Jal, New Mexico

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|4.8|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

{{US Census population

|align=left|1930= 404

|1940= 1157

|1950= 2047

|1960= 3051

|1970= 2602

|1980= 2675

|1990= 2156

|2000= 1996

|2010= 2047

|2020= 2202

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:35&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=Oct 12, 2022}}

}}

As of the census[https://archive.today/20190521214830/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1&prodType=table factfinder2.census.gov] of 2010, there were 2,047 people, with 788 occupied houses. The population density was {{convert|426.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1009 housing units at an average density of {{convert|210.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 84.81% White, 0.83% African American, 0.73% Native American, 11.82% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 48.12% of the population.

There were 788 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 19, 12.2% in their 20s, 10.1% in their 30s, 12.6% in their 40s, 13.2% in their 50s, and 22.4% who were 60 years of age or older. The median age was 38.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $39,813, and the median income for a family was $51,538. Males had a median income of $46,250 versus $30,147 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,597. About 12.0% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 18.5% of those age 65 or over.

During the early 1900s, the Cowden boys of Midland, Texas moved the entire John A. Lynch herd to the Monument draw, about 6 miles northeast of present-day Jal. All the cattle were branded with the JAL brand from shoulder to hip. In the process of trying to rebrand the Cowdens, they found it too big a task so they registered the brand under their name in Silver City, New Mexico Territory.{{Cite web|title=The City of Jal, New Mexico|url=https://www.cityofjal.us/community/jal_history.php|access-date=2020-10-26|website=www.cityofjal.us|language=en}}

In 1913, Charles Justis (a merchant) applied for a post office under the name "Jal" to open six miles east of the city of Jal. However, in 1916, Jal became drought-stricken and the store and post office were relocated to Muleshoe Wells and the city of Jal was established in its present location.

On November 1, 1927, Texas Co. brought in the first well, the Rhodes #1. Then on June 2, 1928, a second well, serving up more than 90 million cubic feet of gas a day, was brought online 6 miles west of Jal. This created a “boom town,” with all the prosperity and problems that go with it. The Great Depression and low crude prices caused a sharp slump in drilling and people left in droves. Jal almost became a ghost town overnight.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

In the summer of 1934, the Cooper #1 brought the “Big Boom” back to Jal. By then Jal had a passenger train and its population rose to around 500. Housing was in short supply and ranchers opened their homes to “roughnecks”. New businesses sprang up, and with the gas gathering system by El Paso Natural Gas, prosperity continued.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

In 1950, a city hall was built. In 1966, it received a renovation, and in 1987, it received another one. By 2019, the municipal authorities considered the 1950 building out of date, so that year they authorized a renovation of the {{convert|37900|sqft|sqm|adj=on}} former Burke Junior High School, with city hall in a {{convert|14300|sqft|sqm|adj=on}} eastern portion. This was under construction in 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.hobbsnews.com/2021/06/24/work-on-new-jal-city-hall-underway/|title=Work on new Jal City Hall underway|newspaper=Hobbs News|date=2021-06-24|accessdate=2022-07-14}}

It is within Jal Public Schools.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st35_nm/schooldistrict_maps/c35025_lea/DC20SD_C35025.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lea County, NM|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=2022-07-14}}

• NM 18 runs north & south
• NM 128 runs east & west
• NM 205 runs southwest to Bennett

The Texas & New Mexico Railway provides freight service.

The city is served by the Lea County/Jal Airport about three miles to the northeast. The airport has a paved, 4700 ft. runway. Jal once saw commuter airline service in 1964 by Solar Airlines.Solar Airlines Inc. August 1, 1964 flight schedule

Jal experiences a cool semi-arid climate, typical of the high plains of eastern New Mexico. However, it borders a hot semi-arid climate.

{{Weather box

|location = Jal, New Mexico.

|single line = Y

|collapsed = Yes

|Jan record high F = 85

|Feb record high F = 89

|Mar record high F = 98

|Apr record high F = 102

|May record high F = 107

|Jun record high F = 114

|Jul record high F = 112

|Aug record high F = 110

|Sep record high F = 108

|Oct record high F = 100

|Nov record high F = 89

|Dec record high F = 84

|year record high F= 114

|Jan high F = 59.9

|Feb high F = 65.2

|Mar high F = 72.9

|Apr high F = 81.8

|May high F = 89.0

|Jun high F = 95.6

|Jul high F = 96.3

|Aug high F = 95.0

|Sep high F = 88.8

|Oct high F = 80.3

|Nov high F = 68.6

|Dec high F = 61.0

|year high F= 79.5

|Jan low F = 27.9

|Feb low F = 32.4

|Mar low F = 38.8

|Apr low F = 47.6

|May low F = 56.8

|Jun low F = 65.3

|Jul low F = 68.0

|Aug low F = 66.8

|Sep low F = 60.2

|Oct low F = 48.9

|Nov low F = 36.7

|Dec low F = 29.2

|year low F= 48.2

|Jan record low F = −11

|Feb record low F = −8

|Mar record low F = 10

|Apr record low F = 20

|May record low F = 28

|Jun record low F = 40

|Jul record low F = 50

|Aug record low F = 50

|Sep record low F = 37

|Oct record low F = 20

|Nov record low F = 8

|Dec record low F = 0

|year record low F= −11

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.41

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.48

|Mar precipitation inch = 0.42

|Apr precipitation inch = 0.63

|May precipitation inch = 1.42

|Jun precipitation inch = 1.28

|Jul precipitation inch = 1.82

|Aug precipitation inch = 1.79

|Sep precipitation inch = 2.08

|Oct precipitation inch = 1.31

|Nov precipitation inch = 0.47

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.46

|year precipitation inch= 12.58

|Jan snow inch = 1.3

|Feb snow inch = 0.7

|Mar snow inch = 0.3

|Apr snow inch = 0

|May snow inch = 0

|Jun snow inch = 0

|Jul snow inch = 0

|Aug snow inch = 0

|Sep snow inch = 0

|Oct snow inch = 0

|Nov snow inch = 0.6

|Dec snow inch = 0.8

|year snow inch = 3.5

|source 1 = The Western Regional Climate Center{{cite web

| url =http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?nm4346| title =Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information | accessdate =August 13, 2013 | publisher =Western Regional Climate Center | language = }}

|date=August 2013

}}

• Charles T. Sinclair, robber and murderer
• Kathy Whitworth, winner of 88 LPGA Tour events, more than anyone else; 1965 and 1966 female athlete of the year[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19670117&id=FKpVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J-EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7027,3630338&hl=en Kathy Whitworth named female athlete of the year]

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Jal, New Mexico}}

• {{official website|http://www.cityofjal.us}}

{{Lea County, New Mexico}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cities in New Mexico

Category:Cities in Lea County, New Mexico