When was Catron County founded?

Catron County was founded in 1921, formed from Socorro County, and named after Thomas B. Catron.

What is the county seat of Catron County?

The county seat of Catron County is Reserve.

Is there an online parcel map for Catron County?

Yes. Catron County, NM Assessor (owner catroncounty.nm = Alex Smith, in the county's AGOL org catroncounty; item credits 'Catron County Assessor'; org profile not public) publishes a parcel map of 14,777 parcels, rated official here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Catron County's boundary or name changed?

Catron County was created in 1921 from Socorro County. Its boundary has been clarified one time since, with no change on the ground.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Catron County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 35003

Catron CountyNew Mexico

Catron County is in New Mexico and was formed in 1921 from Socorro County, with its seat in Reserve. The county was named after Thomas B. Catron.

Founded1921
County seatReserve
Named forThomas B. Catron
Land area6,924 sq mi + 5.5 sq mi water
Population3,579 2020 Census
Parcels mapped14,777 checked 16 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Catron County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1921 from Socorro County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Catron County was created from Socorro County on July 1, 1921. In 1927, the New Mexico Legislature attempted to eliminate Catron County by creating Rio Grande County and expanding Grant County, but the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled the act unconstitutional in April 1928.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1921
Catron County created Catron created from Socorro.
from Socorro
1 July 1921 · N.M. Laws 1921, 5th reg. sess., ch. 28/pp. 37-45
1927
Changed Legislature authorized the elimination of Catron by the creation of Rio Grande (proposed) and the expansion of Grant. This act attempted to circumvent the constitutional prohibition against changing county boundaries by special or local law and the attorney general filed action to prevent implementation of the statute. Proposal failed on 3 April 1928 when the New Mexico Supreme Court ruled the act unconstitutional (no change).
Rio GrandeGrant
18 March 1927 · N.M. Laws 1927, 8th reg. sess., chs. 185-186/pp. 457-464; N.M. Constitution 1910, art. IV, sec. 2, in Swindler, 7:102-103; "State ex rel. Dow v. Graham," in N.M. Reports, 33:504-519; N.M. Stat. 1978, ch. 4, pamphlet 11, 4-28-1 "Socorro County Laws" 1927, ch. 185; Coan reprint, 20

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Catron

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Official

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 14,777 parcels from Catron County, NM Assessor (owner catroncounty.nm = Alex Smith, in the county's AGOL org catroncounty; item credits 'Catron County Assessor'; org profile not public). Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 7 October 2024 · checked 16 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Catron County yet.
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Catron by the Census

Population

3,579 2020 Census count

Housing units

3,231 2020 Census count

Land area

6,924 square miles

Water area

5.5 square miles

People per sq mi

<1 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Catron County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

County government
The official website of Catron County.
catroncounty.us

See your own lot on these maps

Open Catron County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Catron County

When was Catron County founded?: Catron County was founded in 1921, formed from Socorro County, and named after Thomas B. Catron.
What is the county seat of Catron County?: The county seat of Catron County is Reserve.
Is there an online parcel map for Catron County?: Yes. Catron County, NM Assessor (owner catroncounty.nm = Alex Smith, in the county's AGOL org catroncounty; item credits 'Catron County Assessor'; org profile not public) publishes a parcel map of 14,777 parcels, rated official here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Catron County's boundary or name changed?: Catron County was created in 1921 from Socorro County. Its boundary has been clarified one time since, with no change on the ground.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Catron County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

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