Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico
Ruidoso Downs is a city of 2,655 people in Lincoln County, New Mexico.
Why visit Ruidoso Downs
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 6 places to eat and 4 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Old Dowlin Mill and Ruidoso Lookout Tower.
June is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 21°F, and about 26 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Ruidoso Downs
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ruidoso Downs
Ruidoso Downs is a city in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, located within the Lincoln National Forest. As of the 2020 census, Ruidoso Downs had a population of 2,620. Originally incorporated as a village, it became a city in May 2002. Known locally as "the Downs", Ruidoso Downs is a municipality separate from and adjacent to the Village of Ruidoso.
From the Wikipedia article Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks4
Old Dowlin Mill
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Watermill and grinding mill in Ruidoso, New Mexico
Ruidoso Lookout Tower
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Fire lookout tower in Lincoln County, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes6
Sonic
Fast food · Burger · 2.0 mi
102 Horton Circle, Ruidoso
Mo-Th 08:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 08:00-21:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 2.0 mi
148 Sudderth Drive, Ruidoso
Mo-We 08:00-21:00; Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Su 08:00-21:00
Where to stay4
History
According to a local Ruidoso Downs historian, early on Hispanos settlers called the area "San Juanito". The settlers began arriving in the early in the late 1840s, and introduced rodeo and horse racing to the area. Originally the area had scattered farms and ranches, with the Dowlin Mill constructed in 1868. A new wave of families arrived after the Lincoln County War.
By around 1907 the road between Roswell and Alamogordo, which passed through the area, was still primitive, though it was improved in the 1920s through the Federal Aid Project. The road that would become US 70 was paved in the area around 1945, and then improved again in 1958. The road became four lanes in 1981.
In 1946 the Ruidoso News was founded and the airport opened, and two years later radio arrived. Electric lights appeared in the area in 1947. The White Mountain Inn opened in the 1940s as a sanatorium and as a lodging establishment.
From the History section of Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Ruidoso Downs
29 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 21°F | 1.1 in | 7.9 in |
| Feb | 51°F | 23°F | 1.0 in | 5.5 in |
| Mar | 58°F | 27°F | 0.9 in | 2.2 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 33°F | 0.7 in | 0.6 in |
| May | 73°F | 40°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 47°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 51°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 50°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 44°F | 2.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 67°F | 35°F | 1.7 in | 1.0 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 26°F | 0.8 in | 1.8 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 22°F | 1.5 in | 7.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ruidoso (4 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
Lincoln County has had 29 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2025-07-22: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2025-07-10: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2024-06-20: South Fork Fire, Salt Fire, And Flooding (Fire)
- 2024-06-18: Salt Fire (Fire)
- 2024-06-17: South Fork Fire (Fire)
- 2024-05-26: Blue 2 Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Sierra Blanca Regional Airport (RUI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 10 miles away.
- Ruidoso 4 mi west, about 7 min by car
- Capitan 14 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Mescalero 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
- Carrizozo 26 mi northwest, about 41 min by car
- High Rolls 30 mi southwest, about 48 min by car
- Tularosa 30 mi southwest, about 48 min by car
- La Luz 32 mi southwest, about 51 min by car
- Alamogordo 38 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Boles Acres 42 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Holloman AFB 44 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 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
- Racing at Ruidoso Downs, Bill Hirshfeld, photos taken as part of "Sights Around the Byway", sponsored by the Ruidoso Fine Arts Commission., Public domain
- OLD DOWLIN MILL 2012, MRobison, CC BY-SA 3.0
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