Villanueva, New Mexico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Villanueva, New Mexico
|
|
|---|---|
 Villanueva, New Mexico
Location in New Mexico
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | San Miguel |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.26 sq mi (18.79 km2) |
| • Land | 7.26 sq mi (18.79 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,853 ft (1,784 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 207 |
| • Density | 28.53/sq mi (11.01/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
87583
|
| Area code | 505 |
| FIPS code | 35-83130 |
| GNIS ID | 2584233 |
Villanueva is a small community in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. It is an unincorporated community, meaning it is not part of an official city or town government. It is also a census-designated place, which is an area identified by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes.
Villanueva was known as La Cuesta until 1890. It is located along the Pecos River and New Mexico State Road 3. The area has the ZIP code 87583. In 2020, about 207 people lived there.
Contents
History of Villanueva
Before 1786, Spanish settlements in New Mexico were mostly in the Rio Grande valley. This was because of raids from the Comanche people. After a peace treaty was signed with the Comanche in 1786, Spanish settlements could expand eastward onto the Great Plains.
Villanueva was one of the new settlements in the Pecos River Valley. These settlements helped protect the Spanish and Pueblo communities in the Rio Grande valley from attacks by Apache and other Native American groups.
Villanueva was founded in 1808 as a Spanish colonial village. It was first called La Cuesta, which means "the hill" or "the slope" in Spanish. This name came from the village's location on a steep hill overlooking the Pecos River.
La Cuesta was part of the San Miguel del Vado Land Grant. This land grant was approved by the Spanish government in 1794. Other communities in this area included Bernal, El Pueblo, and San Miguel del Vado.
Families from La Cuesta helped start other communities. They founded Anton Chico in 1822, about 18 kilometers (11 miles) downstream. They also founded El Cerrito between 1824 and 1827, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) downstream. A church was built in La Cuesta in 1831, and it is still there today.
By 1835, La Cuesta was one of the largest settlements in the Pecos Valley. In 1845, it likely had close to 500 people. Many Ciboleros (buffalo hunters) and Comancheros (traders with the Plains Indians) came from La Cuesta and other Spanish communities along the Pecos River.
In 1890, the community's name was changed to Villanueva. This new name honored a well-known local family.
Geography and Climate
Climate in Villanueva
Villanueva has a dry climate. It is known as a semi-arid cold steppe climate. This means it gets little rain, and winters are cool.
Most of the rain falls from May to October. The area also gets about 23 inches (58 cm) of snow each winter.
| Climate data for Villanueva, New Mexico 1,789 metres (5,869 ft) above sea level | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.0 (50.0) |
11.7 (53.0) |
15.6 (60.0) |
20.0 (68.0) |
24.4 (76.0) |
31.1 (88.0) |
31.7 (89.0) |
30.6 (87.0) |
27.2 (81.0) |
21.1 (70.0) |
15.0 (59.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
20.6 (69.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.5 (36.5) |
3.9 (39.0) |
6.9 (44.5) |
10.6 (51.0) |
15.8 (60.5) |
21.1 (70.0) |
23.1 (73.5) |
22.2 (72.0) |
18.3 (65.0) |
12.5 (54.5) |
6.7 (44.0) |
1.7 (35.0) |
12.1 (53.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5 (23) |
−4 (25) |
−2 (29) |
1 (34) |
7 (45) |
11 (52) |
14 (58) |
14 (57) |
9 (49) |
4 (39) |
−2 (29) |
−6 (22) |
3.6 (38.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 13 (0.51) |
13 (0.51) |
18 (0.71) |
25 (0.98) |
40 (1.57) |
41 (1.61) |
66 (2.60) |
74 (2.91) |
41 (1.61) |
30 (1.18) |
17 (0.67) |
24 (0.94) |
401 (15.80) |
Population Data
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 207 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, the population of Villanueva was 207 people. In 2010, the population was 234. Most of the residents in 2010, about 211 people, identified as Hispanic.
Things to See and Do
East of Villanueva, you can find Villanueva State Park. This park features a colorful canyon carved out by the Pecos River. It's a great place to explore nature.
Education
Children in Villanueva attend schools in the West Las Vegas Schools school district. The local high school for the area is West Las Vegas High School.
Images for kids
-
The Pecos River at Villanueva.
See also
In Spanish: Villanueva (Nuevo México) para niños
