Valencia County is a county in New Mexico, United States, straddling the Rio Grande south of Albuquerque. It had a population of 76,205 at the 2020 census and covers 1,066 square miles (2,760 km2) centred near 34°43′N 106°48′W.
Los Lunas is the county seat, and its postal code is 87031. The county has two incorporated cities, one town, two villages, and more than a dozen unincorporated communities and census-designated places. It sits in the Mountain time zone and forms part of the Albuquerque metropolitan area.
Towns & Villages in Valencia County
Valencia County’s settled places split between five incorporated municipalities and a wide scatter of unincorporated Rio Grande valley communities, many dating to Spanish colonial land grants. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated place with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Lunas | Village · seat | 17,242 | 87031 |
| Belen | City | 7,360 | 87002 |
| Rio Communities | City | — | — |
| Peralta | Town | — | 87042 |
| Bosque Farms | Village | — | 87068 |
| Adelino | CDP | — | — |
| Casa Colorada | CDP | — | — |
| Chical | CDP | — | — |
| El Cerro | CDP | — | — |
| El Cerro Mission | CDP | — | — |
| Highland Meadows | CDP | — | — |
| Jarales | CDP | — | 87023 |
| Las Maravillas | CDP | — | — |
| Los Chavez | CDP | — | — |
| Madrone | CDP | — | — |
| Meadow Lake | CDP | — | — |
| Monterey Park | CDP | — | — |
| Pueblitos | CDP | — | — |
| Sausal | CDP | — | — |
| Tome | CDP | — | 87060 |
| Valencia | CDP | — | — |
| Bosque | Unincorp. | — | 87006 |
| Los Trujillos | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Correo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dalies | Unincorp. | — | — |
| La Constancia | Unincorp. | — | — |
| La Ladera | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Los Lentes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mission Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rio Grande Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rio Puerco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rio del Oro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sandia | Unincorp. | — | — |
Tome and Adelino sit close enough together that the Census Bureau sometimes treats the pairing as a single “Tome-Adelino” place; this page lists them as the two historic villages locals use. Correo is little more than a rail siding and highway junction on old US 66, not a residential place.
ZIP Codes
- 87031 — Los Lunas (also serves Los Chavez, Los Lentes)
- 87002 — Belen (also serves La Constancia)
- 87068 — Bosque Farms
- 87042 — Peralta
- 87006 — Bosque
- 87023 — Jarales
- 87060 — Tome (PO Box service only)
The county’s smaller CDPs and rural communities share a ZIP with the nearest post office town above rather than carrying their own code.
Geography
Valencia County straddles the Rio Grande valley, with irrigated bosque and farmland along the river and volcanic mesas rising to the west toward the Rio Puerco. It is the second-smallest county in New Mexico by land area. The Rio Grande and its cottonwood bosque run north to south through the county’s centre, feeding acequia-irrigated fields that have been farmed since Spanish colonial times.
Valencia County borders Bernalillo County to the north, Torrance County to the east, Socorro County to the south, and Cibola County to the west. Read more: Bernalillo County, Torrance County, Socorro County, and Cibola County.
Demographics
Valencia County had 76,205 residents at the 2020 census, spread across 1,066 square miles for a density of roughly 71 people per square mile. Los Lunas (17,242) and Belen (7,360) are the two largest communities and together hold about a third of the county’s population. New Mexico’s 2023 median household income was the state figure of $62,268; Valencia County’s median has historically run below the state figure, reflecting the county’s mix of rural agricultural land and commuter suburbs.
Economy & Local Life
Belen grew up as a rail hub — the BNSF Railway still routes roughly a hundred freight trains a day through the city, and Amtrak’s Southwest Chief stops there. Los Lunas has grown into a bedroom community for Albuquerque, with retail and light industry along NM 6 and I-25, and hosts a state-run rail switching yard at nearby Los Lunas. Much of the Rio Grande valley remains in small-scale farming — chile, alfalfa, and orchard crops on acequia-fed plots passed down through Spanish and Mexican-era land grants.
History
Valencia County was organized on January 9, 1852, one of New Mexico’s original nine counties under U.S. territorial government, and takes its name from the settlement of Valencia along the Rio Grande. Belen was founded in 1740 as Nuestra Señora de Belén by Spanish colonial settlers and became a major railroad junction after the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway arrived in 1907, earning it the nickname “Hub City.” For decades in the 20th century, Valencia County was cited as a bellwether that voted with the statewide winner in nearly every presidential election.
Getting There
Interstate 25 and US 85 run north-south through the county, connecting Los Lunas and Belen directly to Albuquerque; NM 6, NM 47, and NM 314 link the smaller river-valley communities.
- Albuquerque — 20 miles north
- Socorro — 45 miles south
- Moriarty — 35 miles east
- Grants — 60 miles west
Albuquerque International Sunport is the nearest commercial airport. Amtrak’s Southwest Chief stops in Belen, and the Rail Runner Express commuter train connects Los Lunas and Belen to Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Valencia County, New Mexico?
It sits along the Rio Grande in central New Mexico, directly south of Albuquerque’s Bernalillo County.
What is the population of Valencia County?
76,205 at the 2020 census.
How big is Valencia County?
1,066 square miles (2,760 km2) of land, making it the second-smallest New Mexico county by area.
What is the county seat of Valencia County?
Los Lunas is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Valencia County?
Five incorporated municipalities — Los Lunas, Belen, Rio Communities, Peralta, and Bosque Farms — plus more than 25 unincorporated communities and census-designated places.
What ZIP codes are in Valencia County?
Main ZIP codes include 87031 (Los Lunas), 87002 (Belen), 87068 (Bosque Farms), 87042 (Peralta), 87006 (Bosque), 87023 (Jarales), and 87060 (Tome).
What language do many Valencia County residents speak alongside English?
Spanish remains widely spoken in the county’s older Rio Grande valley villages, many of which trace back to Spanish colonial land grants.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in New Mexico.