Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico | |
|---|---|
Skyline of Roswell, looking south along Main St. | |
Location of Roswell in Chaves County, New Mexico | |
| Coordinates: 33°23′39″N 104°31′22″W / 33.39417°N 104.52278°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Chaves |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Incorporated | February 25, 1889 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Timothy Jennings (D) |
| • Councilmember | Ward 1: Cristina Arnold & Juan Oropesa Ward 2: Juliana Halvorson & Will Cavin Ward 3: Edward Heldenbrand & Matthew Chappell Ward 4: Robert Corn & Darrell Johnson Ward 5: Angela Moore & Carlos Marrujo |
| Area | |
| 29.776 sq mi (77.119 km2) | |
| • Land | 29.716 sq mi (76.965 km2) |
| • Water | 0.060 sq mi (0.156 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,616 ft (1,102 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| 48,422 | |
• Estimate (2024) | 46,669 |
| • Rank | US: 856th NM: 5th |
| • Density | 1,585/sq mi (612.1/km2) |
| • Urban | 48,831 |
| • Metro | 63,561 (US: 146th) |
| Time zone | UTC–07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC–06:00 (MDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 88201, 88202, 88203 |
| Area code | 575 |
| FIPS code | 35-64930 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411003 |
| Sales tax | 7.9% |
| Website | roswell-nm.gov |
Roswell (/ˈrɒzwɛl/) is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,422 at the 2020 census, making it the fifth-most populous city in New Mexico. It is home to the New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI), founded in 1891. The city is also the location of an Eastern New Mexico University campus. Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located a few miles northeast of the city on the Pecos River. Bottomless Lakes State Park is located 12 miles (19 km) east of Roswell on US 380. Chaves County forms the entirety of the Roswell micropolitan area.
The Roswell incident was named after the town, though the crash site of the alleged UFO was some 75 miles (121 km) north of Roswell and closer to Corona. The investigation and debris recovery was handled by the local Roswell Army Air Field. On the 50th anniversary of the Roswell incident, an annual UFO Festival was started. In the 1930s, Roswell was a site for much of Robert H. Goddard's early rocketry work. The Roswell Museum and Art Center maintains an exhibit that includes a recreation of Goddard's rocket engine development workshop, and Goddard High School is named after him.
Roswell's tourism industry is based on ufology museums and businesses, as well as alien-themed and spacecraft-themed iconography. The city also relies on New Mexico and Americana related tourism including the International UFO Museum and Research Center. Local American folk and New Mexico music performances occur near Pioneer Plaza and in parks around the city. It is a center for acequia-like irrigated farming, dairying, and ranching; it is also the location of several manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum related facilities. Roswell has a history of minor league baseball. This regional pride has resulted in Roswell receiving the All-America City Award multiple times, in 1978–79 and 2002.