Tucumcari (Clovis, Portales: real estate, low crime, motels)

[jbear182]

A few years back on a road trip we passed through Tucumcari. I have to admit I am facinated with this town. Can any locals shed some light on what the quality of life is like. 2000 sq foot homes for 85K. It appears that your town is dying a slow death.

[Mark S.]

I grew up in nearby Clovis/Portales. I never lived in Tucumcari, but I passed through many times. Its location on the highway is probably the only thing keeping it alive.

If you like really hot temperatures and little rain, Tucumcari might be for you.

[winnie]

Tucumcari is about 70 miles from Clovis and really there is nothing there except for a lake that is popular in the summer for swimming and fishing. Been up there a couple times myself and I don't see any kind of a draw to living up there and I can't imagine where on earth you would work either.

So that explains the cheap cost of living there and the fact that the town is still in existance puzzles me..other towns in NM have become ghost towns for the same reasons - lack of jobs and little to no tourist attractions.

I have been told that the area is very prone to flash flooding due to the terrain and the high clay content in the dirt. There are many arroyos there to carry flood waters - you can see them along the roads during the drive up there from Clovis. Haven't seen actual flooding for myself though.

[jbear182]

Exactly Winnie. Thats why I am sooo obsessed with it. I cant understand why anyone would live there. I have checked out real estate via the net and it looks pretty run down - yet over 5,000 people live there with surprisingly low crime.

[_yb]

Last time I was up there I noticed they were building some homes on ute lake. Some of them looked nice. Some very nice ranch land out that way.

[Crackerjack]

I know one thing keeping it alive is motels and gas stations. It is an interstate stop and I think that keeps it going but honestly don't know what else does. I met a couple many years ago who said they were moving there because they loved the Tucumcari look which they said looks like the roadrunner - coyote cartoon. It does sort of look like that! My family always wondered what that was up in the hills outside of Tucumcari, you will see white stuff like snow but isn't snow up near the tops. My dad thought maybe mines? Anyone know about that?

[winnie]

There are gravel pits up there - to the north of Tucumcari..and sometimes in NM the rock layers in the higher elevations really glimmer whitish colors, sometimes red, tan or dusky purpleish too. Could be either one I never asked about it while we were up there.

[Crackerjack]

Thanks Winnie for a good explanation of what they could be.