About Curry County

Geographic Description:
Curry County contains 1,403 square miles.  The altitude is 4,280 feet with a mean temperature of 57.1 degrees.  Annual rainfall is 17.07 inches. Curry County has the city of Clovis (county seat), and five rural communities:  Broadview, Grady, Melrose, Ranchvale, and Texico.
Clovis is located on the high plains of eastern New Mexico, 324 miles from the Santa Teresa border crossing.  The city of Clovis is a retail and service hub for an area that extends approximately 75 miles north, east, and south and for more than 100 miles to the west.  This trade area serves some 145,000 in four Texas counties and four New Mexico counties.  Nearby metropolitan cities include:  Albuquerque NM (220 miles west), Amarillo Texas (105 miles northeast), El Paso, Texas (318 miles southwest), Lubbock, Texas (100 miles southeast).
Clovis New Mexico was founded by the railroad in 1907 and has been steadily growing every since.  A daughter of a railroad official who was studying the first Christian king, “King Clovis”, of the Franks who ruled in Europe in the fifth century, named Clovis.  In the beginning Clovis was a wide-open town on the Plains of Eastern New Mexico with its share of saloons, gambling, and gunfights.  Clovis’s “cow town” growth was based on the cattle industry and continues to be known as the leading county in New Mexico for raising wheat.  World-renowned Cannon Air Force Base was established in Clovis in 1942.  With this Clovis became a more diversified economy with growth of modern colleges, healthcare facilities, and businesses.  On the cultural side of Clovis a small recording studio made history in 1957 when Norman Petty recorded and made the first hits for Buddy Holly, Roy Orbision, Waylon Jennings, and the Fireballs.  Music history continues to be made here with stars such as LeAnn Rimes.
The history of Clovis includes the “Clovis Man” archeological site an early man culture that dates to 12,500 years ago, discovered in 1929.  Today the Clovis Man site in Blackwater Draw is the oldest accepted culture in the New World.  Human remains have not been found, even though the massive deposits of bone, tools, spear points, and other evidence suggests future excavation may reveal such remains.
Cannon Air Force Base is adjacent to Clovis.  The military installation has a large impact on the community and typically receives a great deal of support from local civic and business leaders.
Population:
The major population center of Curry County is the city of Clovis with a population of 32, 667 according to the 2001 census.  The breakdown of population for the five rural communities of Curry County include:  Broadview/Grady population 150, Melrose population 736, Ranchvale and Texico with a population near 1,000.  At full strength Cannon Air Force Base includes 3,268 active duty personnel and 3,538 dependents.  The Population Estimate for Curry County is 2003 was 45, 609 and in 2004 the estimate had a 0.1 net change to 45,670.  The population projection for 2010 for Curry County is 46,937 and in 2020 the projection increases to 48,190.  The greatest percentage of population by age is 5 to 14 years at 16.0 percentage of the 2004 population of 45, 670.  25 to 34 years is the next highest percentage of population at 13.7 percent.  A complete breakdown of population by age is in the matrix below: (date source New Mexico 2004 Social Indicator report)

Geographic Description

Curry County contains 1,403 square miles.  The altitude is 4,280 feet with a mean temperature of 57.1 degrees.  Annual rainfall is 17.07 inches. Curry County has the city of Clovis (county seat), and five rural communities:  Broadview, Grady, Melrose, Ranchvale, and Texico.

Clovis is located on the high plains of eastern New Mexico, 324 miles from the Santa Teresa border crossing.  The city of Clovis is a retail and service hub for an area that extends approximately 75 miles north, east, and south and for more than 100 miles to the west.  This trade area serves some 145,000 in four Texas counties and four New Mexico counties.  Nearby metropolitan cities include:  Albuquerque NM (220 miles west), Amarillo Texas (105 miles northeast), El Paso, Texas (318 miles southwest), Lubbock, Texas (100 miles southeast).

Clovis New Mexico was founded by the railroad in 1907 and has been steadily growing every since. A daughter of a railroad official who was studying the first Christian king, “King Clovis”, of the Franks who ruled in Europe in the fifth century, named Clovis.  In the beginning Clovis was a wide-open town on the Plains of Eastern New Mexico with its share of saloons, gambling, and gunfights.  Clovis’ “cow town” growth was based on the cattle industry and continues to be known as the leading county in New Mexico for raising wheat.  World-renowned Cannon Air Force Base was established in Clovis in 1942.  With this Clovis became a more diversified economy with growth of modern colleges, healthcare facilities, and businesses.  On the cultural side of Clovis a small recording studio made history in 1957 when Norman Petty recorded and made the first hits for Buddy Holly, Roy Orbision, Waylon Jennings, and the Fireballs.  Music history continues to be made here with stars such as LeAnn Rimes.

The history of Clovis includes the “Clovis Man” archeological site an early man culture that dates to 12,500 years ago, discovered in 1929.  Today the Clovis Man site in Blackwater Draw is the oldest accepted culture in the New World.  Human remains have not been found, even though the massive deposits of bone, tools, spear points, and other evidence suggests future excavation may reveal such remains.

Cannon Air Force Base is adjacent to Clovis.  The military installation has a large impact on the community and typically receives a great deal of support from local civic and business leaders.

Population

The major population center of Curry County is the city of Clovis with a population of 32, 667 according to the 2001 census.  The breakdown of population for the five rural communities of Curry County include:  Broadview/Grady population 150, Melrose population 736, Ranchvale and Texico with a population near 1,000.  At full strength Cannon Air Force Base includes 3,268 active duty personnel and 3,538 dependents.  The Population Estimate for Curry County is 2003 was 45, 609 and in 2004 the estimate had a 0.1 net change to 45,670.  The population projection for 2010 for Curry County is 46,937 and in 2020 the projection increases to 48,190.  The greatest percentage of population by age is 5 to 14 years at 16.0 percentage of the 2004 population of 45, 670.  25 to 34 years is the next highest percentage of population at 13.7 percent.  A complete breakdown of population by age is in the matrix below: (date source New Mexico 2004 Social Indicator report)

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