Formed February 25, 1889 (15th county)
Chaves County (65,158), Roswell (48,439)
The dome stands out on the Beaux Arts Classical courthouse. A modern addition was added to the back in 2004 and the building was renovated. The courthouse is built at Main Avenue, 4th Street, Virginia Avenue, and 5th Street. Main Avenue is United States Highway 285. This structure was built in 1911 replacing the 1890 courthouse. Isaac Hamilton Rapp & W. M. Rapp provided the tan brick building designs. The courthouse features columns with veteran memorials and a military gun on the grounds. A Justice Center has been built south of the courthouse in 2002. Chaves County was formed on February 25, 1889 from Lincoln County as the 15th county with Roswell as the only county seat. Chaves County is named for United States Representative Jose F. Chaves. The county seat is named for one of the founder’s father, Roswell Smith.
Chaves County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, a treasurer, an attorney, an assessor, and a clerk (executive). It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.) Nine District Court Judges serve Chaves, Eddy, and Lea counties (judicial.) The county is in the southeast part of the state northeast of Las Cruces, New Mexico and southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Pecos River flows north to south through the county. The county center is 6.4 miles Southeast of Roswell nearer Midway. The county is surrounded clockwise by De Baca, Roosevelt, Lea, Eddy, Otero, and Lincoln counties.
The area of the county is 6071 square miles. It is 4 out of 33 in the state. It ranks 10 out of 33 in population in the state. It has a density of 10.7 persons per square mile making it 13 out of 33 in the state. Chaves County has 78.1% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 70 enters from the northeast, Roosevelt County, and exits to the west, Lincoln County. United States Highway 82 crosses the southwest corner from Eddy County to Otero County. United States Highway 285 transits north to south, De Baca County to Eddy County. United States Highway 380 crosses east to west from Lea County to Lincoln County. The county is shaped like a wheel barrel with extra extensions on the northeast and northwest corners. Roswell sits just to the north and west of the geographical center in the county. Roswell is the county seat and the largest city. It is 74.3% of the county population. The county is pronounced SHA-VES. The county seat is pronounced ROZ-WEL. This county is in the Roswell Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Dexter
Hagerman
Lake Arthur
Roswell
