Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla is a town of 1,717 people in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, founded in 1848.
Why visit Mesilla
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 34 places to eat, 15 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Doña Ana Community College, New Mexico State University, Mesilla Plaza and Alameda-Depot Historic District.
June is the warmest month, with average highs of 96°F; January lows average 30°F.
Weather in Mesilla
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Mesilla
Mesilla (also known as La Mesilla and Old Mesilla) is a town in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,797 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Mesilla, New Mexico (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Doña Ana Community College
School · 3.2 mi
Community college in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, U.S.
New Mexico State University
School · 3.7 mi
University in the United States
Museums and landmarks14
Mesilla Plaza
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Plaza in Mesilla
Alameda-Depot Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic district in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
Fort Fillmore
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Fort in New Mexico
Foster Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic building on the campus of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Hadley-Ludwick House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic house in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Mesilla Park Elementary School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
School building in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Mesilla Park Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic district in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Nason House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Formerly the University President's House at New Mexico State University
Nestor Armijo House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Rio Grande Theatre
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Movie theater in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
Barela-Reynolds House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Goddard Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes34
Andele Restaurante
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.9 mi
1950 Calle del Norte
Mo 08:00-14:30; Tu-Su 08:00-21:00
Old Town Restaurant
Restaurant · 2.2 mi
1155 South Valley Drive
Su-Fr 07:00-16:00
Wild West Espresso
Cafe · 0.9 mi
2385 Calle de Guadalupe
Mo-Sa 10:00-17:00; Su 12:00-17:00
Andele's Dog House Patio Grill
Bar and pub · Mexican · 0.9 mi
1983 Calle del Norte
22 more on the map.
History
The first permanent settlement in Mesilla was established by 116 settlers from Chihuahua in the 1840s led by Pablo Melendres.
The village of Mesilla was incorporated in 1848, after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo moved the U.S.–Mexico border south of the village of Doña Ana, placing it in the United States. A small group of citizens, unhappy at being part of the United States, decided to move south of the border. They settled in Mesilla at this time.
By 1850, Mesilla was an established colony. By this time, its people were under constant threat of attack from the Apache. By 1851, the attacks caused the United States to take action to protect its people just to the north of the border, in the Mesilla Valley. They did this by creating Fort Fillmore. As a result of the fort, the United States declared the Mesilla Valley region part of the United States. Mexico also claimed this strip of land, causing it to become known as "No Mans Land". This boundary dispute, which was officially caused by a map error, was resolved in 1853 with the Gadsden Purchase. Mesilla became a part of the United States, as well as the southern part of New Mexico and Arizona.
From the History section of Mesilla, New Mexico on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay15
La Quinta Inn & Suites Las Cruces Organ Mountain
Motel and hotel · 1.9 mi
1500 Hickory Drive, Las Cruces
Churches and places of worship6
Basilica de San Albino Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.9 mi
2370 Calle de Santiago, Mesilla
Phillips Chapel CME Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries39
Arrowhead Park Early College High School
School · 4.1 mi
3400 South Espina St, Las Cruces
Healthcare1
Map of Mesilla
138 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 30°F | 0.5 in | 0.4 in |
| Feb | 64°F | 34°F | 0.4 in | 0.1 in |
| Mar | 71°F | 39°F | 0.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 78°F | 46°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 87°F | 54°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 96°F | 64°F | 0.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 96°F | 69°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 94°F | 68°F | 1.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 88°F | 61°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 80°F | 48°F | 0.8 in | 0.1 in |
| Nov | 68°F | 37°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 30°F | 0.6 in | 0.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for State Univ Hcn (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Doña Ana County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2025-07-22: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-10-29: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2006-08-30: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Las Cruces International Airport (LRU) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Las Cruces 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Anthony 22 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
- La Union 24 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Chaparral 28 mi southeast, about 45 min by car
- Sunland Park 33 mi south, about 53 min by car
- Hatch 35 mi northwest, about 56 min by car
- El Paso 37 mi southeast, about 59 min by car
- Fort Bliss 39 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Socorro 54 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Horizon City 55 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- San Albino Church Mesilla, Original uploader was Camerafiend at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NewMexico 090614 OldMesilla RP 027, Roger Pierson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NewMexico 090614 OldMesilla RP 037, Roger Pierson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NewMexico 090614 OldMesilla RP 025, Roger Pierson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NewMexico 090614 OldMesilla RP 028, Roger Pierson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NewMexico 090614 OldMesilla RP 026, Roger Pierson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mesilla NM icon - panoramio, Annette Teng, CC BY 3.0
- A frontal view of the Basilica of San Albino in Mesilla, NM, National Trails Office ( US National Park Service ), Public domain
- La Posta De La Mesilla Restaurant was founded in 1939 in Mesilla, NM, National Trails Office ( US National Park Service ), Public domain
- Cobblestone streets in front of the historic La Posta De La Mesilla Restaurant in Mesilla, NM, National Trails Office ( US National Park Service ), Public domain
- La Posta de la Mesilla Restaurant - panoramio, yourlascruces, CC BY-SA 3.0
- La Posta de la Mesilla - panoramio, yourlascruces, CC BY-SA 3.0
- La Posta de la Mesilla - panoramio (1), yourlascruces, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kiva Fireplace at La Posta de Mesilla - panoramio, yourlascruces, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mesilla New Mexico Town Hall, AllenS, Public domain
- Red chili peppers Mesilla NM, Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mesilla Historic District, Jerri Wells, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park on the trails, Susan Barnum, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Calle de Arroyo in Mesilla NM, SteveStrummer, CC0
- Northwest of Mesilla Dam - Flickr - aspidoscelis, Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0
- MesillaPlaza, James W. Rosenthal, Public domain
- Phillips Chapel CME Church Las Cruces New Mexico, AllenS, Public domain
- Las Cruces New Mexico Railroad Museum, AllenS, Public domain
- Foster Hall New Mexico State University Las Cruces, AllenS, Public domain
- New Mexico State University Nason House, AllenS, Public domain
- Nestor Armijo House Las Cruces New Mexico, AllenS, Public domain
- Frank O'Brien Papen Community Center NE side center 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Hadley-Ludwick House Las Cruces New Mexico, AllenS, Public domain
- Rio Grande Theatre Las Cruces New Mexico, AllenS, Public domain
- Barela-Reynolds House Mesilla New Mexico, AllenS, Public domain
- New Mexico State University Goddard Hall, AllenS, Public domain
- DACC East Mesa campus, Mac2678, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Las Cruces - Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary - 1, This illustration was made by Peter Potrowl . Please credit this with : © Peter Potrowl in the immediate vicinity of the image. A link to my website sitemai.eu would be much appreciated but isn't..., CC BY-SA 3.0
- NMSU BransonLibrary, Terry Umbenhaur, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chili Peppers hangdrying, SteveStrummer, CC0
- Sporobolus wrightii - Flickr - aspidoscelis, Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0
- Bird on one way calle, Susan Barnum, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Physalis acutifolia 27506456, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Physalis acutifolia 27506460, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
- Physalis acutifolia 27506458, Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0
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