Artesia

History

In 1890, it was a route stop (named Miller) between Roswell and Carlsbad. As alivestock-shipping point on the Pecos Valley Southern Railway, it was later named Stegman. The town assumed its present name in 1903, after the discovery of an artesian aquifer in the area; artesian wells for agriculture flourished in the area until the aquifer became significantly depleted in the 1920s. The city was officially incorporated in 1905. It is home to one of the two Strangite meeting places in the world.

Geography

Artesia is located in northern Eddy County. US 82 leads east to Lovington and west to Alamogordo, while US 285 leads north to Roswell and south to Carlsbad, the Eddy County seat. According to the United States Census Bureau, Artesia has a total area of , of which , or 0.21%, is covered by water. The Pecos River is approximately east of Artesia. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Artesia has a cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Artesia was on June 29, 1918, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 11, 1962. |source 2 = National Weather Service }}

Race & ethnicity