BlockBefore

Moriarty, New Mexico

10 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1917 and the latest in 1986. It stands in the Estancia census division. It lies in ZIP code area 87035. The Survey maps it on the Moriarty South quadrangle. 1,946 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 6,220 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Moriarty within Torrance County

On record in Moriarty

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 2 records

Population over time

2 figures

Moriarty grew from 1,910 to 1,946 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.

YearPeople Change
20101,910
20201,946+36 (+2%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 10 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

89 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 89 fires within 5 miles of Moriarty between 1992 and 2020, burning about 3,218 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 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/undetermined67
Smoking5
Fireworks5
Equipment and vehicle use4
Debris and open burning3
Misuse of fire by a minor3
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Arson/incendiarism1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
29 August 1993Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionBURL
25 August 1997Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionSTUBBY
13 August 2020Fireworksunder an acreBernalillo District21-60590203X
11 August 1993Missing data/not specified/undetermined6.0 acresNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionLIGHTNING 2
9 July 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresBernalillo District21-60200055X
9 July 2020Fireworksunder an acreBernalillo District21-60260085X
9 July 2004Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionHOUSE
9 July 2004Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNew Mexico State Forestry DivisionSIXTEEN

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Torrance County

Mines and quarries near this place

5 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Moriarty: 5 unknowns. 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Materials PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Materials PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Materials PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Materials PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Materials PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown

Every working recorded in Torrance County

Storms near this place

44 since 1995

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Moriarty in 44 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 23 hail, 11 thunderstorm wind, 4 funnel cloud, 3 flash flood. The reports record 3 injuries. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2013LightningMoriarty2 hurt, $10,000A car traveling east bound on Interstate 40 three miles east of Moriarty at mile marker 199 with 4 occupants was struck by lightning. One child and one adult were injured and treated at the scene. Car's electronics were destroyed and vehicle towed from scene.
April 2014LightningMoriarty1 hurtA man was grazed by a lightning strike 10 feet away while photographing a dust devil near Moriarty. The man survived the shock however no details on the extent of his injuries was reported.
September 2021Flash FloodMoriarty$250,000One to two inches of heavy rainfall caused flash flooding in Moriarty. Torrance County Dispatch reported torrential rainfall with a severe thunderstorm crossing Interstate 40 near Moriarty. Visibility was near zero which forced many travelers to pull off the road. Several Moriarty residents reported flood damage from the heavy rainfall. The water continued to flow southward through McIntosh and even caused Estancia Park Lake to overfill its banks. The extent of damages is unknown, therefore, damage amounts are a rough estimate.
September 2021Thunderstorm WindMoriarty$100,000A severe thunderstorm tracking southeast across Interstate 40 near Moriarty caused thunderstorm wind damage with estimated 60 to 70 mph winds. A Moriarty resident reported that multiple trees were downed in the area with widespread power outages. Another resident's above ground cistern was also moved several feet by the strong winds. Schwebach Farms in Moriarty reported extensive damage to their entire farm crops which forced them to harvest the entire crop immediately. Damages are a rough estimate.
October 2008Thunderstorm WindMoriarty$80,000A steel building was destroyed and blown onto Interstate 40, six power poles were snapped, at least three water tanks were damaged beyond repair and a pumpkin shooter was damaged from sustained winds estimated at 55 to 70 mph with gusts of 90-100 mph. Corn stalks were also damaged in a large corn maze.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindMoriarty$20,000A thunderstorm downburst lifted a large solar panel unit and its concrete pillars out of the ground and tossed it several feet away. Many of the panels and the steel frame were damaged or destroyed.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindMoriarty$10,000Dry microbursts with gusts of 50 to 60 mph were reported across Bernalillo and western Torrance counties. Roof damage was reported and a tractor trailor was turned on its side between Edgewood and Moriarty.
June 2025HailMoriarty$5,000A CoCoRaHS observer reported golf ball size hail from a severe thunderstorm shattering the rain gauge and causing house and vehicle damage.
August 2016HailMoriarty$5,000Slight hail damage to vehicle.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindMoriarty$2,000Thunderstorm winds caused barn roof damage in Moriarty.
August 2013HailMoriarty$1,000Broadcast media partner relayed report of hail ranging in size from marble to golf ball in association with a passing storm near Moriarty. One half an inch of rain was also reported.
June 2025HailMoriarty-Quarter to half dollar sized hail was observed a few miles south of I-40 at Edgewood from a severe thunderstorm.
June 2025HailMoriarty-Hail as large as tennis ball size was observed in Moriarty from a severe thunderstorm.
June 2025HailMoriarty-Penny size hail was observed from a strong thunderstorm along NM 41 south of Moriarty.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindMoriarty-A trained spotter a few miles south of Edgewood estimated a 60 mph wind gust from a severe thunderstorm.
August 2024Flash FloodMoriarty-A driveway a few miles south of Edgewood became flooded and impassable.
June 2020HailMoriarty-Penny to quarter size hail was reported in the Edgewood area.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindMoriarty-A metal storage shed was destroyed by thunderstorm outflow winds.
May 2017HailMoriarty-Hail up to the size of quarters reported in Moriarty.
June 2016Funnel CloudMoriarty-Wall cloud and short-lived funnel cloud spotted near Moriarty.
April 2015Funnel CloudMoriarty-Public reported cold air funnel cloud hovering between Edgewood and Moriarty.
July 2015HailMoriarty-Dime to quarter size hail in Edgewood.
June 2014Tornado (EF0)Moriarty-Landspout tornado just north of Interstate 40 near Moriarty on the ground for approximately 10 minutes. No damage reported.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindMoriarty-Several strong outflow wind gusts in Moriarty between 7pm and 8pm with strongest to 75mph at around 745pm.
May 2012Funnel CloudMoriarty-Funnel cloud reported 6 miles west southwest of Moriarty.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindMoriarty-Spotter estimated winds of at least 60 mph as gust front passed.
July 1997HailMoriarty-Dime size hail was reported by a Ham Radio SKYWARN spotter.
August 1997Funnel CloudMoriarty-Spotters reported a funnel cloud near Moriarty.
June 1995HailMoriarty-Golf ball-size hail was reported at Longhorn Estates.
May 2023HailMoriarty-no account filed
July 2014HailMoriarty-no account filed
October 2008HailMoriarty-no account filed
August 2004HailMoriarty-no account filed
April 2000HailMoriarty-no account filed
June 2000HailMoriarty-no account filed
June 2000Flash FloodMoriarty-no account filed
June 2000HailMoriarty-no account filed
July 2000HailMoriarty-no account filed
July 2000Thunderstorm WindMoriarty-no account filed
July 2000Thunderstorm WindMoriarty-no account filed
September 1998HailMoriarty-no account filed
October 1998HailMoriarty-no account filed
May 1997HailMoriarty-no account filed
April 1997HailMoriarty-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Torrance County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Otto6.1 miles17
Gallegos6.5 miles19
Estancia Ranchettes6.9 miles7
Martinez7.5 miles13
McIntosh8.6 miles10
Pine Springs9.9 miles13
Witt10.3 miles10
Antelope Springs10.9 miles10

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 MoriartyAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1933126The 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 892232. 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.