Located in the Southwestern Region of the United States, New Mexico is surrounded by land along each of its borders. Situated directly south of Colorado, New Mexico shares borders with four other U.S. states along with Mexico to the south. These states include Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. Some people argue that Utah and New Mexico do not share a border, though the very northwest tip of New Mexico is positioned right next to the most southeastern point of Utah.
The GPS coordinates of New Mexico are 34.5199° N and 105.8701° W. The most centralized point in the state of New Mexico lies in the heart of Torrance County. To the south of Willard, the geographic center point of New Mexico is visually in the middle of New Mexico as well, making it easier to differentiate its location from the other counties nearby.
The Land of Enchantment is approximately 370 miles long and 343 miles wide. With a total area of 121,598 square miles, New Mexico is ranked as the fifth largest state based on physical size. Of these dimensions, New Mexico is 99.8% land and only 0.2% water. The climate of New Mexico reflects the lack of water sources. New Mexico is arid in nature, despite the string of mountain ranges that run through the southwestern state.
On average, New Mexico is approximately 5,700 feet above sea level. The highest point is located on the very tip of Wheeler Peak in the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range, which is part of the larger Rocky Mountain Range. The altitude of Wheeler Peak is 13,161 feet above sea level. In the opposite direction, New Mexico is still relatively high at its lowest point. At an altitude of 2,842 feet above sea level, Red Bluff Reservoir is as low as New Mexico’s elevation level drops.
In the north, New Mexico reaches as far as the thirty-seventh parallel where New Mexico and Colorado diverge. The most extreme point to the south is located in Hidalgo County at a particular point on the border between Mexico and New Mexico. While New Mexico’s eastern border spans from Oklahoma to Texas, the easternmost point only lies on the border between Oklahoma and New Mexico. Finally, in the west, New Mexico’s boundaries go as far as the border separating Arizona and New Mexico.