Aztec, NM

united states

Aztec sits along Highway 550 in northwestern New Mexico, about 14 miles from Farmington and 45 miles south of Durango, Colorado. This high desert town of 6,150 serves the Four Corners region with routes connecting to Colorado via US-550 north and to Bloomfield via local roads south. The area's 5,600-foot elevation brings hot summers and snowy winters. The town's name comes from early settlers who mistakenly thought nearby ancient Puebloan ruins were Aztec-built, though the structures actually predate that civilization.