Sierra County, New Mexico facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sierra County
U.S. county
Sierra County Courthouse in Truth or Consequences
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of New Mexico
New Mexico's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	New Mexico
Founded	1884
Named for	the Black Range (Spanish: Sierra Diablo)
Seat	Truth or Consequences
Largest city	Truth or Consequences
Area
• Total	4,236 sq mi (10,970 km2)
• Land	4,179 sq mi (10,820 km2)
• Water	57 sq mi (150 km2)  1.4%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,576
• Density	2.9/sq mi (1.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Sierra County (which is Condado de Sierra in Spanish) is a county in the state of New Mexico, USA. It was created in 1884. In 2020, about 11,576 people lived here. The main town, also called the county seat, is Truth or Consequences.

About the Land

Sierra County is a big place! It covers about 4,236 square miles (10,971 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part (about 1.4%) being water.

Neighboring Counties

Sierra County shares its borders with several other counties:

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

Special Protected Areas

Parts of Sierra County are home to important natural and historic areas:

• Cibola National Forest
• El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail
• Gila National Forest

Main Roads

Several important highways run through Sierra County, helping people travel around:

• I-25
• US 85
• NM 152

People of Sierra County

In 2010, about 11,988 people lived in Sierra County. There were nearly 6,000 households. The average age of people living there was about 54.5 years old. Many people in the county have a mix of backgrounds, including German, American, English, and Irish. About 28% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Spaceport America

Spaceport America is a very cool place located in Sierra County! It's about 45 miles (72 km) north of Las Cruces. It's also 30 miles (48 km) east of Truth or Consequences.

In 2008, people in Sierra County voted to help fund the spaceport. This allowed its construction to move forward. The first launch from Spaceport America happened on September 25, 2006. Since then, over 300 launches have taken place!

A big moment happened on May 22, 2021. Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity launched from the spaceport. Three people were on board. This was the first time humans launched into space from Spaceport America. It also made New Mexico the third U.S. state to send people into space. The other states are California and Florida.

Towns and Villages

Sierra County has several towns and communities where people live.

Cities

• Elephant Butte
• Truth or Consequences (This is the county seat, the main town)

Village

• Williamsburg

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or villages.

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city or village.

Ghost Towns

Sierra County also has some interesting ghost towns. These are places where people used to live, but now they are mostly abandoned.

• Alamocita
• Aleman
• Chise
• Elephant Butte
• Hermosa
• Lake Valley
• San Albino
• San José
• San Ygnacio de la Alamosa
• Zapata
• San Navarro (It was settled in 1836 and abandoned in 1952)

Education

The Truth or Consequences Schools district is responsible for all the schools in Sierra County.

Images for kids

• 

  The official seal of Sierra County.

• 

  The Sierra County Courthouse in Truth or Consequences.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Sierra (Nuevo México) para niños