Tucumcari

Tucumcari sits at 1,247 meters above sea level in the Canadian River valley in Quay County, eastern New Mexico, serving as the administrative center for the county. Dozens of large wall paintings cover building fronts downtown, showing scenes from regional history.

The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad set up a construction camp in 1901, first called Ragtown and then Six Shooter Siding. The settlement gained municipal status in 1908 and grew into a supply center for ranchers and settlers with the arrival of the railway.

The name comes from the Comanche word tʉkamʉkarʉ, which early Spanish documents recorded as Cuchuncari for the mountain south of the settlement. Today painted building fronts recall the era when travelers relied on this stop along the old highway crossing the plains.

The town offers lodging and services along Interstate 40 between Amarillo, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Most wall paintings sit within the compact downtown area and can be easily reached on foot.

Around fifty large wall paintings by artists Doug and Sharon Quarles turn the streets into an open-air gallery. The works document defining moments of the region, from the railway era to the age of cross-country highways.

Location: Quay County

Inception: 1901

Elevation above the sea: 1,247 m

Website: http://cityoftucumcari.com

GPS coordinates: 35.16944,-103.72556

Latest update: December 13, 2025 15:55