Valencia

Formed January 9, 1852 (8^th county)

Valencia County (76,205), Los Lunas (17,248)

The Modern 2008 brick, glass and concrete facility added a southwest touch to fit into the surrounding environment.  The building is on Highway 314 at Morris Road.  New Mexico State Highway 314 is in front of the structure.  There were 1914 and 1960 courthouses earlier.  Studio Southwest Architects are the building designers.  The 1960 tan brick building serves as the Administrative Building.  As an original county, Valencia County was formed on January 9, 1852 (8^th county.)  Los Lunas has always been the county seat.  The county later provided its western portion to created Cibola County, 1981.  The county was named after the city and region in Spain.  The county seat, Spanish for “the moons,” was the name of local settlers. 

Valencia County government consists of a manager, a sheriff, a treasurer, an attorney, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Ten District Court Judges serve Valencia, Cibola, and Sandoval counties (judicial.)  The county is in central New Mexico just to the south of Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The Rio Grande flows through the middle of the county from north to south.  The county center is 3.9 miles South-Southwest of Los Lunas in Los Chavez.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Bernalillo, Torrance, Socorro, and Cibola counties. 

The area of the county is 1068 square miles.  It is 32 out of 33 in the state.  It ranks 6 out of 33 in population in the state.  It has a density of 71.4 persons per square mile making it 4 out of 33 in the state.  Valencia County has 48.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 25 parallels the Rio Grande travelling from Bernalillo County, north, into Socorro County, south.  The county shape could be described as a cowboy boot facing down at the southeast corner.  Los Lunas is north and slightly east of the geographical center of the county.  Los Lunas is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 22.6% of the county population.  The county is pronounced VA-LEN-SEE-A.  The seat is pronounced LOES LUE-NAS.  This county is in the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area.