San Jon

History

The village was founded in 1902 and grew after the arrival of the railroad in 1904. It was once an important local commercial center and stop on U.S. Route 66 and home to numerous tourist-oriented businesses, such as gasoline service stations, cafes, and motels. However, when Interstate 40 bypassed the village in 1981, the local economy declined, leading most of those businesses to shut down. Today, only one motel is still in operation, and all of the gas stations and dining establishments are centered around the I-40 interchange on the north side of town. Former establishments include The Old Route 66 Truck and Auto Parts garage, Smith's Café, and the Circle M Motel.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land. The village is located on I-40 at New Mexico State Highway 469, east of Tucumcari. File:Llano Escarpment.jpg|Northern escarpment of the Llano Estacado, located south of San Jon. File:Llano Estacado San Jon Hill Roadcut 2003.jpg|Road cut south of San Jon on New Mexico State Highway 469 as it crosses the Caprock Escarpment at the northern edge of the Llano Estacado. File:San Jon New Mexico 2003.JPG|View of San Jon, looking north from the caprock escarpment of the Llano Estacado File:San Jon Motel In the Morning.jpg|The lone motel of San Jon, established in 1946. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, San Jon has a cold semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in San Jon was on July 11, 2020, and July 13, 2020, while the coldest temperature recorded was on January 1, 1919. |source 2 = National Weather Service }}

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  99
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  77
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  76
• Swainson's Hawk

  Buteo swainsoni Bonaparte, 1838 · Aves
  67
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

  Tyrannus forficatus (Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  66
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  59
• Chihuahuan Raven

  Corvus cryptoleucus Couch, 1854 · Aves
  53
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  52

Largest nearby schools

• SAN JON ELEMENTARY
  Elementary · SAN JON · 74 students · 10.6:1 ratio
• SAN JON MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · SAN JON · 31 students · 10.3:1 ratio
• SAN JON HIGH
  High · SAN JON · 20 students · 5:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-09-25
  16 km NE of House, New Mexico
• M 3 — 2025-04-01
  22 km S of Newkirk, New Mexico
• M 2.6 — 2024-10-22
  29 km SW of Tucumcari, New Mexico
• M 2.6 — 2024-09-08
  34 km NNW of Nara Visa, New Mexico
• M 2.7 — 2024-04-21
  24 km S of Adrian, Texas
• M 2.6 — 2023-08-11
  24 km WSW of Channing, Texas