White Sands, New Mexico
White Sands is a community of 1,609 people in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.
Why visit White Sands
Townapedia lists 34 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include White Sands Missile Range Museum, V-2 Display Annex, Jornada Biosphere Reserve and White Sands Missile Range Golf Course.
Weather in White Sands
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About White Sands
White Sands is a census-designated place (CDP) in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. It consists of the main residential area on the White Sands Missile Range. As of the 2020 census, White Sands had a population of 926. It is part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article White Sands, New Mexico (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks34
White Sands Missile Range Museum
Museum
10 Headquarters Avenue, White Sands
Mo-Fr 08:00-16:00; Sa 10:00-15:00
Balloon Launched Decelerator Test Vehicle
Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi
Cone
36.9 MHz Helix Antenna Doppler Velocity and Position (DOVAP) Performance Transmitter Antenna
Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi
22 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
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Jornada Biosphere Reserve
Park · 1.8 mi
Biosphere reserve in United States Of America | designated in 1976
White Sands Missile Range Golf Course
Golf course · 1.0 mi
1330 Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, White Sands
Where to stay2
IHG Army BOQ
Motel and hotel · 0.5 mi
501 Aberdeen Avenue, White Sands
Churches and places of worship1
Schools, colleges and libraries2
White Sands Elementary
School · 0.8 mi
1 Viking St White Sands Missile Range, Las Cruces
White Sands Missile Range Public School
School · 0.8 mi
290 Picatinny Avenue, White Sands
Map of White Sands
45 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
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
Condron Army Airfield (WSD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- University Park 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Las Cruces 19 mi west, about 30 min by car
- San Ysidro 20 mi west, about 31 min by car
- Vado 20 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
- Mesilla 21 mi west, about 33 min by car
- Chaparral 24 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Anthony 26 mi south, about 42 min by car
- Radium Springs 26 mi west, about 41 min by car
- La Union 32 mi south, about 51 min by car
- El Paso 37 mi south, about 59 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
- 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
- Jornada Experimental Range, United States Department of Agriculture, Public domain
- Minimal hike on the dunes (Unsplash), Matt Le mattlephoto, CC0
- Flickr - DVIDSHUB - Commanding on the move (Image 4 of 5), DVIDSHUB, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.