Cimarron, New Mexico

Cimarron is a village in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States, which sits on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The population was 792 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth most populous municipality in Colfax County.

Cimarron sits on the Cimarron River, a tributary of the 900 mile-long Canadian River, whose headwaters are at the Eagle Nest Dam, with the main part of town lying along U.S. Route 64. The village is surrounded on all sides by numerous ranches, including Philmont Scout Ranch, an extensive "high-adventure base" operated by the Boy Scouts of America. Philmont is located just four miles south of Cimarron. Other ranches also include the Chase Ranch (famous for its heart-shaped brand and allegedly the Marlboro Man's place of origin), Ted Turner's Vermejo Park Ranch, the CS Ranch, the Express UU Bar Ranch (formerly the property of Waite Phillips), and the Clearview Ranch of the western singer/songwriter R.W. Hampton, as well as numerous other small ranches. The Elliott Barker State Wildlife Area, the Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest, and Cimarron Canyon State Park., are also located within the Cimarron area. 17 miles and 28 miles to the northeast is Dawson, New Mexico, a ghost town with a population of over 9,000 near the early 20th century, and the Raton Municipal Airport, respectively.

The village is a pioneer of the four-day school week (Monday–Thursday), which it originally implemented in the early 1970s, during a time of rising fuel and utility prices. Cimarron is home to the 1979 New Mexico High School Boys Basketball State Championship team.