Valencia County, New Mexico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valencia County
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Valencia County Courthouse in Los Lunas
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Location within the U.S. state of New Mexico
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 New Mexico's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Mexico |
| Founded | January 9, 1852 |
| Named for | Valencia, New Mexico |
| Seat | Los Lunas |
| Largest village | Los Lunas |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,068 sq mi (2,770 km2) |
| • Land | 1,066 sq mi (2,760 km2) |
| • Water | 2.1 sq mi (5 km2) 0.2%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 76,205 |
| • Density | 71.35/sq mi (27.550/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional districts | 1st, 2nd |
Valencia County (Spanish: Condado de Valencia) is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, about 76,205 people live there. The main town and county seat is Los Lunas.
Valencia County is part of the larger Albuquerque area. This means it's connected to the big city of Albuquerque.
For a long time, Valencia County was known as a "bellwether" region. This means its voters often chose the same person who won the presidential election across the whole country. It had the longest record of doing this until the 2020 election.
Contents
History of Valencia County
Valencia County used to be much bigger. On June 19, 1981, it lost a large part of its land. This land became a new county called Cibola County. Valencia County became much smaller after that.
Geography and Nature
Valencia County covers about 1,068 square miles. Most of this is land, with only a small amount of water. It is the second-smallest county in New Mexico by size.
Neighboring Counties
Valencia County shares borders with these other counties:
- Bernalillo County - to the north
- Torrance County - to the east
- Socorro County - to the south
- Cibola County - to the west
Protected Natural Areas
Some parts of Valencia County are protected to keep nature safe:
- Cibola National Forest (a part of it)
- El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail (a part of this historic trail)
- Manzano Wilderness (a part of this wild area)
Other Special Areas
- Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area: This area was set up in 2003 to protect wildlife.
People and Population
In 2010, there were about 76,569 people living in Valencia County. About 58.3% of the people were of Hispanic or Latino background. The average age of people living here was 37.7 years old.
The average income for a family in the county was about $48,767 per year.
Towns and Villages
Valencia County has several communities where people live.
Cities
Town
Villages
- Bosque Farms
- Los Lunas (This is the main town, or county seat)
Other Communities
Many other smaller places are also part of Valencia County:
- Adelino
- Casa Colorada
- Chical
- El Cerro
- El Cerro Mission
- Highland Meadows
- Jarales
- Las Maravillas
- Los Chavez
- Madrone
- Meadow Lake
- Monterey Park
- Pueblitos
- Sausal
- Tomé
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller areas not officially part of a city or village:
Education in Valencia County
There are two main school districts in Valencia County:
- Belén Consolidated Schools
- Los Lunas Public Schools
Famous People from Valencia County
- Bo Diddley: This famous musician lived in Valencia County from 1971 to 1978. He even worked as a deputy sheriff for a few years and helped the community. He sometimes played music at local dances.
