TimManBlog

A Journey to Tierra Amarilla and Rio Arriba County

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June 30, 2026

Today I write about a visit to one of the most remote counties in New Mexico and in the United States. Rio Arriba County has a population of about 40,000 living in an area of only 6,000 square miles, resulting in a population density of 6 persons per square mile. Rio Arriba County residents must travel at least 90 miles to reach Santa Fe and at least 150 miles to reach an airport in Albuquerque, with no access to any interstate highways within the county. The county’s geography consists of high mountains (including Truchas Peak at 13,102 feet), high plains, and cold deserts. About two-thirds of the county population is Hispanic; 15% are Native American.

The drive from Taos took me over a high, tree-covered plateau to the county seat of Tierra Amarilla at an elevation of 7,400 feet. This is not an incorporated town but a census-designated place of only 297 people. There’s hardly a town here, just a cluster of buildings about a half mile off U.S. Route 64. As I approached, a rancher was feeding bales of hay to his cattle across the road from the courthouse.

The courthouse is adobe-colored, like nearly everything in New Mexico. The doors were locked today for some reason—probably related to the roadwork on the two-lane road that provides access to the courthouse.

Around the courthouse are a school, the county administration building, a volunteer fire department, and a small general store.

Almost all the buildings in the area, whether in use or not, have corrugated sheet metal roofs.

The historical sign indicates there has been trouble with land rights activists here as recently as the 1960s.

I took a bit more of a walk and came across the old Santo Niño Catholic Church. This charming adobe church is still in use today and makes for a beautiful photo against the backdrop of the distant mountains. It offers a peaceful and suitable conclusion to my visit.

Click here for a list of all TimManBlog American County Seats Series posts.
The photos in this post were taken on June 20, 2023, or January 24, 2007, and are copyrighted by Tim Seibel.

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