Socorro County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,866.[1] The county seat is Socorro.[2] The county was formed in 1852 as one of the original nine counties of New Mexico Territory.[3][4] Socorro was originally the name given to a Native American village (see: Puebloan peoples) by Don Juan de Onate in 1598. Having received vitally needed food and assistance from the native population, Onate named the pueblo Socorro ("succor" in English).
Socorro County is home to multiple scientific research institutions including New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and its associated Very Large Array, the Magdalena Ridge Observatory, and the Langmuir Laboratory for Atmospheric Research. Federal public lands in Socorro County include parts of the Cibola National Forest, the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Socorro Field Office, parts of the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, and parts of the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail.
