Rio Arriba County

Rio Arriba County was the ninth county originally created for the Territory of New Mexico in 1852. The county seat was initially sited at San Pedro de Charmita, and shortly afterwards at Los Luceros. In 1860, the seat was moved to Plaza del Alcalde.

Since 1880, Tierra Amarilla has been the county seat. The Battle of Embudo Pass took place in the southern part of the county during the American invasion in January 1847.

The county has a total area of 5,896 square miles, a population of approximately 40,040, and its northern border is the Colorado state line. It is the fifth largest county in NM by area. The highest point in the county is the summit of Truchas Peak at 13,102 feet. Española is one of the more populated cities in the county with a portion of the central and eastern section in Santa Fe County.

The county has an abundance of outdoor activities and points of interest including Abiquiu Lake, the Chama River (a tributary of the Rio Grande), the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, Puye Cliff Dwellings, and the Monastery of Christ in the Desert.

Upcoming Events

Sep
21
Mon
2026
First Line Supervisor – 40 hour Training @ 1851 Copper Loop, Las Cruces, NM
Sep 21 @ 8:00 am – Sep 25 @ 5:00 pm

Description
This training is intended for Sheriff, Detention Staff, Firefighters, and Emergency Medical First Responders in supervisor and leader roles.  Course is free to NMC Law Enforcement Insurance Pool Members.  Non-pool members may inquire about attending (pending availability) for a fee. See attached flyer for more details.

https://www.nmcounties.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/40-First-Line-Supervisor-Flyer-Albq.-July-2025.pdf

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Oct
5
Mon
2026
CIT – 40 hour Crisis Intervention Training @ PSPG, 8341 Washington St. NE. Albq., NM
Oct 5 @ 8:00 am – Oct 9 @ 5:00 pm

Description

This 40-hour training provides verbal de-escalation, crisis intervention, and mental health awareness training.  It is intended for Sheriff Deputies, Detention Staff, Firefighter and Emergency Medical First Responders. Course is free to NMC Law Enforcement Pool members.  Non-pool members may inquire about attending (based on availability) for a fee.  See attached flyer for more details.

https://www.nmcounties.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CIT-Albuquerque-November-2025.pdf

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Nov
16
Mon
2026
Advanced Supervisor Leadership Course @ PSPG, 8341 Washington St. NE. Albq., NM
Nov 16 @ 8:00 am – Nov 20 @ 5:00 pm

Description

Review of basic leadership and supervision 101 concepts, defining the terms leadership, management, and supervision, review of leadership theory and principles, review of destructive leadership approaches, employee temperament review, agency/department morale, 16 hours of table-top critical incident scenarios, emotional intelligence and a brief self-assessment, performance standards, performance reviews, discipline, and recognition, training assessment, plan and implementation, burn out and peak performance, HR review and civil liability, establishing policy and procedure, effective project management, ethics in

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Advanced CIT Albuquerque -Sept 2024

Employment Opportunities