When was Lincoln County founded?

Lincoln County was founded in 1869, formed from Socorro County, and named after Abraham Lincoln.

What is the county seat of Lincoln County?

The county seat of Lincoln County is Carrizozo.

Is there an online parcel map for Lincoln County?

Yes. Lincoln County publishes a parcel map of 39,200 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Lincoln County's boundary or name changed?

Lincoln County was created in 1869 from Socorro County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Ana. County, Do County and Chaves County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 35027

Lincoln CountyNew Mexico

Lincoln County is a county in south-central New Mexico, with its seat in Carrizozo. It was created on January 16, 1869, from Socorro County and named after Abraham Lincoln.

Founded1869
County seatCarrizozo
Named forAbraham Lincoln
Land area4,831 sq mi + 0.2 sq mi water
Population20,269 2020 Census
Parcels mapped39,200 checked 15 October 2026

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

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1869 from Socorro County

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

Lincoln County was formed by the New Mexico Territory from Socorro County in 1869. The county experienced numerous boundary adjustments over its first four decades, gaining and losing territory to neighboring counties including Doña Ana, Chaves, Eddy, Valencia, Otero, and Torrance.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1869
Lincoln County created Lincoln created by New Mexico Territory from Socorro.
from Socorro
16 January 1869 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1868-1869, 18th assy., ch. 8/pp. 28-31
1878
Gained territory Lincoln gained from DoÑA Ana.
from Dofrom Ana.
15 February 1878 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1878, 23d assy., ch. 34/pp. 82-83
1887
Lost territory Lincoln lost to DoÑA Ana.
to Doto Ana.
24 February 1887 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1887, 27th assy., ch. 14/p. 39
1889
Gained territory Lincoln gained from DoÑA Ana.
from Dofrom Ana.
12 February 1889 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1888, 28th assy., ch. 41/pp. 92-93
1891
Lost territory Lincoln lost to creation of Chaves and Eddy. Act passed 25 February 1889; took effect 1 January 1891.
to Chaves to Eddy
1 January 1891 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1888, 28th assy., ch. 87/pp. 202-207

Show all 10 changes (5 more)

1869
Lincoln County created Lincoln created by New Mexico Territory from Socorro.
from Socorro
16 January 1869 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1868-1869, 18th assy., ch. 8/pp. 28-31
1878
Gained territory Lincoln gained from DoÑA Ana.
from Dofrom Ana.
15 February 1878 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1878, 23d assy., ch. 34/pp. 82-83
1887
Lost territory Lincoln lost to DoÑA Ana.
to Doto Ana.
24 February 1887 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1887, 27th assy., ch. 14/p. 39
1889
Gained territory Lincoln gained from DoÑA Ana.
from Dofrom Ana.
12 February 1889 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1888, 28th assy., ch. 41/pp. 92-93
1891
Lost territory Lincoln lost to creation of Chaves and Eddy. Act passed 25 February 1889; took effect 1 January 1891.
to Chaves to Eddy
1 January 1891 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1888, 28th assy., ch. 87/pp. 202-207
1893
Lost territory Lincoln lost to Valencia. Lincoln boundary with Socorro redefined to run along the public land survey line between ranges 8E and 9E (no change).
to Valencia to Socorro
13 February 1893 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1893, 30th assy., ch. 20/pp. 36-37
1895
Lost territory Lincoln lost to Eddy.
to Eddy
16 January 1895 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1895, 31st assy., ch. 11/p. 42
1899
Lost territory Lincoln lost to creation of Otero, and lost to Chaves.
to Otero to Chaves
30 January 1899 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1899, 33d assy., ch. 3/pp. 21-30
1905
Lost territory Lincoln lost to creation of Torrance. Act passed 16 March 1903; took effect 1 January 1905.
to Torrance
1 January 1905 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1903, 35th assy., ch. 70/pp. 132-134
1909
Exchanged territory Lincoln exchanged with Socorro.
with Socorro
18 March 1909 · N.M. Terr. Laws 1909, 38th assy., ch. 112/pp. 326-327

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Lincoln

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 39,200 parcels from Lincoln County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 15 July 2026 · checked 15 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Lincoln 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

Lincoln by the Census

Population

20,269 2020 Census count

Housing units

17,624 2020 Census count

Land area

4,831 square miles

Water area

0.2 square miles

People per sq mi

4 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

Lincoln 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 Lincoln County.
lincolncountynm.net

See your own lot on these maps

Open Lincoln 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 Lincoln County

When was Lincoln County founded?: Lincoln County was founded in 1869, formed from Socorro County, and named after Abraham Lincoln.
What is the county seat of Lincoln County?: The county seat of Lincoln County is Carrizozo.
Is there an online parcel map for Lincoln County?: Yes. Lincoln County publishes a parcel map of 39,200 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Lincoln County's boundary or name changed?: Lincoln County was created in 1869 from Socorro County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Ana. County, Do County and Chaves County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Lincoln County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby