Why visit Tularosa
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 2 parks and trails and 5 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Tularosa Original Townsite District and Tularosa Historical Marker.
June is the warmest month, with average highs of 94°F; January lows average 29°F.
Weather in Tularosa
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Tularosa
Tularosa is a village in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The town shares its name with the Tularosa Basin, in which the town is located. To the east, Tularosa is flanked by the western edge of the Sacramento Mountains. The population was 2,553 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Tularosa, New Mexico (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Tularosa Original Townsite District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in New Mexico, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes5
Churches and places of worship4
Saint Francis de Paula
Church · Roman Catholic
303 Encino Street, Tularosa
History
Tularosa gets its name from the Spanish description for the red or rose colored reeds growing along the banks of the Rio Tularosa. The Rio Tularosa, which still exists along the north side of the village, attracted the original settlers as a water source in the desert. Settlers attempted to establish a settlement in 1860 but were unsuccessful due to Mescalero Apache raids. Two years later, after a battle at nearby Round Mountain, Mexican farmers from the Rio Grande valley succeeded in settling the area. The Mission Church, St Francis de Paula was built to honor a promise made to St Francis that if no one was killed in the battle at Round Mountain, the townspeople would build a church dedicated to him. In 1863, the Town of Tularosa was formally established and was mapped with 49 blocks and water rights distributed and recorded.
The original acequia (ditch irrigation system) remains virtually unchanged and provides the water for the trees lining the streets, private gardens, and landscaping that give Tularosa its unique character.
In 1979, the Tularosa Original Townsite District, consisting of the original 49 blocks on 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) including 182 buildings, was declared a historic district and recorded in the National Register of Historic Places.
From the History section of Tularosa, New Mexico on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Map of Tularosa
24 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 29°F | 0.5 in |
| Feb | 61°F | 33°F | 0.5 in |
| Mar | 68°F | 39°F | 0.3 in |
| Apr | 76°F | 45°F | 0.3 in |
| May | 85°F | 53°F | 0.5 in |
| Jun | 94°F | 62°F | 0.8 in |
| Jul | 93°F | 66°F | 1.8 in |
| Aug | 91°F | 64°F | 1.8 in |
| Sep | 86°F | 58°F | 1.7 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 48°F | 1.1 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 37°F | 0.7 in |
| Dec | 55°F | 30°F | 0.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Tularosa Hcn (1 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
Otero County has had 23 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)
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Alamogordo-White Sands Regional Airport (ALM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- La Luz 8 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Mescalero 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Alamogordo 14 mi south, about 22 min by car
- Holloman AFB 16 mi south, about 27 min by car
- High Rolls 16 mi southeast, about 25 min by car
- Boles Acres 18 mi south, about 29 min by car
- Cloudcroft 19 mi southeast, about 30 min by car
- Ruidoso 28 mi northeast, about 45 min by car
- Ruidoso Downs 30 mi northeast, about 48 min by car
- Capitan 40 mi northeast, about 1 h 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
- Saint Francis de Paula Church Tularosa New Mexico, AllenS, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.