Formed January 9, 1852 (6th county)
Socorro County (16,602), Socorro (8,707)
The Spanish Pueblo style stucco facility is on Court and Church streets. Interstate Highway 25 is six blocks to the east of this location. This structure was constructed in 1940 using the designs of Kruger & Clark. The building was enlarged in 1990 and remodeled in 2001. A park with veteran memorials is in front of the courthouse. An 1884 courthouse preceded the current one also in Socorro. Lemitar was the county seat until 1867 when Socorro assumed the role. The county was established on January 9, 1852 as an original (6th county.) Socorro is the Spanish word for “help.”
Socorro County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, a treasurer, an attorney, an assessor, and a clerk (executive). It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.) Two District Court Judges serve Socorro, Catron, Sierra, and Torrance counties (judicial.) This county is in the center of the state south of Albuquerque, New Mexico and north of Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Rio Grande runs through the middle of the county, north-south. The county center is 19.4 miles Southeast of Socorro nearer San Antonio. The county is surrounded clockwise by Valencia, Torrance, Lincoln, Sierra, Catron, and Cibola counties.
The area of the county is 6647 square miles. It is 2 out of 33 in the state. It ranks 22 out of 33 in population in the state. It has a density of 2.5 persons per square mile making it 26 out of 33 in the state. Socorro County has 57.3% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 25 travels through the county from Valencia County to the north and exiting into Sierra County to the south. United States Highway 60 enters from the northeast (Torrance County), joins Interstate Highway 25, separates and exits west (Catron County). United States Highway 380 comes from the east, Lincoln County, and terminates. The county’s shape is a locomotive squared off on the western border. The city of Socorro is slightly west of center in the county. Socorro is the county seat and the largest city. It is 52.5% of the county population. The county and seat are pronounced SOE-COER-ROE.
Magdalena
Socorro
