Sierra

Formed January 1, 1884 (13^th county)

Sierra County (11,574), Truth or Consequences (6,051)

The Spanish Colonial structure is on Date Street 3^rd Avenue, Cedar Street, and 4^th Avenue.  Interstate Highway Business 25 is Date Street through the city.  The stucco facility was built in 1937 from the designs of Wilfred Steadman and later enlarged.  The courthouse was enlarged in 2007 and an Administrative Building has been added.  Hillsboro had the former courthouse which was built in 1884.  The county was formed on January 1, 1884 from parts of Dona Ana and Socorro counties as the 13^th county.  The county seat was originally named Hot Springs but was changed to the popular radio show’s name.  The county’s name is Spanish for “mountain.” 

Sierra 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 Sierra, Catron, Socorro, and Torrance counties (judicial.)  The county is located in south central New Mexico south of Albuquerque, New Mexico and north of Las Cruces, New Mexico.  The Rio Grande flows through the middle of the county from north to south.  The county center is 11.2 miles East of Truth or Consequences.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Socorro, Lincoln, Otero, Dona Ana, Luna, Grant, and Catron counties. 

The area of the county is 4180 square miles.  It is 13 out of 33 in the state.  It ranks 25 out of 33 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.8 persons per square mile making it 25 out of 33 in the state.  Sierra County has 68.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 25 parallels the Rio Grande coming from the north, Socorro County, and going to the south, Dona Ana County.  The county shape is a blunt arrowhead facing south.  Truth or Consequences is located slightly north and west of the county’s geographical center.  Truth or Consequences is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 52.3% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SEE-AER-A.