Doña Ana County, New Mexico

Doña Ana County is a county located in the southern part of the state of New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 209,233, which makes it the second-most populated county in New Mexico. Its county seat is Las Cruces, the second-largest in New Mexico. Doña Ana is a Spanish name meaning "Madam Anna" and was probably given in honor of some Spanish matron.

Doña Ana County comprises the Las Cruces, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the El Paso-Las Cruces, TX-NM Combined Statistical Area.

Doña Ana is pronounced Doñana. It borders between western Texas and Mexico's Chihuahua State.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,814 square miles (9,880 km²), of which 3,808 square miles (9,860 km²) is land and 6.9 square miles (18 km²) (0.2%) is water.

The county contains a number of prominent geographical features, most notably the Mesilla Valley (the flood plain of the Rio Grande) going north to south through the center and the Organ Mountains along the county's eastern edge. Other mountain ranges in the county are the Robledo Mountains, Doña Ana Mountains, Sierra de las Uvas, the southern end of the San Andres Mountains, East Potrillo Mountains, and West Potrillo Mountains, as well as two small, isolated mountains, Tortugas (or A) Mountain on the east and Picacho Peak on the west side of Las Cruces. The county also includes one of New Mexico's four large lava fields, the Aden Malpais, and one of the world's largest maare volcanoes, Kilbourne Hole.