About The Village of Capitan

The Village of Capitan is located in historic Lincoln County in the south central part of New Mexico, 165 miles southeast of Albuquerque. 1,400 citizens live at an elevation of 6,350 feet nestled between the Capitan and the Sacramento Mountains. The average rainfall is 15.7 inches. The mean maximum temperature is 68 degrees while the mean minimum is 36 degrees.

 
Capitan was founded in the 1890s and incorporated in 1937. The Village has a mayor-council form of government, a professional police department and an excellent volunteer fire department. Completed in 2015 Capitan has a full-time clinic a satellite of the Presbyterian Medical Group , and is served by an excellent EMT unit.

 
Capitan is proud of its schools and recently completed middle school, which serves grades K through 12. A high percentage of graduating seniors have received numerous scholarship offers from institutions of higher learning.

The progressive Capitan Public Library is one of only two libraries in Lincoln County completely staffed by volunteers. The Village is served by eight churches and nine civic organizations. The brand new Zia Senior Center is one of New Mexico's most active.

 
Capitan's recreational areas are among the finest in the southwest. Located in the heart of the Lincoln National Forest, the area is renowned for its big game hunting, fishing, skiing at Ski Apache and horse racing at Ruidoso Downs. Smokey Bear Historical Park is located in Capitan with two museums and a gift shop.