Animas, New Mexico
Encyclopedia
Animas is an unincorporated community
in west central Hidalgo County
, New Mexico
, United States
, in the southwestern corner of the state. It lies at the intersection of State Roads 9
and 338 south of the city of Lordsburg
, the county seat
of Hidalgo County. Its elevation is 4,406 feet (1,343 m), and it is located at 31°56′56"N 108°48′26"W (31.9489799, -108.8072777). Although Animas is unincorporated, it has a post office
. Founded in 1909, it has the ZIP code
of 88020; the ZCTA
for ZIP Code 88020 had a population of 1,063 at the 2000 census
.
Founded around 1753 by the Spanish, Animas became part of the newly independent country of Mexico
in 1821. Unlike most of New Mexico, Animas was not part of the Mexican Cession
after the end of the Mexican–American War
; it is located in the area transferred to the United States by the Gadsden Purchase
of 1853.
Animas is an isolated ranching community. It is located in the valley bounded by the Peloncillo Mountains on the west and the Pyramid Mountains
and Animas Mountains
on the east. It is situated just west of the Continental Divide, and is approximately thirty miles from Lordsburg, the nearest significant population center. Smaller communities closer to Animas than Lordsburg include Cotton City, Playas
, and Rodeo
. It lies in a region rich in Native American
history: twenty-one different archeological sites in the Animas area are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in west central Hidalgo County
Hidalgo County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*85.3% White*0.6% Black*0.8% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.8% Two or more races*11.0% Other races*56.6% Hispanic or Latino...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in the southwestern corner of the state. It lies at the intersection of State Roads 9
New Mexico State Road 9
State Road 9 is a long state road in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The highway spans Hidalgo, Grant, and Luna counties from to at the Doña Ana county line.-Route description:...
and 338 south of the city of Lordsburg
Lordsburg, New Mexico
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,379 people, 1,220 households, and 854 families residing in the city. The population density was 403.1 people per square mile . There were 1,414 housing units at an average density of 168.7 per square mile...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Hidalgo County. Its elevation is 4,406 feet (1,343 m), and it is located at 31°56′56"N 108°48′26"W (31.9489799, -108.8072777). Although Animas is unincorporated, it has a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. Founded in 1909, it has the ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
of 88020; the ZCTA
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000. This new entity was developed to overcome the difficulties in precisely defining the land area covered by each ZIP code...
for ZIP Code 88020 had a population of 1,063 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
Founded around 1753 by the Spanish, Animas became part of the newly independent country of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1821. Unlike most of New Mexico, Animas was not part of the Mexican Cession
Mexican Cession
The Mexican Cession of 1848 is a historical name in the United States for the region of the present day southwestern United States that Mexico ceded to the U.S...
after the end of the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
; it is located in the area transferred to the United States by the Gadsden Purchase
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that was purchased by the United States in a treaty signed by James Gadsden, the American ambassador to Mexico at the time, on December 30, 1853. It was then ratified, with changes, by the U.S...
of 1853.
Animas is an isolated ranching community. It is located in the valley bounded by the Peloncillo Mountains on the west and the Pyramid Mountains
Pyramid Mountains
The Pyramid Mountains are a 30 mi long, mountain range in central-east Hidalgo County, New Mexico. The city of Lordsburg is at its northern border, where the range causes Interstate 10 to traverse northeast, then southeast around the range....
and Animas Mountains
Animas Mountains
The Animas Mountains are a small mountain range in Hidalgo County, within the "Boot-Heel" region of far southwestern New Mexico, in the United States. They extend north-south for about 30 miles along the Continental Divide, from near the town of Animas to a few miles north of the border with...
on the east. It is situated just west of the Continental Divide, and is approximately thirty miles from Lordsburg, the nearest significant population center. Smaller communities closer to Animas than Lordsburg include Cotton City, Playas
Playas, New Mexico
Playas was a small unincorporated town in Hidalgo County, the "bootheel" of the southwestern part of the U.S. state of New Mexico.It is a former company town, named after a nearby former settlement along the Southern Pacific Railroad...
, and Rodeo
Rodeo, New Mexico
Rodeo, is an unincorporated town in Hidalgo County in the southwestern corner of New Mexico at . It lies less than one mile from the border with Arizona on New Mexico State Highway 80....
. It lies in a region rich in Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
history: twenty-one different archeological sites in the Animas area are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.