Socorro County is a county in New Mexico, United States, straddling the Rio Grande valley in the central part of the state. It had a population of 16,595 at the 2020 census and covers 6,647 square miles (17,220 km2) of land, centred near 34°01′N 106°56′W.
Socorro is the county seat, and its postal code is 87801. The county has one incorporated city (Socorro), one incorporated village (Magdalena), and a scatter of unincorporated communities and census-designated places along the river and in the surrounding mountains and plains. New Mexico has no civil townships, so county government administers the whole area directly. Socorro County is in the Mountain time zone and carries FIPS code 35053.
Towns & Villages in Socorro County
Socorro County lists roughly 45 named places once duplicate and clearly non-existent entries are removed from older records — one incorporated city, one incorporated village, a handful of census-designated places (CDPs) along the Rio Grande, and many small unincorporated settlements and former mining camps in the Magdalena and San Mateo mountains.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Socorro | City · seat | 8,246 | 87801 |
| Magdalena | Village | 806 | 87825 |
| San Antonio | CDP | — | 87832 |
| Lemitar | CDP | — | 87823 |
| Polvadera | CDP | — | — |
| Veguita | CDP | — | — |
| Luis Lopez | CDP | — | — |
| Alamo | CDP | — | — |
| Abeytas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Alamillo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bernardo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bingham | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bosquecito | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bramlett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Canyon Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carthage | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chamizal | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Claunch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coane | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Contreras | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dusty | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Escondida | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Garcia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hard Luck Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kelly | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kinney Wells | Unincorp. | — | — |
| La Joya | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laborcita | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Las Nutrias | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lava | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Carthage | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pueblito | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Puertecito | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sabinal | Unincorp. | — | — |
| San Acacia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| San Antonito | Unincorp. | — | — |
| San Marcial | Unincorp. | — | — |
| San Pedro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tiffany | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tokay | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Val Verde | Unincorp. | — | — |
Kelly, Riley and Tokay are former silver-mining camps in the hills above Magdalena, largely abandoned since the mid-20th century. San Marcial was rebuilt inland after Rio Grande flooding destroyed the original railroad townsite in the 1920s and 1940s.
ZIP Codes
- 87801 — Socorro (also serves the surrounding valley and New Mexico Tech campus)
- 87825 — Magdalena (also serves the Alamo Navajo community to the west)
- 87832 — San Antonio
- 87823 — Lemitar
Most of the county’s smaller unincorporated settlements rely on the Socorro or Magdalena post offices for mail rather than having a ZIP code of their own.
Geography
Socorro County spans the Rio Grande valley in the middle of New Mexico, running from the Magdalena Mountains and the Plains of San Agustin in the west, across the river’s cottonwood bosque, to the Chupadera Mesa and the Jornada del Muerto desert basin in the east. Elevations range from around 4,500 feet along the river to over 10,000 feet at South Baldy Peak in the Magdalena Mountains. The Very Large Array radio telescope sits on the Plains of San Agustin west of Magdalena, and the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge lies along the Rio Grande south of San Antonio.
Socorro County borders Catron County to the west, Cibola County to the northwest, Valencia County to the north, Torrance County to the northeast, Lincoln County to the east, and Sierra County to the south.
Demographics
Socorro County had 16,595 residents at the 2020 census, giving it a density of about 2.5 people per square mile — one of the more sparsely populated counties in the state despite hosting a university town. Socorro, the county seat, and Magdalena are the two largest communities. Socorro County’s median household income trails the New Mexico median of $62,268, a common pattern in the state’s rural, largely Hispanic and Native American counties outside the Albuquerque and Santa Fe metro areas.
Economy & Local Life
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech), a public research university in Socorro, anchors the county’s economy alongside the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which operates the Very Large Array on the plains west of town. Agriculture along the Rio Grande — chile, alfalfa and pecans — and cattle ranching on the county’s rangeland remain important outside the city. The Bosque del Apache refuge draws birdwatchers each winter for its sandhill crane and snow goose migration, and the annual Festival of the Cranes is one of the county’s best-known events.
History
Socorro County was organized on January 9, 1852, as one of the original nine counties of the New Mexico Territory. Its name is Spanish for “help” or “succor,” commemorating aid the Piro Pueblo people gave Juan de Oñate’s expedition when it passed through in 1598. The Trinity nuclear test, the first detonation of an atomic weapon, took place on July 16, 1945, at a site in the southeastern part of the county, within what is now White Sands Missile Range. The railroad town of San Marcial was rebuilt away from the river after repeated Rio Grande floods, most severely in 1929 and 1943.
Getting There
Interstate 25 runs the length of the county along the Rio Grande, linking Socorro directly to Albuquerque and points north and south. U.S. Route 60 crosses the county east–west through Magdalena.
- Albuquerque — 75 miles north
- Truth or Consequences — 55 miles south
- Magdalena — 27 miles west of Socorro
- San Antonio — 9 miles south of Socorro
The nearest commercial airport is Albuquerque International Sunport, about 75 miles north via I-25.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Socorro County?
It is in central New Mexico, along the Rio Grande about 75 miles south of Albuquerque.
What is the population of Socorro County?
16,595 at the 2020 census.
How big is Socorro County?
6,647 square miles (17,220 km2) of land, making it the second-largest county in New Mexico by area.
What is the county seat of Socorro County?
Socorro is the county seat.
How many towns are in Socorro County?
One incorporated city (Socorro), one incorporated village (Magdalena), and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities and CDPs.
What ZIP codes are in Socorro County?
Socorro (87801), Magdalena (87825), San Antonio (87832) and Lemitar (87823) are the main ones.
What is Socorro County known for?
The Very Large Array radio telescope, the Bosque del Apache crane migration, and the 1945 Trinity nuclear test site.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in New Mexico.