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Relocation guide

Relocating to Las Cruces, New Mexico

A short, factual overview of Las Cruces and Doña Ana County, with a public source for each fact.

The city and county

Las Cruces is the county seat of Doña Ana County in southern New Mexico. Its population was 111,385 in the 2020 U.S. Census.[1] Doña Ana County's 2020 census population was 219,561.[2]

New Mexico State University

New Mexico State University's main campus is in Las Cruces. NMSU was founded in 1888 and is New Mexico's land-grant university.[3]

White Sands Missile Range

The headquarters area of White Sands Missile Range is about 20 miles east of Las Cruces, according to the Army. At almost 3,200 square miles, the range is described as the largest military installation in the country.[4]

Spaceport America

Spaceport America, a commercially licensed spaceport on about 18,000 acres in the Jornada del Muerto basin, is 45 miles north of Las Cruces (about 55 miles by road), according to the spaceport.[5]

Getting around

Interstate 10 passes through Las Cruces, and Interstate 25 begins at its interchange with I-10 in Las Cruces and runs north through Albuquerque.[6] U.S. Highway 70 connects Las Cruces with White Sands Missile Range to the east.[4]

Outdoors nearby

Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, managed by the Bureau of Land Management, was designated in 2014 and includes the Organ Mountains east of Las Cruces.[7] White Sands National Park lies to the northeast, in the Tularosa Basin.[8]

Budgeting for the move? Try the mortgage calculator to estimate a monthly payment, including property tax, insurance, HOA, and PMI.

Finding the right area for you

Every buyer weighs different things: commute, lot size, home age, HOA rules, and price. Steele can pull listings that match your criteria anywhere in Las Cruces and Doña Ana County. We encourage you to visit and research any area yourself.

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Las Cruces city, NM
  2. Las Cruces Sun-News, "Doña Ana County, Las Cruces grow in new census numbers" (Aug. 12, 2021), reporting 2020 U.S. Census data
  3. New Mexico State University, About
  4. Military OneSource, U.S. Army Garrison White Sands Missile Range
  5. Spaceport America, Visit
  6. Interstate 25 (Wikipedia)
  7. Bureau of Land Management, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument
  8. National Park Service, White Sands National Park

Facts checked October 2026. Distances are approximate.