Datil is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, su ...

Catron County Catron County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 3,725, making it New Mexico's third-least populous county. Its county seat is Reserve. Catron County is New Mexico's largest county by area. H ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 54. Located at the intersection of

U.S. Route 60 U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as Pacific Avenue, in the ...

and New Mexico State Road 12, Datil is on the edge of the

Cibola National Forest The Cibola National Forest (pronounced SEE-bo-lah) is a 1,633,783 acre (6,611.7 km2) United States National Forest in New Mexico, USA. The name Cibola is thought to be the original Zuni Indian name for their pueblos or tribal lands. The name was ...

. The

Very Large Array The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory located in central New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil, ~ west of Socorro. The VLA comprises twent ...

is also nearby. Rock climbers are attracted to Datil because it holds the Enchanted Tower, a climbing hotspot.

History

Datil is named after the nearby Datil Mountains. The name of the mountains came in turn from the Spanish word '' dátil'', meaning “date”; the name most likely resulted from the fruit-like appearance of the seedpods of local yucca species. The town lay along the Magdalena Stock Driveway. The driveway, which had wells spaced every ten miles along its length, was used by ranchers during the late 19th to mid-20th century as they drove cattle from

Springerville Springerville is a town in Apache County, Arizona, United States, within the White Mountains. Its postal ZIP Code is 85938. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 1,961. Springerville sits at an elevation of above sea level. A ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

, to the railroad at Magdalena. The Bureau of Land Management maintains a campsite, Datil Well Campground, at the location of one of the former wells.

Geography

Datil is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 60 and New Mexico State Road 12. To the east lie the San Agustin Plains, the

, and the village of Magdalena. To the southwest, several populated subdivisions are accessible from State Road 12. The state highway continues past the local landmark Horse Mountain, a 9490‐foot peak, and further through the small town

Apache Creek The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...

until reaching the county seat of Reserve. U.S. 60 travels westward from Datil, passing northwest through the

and coming out the other side just outside Pie Town. Datil - 1.jpg, Buildings Datil - Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - 1.jpg, Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Demographics

Education

The school district is Quemado Schools. The district operates Datil Elementary School, a two-room schoolhouse with multi-level classes. Secondary students attend a K-12 school called Quemado Elementary and High School.

Climate

References

External links

Datil article and photo gallery Datil, New Mexico article
Census-designated places in Catron County, New Mexico Census-designated places in New Mexico {{NewMexico-geo-stub