New Mexico State Road 95
State Road 95 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
NM 95 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by NMDOT | ||||
| Length | 13.415 mi[1] (21.589 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end | CR 322 at El Vado Lake State Park | |||
| NM 572 in Plaza Blanca | ||||
| East end | US 64 / US 84 in Los Ojos | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | New Mexico | |||
| Counties | Rio Arriba | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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State Road 95 (NM 95) is a 13.415-mile (21.589 km) state highway in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States, that connects County Road 322 (CR 322) at the El Vado Lake State Park with U.S. Route 64 / U.S. Route 84 (US 64 / US 84) in Los Ojos.
Route description
NM 95 begins at the west end of CR 322 at the north ends of the El Vado Reservoir and the El Vado Lake State Park. (CR 322 heads westerly toward the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation and Dulce. CR 322 initially follows the former routing of NM 95, which proceeded westerly, then southerly [via Lindrith] to end at New Mexico State Road 96 [NM 96] in Regina.)[2]
From its western terminus NM 95 proceeds northeasterly toward Heron Lake. After passing through Heron Lake State Park, including crossing Willow Creek on the Heron Dam, NM 95 continues northeasterly until it reaches its junction with the west end of New Mexico State Road 572 (NM 572) on the western edge of the unincorporated community of Plaza Blanca. (NM 572 officially heads west to ford the Rio Chama before ending at the west end of New Mexico State Road 153 in the unincorporated community of La Puente. However, after NM 95 was extended west from Rutheron in 1969, the state has not maintained the river crossing [nor the adjacent sections of dirt road] along NM 572. Therefore, the ford of the Rio Chama is likely impassable.)[3][4]
In Plaza Blanca, NM 95 briefly turns north to pass through the unincorporated community of Rutheron before curving to head briefly east and then resuming a northeasterly course again. NN 95 then turns east again and, immediately after entering the census-designated place of Los Ojos, crosses over the Rio Chama and quickly reaches its eastern terminus at US 64 / US 84 at a T intersection. (Eastbound US 64 / US 84 heads south toward Tres Piedras, Española, Taos, and Santa Fe. Westbound US 64 / US 84 heads north toward Chama.)
History
Originally, NM 95 only connected Rutheron with US 84 north of the unincorporated community of Park View (now Los Ojos). Eventually, it was extended to Plaza Blanca and on to loop around the north end of El Vado Reservoir, then south through the unincorporated community of Lindrith before ending at NM 96 in what is now the census-designated place of Regina in Sandoval County. However, NM 95 was eventually truncated back to its current route.[5][6][2]
Major intersections
Mile markers increase from east to west.
The entire route is in Rio Arriba County.
| Location | mi[1][7] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 0.000 | 0.000 | CR 322 west – Dulce | Western terminus; transitions to CR 322 former routing of NM 95 | |
| | Heron Dam on Willow Creek | ||||
| Plaza Blanca | 9.551 | 15.371 | NM 572 south – La Puente | Northern end of NM 572; T intersection | |
| Los Ojos | Bridge over the Rio Chama | ||||
| 13.415 | 21.589 | US 64 east / US 84 east – Tres Piedras, Española, Taos, Santa Fe US 64 west / US 84 west – Chama | Eastern terminus; T intersection | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
References
- ^ a b "Posted Route: Legal Description" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. March 16, 2010. p. 91. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ^ a b "Chama, NM" (Map). usgs.gov. 1:100000. United States Geological Survey. 1981. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Plaza Blanca Historic District". National Park Service. p. 72. Retrieved October 22, 2018. With accompanying 12 photos from 1985
- ^ "Untitled overview of New Mexico State Road 95" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ^ "Cuba" (Map). usgs.gov. 1:62500. United States Geological Survey. 1962. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ^ "Aztec, NM" (Map). usgs.gov. 1:250000. United States Geological Survey. 1975. Retrieved October 11, 2025.
- ^ "TIMS Road Segments by Posted Route/Point with AADT Info; NM, NMX-Routes" (PDF). New Mexico Department of Transportation. April 3, 2013. pp. 5–7. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
External links
Media related to New Mexico State Road 95 at Wikimedia Commons