Torrance

Formed March 16, 1903 (25^th county)

Torrance County (15,045), Estancia (1,251), Moriarty (1,943)

The Modern style structure is at the corner on 9^th Street between Allen and Loring avenues.  New Mexico State Highway 41 is four blocks east of the site.  This latest courthouse was built in 1967.  The building stone and concrete designs were provided by Kruger, Lake, and Henderson.  There was a previous courthouse built in 1910 also in Estancia.  Presidio was the first county seat before 1905.  A Judicial Complex has been added.  Torrance County was established on March 16, 1903 from parts of Bernalillo and Valencia counties as the 25^th county.  Railroad developer, Francis J. Torrance, provided his name to the county.  Estancia is Spanish for “resting place.”  Torrance County was the birthplace for 1 New Mexico Governor, Toney Anaya. 

Torrance County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, a treasurer, an attorney, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two District Court Judges serve Torrance, Catron, Sierra, and Socorro counties (judicial.)  The county is near the center of the state southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico and south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  The geographical center of New Mexico is 12 miles south-southwest of Willard in the county.  The county center is 8.5 miles Southeast of Estancia.  The county is surrounded clockwise by San Miguel, Guadalupe, Lincoln, Socorro, Valencia, Bernalillo, and Santa Fe counties. 

The area of the county is 3346 square miles.  It is 20 out of 33 in the state.  It ranks 23 out of 33 in population in the state.  It has a density of 4.90 persons per square mile making it 21 out of 33 in the state.  Torrance County has 28.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 40 crosses the extreme northern part of the county from east to west from Guadalupe County to Bernalillo County.  United States Highway 54 cuts the southeast corner of the county coming in from Guadalupe County, east, and going into Lincoln County, south.  United States Highway 60 is an east-west artery from Guadalupe County to Socorro County.  United States Highway 285 enters from the north (Santa Fe County), joins United States Highway 60, and exits to the east (Guadalupe County).  The county is rectangular with the northwest corner cut out.  Estancia is located in the northwest quarter of the county.  Moriarty is near the northwest border.  Estancia is the county seat and Moriarty is the largest city.  Estancia is 10.1% of the county population while Moriarty is 11.1% of the county population.  The county is pronounced TOER-RANC.  The seat is pronounced ES-TAN-SEE-A.  This county is in the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area.