Formed January 1, 1920 (29th county)
Hidalgo County (4,180), Lordsburg (2,331)
The dark red brick Classical Revival courthouse is situated on Shakespeare Street between 3rd and 4th streets. United States Highway 70 passes two blocks to the north of the site. The structure was built in 1926 in Lordsburg, the only county seat. Thurman and Fraser were the courthouse designers. The building was enlarged in 1978. Veteran memorials are on the grounds. A county Administration Building has been added. Hidalgo County was established on January 1, 1920 from Grant County as the 29th county. Two sources exist for the county seat’s origin. One says a local settler, Doctor Charles H. Lord, and the other says local railroad engineer, Delbert Lord. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, Mexican revolutionary, is the source for the county’s name.
Hidalgo County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, a treasurer, an attorney, an assessor, and a clerk (executive). It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.) Three District Court Judges serve Hidalgo, Grant, and Luna counties (judicial.) The county is in the southwest corner of the state on the border with both Arizona and Mexico. Las Cruces, New Mexico is east and Tucson, Arizona is northwest of the county. The Gila River crosses the north tip of the county. The county center is 31.2 miles South of Lordsburg nearer Animas. The county is surrounded clockwise by Grant and Luna counties and Mexico and Arizona.
The area of the county is 3446 square miles. It is 19 out of 33 in the state. It ranks 29 out of 33 in population in the state. It has a density of 1.2 persons per square mile making it 29 out of 33 in the state. Hidalgo County has 58.8% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 10 crosses east to west from Grant County to Arizona. United States Highway 70 enters joined with Interstate Highway 10 from Grant County, splits at Lordsburg, and continues northwest into Arizona. The county shape is a capital letter L. Lordsburg is in the northern quarter of the county. Lordsburg is the county seat and the largest city. It is 55.8% of the county population. The county is pronounced HI (short sounding I as in hit)-DAL-GOE.
Lordsburg
Virden
