Taos

Formed January 9, 1852 (7^th county)

Taos County (34,488), Taos (6,494)

The Modern structure is on Albright Street just to the east of Paseo del Pueblo (New Mexico State Highway 68.)  AECOM were the architects.  This 2011 courthouse replaced the 1979 building.  There were also 1839 and 1932 courthouses in Taos, the only county seat.  An Administrative Building is attached.  The county was created on January 9, 1852 as an original county (7^th county.)  The founder of the town and county, Don Fernando de Taos, is the source for both names. 

Taos 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 Taos, Colfax, and Union counties (judicial.)  Taos County is in the northern part of the state on the border with Colorado.  The Rio Grande travels north to south through the county.  The county center is 13.3 miles North-Northwest of Taos nearer Arroyo Hondo.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Colorado and Colfax, Mora, and Rio Arriba counties. 

The area of the county is 2203 square miles.  It is 26 out of 33 in the state.  It ranks 14 out of 33 in population in the state.  It has a density of 15.7 persons per square mile making it 10 out of 33 in the state.  Taos County has 25.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 64 crosses east to west from Colfax County to Rio Arriba County.  The highest point in New Mexico, Wheeler Peak, is in the county.  The county doesn’t have straight-line borders except for the one with Colorado but, overall it is a tall rectangle.  The city of Taos is near the geographical center of the county.  Taos is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 18.8% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced TOU (like in COW)-OES.  This county is in the Taos Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Taos Ski Valley