Why visit Raton
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 11 parks and trails, 17 places to eat, 17 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Goat Hill, Columbian School, El Raton Theatre and Raton Golf & Country Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 14°F, and about 25 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Raton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Raton
Raton is a city in and the county seat of Colfax County in northeastern New Mexico, United States. The city is located just south of Raton Pass. The city is also located about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) south of the New Mexico–Colorado border and 85 miles (137 km) west of Oklahoma. At the 2020 census, its population was 6,041.
From the Wikipedia article Raton, New Mexico (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks11
Columbian School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
School building in Raton, New Mexico
700 North 2nd Street, Raton
El Raton Theatre
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Movie theater in Raton, New Mexico, United States
115 North 2nd Street, Raton
Colfax County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Courthouse in New Mexico, United States
Kearny School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic building in Raton, New Mexico, United States
Longfellow School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
School building in Raton, New Mexico
Raton Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Registered Historic District in Raton, New Mexico
Original Townsite Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds11
_-_Raton_Convention_Center(present).JPG){kind=link}
Restaurants and cafes17
5 more on the map.
History
Raton Pass had been used by Spanish explorers and Native Americans for centuries to cut through the rugged Rocky Mountains, and the mountain branch of the Santa Fe Trail cuts through the city, along what is now Business I-25.
The post office at this location was named Willow Springs from 1877 to 1879, Otero from 1879 to 1880, then renamed Raton in 1880.
Raton was founded at the site of Willow Springs, a stop on the Santa Fe Trail. The original 320 acres (129.5 ha) for the Raton townsite were purchased from the Maxwell Land Grant in 1880. In 1879, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway bought a local toll road and established a busy rail line. Raton quickly developed as a railroad, mining, and ranching center for the northeast part of the New Mexico territory, as well as the county seat and principal trading center of the area.
From the History section of Raton, New Mexico on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay17
Enchanted Hills Mobile Home Park
Campground · 1.7 mi
700 Washington Street, Raton
Churches and places of worship10
Family Worship Center - Assembly of God
Church · Assemblies Of God · 0.8 mi
219 Kearney Avenue, Raton
First Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 0.9 mi
300 South 3rd Street, Raton
First United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 0.5 mi
1501 South 4th Street, Raton
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 0.9 mi
240 Rio Grande Avenue, Raton
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 0.5 mi
316 Sagebrush Lane, Raton
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 1.9 mi
2136 La Mesa Drive, Raton
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare2
Map of Raton
94 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°F | 14°F | 0.3 in | 3.5 in |
| Feb | 50°F | 17°F | 0.3 in | 3.7 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 23°F | 0.8 in | 5.4 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 30°F | 0.9 in | 1.9 in |
| May | 72°F | 38°F | 1.8 in | 0.3 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 46°F | 1.9 in | 0.1 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 51°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 50°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 43°F | 1.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 32°F | 1.2 in | 1.2 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 22°F | 0.5 in | 4.8 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 14°F | 0.4 in | 4.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Raton Krtn Radio (0 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
Colfax County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2022-05-04: Wildfires, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Mudflows, And Debris Flows (Fire)
- 2022-04-28: Cook'S Peak Fire (Fire)
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-06-01: Ute Park Fire (Fire)
- 2014-10-29: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Raton Municipal Airport (RTN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Trinidad 20 mi north, about 32 min by car
- Maxwell 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
- Springer 37 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Cimarron 37 mi southwest, about 59 min by car
- Aguilar 38 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Eagle Nest 51 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- La Veta 53 mi northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Walsenburg 55 mi north, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Red River 55 mi west, 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
- Revised Downtown Raton, NM IMG 5008, Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Raton Armory(past) - Raton Convention Center(present), DorianSummers, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Abandoned DQ and signage, Raton, NM 2022-05-28, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Travelodge, former Motel 6, Raton, NM 2022-05-28, Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Goat Hill Overlook Raton NM - panoramio, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- Raton Junior-Senior High School, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Longfellow School (Raton, New Mexico), Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Historic Raton, NM home on Apache Ave. in Historical District, DorianSummers, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Southwest Chief at Raton Amtrak Station - panoramio, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- 2nd Street, Raton, New Mexico, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
- Raton, New Mexico, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
- 19980328 09 Raton, NM (6363287801), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Coach Raton PA250090, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AT&SF F7A 309L with Train 23, The Grand Canyon at Raton, NM on August 19, 1967 (24378493926), railfan 44, Public domain
- Train 23, The Grand Canyon, at Raton, NM on August 19, 1967 (24030147473), railfan 44, Public domain
- AT&SF F7A 301L at Raton, NM, March 1972 (23776525214), railfan 44, Public domain
- Raton PA250086, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Southwest Chief @ Raton NM, Steve Wilson, CC BY 2.0
- Raton PA250084 Raton, NM, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Raton P1040403 (30060227071), Robert Rynerson from Denver, U.S.A., CC BY 2.0
- Raton P1040407 (30030934992), Robert Rynerson from Denver, U.S.A., CC BY 2.0
- Raton P1040400 (29516519664), Robert Rynerson from Denver, U.S.A., CC BY 2.0
- Raton P1040404 (30110391906), Robert Rynerson from Denver, U.S.A., CC BY 2.0
- Raton P1040406 (29849557560), Robert Rynerson from Denver, U.S.A., CC BY 2.0
- Raton P1040405 (29516877844), Robert Rynerson from Denver, U.S.A., CC BY 2.0
- Raton P1040398 (29849406590), Robert Rynerson from Denver, U.S.A., CC BY 2.0
- Amtrak Station at Raton NM - panoramio, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- Raton New Mexico Historic 1st Street Heirloom Shop and Marchiondo Building in Feb 2025, Hollowayvideo, CC0
- Raton NM Amtrak station, LHOON from Mechelen, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 19980328 08 Raton, NM (6363287685), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- El Raton Theater, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Saint Patrick-Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Raton New Mexico, Always dreamin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Raton NM Overlook, StormChaserAmelia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Greetings from Raton, New Mexico - Large Letter Postcard (4901575024), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Raton Pass Scenic Highway, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0
- IridiumLayerKTBoundaryRatonNM, Expeditionradio, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Columbian School, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wells Fargo Express Company building, Raton, New Mexico, Milwaukee3181, Public domain
- Colfax County New Mexico Raton Courthouse, Calvin Beale, Public domain
- Kearny School, Jeffrey Beall, CC BY-SA 3.0
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