Socorro County
Also known as Socorro County, New Mexico, Socorro County, NM
county in New Mexico, United States
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- State
- New Mexico
- Founded
- January 9, 1852
- Seat
- Socorro
- Largest city
- Socorro
- Total
- 6,649 sq mi (17,220 km )
- Land
- 6,647 sq mi (17,220 km )
- Water
- 2.1 sq mi (5.4 km ) 0.03%
- Estimate 2025
- 15,838
- Density
- 2.497/sq mi (0.9639/km )
- Time zone
- UTC−7 ( Mountain )
- Summer dst
- UTC−6 ( MDT )
- Congressional district
~19 min read
Article
The view from the southern San Mateo Mountains in Socorro County, New Mexico. The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in Socorro County.
Socorro County (Spanish: Condado de Socorro) is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 16,595. The county seat is Socorro. The county was formed in 1852 as one of the original nine counties of New Mexico Territory. Socorro was originally the name given to a Native American village (see: Puebloan peoples) by Don Juan de Oñate in 1598. Having received vitally needed food and assistance from the native population, Oñate named the pueblo Socorro ("succor" in English).