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Chama

A village of 917 people in New Mexico
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Now in Chama

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Weather

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Around town

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Headlines via Google News · Articles belong to their publishers.

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Around town

The places and views that make it Chama

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Outdoors in Chama

Parks & trails →
Conserved land0.1%1 of 1,856 acres
Trails1.8 mi0.6 mi per sq mi
Parks & preserves0named on the map

Know a trail or park that’s missing? Anyone can add it to OpenStreetMap, and it shows up here on the next refresh.

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Denver & Rio Grande RR 226, at Lobato,NM1900
From Chama’s story

Denver & Rio Grande RR 226, at Lobato,NM, 1900

Photo · Wikimedia Commons

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Know Chama

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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About Chama

Village in New Mexico, United States
917Population
2.7 sq miArea
7,871 ftElevation

Chama is a village in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 917 at the 2020 census. The village is located in the Rocky Mountains about 7 miles (11 km) south of the Colorado-New Mexico border.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code87520
Living in Chama

Housing in Chama

$321K≈ same as a year ago Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Chama home is worth about $321,000, about the same as a year ago, close to the New Mexico typical home.

Only 1 sale in May 2026, too few for a market read. The typical value is the steadier guide.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Work & commute in Chama

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Most working residents leave Chama for work: only 16% work in town. The top destinations are Albuquerque (9%), Los Alamos (7%) and Dulce (7%). Half commute less than 50 miles.

Albuquerque
9%
Los Alamos
7%
Dulce
7%
Santa Fe
6%
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Chama →

Health in Chama

Compared with New Mexico

3better than NM·4worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 25 are too close to call.

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

Care nearby

Pagosa Springs Medical CenterPagosa Springs · 37.1 mi · ER · rural critical access
Lcdp Dunham ClinicChama · 1.2 mi · sliding-scale fees
Primary careShortage · county-wide
DentalShortage · county-wide
Mental healthShortage · county-wide
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Chama · CMS · HRSAHealth in Chama →

Natural hazards in Chama

84
Very high

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🔥 Wildfire
FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Chama →

Climate in Chama

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Chama has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 92 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

39° / 9°Winter
58° / 25°Spring
79° / 44°Summer
61° / 28°Fall
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Chama →

Schools in Chama

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DistrictCHAMA VALLEYSchools1

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES). Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from ChamaWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Chama.Meet them →

How things work in Chama

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The coffee’s on

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Chama is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01