Eastern New Mexico | |
|---|---|
Region | |
 Windmill north ofBellview, New Mexico | |
 Shaded relief image of the Llano Estacado including the portion in Eastern New Mexico | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Mexico |
| Region | Llano Estacado |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 161,415[1] |
| Website | Llano Estacado |
Eastern New Mexico is a physiographic subregion within theU.S. state ofNew Mexico. The region is sometimes called the "High Plains", or "Eastern Plains (of New Mexico)", and was historically referred to as part of the "Great American Desert". The region is largely coterminous with the portion of theLlano Estacado in New Mexico. Portions of Eastern New Mexico's elevation extend to over 4,000 ft (1,200 m). The region is characterized by flat, largely featureless terrain with the exception of thePecos River valley and the abrupt breaks along theMescalero Ridge and northerncaprock escarpments of theLlano Estacado. The region typically lacks the high relief of central and northern New Mexico, such as that in theSangre de Cristo andSandia mountain ranges. The climate is semi-arid with hot summers and is characterized by significant wind and dust storms in the springtime.
Like much of the Llano Estacado region, Eastern New Mexico is largely rural and agricultural, and resemblesWest Texas in geography, economy, and demographics. The population is sparse as compared to the rest of the country. The region includes portions of the counties ofCurry,De Baca,Guadalupe,Lea,Quay, andRoosevelt. It is served byEastern New Mexico University, astate university located inPortales, and theBlackwater Draw archaeological site is located there.
The largest cities in Eastern New Mexico are:
| City | Population (2020) |
|---|---|
| Roswell | 48,422 |
| Hobbs | 40,508 |
| Clovis | 38,567 |
| Carlsbad | 32,238 |
| Portales | 12,137 |
| Tucumcari | 5,278 |
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