Dexter, New Mexico
9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1950 and the latest in 1979. It stands in the Dexter census division. It lies in ZIP code area 88230. The Survey maps it on the Dexter East quadrangle. 1,074 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 3,465 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresDexter fell from 1,266 to 1,074 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,266 | |
| 2020 | 1,074 | -192 (-15%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 9 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1950 USGS Dexter East quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1955 USGS Roswell quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Roswell quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Roswell quadrangle1:250000
- 1979 USGS Roswell quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
49 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 49 fires within 5 miles of Dexter between 1992 and 2020, burning about 2,114 acres in total. 2 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 26 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 8 |
| Debris and open burning | 6 |
| Smoking | 4 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Fireworks | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 August 2018 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Roswell Field Office | JOYCE |
| 17 August 1999 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 40 acres | New Mexico State Forestry Division | LINCOLN |
| 7 July 2014 | Fireworks | 5.0 acres | New Mexico State Forestry Division | LINCOLN 2 |
| 6 July 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | New Mexico State Forestry Division | ROCKING |
| 5 July 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.5 acres | New Mexico State Forestry Division | CAROL |
| 4 July 2015 | Fireworks | under an acre | Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge | HATCHERY COMPLEX |
| 29 July 2005 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Roswell Field Office | MM27 |
| 25 July 2006 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8.0 acres | Roswell Field Office | OJIBWA 2 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Dexter: 1 unknown. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexter Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown |
Storms near this place
38 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Dexter in 38 storm reports between 1997 and 2024: 23 hail, 11 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 1 tornado. The reports record 1 death. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | 1 killed, $15,000 | The roof of a barn collapsed and killed an elderly man. |
| May 2021 | Flash Flood | Dexter | $500,000 | Two to four inches of rainfall in a short period of time caused flash flooding in Dexter with multiple roads flooded. The extent of the damages are unknown and are roughly estimated for the unknown amount of businesses and homes inundated. |
| May 2021 | Hail | Dexter | $100,000 | Storm chasers and trained spotters reported very large hail ranging from one to three inches from a severe thunderstorm near Midway. The largest hailstones reported were 3 inches along U.S. Highway 285 which broke an unknown number of vehicle windshields. The strong inflow and outflow winds from the thunderstorm also produced low visibility from dust in the area. Damages are estimated for the unknown amount of broken windshields. |
| October 2019 | Flash Flood | Dexter | $60,000 | Torrential rainfall over southern Chaves County led to flash flooding and large areas of ponding water over many roadways from near Dexter south to Hagerman. An observer a few miles west of Lake Arthur along Walnut Creek reported a whopping 6.50 of rain in 24 hours. State Road 2 was closed between Darby and Orchard Park roads, State Road 267 was closed between mile markers 11 and 15, U.S. Highway 285 was closed at Chikashaw Road, and State Road 409 was closed along the entire section leading to Bottomless State Park due to falling rocks and high water. Several roads were also closed throughout the community of Dexter. At least two vehicles were inundated in flood waters and motorists had to be rescued by emergency personnel. Fortunately, no one was injured during this flooding event. Damage amounts are estimated for total losses to two vehicles. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | $35,000 | A mobile home, four miles east of Midway, was rolled over by strong winds. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | $30,000 | A large carport collapsed onto 2 vehicles at the U.S. Wildlife fish hatchery near Dexter. |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | $25,000 | Spotter passed along pictures of half a mobile home that was overturned near Dexter as it was being transported to Alto. The mobile home became completely detached from the towing truck, resulting in damage to siding and roof. This was a high-profile vehicle traveling along U.S. Highway 285. The other half avoided any issues. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | $15,000 | Multiple trees and power lines were knocked down from the strong wind gusts. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | $10,000 | A severe thunderstorm near Dexter produced very strong winds that caused thunderstorm damage in the area. A storm chaser reported that the severe winds bent a power pole along U.S. Highway 285. Damages are estimated for the loss of the power pole. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | $7,500 | A tree fell on a mobile home, destroying its roof. |
| June 2014 | Hail | Dexter | $5,000 | Large hail broke windows. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | $2,500 | Large tree limbs were downed from strong winds in the Dexter area. |
| November 2024 | Flash Flood | Dexter | - | U.S. Highway 285 and State Road 2 (Old Dexter Highway) in and around Dexter were impassible due to flood water moving across the respective roadways. Additionally, the neighborhood area near Ken Road west of U.S. Highway 285 was under 2 to 3 feet of water. Flooding also occurred in fields along U.S. Highway 285 at East Ottawa Road inundating the highway. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Dexter | - | Half dollar size hail was reported in Dexter, NM. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Dexter | - | A thunderstorm moving southeast produced quarter sized hail at the Roswell Correctional Facility. |
| May 2021 | Hail | Dexter | - | A trained spotter near Dexter reported 1.5 inch hail from a supercell thunderstorm tracking eastward through the area. |
| April 2019 | Hail | Dexter | - | Quarter size hail on the north side of Dexter. |
| April 2019 | Hail | Dexter | - | Quarter size hail on the north side of Dexter. |
| June 2019 | Hail | Dexter | - | Quarter size hail several miles west of Dexter. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Dexter | - | Hail up to the size of quarters at the Roswell Correctional Facility. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Dexter | - | Nickel size hail. |
| May 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | - | Bottomless Lake State Park estimated wind gusts between 50 and 60mph as storm passed with pea size hail. |
| May 2013 | Hail | Dexter | - | Hail began at the Roswell Correctional Facility around 330am and grew to the size of ping pong balls at 340am and remained severe for several minutes afterward. |
| June 2010 | Hail | Dexter | - | Hail ranged from pea to quarter size. |
| March 2007 | Hail | Dexter | - | Large hail over Dexter as storm moves north. |
| June 2010 | Hail | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Hail | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Hail | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Hail | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| April 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| October 2004 | Hail | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Hail | Dexter | - | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Hail | Dexter | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Van | 0.9 miles | 9 | |
| Greenfield | 2.5 miles | 9 | |
| Chisum | 5.1 miles | 9 | |
| Hagerman | 6.2 miles | 8 | |
| Blackdom (historical) | 7.6 miles | 8 | |
| Midway | 7.9 miles | 9 | |
| Mossman | 9.9 miles | 8 | |
| East Grand Plains | 10.1 miles | 9 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Dexter | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q116445 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 888359. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.




