Farmington is a city in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. According to the 2020 census, the city had a population of 46,624 people. Farmington, along with surrounding San Juan County, is one of four metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in New Mexico.

Farmington is located where the San Juan River, the Animas River, and the La Plata River meet. It is situated on the Colorado Plateau. Farmington is the largest city in San Juan County, which is one of the largest counties in the United States, covering 5,538 square miles (14,340 km). Farmington serves as the main business center for much of northwestern New Mexico and the Four Corners region, which includes parts of four states. Farmington is located near several highways: U.S. Highway 64, New Mexico Highway 170, New Mexico Highway 371, and New Mexico Highway 516.

The city is on the Trails of the Ancients Byway, which is one of New Mexico’s designated Scenic Byways.

The main industries in Farmington, besides government work, include the production of petroleum, natural gas, and coal, as well as its role as a major retail center. Outside Farmington, the Navajo Mine (a coal mine) is operated by the Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC). This mine supplies all the coal needed for the nearby Four Corners Generating Station to create electricity.

History

The area that is now Farmington was settled by Ancestral Pueblo people in the 7th Century. Ruins can be visited at nearby Salmon Ruins and at the Aztec Ruins. When the Ancestral Puebloans left the area, the Navajos, Jicarilla Apaches, and Utes moved into the region. A key part of the region was known in Navajo as Tóta', which means "where three rivers meet."

Although Spanish and American mineral prospecting happened in the area, there were few permanent settlements. In 1868, the Navajo Nation was created, covering the western half of San Juan County. Six years later, the U.S. government offered territory in the rest of San Juan County to the Jicarilla Apache, but they refused. As a result, the area was opened for settlement, and many people moved into the region from Southern Colorado. The area was originally called "Junction City" because of the access to the three rivers.

In 1901, the town was incorporated and named Farmington, with a population of 548. By September 19, 1905, the railroad was completed, connecting Farmington to Durango, Colorado. This expanded economic and settlement opportunities. The railroad was unusual because it was a standard-gauge railway that connected to the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad's narrow-gauge lines in southwestern Colorado. The line was converted to narrow gauge in 1923. The line was abandoned in 1968 and dismantled to Durango in 1969. In the 1920s, there was significant investment in natural gas and oil in the area, although production remained low until the 1950s.

On March 18, 1950, Farmington was the site of a mass UFO sighting, in which over half the town's population was reported to have seen large saucers in the sky flying at rapid speeds. The population grew quickly after the 1940s construction of a developed road connecting Farmington to U.S. Route 66 and Albuquerque, and the San Juan Basin Natural Gas Pipeline in 1953, led by Tom Bolack. However, the town's strong connection to the energy industry made its economy vulnerable to changes in international markets during the 1970s energy crisis, leading to efforts to diversify the economy.

In 1967, as part of a joint U.S. Government-El Paso Electric operation, an underground nuclear detonation occurred 50 miles (80 km) east of Farmington and about 25 miles (40 km) south of Dulce, New Mexico, in present-day Carson National Forest. This pilot project of Operation Plowshare, code-named Project Gasbuggy, aimed to fracture underground bedrock to make more natural gas available for extraction by gas wells.

The people of Farmington have been the subject of several civil rights investigations, including the 2005 report, The Farmington Report: Civil Rights for Native Americans 30 Years Later.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Farmington has a total area of 32.0 square miles (83 km²), of which 31.5 square miles (82 km²) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) is water.

Farmington has a semi-arid climate. Even though the city is located at an altitude of 5,473 feet (1,668 meters), it experiences hot summers and cold winters. Precipitation is low throughout the year. The average annual snowfall is 12.3 inches (31 centimeters).

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, Farmington had a population of 46,624 people. The median age of residents was 35.0 years. Twenty-seven point one percent of residents were younger than 18 years old, and 14.7 percent were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and older, there were 92.1 males aged 18 and older.

Ninety-six point eight percent of residents lived in urban areas, and 3.2 percent lived in rural areas.

There were 16,703 households in Farmington. Thirty-six point nine percent of these households had children under the age of 18 living in them. Forty-four point seven percent of households were married-couple households. Seventeen point four percent had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 28.2 percent had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. Twenty-four point nine percent of all households consisted of individuals, and 10.1 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 18,335 housing units in Farmington, of which 8.9 percent were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2 percent, and the rental vacancy rate was 10.4 percent.

As of the 2010 census, there were 45,895 people and 17,548 housing units in Farmington. The racial makeup of the city was 62.8 percent White (including 52.4 percent White non-Hispanic), 1.0 percent African American, 22.2 percent Native American, 0.6 percent Asian, 0.1 percent Pacific Islander, and 4.2 percent from two or more races. Twenty-two point four percent of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,466 households in 2010. Thirty-three point four percent of these households had children under the age of 18 living with them. Forty-nine percent were married couples living together, 13.6 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1 percent were non-families. Twenty-one point seven percent of all households consisted of individuals, and 8 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 people, and the average family size was 3.19 people.

Arts and culture

Farmington has hosted the Connie Mack World Series baseball tournament since 1965, except in 2020 when it was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament is held every August at Ricketts Park, which has a seating capacity of 5,072. The Connie Mack league regular season includes players aged 16 to 18. The Connie Mack World Series brings together 10 or more teams from different regions in the United States, including Puerto Rico.

Farmington holds a river festival once each year. The event celebrates local rivers with activities such as music, art displays, food, entertainment, a 10K and 5K run, riverside trail walks, and river raft rides.

