Tucumcari, New Mexico - Tucumcari KOA

Where and what is Tucumcari? It's a town of 5,000 people approximately halfway between Albuquerque, NM and Amarillo, TX; and in the Northeast corner of New Mexico, not far from the Texas panhandle. It is located on Interstate 40 which follows old, now Historic Route 66. Old Route 66 runs through the center of town. This location pretty much keeps the town alive. The usual chain restaurants and hotels have clustered around an interstate exit, which provide all the town fun. However, Tucumcari does provide a quiet restful campsite for the night.

How did Tucumcari get to this point? As with many western towns the railroad gets the founding credit. First, in 1901 there was a railroad construction camp, Ragtown. So much good times were had in Ragtown that it became known as Six Shooter Siding. Tucumcari, named after a nearby mountain, came along in 1905 and grew to become a junction for transcontinental train service. Route 66 added more westward travelers up until the interstate highway was built in the 1950's. Then traffic sped by with no need to stop in a small town. The population boom stopped abruptly in the 50's with the demise of both the railroad and automobile traffic. The exodus continues to this day.Read more