed down in April 2018.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lake Arthur (Nuevo México) para niños

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