Piñon Hills Golf Course, designed by Ken Dye, is located in Farmington. It is one of the United States’ top municipal golf courses. The City of Farmington owns and operates the course, which has been ranked among the top municipal golf courses by Golfweek Magazine for several years.

Fishing is a popular activity in Farmington. It is allowed on the San Juan River, Navajo Lake, Lake Farmington, Morgan Lake, the Animas River, Jackson Lake, and Cutter Dam.

Education

The Farmington Municipal School District has more than 10,000 students in grades K-12 across 20 schools. The high schools include Farmington High School, Piedra Vista High School, Rocinante High School, and San Juan College High School. There are four middle schools: Heights, Hermosa, Mesa View, and Tibbetts. New Mexico School for the Deaf has a preschool in Farmington. Navajo Preparatory School is a tribal school connected to the Bureau of Indian Education.

There are six private schools in Farmington if Navajo Preparatory is counted as one. However, the National Center for Education Statistics lists Navajo Prep as a public school. Sacred Heart School, Farmington (K-8), is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup and was founded in 1910.

San Juan College is a public two-year college. In Fall 2021, it had about 6,000 students each semester and around 3,000 students full-time.

Farmington Public Library moved to a new building in 2003 and has approximately 200,000 items in its collection. A branch library in Shiprock is currently closed.

Infrastructure

• Farmington has service from Four Corners Regional Airport.

• U.S. Highway 64 is the main east–west highway through San Juan County and across Farmington.
• New Mexico State Road 170 goes north from U.S. Highway 64 to the Colorado border.
• New Mexico State Road 371 connects south from U.S. Highway 64 to Interstate 40. It travels mostly through the Navajo Indian reservation and passes through only a few small towns or villages, such as Crownpoint and Thoreau. This road is also the main way to reach the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness area.
• New Mexico State Road 516 links Farmington to U.S. Highway 550 in Aztec. U.S. Highway 550 does not go through Farmington but is often used by residents to reach central New Mexico, Interstate 25, Albuquerque, and the capital city of Santa Fe.

• Farmington has intercity bus service through The Red Apple Transit.
• The North Central Regional Transit District provides bus service from Chama, NM, and Dulce, NM.
• The Navajo Transit System offers regional bus service to the Navajo Nation. Farmington is served by Route 07a, which runs from Newcomb, NM, to Fort Defiance, AZ, and Route 07b, which runs from Newcomb, NM, to Shiprock, NM.

• The Farmington Electric Utility System (FEUS) is owned and operated by the City of Farmington. It serves about 46,000 customers and covers 1,718 square miles, including the city, much of San Juan County, and a small part of Rio Arriba County.
• As of June 2021, the City produces about 36% of its electricity from its own gas-fired power plants, 17% from the Navajo Dam hydroelectric facility, and the rest from outside energy sources.
• In addition to Navajo Lake (where power facilities were built in 1988), the City has only slightly expanded its owned power facilities using renewable energy. Most renewable energy comes from outside providers or through agreements with local renewable energy facilities.

• The city’s water comes from Farmington Lake, which is filled using pumps on the Animas River. Water and wastewater treatment, operations, and management are handled by Jacobs Engineering Solutions through a contract with the city.

• The City hires Waste Management (of New Mexico) Inc. to manage all solid waste operations, including general waste, recycling, and hazardous waste disposal. City waste is sent to the San Juan County Landfill, which is owned by the county and operated by Waste Management of New Mexico.

• Cable television and Internet service are provided by Xfinity.
• Landline telephone and Internet service are provided by CenturyLink (Lumens Technologies).
• Mobile telephone and Internet service are available from all major carriers. As of October 2023, 5G cellular service is offered by T-Mobile and other major cellular providers.

Politics

As of August 2022, Farmington had about 28,548 active registered voters. Of these voters, 24.4% were not part of any political party, 51.0% were Republican, 22.2% were Democratic, 1.2% were Libertarian, and 1.2% belonged to other parties. Farmington, like the rest of San Juan County, is a community that tends to support conservative ideas. It is surrounded by areas that are generally more liberal and is located in a state that overall leans more liberal. Historically, voting in Farmington has strongly supported conservative candidates and ideas. However, voters in Farmington have almost always approved state and local government bonds and other tax-related proposals.

Notable people

• Tom Bolack (1918–1998) — Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico; Mayor of Farmington; oil industry worker; rancher
• Mike Dunn (born 1985) — athlete, Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher for the Colorado Rockies and the Miami Marlins
• Robert Fry (murderer) (born 1973) — serial killer who killed three men and one woman
• Larry Echo Hawk (born 1948) — former Attorney General of Idaho, 10th Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, and general authority emeritus of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Harris Hartz (born 1947) — U.S. federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
• Charly Martin (born 1984) — NFL player
• Ralph Neely (born 1943) — NFL offensive lineman for Dallas Cowboys
• Alana Nichols (born 1983) — Paralympic gold medalist in alpine skiing and wheelchair basketball
• Onry Ozzborn (born 1979) — rapper and founding member of Grayskul
• Chevel Shepherd (born 2002) — singer and winner of the 15th season of The Voice
• Chase Silseth (born 2000) — MLB pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels
• Sleep (born 1976) — rapper and member of The Chicharones
• Melanie Stansbury (born 1979) — U.S. Representative, former state representative, and scientist
• Duane Ward (born 1964) — athlete, MLB pitcher for Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves
• Dale Whittington (1959–2003) — racing driver
• Kenneth L. Worley (1948–1968) — U.S. Marine who received the Medal of Honor