Aztec, NM: Home of a thousand-years of historic legacy
March 2023: Aztec (population 6,201*) is the county seat of San Juan County and the home of the Aztec Ruins National Monument. It is part of the much larger Farmington, NM Metro statistical area (population 46,600). We visited the National Monument during a recent road trip that included Mesa Verde to the north and Chaco Canyon to the south. They are amazing to see in person! After our visit and needing a snack, we stopped by Aztec’s historic downtown for a cup of coffee.
Aztec – A Brief history
The area now known as Aztec has a history dating back to 1100s, when the Ancestral Puebloans settled the northwest region of now New Mexico and southwest Colorado. They reined the area for approximately 200 years and then abandoned their settlement as they migrated further south and east. The area was again populated in the 1500s with the arrival of the hunting/gathering Navajo people.
Today the Aztec Ruins National Monument sits on the west bank of the Animas River and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is fascinating to learn that evidence from the site indicates that the builders were related to the people of the Chaco Culture (located at Chaco Canyon to the south). In contrast, by the early 1100s, the site was re-occupied by a culture that resembled that of the Ancient Puebloans that occupied Mesa Verde to the North. The building ruins cover two acres and several of them stand three stories high. One of the highlights is a Great Kiva which has been beautifully restored.
The town of Aztec was established in the 1880s as a trading post. As a result, cattle and sheep ranching, as well as agriculture, were dominant in the early days. Then oil exploration arrived in the early 1900s. In 1921 drilling identified both an oil supply and natural gas supply and in 1950 a local gas company laid transmission lines to enable export into California. In 1963 the town was honored with the All-America City Award from the National Civic League.
Downtown vibe / walkability
Having searched on google maps for a local coffee shop, we were excited to try out bakt&frid – and then disappointed to see it had recently closed. The building exterior itself had really cool mural art, so we’re going to give them a shout out anyways in hopes that they re-open soon in some form.
We didn’t stop by for a drink, but would have loved to experience the 550 Brewing Taproom. My later research indicates that it has a good atmosphere inside and out – and great reviews from the locals.
See our drive through historic downtown Aztec!
More to Explore!
There is significant information online about the many tourist activities and sites available in the area. The quality of the historical information and tourism guides is impressive! Check out some of the tourist information below.
- Aztec Fun map: AztecFunMap.pdf (aztecnm.com) – this is aimed at kids and is a fun representation of local attractions.
- Coloring Aztec Through History: Aztec NM, Coloring History (aztecnm.com) – also aimed at kids, providing 21 pdf historic artwork pages to download and color… cool idea!
- Aztec brochure: AztecBrochure.pdf (aztecnm.com) – the adult version of local activities and attractions
- Spirit of ’63 brochure: Aztec NM, Spirit of ’63 – 63 fun things to do in Aztec; a clever play on the 1963 All American City Award
- Annual events calendar: Aztec NM, Annual Events – Wow, this is an amazing number of events for a small town!
Also in my research, I found a couple of walking guides (linked below) which i especially liked because they provide information on the amazing historic building heritage in Aztec.
- Aztec walking tour map: AztecHistoricStructures.mxd (aztecnm.com)
- Historic Aztec guided walking & biking tours: AztecWalkingTour.pdf (aztecnm.com) (published by the Aztec Museum Association)
Aztec has a local Chamber of Commerce which sponsors a downtown Block Party and Car Show ‘N Shine event in May.
