Chili New Mexico Map

About Chili, New Mexico

Chili is a locality in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. It is a small community with a population of 209. The population density is 21.8 people per km². Chili is located at 36.1050°N, 106.1497°W. It observes the Mountain Time (America/Denver) timezone. ZIP code: 87537.

Chili lies in a high desert valley, where the earth is a study in ochre and rust under a sky that can stretch from an intense, washed-out blue to a bruised, twilight purple. It lies 31.2 miles north-north-west of Santa Fe, NM (from Santa Fe, NM: bearing 338°T), and is situated 8.8 miles north-north-west of Española. The land here is rugged, carved by the patient hand of wind and water into arroyos that snake across the landscape like dried veins. Sagebrush, tough and tenacious, clutches at the dry soil, its silvery-green leaves releasing a faint, clean scent after a rare rain, a fragrance that hangs in the still air like a whispered promise. Cottonwood trees, their leaves a vibrant, almost electric green, cluster along the few waterways, their branches reaching upwards as if to catch every available drop of sunlight, creating pockets of deep shade that offer respite from the sun's relentless gaze. The history of Chili is etched into the very bones of the earth, a story told in the ancient pathways worn by generations and the enduring spirit of its people. This is a place where agriculture, sustained by the capricious flow of mountain streams, has always been the lifeblood, with small farms clinging to the valley floor, coaxing life from the arid soil. The legacy of the Hispanos, who settled this land centuries ago, is still palpable in the weathered adobe structures and the deeply ingrained traditions that shape daily life. The economy here, like the landscape, is modest and resilient, rooted in the land and the quiet industry of its inhabitants, a stark contrast to the clamor of distant cities, offering a rare and precious stillness.

About This Chili Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Chili, New Mexico — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 36.105022, -106.149747. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Chili and Rio Arriba County.

Detailed location data for Chili includes the ZIP code (87537), telephone area code (505), county seat of Rio Arriba County (Tierra Amarilla), and school district assignment (Española Municipal Schools). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Chili is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.